The transfer window is open, and Transfer Talk has the latest rumours making the rounds. Follow live with our daily blog throughout the summer.
TOP STORY Liverpool, Chelsea and City move for Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon could be heading to the Premier League next season.
While Paris Saint-Germain are in pole position to sign the veteran goalkeeper after he announced his departure from Juventus, Tuttosport says that if PSG don't tempt the former Italy No. 1, then offers from Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City will arrive.
The 40-year-old spent 17 seasons with the Old Lady and amassed 300 clean sheets in the process. His final game with the team comes this weekend against Verona.
LIVE BLOG
22.44 BST: That's going to do it for Friday's live edition of Transfer Talk. Thanks very much for joining us, and be sure to check back in a few short hours when we return with the latest gossip pulled from Saturday morning's back pages.
22.13 BST: Bayern Munich have tabled a €60 million bid for Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey, sources have told ESPN FC.
21.37 BST: Is Nabil Fekir's rumoured move to Liverpool done and dusted? The Express reports that Lyon manager Bruno Genesio has told Lyon's website that, "For some, this may be the last game. ... I think Nabil will play a big match on Saturday."
20.50 BST: Could Andres Iniesta be staying in Europe after all? Sam Elliott of Yahoo thinks it is a possibility, writing a source-based story which links Iniesta with a move to Manchester City as a player-coach.
From a purely numbers standpoint the move adds up, as with Man City assistant Mikel Arteta likely to get the manager job at Arsenal, there would be an assistant coaching position open under Pep Guardiola. Guardiola and Iniesta are also close from their time together at Barcelona, adding further fuel to the fire.
That's where the feasibility of this one stops though, as Iniesta has been mainly linked with moves to Asia and there has been no talk of him transitioning into coaching just yet. This one seems a longshot but with Iniesta's move to China falling through, there are sure to be new suitors for the midfield maestro.
Your move Andres.
20.13 BST: Here's a potential big one. David Alaba to Real Madrid? The Bayern Munich star's father and agent George Alaba says that Real Madrid are "very interested" in signing his son.
"Everyone knows that Real Madrid are really interested in David," George Alaba told AS. "But we can't say anything right now. We'll see what happens in the summer. Now isn't the moment to discuss who is interested in him."
Alaba is one of the most versatile players in world, capable of starring at four or five positions, and would warrant a handsome transfer fee. We will keep an eye on this one as the summer progresses.
19.40 BST: With Middlesbrough eliminated from the Championship play-off, defender Ben Gibson figures to be a hot name for Premier League sides.
One club to watch is Southampton, as Mark Hughes made a run at Gibson back when he was in charge at Stoke and could come calling for the now 25-year-old again. Gibson made 46 appearances this season in the Championship and last season started all 38 games in the Premier League as Boro were relegated.
19:08 BST: Not a transfer per se but ex-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has provided a specific update on his future.
"I am going to give myself until June 14, the day the World Cup begins, to decide. The question is do I still want to coach, to be on the bench, or is it time to take up different functions?", said the French boss in an interview with BeIn Sports.
Will Wenger manage next season? We'll just have to wait until June 14th I guess. Good timing Arsene.
18:35 BST: Is world football about to have a new most expensive defender? If Napoli are to sell centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly then the answer is apparently yes.
According to Italian television network RAI, the Partenopei have bumped the Senegalese defender's price tag up to a whopping £105m! Chelsea and Arsenal have been two clubs heavily linked with the 26-year-old but they will need to pay up if Napoli's reported new demands are true.
18:15 BST: -- DONE DEAL: Bournemouth have locked down once-capped England midfielder Lewis Cook to a new four-year contract extension. The 21-year-old started 25 Premier League games for the Cherries this season and figures to be a big part of the south coast side's future.
We do! 🙌@LewisCook_ signs a new four-year deal with the club!
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) May 18, 2018
✍️ https://t.co/EytKOlPEnE#afcb 🍒 pic.twitter.com/c2WxkRHzOu
17:55 BST: After finding playing time scarce at star-studded PSG after arriving last January from Benfica, Goncalo Guedes has take off this season on loan at Valencia. The 21-year-old has scored five goals and assisted on 11 others in 39 total appearances and to no surprise Valencia are keen to keep him.
Spanish outlet Marca report that the two clubs are in constant communication over the young Portugal international but that no deal is imminent. PSG may be forced to cave and sell the youngster, though, as the club needs to start selling players in order to get in line with FFP regulations.
17.27 BST: If Aston Villa can beat Fulham to Premier League promotion in their playoff, the Villans have identified 27-year-old striker Moussa Marega to lead the line in their return to England's top flight, the Mirror reports. The 27-year-old has scored 27 times in 40 appearances for Porto this season, and the Portuguese giants are demanding £35 million for the Mali international.
