The coronavirus pandemic has made the summer transfer window uncertain, but here are the rumours floating around Europe's big leagues and beyond.
TOP STORY: Man United take out loan for Sancho
Manchester have reportedly taken out a £140 million loan to ease them through the coronavirus pandemic, and The Sun believes the Reds will attempt to use some of the money to sign Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho when the transfer window opens.
Club executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has made no secret of the club's financial struggles as a result of the coronavirus, and United have moved swiftly to access a credit facility they have with Bank of America.
The report says the cash will help ease them through the worst of the impact of the pandemic, but some could also be used to land Sancho and possibly Aston Villa's Jack Grealish, who is rated around £60m.
Moreover, Mundo Deportivo reports that United are hoping to offer Chilean flop Alexis Sanchez to Borussia Dortmund in an effort to lower Sancho's price. The England international is expected to cost more than £100m, which is a lot for a club who spent £130m on two players last summer and who have several expensive targets on their shopping list.
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LIVE BLOG
23:00 BST: That will do it for the latest edition of our LIVE Transfer Talk blog. We hoped you enjoyed following along with us and remind you to check back shortly for the latest transfer rumours, reports and completed deals. Goodnight!
22.32 BST: Man City, Real Madrid and... Newcastle are reportedly battling over the signature of highly-rated Uruguayan teen Facundo Pellistri, according to a report in the Daily Mail.
The 18-year-old winger has become a regular at Uruguayan giants Penarol, earning rave reviews from his manager, one Diego Forlan. Earlier this year, Forlan told Fox Sports' Joga Bonito: "Pellistri has huge potential. There is still a lot to work on. He is growing and he makes a difference. We know it will be difficult to keep him for a long time. He has great pace and that is hard to handle."
Real Madrid are no strangers in dealing with Penarol, having signed budding star Federico Valverde back in 2016, while City, who have a full-time scout in Uruguay due to their satellite club Montevideo City Torque, have also reportedly had discussions surrounding Pellistri.
Napoli, Atletico Madrid, Wolves and Boca Juniors are all also reportedly keen on the promising attacker.
21.41 BST: Inter to replace Lautaro Martinez with Hertha Berlin starlet Matheus Cunha?
Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano says that the in-form Cunha is at the top of Inter's list if Lautaro does leave for Barcelona.
Inter have started contacts with Hertha Berlin for Matheus Cunha. The brazilian striker is going to be a possible target for next summer. 🇧🇷 @SkySport #Inter #Hertha #transfers
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 27, 2020
Cunha, 21, has been in rampant form since the return of the Bundesliga this month abd scored four goals and added an assist in seven games with Hertha since arriving from RB Leipzig in January. A star at underage level with Brazil, Cunha looks a top talent and could be quite the find for an Inter side that could use an influx of young attacking talent.
20.55 BST: Arsenal have reportedly joined the conversation regarding Sevilla centre-back Diego Carlos.
The 27-year-old Brazilian has had a standout first season in Spain since joining from Nantes for a reported €15 million last summer and is suddenly on the radar of the Gunners, as well as Barcelona and Liverpool, writes Spanish outlet El Desmarque. Carlos, 27, is will wait until the end of the season to address his future and carries a lofty €75 million release clause.
20.02 BST: After spending nine seasons at Atletico Madrid, Diego Godin move to Inter last summer. Could he be on the move again this year?
Inter Live, via HITC, claims that Inter could offload the 34-year-old centre-back, who has failed to meet Antonio Conte's expectations this season. Everton and Man United are both being linked with the Uruguayan, who could be snapped up for as little as £7 million, according to a previous report in The Mirror.
Everton, who are fairly young at centre-back with Mason Holgate (23), Michael Keane (27) and Yerry Mina (25), might benefit on-and-off the pitch from having a serial winner and seasoned veteran like Godin in the fold.
19.19 BST: Arsenal and Man United have been handed a potential blow in their pursuit of Leicester teen Dennis Gyamfi.
Amid interest from the two Premier League giants, Football Insider has learned that Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers has promoted the 18-year-old right-back to the first team, presumably in a bid to convince the Holland youth international to stay at the King Power Stadium.
Gyamfi, who was born in Ghana, will become a free agent at the conclusion of the season.
18.37 BST: The Daily Mail is claiming that Manchester City already have a contingency plan in place should Leroy Sane leave for Bayern Munich after this season.
The outlet understands that City are keeping tabs on explosive Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey, who they view as a like-for-like replacement for Sane. The 22-year-old Jamaican, who was, a short time ago, considered one of the brightest stars in the Bundesliga, has lost his starting position at the moment at Leverkusen and thus, could be available for the right price.
A left-footed speedster, who has showcased great dribbling ability and a knack for scoring from long range, Bailey has tallied 24 goals and 13 assists in 108 games for Leverkusen, and is valued at £40 million.
17.43 BST: Amid interest from Chelsea, Man United are willing to offer promising attacking midfielder Angel Gomes a £1.5 million extension to keep him at the club, reports The Telegraph.
