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LIVE Transfer Talk: Manchester United focus to Sevilla defender Jules Kounde

The January transfer window might 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: Man Utd focus on Sevilla's Kounde

Sevilla FC centre-back Jules Kounde is the focus of Manchester United's attention as they look to sign a new defender, reports Bild's Christian Falk.

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United have been linked with several central defenders throughout the season, including Real Madrid's Raphael Varane and Fiorentina's Nikola Milenkovic.

But Varane is now the top name on Chelsea's centre-back shortlist, which may have played a part in United's decision to switch their focus to the 22-year-old Kounde, who has made 43 appearances across all competitions for Sevilla so far this term, as well as featuring at the Under-21 European Championship for France.

Whoever does come in to strengthen Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's defence will accompany club captain Harry Maguire, with Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly both facing an uncertain future.

LIVE BLOG

22.30 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!

22.09 BST: Bologna are closing in on top target Marko Arnautovic, according to Il Corriere dello Sport.

The Austrian, who is currently under contract in China with Shanghai Port, is expected to join the Italian side on a two-year deal before transitioning to MLS and the Montreal Impact. The 34-year-old played briefly on loan in Italy with Inter back in 2009-10.

21.20 BST: Swiss champs Young Boys have the players that will be in demand this summer.

Jean-Pierre Nsame, Moumi Ngamaleu and Mohamed Ali Camara are all expected to draw interest from clubs in England. Nsame, 27, has scored 25 goals in 38 games this season, and according to TEAMtalk, is a target for Newcastle, Southampton, West Ham and Celtic.

TEAMtalk adds that wide man Ngamaleu, 26, has been watched by Leeds, Brighton, Everton, Leicester, Rangers, while Camara, a centre-back, reportedly has admirers in Liverpool, Arsenal, Crystal Place, West Ham and newly-promoted Norwich.

20.56 BST: Argentine phenom Thiago Almada is being linked with Inter and Marseille, according to Argentine outlet TycSports.

The report says that while Inter remain in on the attacking midfielder, Marseille and new boss Jorge Sampaoli are keen on signing the 19-year-old. Marseille are hoping that €15 million will be enough to lure Velez to sell their prized prospect.

20.04 BST: Udinese's Gerard Deulofeu is in the orbit of Villarreal, reports Spanish paper Mediterráneo.

The ex-Barcelona man, who is currently out injured with a torn meniscus, is reportedly valued by Udinese at €10 million. A Spain international, the winger has previously played in Spain with Barcelona and Sevilla.

19.17 BST: Man City are in negotiations with Red Star Belgrade over striker Andrija Radulovic, SunSport has learned.

The 18-year-old has made just 13 first-team appearances, but has impressed in the UEFA Youth League, notably scoring in a 2-0 win against Tottenham last year. The striker would initially be loaned out, either back to Red Star or one of Man City's satellite clubs.

18.31 BST: Not too many players play for both Man United and Manchester City but goalkeeper Ben Foster could be the next to do so.

The Sun claims that City could swoop for the 38-year-old to backup Ederson. In this scenario, City would loan out current backup Zack Steffen to gain experience, with recent doubts over the American as a reliable backup.

Foster, who played for City rivals United between 2005-10, recently helped Watford secure promotion back to the Premier League but could be persuaded to move to a club with the status of City.

17.49 BST: Man United remain hot on the trail of Villarreal defender Pau Torres, report the Manchester Evening News.

The 24-year-old has been linked with both United and City, but recently reiterated he is happy at hometown club Villarreal.

"I take [the rumours of his exit] well, with tranquility. In the end, when people talk about a player it's because the team is doing well and my work has been good.

"I'm calm. I'm fine at home, living with my family in my town and playing for a club that has given me everything since I was little and treats me like a son. On that side, all's calm. I go game by game, knowing I can improve. I appreciate the interest, but nothing more. Tranquility."

Man United's top centre-back target is reportedly Raphael Varane but Torres is considered a strong alternative.

17.01 BST: Could Edinson Cavani stay at Manchester United after all?

A report in the Daily Mirror suggests that United are trying to convince the Uruguayan to stay for another season, and are hoping a trophy will help sweeten their offer.

"Edinson is not 100% decided on his future yet,' confirmed Solskjaer. 'He's not told me he wants to leave but I am very aware he might be going back home to South America. If that's his decision, I will understand that.

"He knows my view. He knows I'd love to see him play in front of the Man United fans at Old Trafford. It will be the year when we can get the fans back in and it's important that he makes the decision not with anything else in mind.

"He wants a successful end to the season and that might sway him because he knows I love working with him, the boys really love having him around."

Cavani, 34, has scored 10 goals in 32 appearances and has been linked with a return to South America, namely to Boca Juniors.

16.25 BST: Metz and Mali defender Boubakar Kouyate, 24, has attracted interest from Roma and Atalanta, as well as Southampton, Norwich and Newcastle, who are also following his team-mate Pape Matar Sarr, writes L'Equipe. The 18-year-old Senegalese midfielder has also been linked to Chelsea and Everton.

15.47 BST: Manchester United need to bring in at least one goalkeeper next season with Lee Grant's contract expiring, and maybe even two if either David De Gea or Dean Henderson are sold. That means Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking around for reinforcements, and The Sun says that Tom Heaton is being considered.

Heaton, 35, started his career at Old Trafford before going on to make his name at Burnley. A move to Aston Villa didn't work out due to injury, and he is seen as a possible alternative to Sam Johnstone -- another former United academy player -- of West Brom.