17.00 BST: Kylian Mbappe has said he will stay at Paris Saint-Germain next season but might not see out his five-year contract at Parc des Princes.
France international Mbappe, speaking to Le Parisien, said he was happy at the club but added that the Champions League exit to Real Madrid had been a "black mark" on their season.
16.40 BST: Teenage Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig is close to signing for Tottenham Hotspur, Sport has reported.
16.00 BST: Paris Saint-Germain have offered a contract to Gianluigi Buffon, a source close to the French club has told ESPN FC.
Buffon has announced that he will leave Juventus at the end of the season but not retire, and will play his final match for Juve against Hellas Verona on Saturday.
15.20 BST: Leicester have agreed a deal for Porto defender Ricardo Pereira, thwarting Tottenham's hopes, talkSPORT, citing reports in Portugal, says. Spurs had been linked with the Portugal international last summer, but Leicester are now said to have agreed a deal that could be worth €20 million.
14.50 BST: More on Steven Gerrard's summer plans for Rangers -- the Mirror says he "is battling Leeds for Swansea's wantaway defender Kyle Bartley."
Central defender Bartley has told Swansea he wants to leave the Liberty Stadium, and now Gerrard is keen to snap him up.
14.20 BST: Alvaro Morata could be on the move this summer. The Mirror reports claim Chelsea would welcome a bid from Borussia Dortmund for the striker, while the Independent reckons Juventus are keen on re-signing the Spain international.
13.55 BST: Crystal Palace could move for full-back Ryan Fredericks from manager Roy Hodgson's old club Fulham, Football London reports.
13.40 BST: Jose Mourinho has said Manchester United could not turn down an opportunity to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo -- but added that he does not think Real Madrid want to sell.
Ronaldo, 33, has been repeatedly linked with an exit from the Bernabeu, with United, where he spent six seasons, touted as a possible destination.
But Mourinho told Portuguese newspaper Record: "I consider that Real Madrid cannot sell, they can't.
13.15 BST: Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea could all be on alert after Ajax forward Justin Kluivert said he will not sign a new contract with the club "after they reportedly tried to sell him to Tottenham behind his back," the Independent reports.
12.45 BST: An Atletico Madrid fan who attended the Europa League final has told Radio Marca that he was a guest at Atleti's executive luncheon in Lyon on Wednesday and overheard that the club has offered Antoine Griezmann a lucrative contract extension.
Bullfighter Miguel Abellan said: "During the official club lunch I found out the offer that Atletico Madrid have put on the table to Griezmann and it's €25million net. We would love for Griezmann to stay at Atletico Madrid. I personally think he will leave, but I hope he stays."
12.15 BST -- DONE DEAL: Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has made winger Jamie Murphy's loan move from Brighton into a permanent deal. Murphy has joined for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-year contract.
📝 #RangersFC are delighted to confirm today that @Jamiemurphy89 has joined the club on a permanent contract.
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) May 18, 2018
➡️ https://t.co/9LM0kqVSVi#LetsGo pic.twitter.com/2Sie76oeJR
12.00 BST: West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Derby's Matej Vydra, the Championship's top scorer, after the Rams were knocked out in the Championship playoff semifinals, the Birmingham Mail says.
11.45 BST: Former England goalkeeper Rob Green will leave Huddersfield after his contract expired, the Mail reports.
Former England international Green, 38, did not play for the first team during his time with the Terriers and will not be offered a new deal.
11.30 BST: Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves "has been told to shun interest from Champions League clubs amidst speculation Liverpool are monitoring his situation," the Liverpool Echo reports.
11.05 BST: Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc has signed a new one-year deal, extending his stay at the club until the summer of 2019.
10.40 BST: Iker Casillas has said he is delighted to have signed a new one-year contract with Porto.
Casillas, whose previous deal was due to expire this summer, made 19 league starts to help Porto capture the league title for the first time in five years.
10.30 BST: Genoa president Enrico Preziosi has said he is "waiting for a call" from Juventus about goalkeeper Mattia Perin after confirmation that Gianluigi Buffon will leave Juve.
"Juventus have yet to call us, but I think they were waiting for Buffon to announce his departure before contacting us," Preziosi told Il Corriere dello Sport. "If they contact us and make us a suitable offer, we'll sit around a table."
10.10 BST -- DONE DEAL: Confirmation from Tottenham that Keanan Bennetts is off to Borussia Monchengladbach:
We have reached an agreement with German side @borussia for the transfer of @kbennetts_11.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 18, 2018
All the best for the future, Keanan! 👍 pic.twitter.com/V1SsfHeQ5M
10.00 BST -- DONE DEAL: Schalke have signed Germany under-21 international Suat Serdar from Mainz after activating an €11m release clause.
Suat #Serdar is Royal Blue!
