Football
ESPN 3y

LIVE Transfer Talk: Aston Villa's Jack Grealish nears Manchester City deal

Euro 2020 and the Copa America are over and the summer transfer window is open, leaving Europe's biggest clubs clear to make a splash in the market. Check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.

TOP STORY: Grealish agrees terms over Man City move

Jack Grealish is getting closer to a move to Manchester City with reports claiming that the Aston Villa star has agreed to personal terms with the Etihad side.

Football Insider reports that City have tabled a large contract offer for the 25-year-old who has been a standout performer since returning to England's top flight with the Villans.

And while the England international is keen on a move that would see him work under Pep Guardiola, the report claims that the player will not force the move to avoid tarnishing the relationship with the club that he first joined in 2001.

Grealish was rumoured to be close to agreeing on a new contract with Aston Villa recently, but it now looks as though Manchester City's presence could see him wait to see if a deal can be struck between the two sides.

The attacker contributed to 12 goals in 13 starts last season, while also registering three assists when playing centrally.

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- ESPN+ viewer's guide: Bundesliga, La Liga, MLS, FA Cup and more

LIVE BLOG

21.40 BST: With Achraf Hakimi now at PSG, Serie A champs Inter Milan have a glaring need for a full-back. Arsenal's Hector Bellerin and Manchester United's Alex Telles have been listed as options, but another Premier League veteran is being floated. 

Chelsea's Marcos Alonso is said to now be on the radar of the San Siro side, but Gazzetta dello Sport states that any talks of a transfer would involve €15-20 million fee. Inter have been interested in the Spain defender in the past, but with Ben Chilwell firmly in control of the position at Chelsea, it could force Alonso to look elsewhere. 

Alonso has the Serie A experience, after playing for Fiorentina prior to his move to Stamford Bridge.

20.30 BST: Adding to the previous entry on Paul Pogba's future, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said that talks are ongoing between the club and the player's representatives.

Solskjaer addressed Pogba's status following a 4-2 preseason defeat to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, said he hopes for an agreeement to be reached soon.

"All the dialogue I've had with Paul is that he's looking forward to the season. There's always speculation about Paul, the talks between the club and Paul's representatives, I don't know every detail of every single one of them. I've not got anything to say really about that.

"There's always clubs being interested and of course we've seen Paul at his best and Paul knows what we feel about it and I've enjoyed my time working with him and hopefully we can work together."

20.00 BST: Juventus vice president Pavel Nedved confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo will return to the club for this season and that he expects to see the Portugal star in training next week.

Ronaldo has a year left on his contract with Juventus and there has been plenty of talk over what the future holds for the Euro 2020 Golden Boot winner.  Sources told ESPN back in June that Ronaldo's camp contacted clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Manchester United in an effort to discover whether he could fit into their plans.

But Nedved, speaking to Sky Italia after Juventus' friendly win over Cesena on Saturday, said Ronaldo will stay while also affirming that talks with Paulo Dybala's agent will start soon.

19:30 BST: Tottenham have signed goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini from Atalanta on a season-long loan, making him new boss Nuno Espirito Santo's first signing.

Gollini, 26, made 32 appearances in all competitions for Atalanta last season, helping them finish third in the league. Tottenham had been in search of a keeper to compete with captain Hugo Lloris and Joe Hart after Paulo Gazzaniga left at the end of his contract last month.

18.13 BST: Manchester United are reportedly prepared for a bid from Paris Saint-Germain for midfielder Paul Pogba, who is unlikely to sign a new contract at Old Trafford.

The Daily Telegraph reports that United are willing to listen to offers for the player they once broke the world transfer record to sign, while Sky reports that Pogba has rejected a concrete offer for a new deal to replace the one that expires next summer.

Meanwhile, some PSG supporters have made it clear they do not want Pogba to sign for his hometown club, displaying a banner at Parc des Princes which reads: "Pogba, you should listen to your mother. She doesn't want you here, neither do we."

17.30 BST: Liverpool midfielder Harry Wilson is set for a £10m transfer to Fulham, The Sun reports.

The Wales international, 24, has scored 32 goals over the last three seasons across loan spells at Derby County, Bournemouth and Cardiff City.

However, he has been unable to convince manager Jurgen Klopp that he deserves to fight for a place in the first team at Anfield, and is close to completing a move to Craven Cottage.

17.02 BST: Harry Kane is reportedly becoming increasingly confident that he will get his desired move to Manchester City this summer, despite the Premier League champions being unwilling to pay the transfer fee that Tottenham Hotspur want for their striker.

The Sun reported earlier this week that Spurs were willing to let their star player leave for £160m, but the Daily Telegraph quotes a City source as saying: "We would never pay that figure."

However, The Times reports that Kane believes his boyhood club has softened their position in recent weeks, and could be willing to let him leave despite having three years remaining on his contract.