The 19-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the season, is to be offered a £30,000-a-week deal by the Red Devils, who hope to ward off a strong push from Chelsea. Man United's Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year back in 2017, Gomes, who is also an England Under-20 international, has made six first-team appearances this season and 10 overall, since debuting back in 2017.
17.00 BST: The Daily Telegraph reports that Inter Milan are set to extend Ashley Young's deal.
Young, 34, moved to Inter from Man United for £1.3m on an initial six-month contract in January.
Inter have the option of adding a year to the deal and the reports stats "there is a 'mutual option' that player and club must decide on but there is a willingness for Inter to keep the former England international."
16.18 BST: Mario Balotelli is set to leave Serie A club Brescia, but would he work in MLS?
15.42 BST: Barcelona will cut their scouting department in half as part of a major restructuring operation, various club sources have confirmed to ESPN.
The department employs around 40 members of staff, with only 15 to 20 expected to survive the cull as Barca look to streamline how they source players from around the world. The majority of those working in the department are out of contract at the end of June and won't have their terms renewed.
15.21 BST: Shanghai Shenhua have softened their stance on extending Odion Ighalo's loan with Manchester United but time is against the Premier League side, sources have told ESPN.
United want to keep Ighalo for the remainder of the season but privately insist the "ball is in Shanghai's court" with the delayed Chinese Super League season set to start in June.
14.46 BST: Former Man United boss Louis van Gaal has said that the club didn't sign one player he wanted after he arrived in 2014.
United spent £59.7m on Angel Di Maria, as well as picking up Marcos Rojo, Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw and Daley Blind that summer, plus Radamel Falcao on loan.
"Manchester United did not have the qualities to become champions and had an outdated selection with ten players over 30, five over 35," Van Gaal told Voetbal International. "So I told them I was going to rejuvenate and which players should come. I didn't get one of those.
"Then you end up in a different segment and as a coach you have to push your boundaries. You don't expect that at the richest club in the world. A turnover of £600m and can't buy the players you need. You should buy number one and not number seven."
"Of course, the selling club also thinks: 'If you are so rich, you also have to pay the highest amount imaginable for a player.' That was what happened with transfers. Then you have to do with the numbers seven or eight on your wish list. For which you actually pay way too much money, on which the coach is judged and convicted."
14.10 BST: Borussia Dortmund midfielder Thomas Delaney has told ESPN that teammate Jadon Sancho feels the pressure amid speculation linking him with a move away from the club.
Sources have told ESPN that Manchester United and Bayern Munich are interested in signing Sancho this summer, but Dortmund believe they can hold out for a fee around €120m.
"Clearly, one of the biggest talents that I've played with," Delaney told the Gab & Juls podcast. "With that talent comes a lot of pressure and I think he slowly starts to feel that from the England national team and clubs surrounding him now."
13.22 BST: The Bundesliga's return has reminded everyone just how special Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz is.
12.40 BST: ICYMI - David Luiz's future at Arsenal has been thrown into doubt after it emerged the club are yet to trigger an extension to his contract which expires this summer, sources have told ESPN.
Sources said the club want to stress no final decision has been taken, but allowing Luiz's deal to run this close to expiry is an indication of the financial pressures Arsenal were working under even before the coronavirus pandemic.
12.09 BST: Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga has attracted interest from Real Madrid but Manchester United are also keen and "have made more than a dozen checks on the midfielder in the last 12 months" according to the Metro.
Camavinga, 17, has starred in Ligue 1 and led Rennes to third place in the league before it was ended because of the coronavirus pandemic.
United are reportedly willing to sign the France U21 international and then loan him back to Rennes, which gives them the edge over Real.
11.20 BST: Gareth Bale is all over the news again, with Marca proclaiming that Real Madrid have received no offers for him and are hoping he performs in the next 11 games when La Liga returns so that he can be moved on.
Bale, who has been linked with a return to the Premier League with Tottenham and Newcastle, said this week that he does not understand the criticism he's received for playing golf.
11.06 BST: Will Odion Ighalo get his dream move to Man United made permanent?
10.18 BST: Valencia have joined the race to sign Fiorentina captain German Pezzella, Superdeporte reports.
Pezzella, 29, is considered the ideal candidate to replace Ezequiel Garay, whose contract with Valencia expires next month.
Valencia have yet to offer the injured Garay a contract extension and the club is looking for alternatives. Pezzella is tied to Fiorentina until June 2022 and La Viola would be open to selling the Argentina centre-back if the right offer came along.
09.42 BST: Yaya Toure will not continue his playing career with Brazilian club Vasco de Gama.
The former Manchester City and Barcelona star had announced six days ago he had agreed to join Vasco if presidential candidate Leven Siano won the elections. However, the 37-year-old, who is a free agent since leaving China League One side Qingdao Huanghai in January, has reconsidered.
