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LIVE Transfer Talk: Chelsea want Rice to complete big summer of signings

The coronavirus pandemic has made the transfer market uncertain -- you can find out when the windows close here -- but here are the rumours floating around Europe's big leagues and beyond. Plus, check out all the latest major completed transfers across Europe.

TOP STORY: Chelsea to make last push for Rice

Chelsea are preparing one final effort to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, according to the Daily Mirror.

Rice was a trainee at Chelsea before moving across London to join the Hammers in 2014, and his since established himself and an England international and one of the Premier League's most promising young midfielders. Although no fee is mentioned in the latest report, West Ham have previously been reported as valuing the 21-year-old at around £70 million

The Mirror reports that Rice's signing -- which would follow other big-money summer arrivals Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz and Edouard Mendy -- could pave the way for Jorginho to leave Stamford Bridge and join Arsenal.

However, Gazzetta Dello Sport reports that former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is still eager to bring Blues midfielder N'Golo Kante to Inter Milan.

If Chelsea have to negotiate either or both of those exits to make space for Rice in their squad, that will be a tough task for them to complete before the Oct. 5 transfer deadline.

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LIVE BLOG

21.00 BST: Loris Karius is close to loan move to Union Berlin, according to the Liverpool Echo.

Still on the books at Liverpool, the German keeper spent the last two seasons at Beskitas on loan. He terminated that stint in May, which ended a turbulent tenure in Turkey that saw accusations of unpaid wages.

The 27-year-old is now primed to return to the Bundesliga, after spending time at Mainz before the move to Merseyside in 2016.

And as if Liverpool fans need to be reminded, Karius' last game for the Reds was that infamous performance in Kiev against Real Madrid in the 2018 Champions League final loss.

20.25 BST: Aston Villa are eager to add to their squad and strengthen the side, according to manager Dean Smith. 

The side ended last season strong and will face Fulham in their second game of the 2020-21 Premier League on Monday. 

However, Smith is not satisfied and wants to capitalise on their good fortune especially after the departure of Mbwana Samatta to Fenerbahce.

"We're always looking in the market, we're probably one short in the squad at the moment so we'll keep looking at that," he said. 

"I think there's seven days left until the window shuts internationally, another seven days domestically.

"Our sporting director at the moment has got his finger on the pulse, hopefully we might get one more in and maybe a couple more out."

19.35 BST: Frank Lampard has said he is keeping his goalkeeping options open after the arrival of Edouard Mendy at Chelsea. 

The Blues boss chose not to start Kepa Arrizabalaga in the side's 3-3 draw with West Brom on Saturday and instead opted for Willy Caballero

"There's no clarity on that one yet, about what will happen, and I'm not going to speak about the maybes of what might happen in the future," said ahead of the game when asked if Kepa would be loaned out. 

"I think with the dynamic of the goalkeepers, we know we've had problems in the goalkeeping area in the first two games of the season and at times last year. We know that and I think we can be very honest and open about that, and Kepa is in that search for the best performance levels.

"Mendy comes in of course to be big competition in that area. Now it's about how we move forward, about trying to get that performance level as best as can be."

18.25 BST: Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers is hopeful Jonny Evans will sign a new contract with the club with Wilfred Ndidi out for up to three months. 

The 32-year-old could be used as a makeshift centre-back as Ndidi will need surgery.

"Our intention was to get through to the end of the season then the club and Jonny's agent would pick it up from there," Rodgers said.

"He is clearly a player I would love to keep here. He has been absolutely brilliant, not just in the games but in training with setting the standards and the mentality.

"I believe the discussion will go on between Jonny's agent and the club, and hopefully we can find a solution to keeping him here."

17.28 BST: Inter Milan and Tottenham are in talks over Milan Skriniar but the north London side will not accept the £55m valuation the Italians have put on him, according to the Sun. 

Skriniar is reportedly interested in a move to Spurs but the club are only willing to play between £25m and £30m for him. 

The 25-year-old's agent is in talks with the Serie A side about the move. 

Should a fee be agreed, Inter Milan could use the money to bring Chris Smalling to Italy.

16.36 BST: Barcelona are focusing on securing Memphis Depay to bolster their attacking options, according to Mundo Deportivo. 

Depay has worked with Barca boss Ronald Koeman before during his time with the Dutch national team and his fee is within the club's budget. 

