The January transfer window may seem like a distant memory, but that doesn't mean the rumour mill has shut down! Speculation over summer moves is heating up so check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.
TOP STORY: Liverpool interested in Koulibaly
Bild football writer Christian Falk has reported that Liverpool are interested in signing centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli.
It's no secret that the Reds have had their fair share of injury problems this season and it's hit them particularly hard from a defensive standpoint, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all out currently. Van Dijk is set to return in the next few months, however, and Liverpool finally want to give him the centre-back partner he's been waiting for.
Jurgen Klopp added Preston's Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak (on loan from Schalke) in January but won't want to turn down the chance to land a world-class operator.
Koulibaly, 29, has been linked with a move away from Napoli for a few years now -- will Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester United interested -- and it finally seems to be close to becoming a reality as Italian outlet Il Mattino claims the Serie A side will lower their desired €100m fee to sign the Senegal international to just €45m.
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LIVE BLOG
22.15 GMT: That's all for today's edition of Transfer Talk Live. Please check in a bit later for more news and rumours. Thanks and be safe.
20.28 GMT: Liverpool have positioned themselves as the top rival to Real Madrid in battle to sign PSG's star Kylian Mbappe thanks to the relationship between the France international and Reds shareholder LeBron James, reports AS.
The outlet also says that the possible exit of Mo Salah could set the stage for Liverpool to be even more competitive financially in the hunt for the former Monaco man, with Salah's increasingly strained relationship with Jurgen Klopp cited as reasons he could leave Anfield.
18.47 GMT: Barcelona are in a state of turmoil on and off the pitch and this week they learned they are falling further behind Real Madrid in spending power, reports ESPN's Alex Kirkland.
While every team in La Liga has been negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic, Barca's situation is most striking -- unsurprisingly, given their well-documented financial woes -- with their spending cap falling a huge 48% from €671.4m in the summer of 2019 to just €347m now.
Real Madrid have also been hit hard, with 2019's limit of €641m down to €473.3m -- although that is a slight increase on last summer, after their January business -- while Atletico Madrid's €348.5m 18 months ago has fallen to €217.3m.
The figures demonstrate how difficult it will be for the Spanish giants to compete with the Premier League for Europe's hottest talent this summer.
17.30 GMT: Arsenal are going to struggle to sign top players in the summer if they can't make it into Europe.
16.25 GMT: Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke says he is not expecting a summer of big spending when asked about the futures of striker Erling Haaland or winger Jadon Sancho.
Both players have been linked with Europe's top clubs -- Haaland mainly to Man City, Real Madrid and Barcelona for €150m; Sancho to Man United for €120m -- and are on long contracts at Dortmund.
However, the financial crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has left football clubs short of cash and, even if Dortmund need to raise money if they fail to seal Champions League qualification, Watzke doesn't believe they will leave yet.
"Overall, I don't think that crazy things will happen," he told Sky Germany. "I know the situation in the European leagues very well, and the clouds are getting darker instead of lighter.
"[PSG and Man City] are backed by entire states which find ways and means to pump money in."
15.44 GMT: Jurgen Klopp has warned his Liverpool squad that any player who only wants to play Champions League football is free to leave.
Liverpool's hopes of finishing in the top four were dented after a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Thursday -- the result meant the club have lost five successive games at Anfield for the first time in their history.
Klopp's men remain in sixth position in the Premier League table and four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, but the German said he was confident his group of players would remain loyal if they finish outside of the Champions League spots.
"[Loyalty from players] is not something we have to worry about," he told a news conference ahead of Sunday's home clash against Fulham. "I know that we have the loyalty of the players and it's not a situation where a player of this squad says next year we don't play Champions League so we have to leave. That will not happen, I know them enough to know that and it will not be an issue with new players.
"We said it earlier, years back, if a player doesn't want to come to us because we don't play in the Champions League next year, I don't want him. If a player wants to leave us because we don't play Champions League, I don't want him. It's not a personal thing but you always need to find the right squad for the challenges you face and then you go for it. It's nothing that I worry about."
15.00 GMT: Chelsea might need to move on a couple of their underperforming players this summer, but who is more likely?
14.21 GMT: Manchester United have two very good goalkeepers in Dean Henderson and David de Gea, but the Daily Record reports they may be moving for a new one in the summer.
Henderson, 23, is growing frustrated at his lack of action as the 30-year-old De Gea has kept the No. 1 jersey this season.
However, if United can raise funds from letting both go -- with De Gea's wages of £350,000-a-week also a big saving -- then that may be an option and the report says "United are understood to have opened conversations over an alternative solution to the disputed goalkeeper position."
Seems ridiculous to chase a new No. 1 and move on two players when the position could be filled by either, but there you go.
13.36 GMT: Arsenal may need a replacement for Granit Xhaka if things keep going the way they are at Burnley today, but it won't be the return of Matteo Guendouzi, says Football Insider.
Guendouzi, 21, is on a season-long loan at Hertha Berlin after falling out with manager Mikel Arteta. The Frenchman impressed when first signed for around £8m in 2018 from Lorient, but doesn't seem to have a future at the club.