The England captain, who turns 28 next week, is reportedly of the belief that he has a gentlemen's agreement with the club that they will let him leave after he chose to stay there last summer.

16.26 BST: Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey had a good seasons in 2020-21, scoring nine goals and setting up another nine int he Bundesliga. Could the 23-year-old earn himself a big transfer?

15.43 BST: Kylian Mbappe has told Paris Saint-Germain that he will not sign a new contract and wants to join Real Madrid, AS reports.

Mbappe has one year left on his contract at PSG, where he joined from Monaco in 2017. The France international was a target for Real Madrid at the time, and the Spanish giants have maintained their interest ever since.

Now, according to AS, the 22-year-old has told coach Mauricio Pochettino that he intends to leave the club where he has won 10 trophies and reached a Champions League final.

The striker has reportedly said that he will either leave this summer, when PSG could hope to recoup a decent transfer fee, or in 12 months' time as a free agent.

14.57 BST: Sergio Romero is attracting interest from Chelsea and Juventus following his departure from Manchester United, sources told ESPN's Rob Dawson.

The goalkeeper has been training in Argentina while he sorts out his next move after leaving Old Trafford this summer at the end of his contract. The 34-year-old made 61 appearances in six years at Old Trafford.

European heavyweights Chelsea and Juventus are among a number of clubs to have registered their interest in the Argentina international. Spanish side Granada are also monitoring his situation. Contrary to rumours, sources told ESPN there has not been contact with Leeds United, while a potential move to Everton is viewed as unlikely after they signed 34-year-old Asmir Begovic on a free transfer from Bournemouth.

Despite Romero's exit, United still have four senior goalkeepers on their books. United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has sanctioned the arrival of Tom Heaton this summer while also handing Lee Grant a new one-year contract. Last season, David De Gea and Dean Henderson competed for the No.1 shirt.

13.55 BST: Manchester United have given Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a new three-year contract -- but does he deserve it?

13.28 BST: Arsenal's hopes of signing Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham hinge on being able to get Alexandre Lacazette off the wage bill, The Sun reports.

Lacazette is entering the final year of his £175,000-a-week contract, and the Gunners are willing to listen to offer for the 30-year-old if they can receive a transfer fee of around £15m.

Arsenal are one of the clubs linked with Abraham along with London rivals Tottenham and West Ham. None of those clubs are willing to pay the £40m fee that Chelsea want for the 23-year-old this summer, although the European champions may be willing to let him move on loan.

12.47 BST: Barcelona's drive to reduce their wage bill has hit a significant obstacle as they struggle to make room to register their new signings and Lionel Messi's new contract, various sources told ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.

The club must reduce their outgoings to ensure they comply with La Liga's spending limits next season. If they can't, they risk not being able to register Messi's new contract or new signings Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia and Emerson Royal.

Barca have until the end of the transfer window on Aug. 31 to submit Messi's deal and their new signings to La Liga, but internally they want everything resolved before Aug. 15, when they kick off their league season at home to Real Sociedad. League president Javier Tebas has said he will not relax the rules for Barcelona, and a failure to get their finances in order could see Messi, if he signs the five-year deal revealed by ESPN last week, unable to play until at least January, as happened with Getafe midfielder Pedro Leon in 2014.

11.51 BST: Juventus and Paulo Dybala are to set to open decisive talks over the forward's future at the club, Calciomercato reports.

Dybala's contract is due to expire next summer, with both player and club keen to agree on a new deal for the Argentina international. However, there will need to be negotiations over the payment structure of the new deal.

Dybala's agent, Jorge Antun, will arrive in Turin early next week in order to begin the talks over the economic s of a new contract.

11.09 BST: More big news for Manchester United, following yesterday's signing of Jadon Sancho -- manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has signed a new contract that will keep him at Old Trafford until 2024, the club announced on Saturday.

The Norwegian's previous deal was due to run out in 2022, but United have moved to agree fresh terms to extend his stay as manager. He has signed a new three-year contract with the option of another year.

Solskjaer took over at Old Trafford -- initially as caretaker following the departure of Jose Mourinho -- in 2018. He was appointed to the role permanently in March 2019 -- signing a three-year contract -- after winning 14 of his first 19 games in charge. He has won 84 of his 151 games as United boss and led the team to a second place finish in the Premier League last season.

Solskjaer scored 126 goals in 366 games as a player for United, winning six Premier League titles and the 1999 Champions League.

10.45 BST: Toby Alderweireld is set to leave Tottenham Hotspur after the club agreed a transfer for the defender to Qatari club Al-Duhail, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Alderweireld has made 236 appearances for Spurs since signing for them from Atletico Madrid in 2015. However, last season he lost his status as an automatic first-choice centre-back under former coach Jose Mourinho, and now new boss Nuno Espirito Santo has reportedly sanctioned the 32-year-old's exit.