The forward, who could cost £28m, has also been the subject of interest from AC Milan.

Depay has scored 58 goals and provided 43 assists across 142 appearances while at Lyon.

 15.48 BST: Sevilla are preparing for a second bid from Manchester City for Jules Kounde, sources have told ESPN's Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez. 

The La Liga club rejected an initial €55 million offer for centre-back Kounde last week, believing they'll be able to sell him for more next summer.

However, sources have told ESPN that a €10m to €15m increase in City's offer would be hard for the side to refuse. 

The France U21 international's release clause exceeds the fees being discussed but there is an internal debate at Sevilla as to whether they would be better off waiting for his value to increase before selling next summer, or accepting an improved offer from City now.

14.57 BST: Jack Wilshere has said he is ready to start playing football again -- whether that is with West Ham or elsewhere. 

Injury has hampered the 28-year-old but he told the Times he is ready to show people what he can do after featuring in just 210 minutes of West Ham's 2019-20 Premier League season. 

"Any footballer that says he's happy being on the bench is lying. I want to play. I'm more frustrated because I just want to be given an opportunity," he said. 

"I've had honest conversations with the manager. I think the manager understands where I'm coming from. I said I want to play and he can't promise me game time." 

"Listen, I don't even know my future at the club. I just want to play games and get back to the level whether that's at West Ham or somewhere else, different country, a different culture maybe. While I'm still a West Ham player I'll remain focused on West Ham, trying give my all in training and still try to fight for that opportunity."

14.08 BST: Atletico Madrid's Luis Suarez has said he's "proud" to have left a good impression at Barcelona.

13.14 BST: Former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas has said all signs point to Dele Alli leaving the club. 

Alli has fallen out of favour with manager Jose Mourinho and there have been reports that Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are interested in the midfielder. 

"I don't feel like it's one that can be reconciled, I feel like it's a parting of the ways," Jenas said on BBC Radio 5 Live. 

"Everything Jose does is to get a reaction. I would be concerned if I was Dele. He has always been loved by everyone and every manager.

"Right now it doesn't feel like Jose Mourinho or Spurs is the place for him. I'd be looking to move on now."

"No doubt that his form has dipped over the last 18 months, he knows that more than anybody.

12.37 BST: Diego Simeone has admitted he tried to convince Luis Suarez to sign for him before he moved to Barcelona -- and confirmed that, six years later, the Uruguay forward will be available to make his Atletico Madrid debut this weekend.

Suarez was presented as an Atletico player on Friday after his controversial departure from Camp Nou -- with Lionel Messi publicly criticising Barca for letting his friend leave -- and joined his new teammates in training.

"We talked to him a while ago, and we had talked before [he joined Barcelona]," coach Simeone said in a news conference on Saturday. "He chose another path and his last six years have been marvellous."

"Talking to Suarez is easy, we all know him," he added. "Alvaro [Morata] left and we thought the best way of trying to keep improving was to look for someone who could score more goals. When Suarez appeared, it wasn't easy to find a replacement for Morata, but the numbers speak for themselves."

Atletico get their 2020-21 La Liga campaign underway against Granada on Sunday at the Wanda Metropolitano.

"Of course he'll be in the squad, available for the team," Simeone said. "Tomorrow we'll see if he starts or comes on in the second half."

12.02 BST: Real Madrid could be about to sell another youth team product, Diario AS reports, with striker Borja Mayoral is close to joining Roma.

The 23-year-old spent the last two seasons on loan at Levante, scoring 11 goals in La Liga.

AS claims that Madrid had hoped to bring in €20m for Mayoral but would now accept half that.

The forward has a year left on his contract at the Bernabeu and could agree a five-year deal in Rome.

11.29 BST: Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira is keen on a move to Atletico Madrid but the two clubs are continuing to wrangle over the terms of the deal, sources have told ESPN.

The Gunners want to include Torreira in a move for Atletico midfielder Thomas Partey but the La Liga club have so far dismissed any talk of a swap or player-plus-cash agreement.

Talks are at an advanced stage over Torreira joining on an initial season-long loan but the clubs are yet to decide on whether the transfer will include an option or an obligation to buy.

Arsenal would ideally like to recoup the majority of the £27m they paid Sampdoria for Torreira in July 2018 and remain hopeful they can convince Atletico to link that valuation to a deal for Partey.