Villarreal are reportedly interested and the Gunners will consider offers to sign him in the region of £25m.
13.14 GMT: Manchester United are looking to strengthen their side for next season and the Daily Express reports they have been scouting Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Edmond Tapsoba.
Tapsoba, 22, has impressed in the Bundesliga and the Burkina Faso international comes highly recommended from Germany, though his contract is valued at around €50m as it expires in 2026 and only recently signed new terms.
United are also looking for a new winger and they could be set for a double raid on Leverkusen by signing Leon Bailey, say the Daily Express.
Bailey has been linked with a move for some time and has been of interest to Tottenham Hotspur and AC Milan, but the 23-year-old Jamaica international could be available for a bit less as his deal expires in 2023.
12.28 GMT: Are Manchester United's transfers in the right hands?
11.34 GMT: Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius is a target for Bayern Munich, says Sport1.
Karius, 27, is currently on loan at Union Berlin after a dreadful few years following errors that lost Liverpool the Champions League final against Real Madrid in 2019 and a two-year loan at Turkish club Besiktas fraught with financial issues.
The goalkeeper is contracted with Liverpool until 2022 and Bayern reportedly want experienced backup to No.1 Manuel Neuer, with summer signing Alexander Nubel set to move to Monaco on loan to get more game time.
10.42 GMT: Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun is set to leave the club when his contract expires this summer, reports the Daily Star.
Balogun, 19, has scored seven goals in 14 Premier League 2 matches this season and bagged two goals in the Europa League for Mikel Arteta's first team. However, German clubs RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen are hovering and the youngster looks likely to leave.
According to Football.London, Arsenal will offer 18-year-old Kido Taylor-Hart a new deal after he netted six goals and four assists in nine appearances at Under-18 level.
09.31 GMT: Manchester United want Eric Bailly to prove his injury problems are over before committing the defender to a new contract, sources told ESPN's Rob Dawson.
Bailly, signed from La Liga side Villarreal for £30m in 2016, has managed more than 20 appearances in all competitions in just one of his four years at the club. This season, the 26-year-old has missed 63 days and 13 games through injury.
Solskjaer is an admirer of Bailly and has been impressed with his performances alongside captain Harry Maguire, in particular during a run in the team through December and January as United moved to the top of the Premier League. Bailly started seven of United's nine games between Dec. 23 and Jan. 20, with Solskjaer's team winning six and keeping four clean sheets.
Bailly will enter the final year of his existing deal in the summer and his representatives have been contacted about the possibility of agreeing fresh terms, sources said. There remain concerns about how often he is ruled out through injury, however, and Solskjaer is keen to sign a left-footed centre-back in the summer transfer window.
09.00 GMT: ICYMI - Senior figures at Chelsea believe they can tempt Borussia Dortmund and tempt Erling Haaland into moving to the Premier League this summer, according to ESPN sources, as a growing number of Europe's heavyweights plot their moves.
Sources told ESPN that Chelsea feel there are several elements in their favour, not least an attractive financial package, but also the prospect of Haaland becoming the centre-piece of a young, expensively assembled team.
Chelsea spent £220 million on six players last summer but there are indications behind the scenes that owner Roman Abramovich is willing to sanction further spending this summer. Chelsea are the only club in London with a realistic chance of signing Haaland and sources said the capital city could be a major draw for the striker, in addition to the club's ambition to win the biggest trophies every year.
PAPER TALK (by Harry Kettle)
Tottenham look to Torino's Lukic
Tottenham are weighing up the chance to secure the signing of Torino midfielder Sasa Lukic, Tuttomercatoweb reports.
Spurs are set to have a busy summer transfer window with Jose Mourinho attempting to make wholesale changes in an attempt to win some silverware in North London. RB Leipzig's Marcel Sabitzer was initially pinpointed as their primary target, but now their attention has reportedly shifted towards Lukic.
However, the expectation is that there's going to be a lot of competition for the 24-year-old's signature once the summer rolls around.
Wolves open to offers to sign Traore
The Daily Mail is reporting that Wolverhampton Wanderers are willing to listen to offers for winger Adama Traore this summer.
The 25-year-old Spain international hasn't quite had the same impact this season as he did last season, but many Wolves fans still consider him to be an integral member of the first-team squad.
Alas, after considering accepting a deal for around £70m last year from suitors Manchester City and Barca, it seems as if they'll have to settle for something much lower this time around, according to the report.
Tap-ins
- Napoli are leading the race to sign Mattia Zaccagni, Calciomercato reports. The Hellas Verona midfielder is a wanted man and is expected to depart the club in the upcoming window. Unfortunately for Napoli, they don't have the move nailed down yet and with AC Milan potentially making a move of their own if Hakan Calhanoglu doesn't re-sign, it's game on.
- Werder Bremen are contemplating a move to try and sign Abdou Harroui, Bild reports. The Sparta Rotterdam midfielder, 23, has been at the heart of his team's impressive successes so far this season and Bremen believe that he would strengthen their side in the middle of the park.