Siano posted a video of Toure explaining his reasons for his change of heart with the message: "I regret to inform that due to personal reasons, Mr. Yaya Toure is no longer able to move to Brazil. We have reached an amicable consensus to terminate the agreement with immediate effect without any penalty or further obligation on both sides. I thank him for all the attention he has dedicated to this matter during our recent conversations. I wish him all success in any future projects and send the kindest regards to him and his family."
09.00 BST: ESPN's latest Insider Notebook has plenty of transfer gossip, including:
- Manchester United are still monitoring Timo Werner's situation at RB Leipzig despite mounting evidence the striker will end up at Liverpool.
- The list of clubs linked with Philippe Coutinho continues to increase almost by the day but Barcelona are looking to recoup more than half the £142m they agreed with Liverpool to sign Coutinho in 2018. Sources have also told ESPN that Barcelona want any loan agreement to include a fee of around £10m, plus the buying club would be required to cover all of his £250,000-a-week wages.
- David De Gea will be Manchester United's first choice goalkeeper when the campaign restarts and he looks set to keep the job next season too.
- Teenage sensation Adil Aouchiche could leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is keen on him.
08.25 BST: Negotiations for Paris Saint-Germain to acquire Mauro Icardi on a permanent transfer from Inter Milan are progressing well, according to reports in Italy.
Icardi, 27, joined PSG on loan with a €70m purchase option included in the deal. PSG have until the end of this month to notify Inter if they wish to activate that clause but Ansa reports that a deal could be completed for around €60m, including add-ons.
PSG want Icardi to remain at the club, with the striker having scored 20 goals in 31 appearances for the French champions. However, PSG are looking to renegotiate the terms based on the current situation in football due to the coronavirus pandemic.
08.00 BST: Inter Milan sporting director Piero Ausilio has warned Barcelona and other interested parties they must pay Lautaro Martinez's €111m buyout clause to sign him this summer.
In an excerpt from an interview that will air on Friday, Ausilio tells Sky Italia: "Regarding Martinez, there is only one path that can see him away from Inter and that is for his buyout clause to be met. A clause that everyone knows about and that is useless to hide, it is there. It's a clause that expires at the beginning of July so it won't last long. That is the only possibility that exists today to see Lautaro away from Inter.
"We are not discussing at this point the matter of Lautaro with anyone. We are counting on him. He is an important asset of the club, let's not forget that he has three years left on his contract with Inter. Inter has no intention to sell its most important players but to keep them, and that goes for Lautaro, and to reinforce itself in the market."
Ausilio added that Barcelona are leading the race to sign the Argentinian forward.
"Many clubs have contacted us to address Lautaro," he said. "Among them, the one that is most decided and with whom we have a friendly and cordial rapport is Barcelona. I'm not going to hide this. I know that Barcelona perfectly knows what our intentions are. Inter has no intention of selling Lautaro Martinez. But I repeat there is a clause."
Asked if Barcelona would have to pay that clause to sign Martinez, Ausilio said: "I believe I've been very clear."
PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd)
Liverpool out, Inter in for Werner
Good news for all those clubs with Timo Werner in their sights, as Liverpool have reportedly withdrawn from talks to sign the RB Leipzig star, according to the Daily Mirror.
Jurgen Klopp is a big fan of Werner and has been in contact with the player the past few months, but after discussions with the Liverpool board, the German boss is reluctant to spend more than £30m on the striker as a result of the ongoing financial uncertainty.
Leipzig, meanwhile, have insisted that they won't sell for anything less than £50m. That impasse has seen Liverpool walk away, leaving Werner to choose between seeing out the last two years of his contract and moving elsewhere.
Among the other clubs reported to be interested in his services are Inter Milan, and Sport suggests that the Italian club will use the money gained from the expected sale of Lautaro Martinez to sign Werner and Joao Cancelo from Manchester City.
A lot needs to happen for all of the above to take place, though. Barcelona would need to exchange Nelson Semedo for Cancelo and include Cancelo in the deal for Martinez. The Nerazzurri would then use some of the remaining Martinez cash to lure Werner to the San Siro. Game of dominos, anyone?
Chelsea chasing Tagliafico
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is monitoring Ajax full-back Nicolas Tagliafico, the Daily Mirror reports. The Blues boss believes he can get the Argentina international in a cut-price deal that would see Chelsea part with about £22m.
The Blues have made the left-back position a priority, and with Leicester's Ben Chilwell too expensive at around £70m and Lampard missing out on other targets, Tagliafico is said to be keen on the move.
Tap-ins
-- Tottenham are closing on a move for Bournemouth and Scotland winger Ryan Fraser, says Football Insider. The 26-year-old is a free agent at the end of the season and has been linked with Arsenal.
-- Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte would love to link up with Arturo Vidal for the second time after the duo worked together at Juventus, but he has a job persuading the player to leave Barcelona, says Le10sport. Vidal reportedly wants to stay at Camp Nou in an effort to win the Champions League, and Barca officials are keen to use him as part of the ongoing attempt to bring Lautaro Martinez to Spain.