While 28-year-old Johnstone is United's first choice, a lack of first-team opportunities might make it difficult to bring him back to Manchester.

15.00 BST: Aston Villa midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka looks like being one of the most sought-after young players this summer. The 17-year-old, who is yet to make his first-team debut for Villa, has been linked to Manchester City and Manchester United by The Sun.

The report states that Bayern Munich, Juventus, Monaco, PSV Eindhoven and RB Leipzig have all watched Chukwuemeka, who is an England under-18 international. But he remains under contract at Villa for another two years and they want to keep hold of him.

14.18 BST: Arsenal and West Ham United are both said to be poised to make a move for Lyon central defender Joachim Andersen, who has spent the season on loan at Fulham.

The Cottagers will not be in a position to make the move permanent if they are relegated to the Championship, but it seems the 24-year-old has shown enough to attract the interest of other Premier League clubs.

The Daily Mirror reports that Lyon value the player at £20m and are willing to do a deal to bring much-needed funds into the club.

13.30 BST: It's fair to say that Eddie Nketiah and Ainsley Maitland-Niles have not had the best of seasons in a disappointing Arsenal team, and now The Sun says boss Mikel Arteta is ready to sell both of them in the summer. The report states that the Gunners are looking for £20m for both players.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles, though, has impressed playing in midfield on loan at West Bromwhich Albion in the second half of the season, but their near-certain relegation would rule them out of the running.

Nketiah, who spent the first half of last season on loan at Leeds United, has struggled to make an impact back at the Emirates -- though he did score the last-minute leveller against Fulham last weekend.

12.41 BST: Luke Shaw is enjoying the best season of his career, and the Daily Star reports he will be rewarded for his performances with a new contract.

Shaw, 25, has seen off competition from summer signing Alex Telles to make the left-back slot his own at Manchester United. His £150,000-a-week deal expires in the summer of 2023, and now he could get a bumper pay rise to take his earnings up to £190,000-a-week through to 2026.

11.56 BST: Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo says there is no rush to discuss a new contract with striker Neymar. And he is also confident there will be no problem getting Kylian Mbappe to extend his deal. Both players see their terms expire in little more than a year, and Mbappe has been strongly linked with Real Madrid.

"Neymar's extension? We are in no hurry," Leonardo told Canal+ on Saturday. "Nobody is running behind us, we are really quiet, we have very good and frank reports."

Neymar said earlier this month: "The contract extension with PSG is no longer a topic. It is obvious that I feel very much at ease and very at home here at Paris Saint-Germain. I feel happier than I was before."

On Mbappe, Leonrdo added: "Everything is clear, we know Kylian's situation, he knows what we think, there is nothing more than that.

"He still has a year on the contract, his decision will come. We are generally optimistic [about a new deal]. We do not even have a reason not to be optimistic about the future. I ask once again for total concentration "

11.07 BST: It looks like there is going to be a summer transfer battle for left-back Nicolas Tagliafico. The Daily Mail reports that Ajax are willing to let him leave for just £13m, which is sure to interest a raft of clubs.

Inter Milan, Leeds United and Manchester City are all said to be considering a move for the 28-year-old Argentina international.

10.19 BST: Tuttosport reports that Juventus are leading the chase of Serie A clubs for free agent Sergio Aguero, who will leave Manchester City when his contract expires in the summer. However, Inter Milan are ready to show their hand -- but they will only be able to afford the financial package if Lautaro Martinez were to move on.

Lautaro has already agreed terms on a new contract, but Inter may yet still need to sell a player to balance the books. The striker has been linked with Barcelona in the past but the coronavirus crisis means they may not have the funds.

Aguero is going to be one of the hottest properties on the transfer market this summer and has himself been linked with Barca.

09.30 BST: Borussia Monchengladbach forward Alassane Plea is being tracked by both Arsenal and Manchester United, according to the Daily Mail. Plea has scored 36 goals in 104 games since joining Gladbach from Nice in a £21m deal three years ago.

Both clubs could be in need of a new striker in the summer, with uncertainty over the futures of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Edinson Cavani.

The report states that the 28-year-old could be available for just £15m.

PAPER GOSSIP

- Borussia Dortmund see 17-year-old midfielder Jude Bellingham as untouchable in the upcoming transfer window, according to Fabrizio Romano. There are numerous Premier League clubs, namely Chelsea, interested in the England international, but it is suggested that he'll be staying put for now. This will be encouraging for BVB supporters, especially after his impressive performances against Manchester City in the Champions League.

- Torino are hoping to bring in Cagliari attacker Joao Pedro during the summer transfer window, as reported by Tuttosport. There is a plethora of clubs from within Italy and around Europe showing interest in Torino talisman Andrea Belotti, with Manchester United, Liverpool, AC Milan and Inter Milan among them. It is stated that the Brazilian could be brought in to replace Belotti, or even persuade him to stay put for longer, with his contract coming to an end in 2022.

- Napoli are interested in signing Federico Dimarco, the 23-year-old Hellas Verona full-back currently on loan from Inter Milan, as reported by Calciomercato. It is suggested that Verona have the option to sign Dimarco permanently for €6m when his loan ends, with Inter getting 20% of any future deal.

- Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to battle Aston Villa to sign Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, reports Football Insider. The 23-year-old has struggled for game time in recent months, making various clubs aware of the Englishman's availability in the summer. There will be competition to sign him, with clubs both in the Premier League and abroad holding an interest, and West Ham United are one of those previously linked.