The Telegraph reports that Al-Duhail's £13m bid for Alderweireld has been accepted by Spurs but the Belgium international is yet to agree to the move.

10.19 BST: Barcelona's Ilaix Moriba wasn't even involved with the B team on Friday as the standoff over a new contract goes on.

Barca remain in talks with Ilaix's agents over a new deal, with the midfielder's current terms expiring next summer. However, sources have told ESPN's Sam Marsden the two parties are no closer to reaching an agreement. Barca, therefore, have sent Ilaix, who made 18 first-team appearances last season, to train with the B team.

After sitting out Barca's win against Gimnastic de Tarragona on Wednesday, he was expected to feature against L'Escala on Friday for the B team, but was left out as the reserves cantered to a 3-0 win.

"I've been speaking with him and I told him that I will help with whatever I can, but above all I advised him not to leave," Barca B coach Sergi Barjuan said. "I can't get involved beyond that, it's not for me to do that. I can just say that I hope he stays.

"It's a new situation and a difficult one for him and for the club, but the important thing is that it doesn't affect him. He needs to keep working hard so that if the situation is resolved, he's in shape when the games arrive. He's doing that; he's managing a tough moment well."

Ilaix, 18, signed his current contract in 2019. It made him the highest-paid player in the history of the club's La Masia academy at the time. He has since broken into the first team, scoring his first goal against Osasuna in March, but Barca could like to sell him if there's no agreement given the risk of losing him for nothing next summer.

09.43 BST: Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino has signed a contract extension, committing him to the club for a further year.

Pochettino joined PSG in January on an initial 18-month deal, and although he failed to make up ground on eventual Ligue 1 champions Lille he did lead the club to the Champions League semifinals and won the Coupe de France and Trophee des Champions.

The former Tottenham boss had been linked with a return to the London club following Jose Mourinho's sacking, but he is now contracted to PSG until 2023.

"I'm really very happy, for myself and also for my staff," Pochettino told the club's official website. "It's very important for us to feel the confidence of the club and we will give our maximum so that the supporters are proud of Paris St-Germain. "That's why we will try and reach our objectives all together, as one. Twenty years ago I was captain of this club and today I am the coach. It's a dream come true."

09.00 BST: Manchester United completed the signing on Friday of Jadon Sancho on a five-year deal with the option of a further 12 months.

Borussia Dortmund had previously confirmed the agreement, stating on July 1 that the transfer fee is "fixed" at €85m ($99.98m). United also confirmed that the deal had been initially agreed to, subject to a medical after England's participation at Euro 2020.

Sancho said: "The chance to join Manchester United is a dream come true and I just cannot wait to perform in the Premier League. This is a young and exciting squad and I know, together, we can develop into something special to bring the success that the fans deserve."

PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)

- Paris Saint-Germain will allow Rafinha to leave after confirming the signing of Georginio Wijnaldum. Calciomercato writes that the Ligue 1 club are ready to transfer a number of players after an active spree this summer and Serie A could be a realistic landing spot for the 28-year-old midfielder Rafinha. The Brazilian player featured 26 times in all competitions for PSG last season.

- Denis Zakaria is attracting interest from Italy with Juventus keen on adding the defensive midfielder to their ranks. Calciomercato says that the player wants to leave Borussia Monchengladbach this season, and with just one year left on his contract, the  Bundesliga club could be forced to transfer him to avoid him becoming a free agent next summer. The Switzerland international featured 25 times in the league last season, helping Gladbach to a place in the top four.

- Gianluca Di Marzio is reporting that Bayer Leverkusen and AS Roma are both interested in landing Sardar Azmoun. The Iranian striker is currently at Zenit St. Petersburg and has been capturing the attention of clubs from across Europe after scoring 19 goals in 24 league appearances last season. The report says that while Jose Mourinho sees the 26-year-old as an important target this summer, the Roma manager may need to move quickly with Bayer Leverkusen already preparing a bid in the region of €18 million.

- Patrick van Aanholt is ready to swap the Premier League for Turkey after agreeing to terms with Galatasaray. That's according to Fabrizio Romano, who says that the left-back will have his medical with the club next week. The 30-year-old became a free agent this summer, ending a four-year spell with Crystal Palace.

Goran Pandev is set to remain a professional for another year with contract talks progressing with Genoa over the last few days. Fabrizio Romano says that the Serie A club have finalised their offer for the North Macedonia star that will see the striker sign until the summer of 2022. Despite being set to celebrate his 38th birthday next Tuesday, it looks as though Pandev will be playing top-flight football this season.

- PSG sporting director Leonardo is keen to tempt Moise Kean back to the Parc des Princes this summer. Le 10 Sport writes that the French club have the Italian forward high on their priority list after a successful loan spell saw him score 13 goals while on loan from Everton last season. Juventus are reported to be competing with the Ligue 1 club for the player's services.

^ Back to Top ^