Partey has a £45m release clause in his contract and Atletico have been determined to stick to that valuation.

10.54 BST: Hertha Berlin have confirmed they are interested in signing Germany's 2014 World Cup hero Mario Gotze.

Gotze, 28, is a free agent after his contract at Borussia Dortmund expired last season.

"He is of course a name that we have dealt with," Hertha sports director Arne Friedrich told DAZN at half-time during his side's 3-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurst (stream the replay on ESPN+ in the U.S.). "But, as I said, there are a lot of names that we are dealing with. At this point I cannot and do not want to say anything about it."

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10.18 BST: Manchester City have been dealt another injury blow after Gabriel Jesus was forced to withdraw from the Brazil squad and is expected to be out for a month. With Sergio Aguero also out as he continues his recovery from knee surgery, could Pep Guardiola be forced into the transfer market to sign a striker?

09.41 BST: Atletico Madrid aren't ruling out signing Edinson Cavani despite the arrival of Luis Suarez, according to Diario AS.

Cavani was close to joining Atletico in January before a deal fell apart and is now a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

Alvaro Morata joining Juventus allowed Atletico to bring in Suarez, and if the club can find a buyer for Diego Costa, AS reports that they would look to bring in another forward, which could be Cavani to form an all-Uruguayan strike partnership.

The newspaper says "the second reinforcement is only being considered if Costa leaves, for sporting and financial reasons."

09.00 BST: Arsenal have offered Lyon €35m for star midfielder Houssem Aouar, sources have told ESPN's Julien Laurens.

Sources add that while the French club is likely to reject this first bid, Arsenal are expected come back with an improved amount.

Initially, Lyon wanted €60m for their playmaker. But with the coronavirus pandemic changing clubs' financial situations, they have lowered their expectations with a fee of €40m or €45m likely to be enough. Arsenal might have to finalise the departure of Lucas Torreira first to raise funds to improve their offer for Aouar.

A few top clubs have showed interest in the 22-year-old Frenchman who impressed in the Champions League this season, but Arsenal are the first to move for him. Manager Mikel Arteta made Aouar his priority, and sporting director Edu has been discussing a deal with his Lyon counterpart Juninho for the past few weeks.

PAPER TALK (by Liam Wheeler): Leeds reignite interest in Man Utd's James 

Leeds United fans have been treated to plenty of exciting signings already this season, and with deadline day still a couple of weeks away, it looks like there could yet be more to come.

According to the Mirror, the Whites have once again set their sights on Manchester United winger Daniel James. Marcelo Bielsa is also believed to have been considering a move for Liverpool youngster Harry Wilson.

The Welshman was on the brink of completing a move to Elland Road prior to joining the Red Devils, but James's previous employers Swansea City pulled the plug at the last minute before James moved to Manchester in a £15 million deal last summer.

However, James has since fallen down the pecking order following the emergence of Mason Greenwood, despite starting against Crystal Palace last weekend.

Meanwhile, the Telegraph had earlier reported on Friday that Leeds are hopeful of securing an additional player -- AZ Alkmaar captain Teun Koopmeiners to be precise -- as Bielsa also looks to bolster his central midfield options.

Porto, Sampdoria want Barca youngster

A string of high-profile faces have left Barcelona in recent days and now Marca reports that midfielder Alex Collado is expected to become the next player to leave Camp Nou.

According to the Spanish publication, Portuguese side FC Porto and Italian outfit Sampdoria are both keen to snap up the highly-rated 20-year-old, who can play as a winger or an attacking midfielder.

Collado has been plying his trade with Barcelona B but was said to be close to opportunities with the club's first-team until he suffered an injury towards the back end of the season.

It is understood that the Blaugrana are willing to let the youngster go out on loan to regain fitness in the hope that he will be ready to feature for the Catalan side more regularly upon his return.

Tap-Ins

- German outlet Bild is the latest to report that Fulham are keen to secure the signing of ex-Everton man Ademola Lookman from RB Leipzig on a season-long loan deal.

- Everton want to sign Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo on loan but the Catalans are unwilling to the sanction the deal without an obligation to buy clause. That's according to the Independent, who also report that Barca's insistence on the clause is to help fund their own pursuit of Ajax defender Sergino Dest and Manchester City's Eric Garcia.

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