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) May 17, 2018
Welcome to #Schalke, Suat! 💙 #s04 pic.twitter.com/O3becZEiG1
09.45 BST: Millwall legend Tim Cahill will leave the Championship club for a second time after rejoining on a short-term deal in January, the club have announced. Millwall, who came close to reaching the playoffs following promotion from League One, have also released long-serving Jimmy Abdou.
09.35 BST: With Chelsea youngster Isaac Christie-Davies set to arrive at Anfield, Liverpool will let three of their under-23 players go, according to the Liverpool Echo. It says Paulo Alves, Toni Gomes and Mich'el Parker "will all part company with the Reds."
09.20 BST: Atalanta president Andrea Percassi has rubbished reports that Josip Ilicic is to have a medical before a move to Inter Milan.
Attacking midfielder Ilicic has been linked with a €12 million switch, but Percassi told fcinter1908.it: "It's pure fantasy -- Ilicic is not for sale at any price."
09.00 BST: Roberto Martinez has signed a two-year contract extension with the Belgian FA, taking him through to the 2020 Euros as national team coach.
08.52 BST: Could it be Antoine Griezmann? AS claim Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu "intends to announce" a major signing in the next two weeks.
08.29 BST: Ajax's young star Justin Kluivert will be leaving. Which may be of interest to Manchester United and Tottenham.
"I'm not renewing my contract at Ajax. Too much has happened," he told Volkstrant. "The decreasing morale, lack of confidence, trying to sell me to Tottenham without me knowing. I heard about that at the last minute. That says nothing about Ajax, but about the people in the club. They do want they want. I get that feeling again, they do what they want."
08.11 BST: Superdeporte report that Valencia have rekindled their interest in Arsenal forward Lucas Perez and want to sign him this summer. Perez, who is tied to the Gunners until June 2020, spent one season at Arsenal before returning to Deportivo last summer on loan. According to Superdeporte, Valencia executives met with Perez's representative Rodrigo Fernandez 10 days ago in London to inquire about the Spaniard.
08.00 BST: Marseille could make a move for Mario Balotelli if -- as expected -- he leaves Nice this summer, L'Equipe reports. However, with €120 million of the €200m owner Frank McCourt promised to invest in his first four years already spent, the French daily casts doubt on the ability of the Europa League runners-up to meet the financial demands of such a deal.
PAPER TALK (by Jack Rathborn)
Chelsea set sights on Martial
Chelsea will aim to make Anthony Martial their trophy signing this summer, with the Mail claiming the Manchester United star could arrive no matter who is the Blues' manager. (And being pursued like that might be a salve for Martial after he was left off France's squad for the World Cup.)
Even though Antonio Conte is almost certain to depart the sideline, Chelsea will continue their recruitment of the striker. They also think highly of Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri after Barcelona pulled out of a deal to sign the Ivorian last summer.
Dortmund turn attention to Morata
Borussia Dortmund will now make a move for Alvaro Morata after receiving no encouragement in their efforts to make Michy Batshuayi's loan deal permanent, the Mirror reports.
The Bundesliga giant's interest in Batshuayi was understandable considering he scored nine times in 13 appearances on loan. But Chelsea appear more interested in offloading Morata, who had a difficult first season at Stamford Bridge.
Juventus also emerged as a potential suitor for Morata, who earlier had a productive two-year spell in Turin, but the Old Lady would prefer a loan deal, while Dortmund could tempt the Blues with a permanent offer, claims the Mirror.
United close in on another full-back
Manchester United will begin talks for Monaco star Djibril Sidibe, claims Le 10 Sport, via the Mirror.
But while a £44m deal for Juventus defender Alex Sandro looks to be edging closer, a fee for Sidibe could be tougher to agree on.
Monaco will look for a fee of around £52m, the same as they received from Manchester City last summer for Benjamin Mendy.
Tap-ins
- Leicester have struck a deal with Porto for Ricardo Pereira, with a reported £22m set to be exchanged, says the Mirror. The Foxes will sign the Portugal international for an initial £17.5m, with a further £4.3m coming in add-ons. Claude Puel worked with the 24-year-old previously at Nice, and with 12 months left on his deal, the Dragoes have agreed to cash in.
- Tuttosport claim Inter Milan will pay €15m for Josip Ilicic after the Slovenian's fine debut season for Atalanta, which included 15 goals.
- Manuel Pellegrini has emerged as the top candidate to take over from the departed David Moyes at West Ham. The former Man City boss has been in charge of Chinese Super League outfit Hebei China Fortune for the past two years, but is now set to join the Hammers on Monday according to reports in Chile.
- Arsenal are prepared to sell Aaron Ramsay for £40m this summer if the Wales international refuses to sign a new contract beyond 2019, according to the Sun.