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LIVE Transfer Talk: Arsenal eye Leicester's James Maddison, keep Real Madrid's Martin Odegaard on radar

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: Arsenal eye move for Maddison or Odegaard 

Arsenal may have given Emile Smith Rowe the No. 10 shirt when he signed his new contract, but Sky Sports have suggested that the Gunners have an interest in Leicester City playmaker James Maddison.

However, the Foxes are far from keen to let one of their talismanic figures leave the King Power Stadium, so it will reportedly take an offer of over £70 million for them to even consider letting the 24-year-old depart.

Another factor that makes things difficult for Arsenal is that Leicester are under no pressure to move Maddison on, as he has a contract that runs until 2024.

This is perhaps why Arsenal are still keeping an eye out for Martin Odegaard, who spent the second half of last season on loan at the Emirates from Real Madrid.

There have been suggestions in Spain that Los Blancos are willing to let the Norway international leave for around £50m as they continue looking to raise funds, especially as the midfielder's deal runs until 2023, meaning this could be a more viable move.

Due to the fees that would be involved, it is understood that Arsenal may need also to transfer some of their own players before making a move for either.

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LIVE BLOG

22.00 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!

21.08 BST: Juventus want Sassuolo central midfielder Manuel Locatelli, but according to Calciomercato, they have lined up an alternative target if talks for the Italy international breakdown.

The Italian outlet claims that Juve have remained in contact with Bayern Munich regarding Corentin Tolisso. The oft-injured midfielder, 26, has been a long-term target of the Old Lady and in entering the final year of his deal with the serial German champions.

20.26 BST: Toulouse president Damien Comolli has confirmed to TuttoMercatoWeb that Amine Adli is set to leave the club this summer

The talented young winger, 21, was voted Ligue 2's Player of the Season last year but is not keen to stay in the second tier after Toulouse narrowly missed out on promotion to Ligue 1. Milan are the favorites to land the former France Under-18 international, who was sent off in Toulouse's opener this season.

"There is a possibility that he will renew ? No, I haven't believed it for a long time", said Comolli. "We've had a dozen discussions and at a certain point, when the player doesn't want to, he doesn't want to. For me he will go away, he doesn't want to stay. " Milan is at the window, as are other European clubs.

19.32 BST: Tottenham youngster Troy Parrott has finalised his loan move to League One side MK Dons.

The promising striker, 19, will join on a season-long loan having split last season between Millwall and Ipswich Town. A full Republic of Ireland international, Parrott scored his first two international goals back in June against in a friendly against Andorra.

18.43 BST: Former MLS star and Honduras international Alberth Elis looks to be on the move again.

The 25-year-old, who bagged eight goals and six assists last season with Boavista in his first season in Europe, is expected to join Ligue 1 side Bordeaux on an initial loan with an option to buy, according to Diario AS journalist Andrés Onrubia Ramos.

The proposed move would represent another step up in competition for La Pantera, who previously racked up 35 goals and 28 assists in 101 games with the Houston Dynamo.

18.00 BST: Kurt Zouma has been dangled in a player plus cash deal for Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, but the Frenchman would reportedly rather stay in London.

Sky Sports' Dharmesh Sheth says that the Chelsea centre-back would rather join West Ham than move to Spain. West Ham are reportedly eyeing a £20 million swoop for Zouma if he is not used in a package to land the highly-rated Kounde.

17.11 BST: "Alright, alright, alright!"  MLS expansion side Austin FC, who are co-owned by actor Matthew McConaughey, have signed Argentine winger/attacking midfielder Sebastian Driussi, who recently left Zenit Saint Petersburg.

The 25-year-old joins the Verde and Black on a multi-year contract and becomes the club's third Designated Player alongside Cecilio Dominguez and Tomas Pochettino. Driussi, a former Argentina Under-20 international, has spent the last four seasons in Russia, scoring 24 goals and adding 22 assists in 138 games for Zenit, including 13 in 2018-19.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sebastián to Austin," commented Claudio Reyna, Austin FC Sporting Director. "Sebastián is poised to be an offensive difference maker in MLS. He has represented Argentina's youth national teams, played in the UEFA Champions League, Copa Libertadores, and FIFA Club World Cup in addition to winning 14 trophies so far in his career. This is an impressive resume for any player, let alone at 25 years old. He is a world-class competitor, and we are excited to welcome him to Austin and our Club."

Before joining Zenit for €15 million in 2017, Driussi played with Argentine giants River Plate where he won the league, cup, Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana during his tenure.

16.30 BST: Man United's €41m signing of Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane could turn them into title challengers.

16.03 BST: Atlanta United are closing on a move for Velez Sarsfield forward Thiago Almada, according to multiple reports.

Almada, 20, is highly rated in Argentina and will head to the MLS club for around $15m now that his country have been eliminated from the Olympics.

Atlanta already have another Argentina international midfielder on the books: Ezequiel Barco.

Ligue 1 side Marseille have also been linked with Almada.

15.47 BST: Real Madrid could be forced into letting forward Vinicius Jr. depart this summer as Gareth Bale is now considered a non-EU player due to Brexit rules, says AS.

Spanish clubs are allowed three non-EU players and they now have four: Vinicius, Bale, Eder Militao and Rodrygo. Evidently Brazil international Casemiro and Marcelo have Spanish paperwork so don't count.

Man United have been linked with Vinicius but have already signed Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane for over €110m so won't have any extra money to spend.

15.15 BST: Manchester United Women have appointed former Orlando Pride boss Marc Skinner as their new manager, the club announced on Thursday.

Skinner, 38, has signed a two-year deal at United and replaces now San Diego NWSL boss Casey Stoney, who resigned after three seasons at the club.

"I am excited and proud to become head coach at Manchester United," Skinner said in a statement. "I'm looking forward to working closely with the staff and this talented group of players.

"Our focus is to build on everything they have already achieved in the women's game. It's an exciting opportunity to lead the team into what will be another competitive WSL season; I want us to achieve success together and our aim is to give the fans a team they can continue to be proud of."

15.03 BST: Inter Miami CF have signed former USMNT centre-back Ventura Alvarado from Atletico San Luis.

Alvarado, 28, has spent 10 years in Liga MX, where he claimed two Liga MX Clausura titles, one Apertura title and a Copa MX title.

"We're excited to sign Ventura to Inter Miami to add depth and help us solidify our backline. He's an experienced center back who has played at a high level in Mexico and with the national team," said Inter Miami CF Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson. "We've seen his talent on the pitch and positive attitude and character off it firsthand and we're looking forward to his contributions to the squad."

14.50 BST: Liverpool are very keen on signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez, says Mundo Deportivo.

Saul, 26, has been looking to leave the LaLiga champions for months but a swap deal with Barcelona for Antoine Griezmann fell through.

Now Liverpool are looking to replace Georginio Wijnaldum and a deal could be struck at around €50m.

14.24 BST: Real Madrid believe Martin Odegaard has an important future at the club but would not rule out his departure if the player insists on leaving and a €50m offer comes along, several sources told ESPN.

The Spanish giants are still hopeful that Odegaard will change his mind and remain at Madrid to fight for a spot in the squad, sources said, and the next two weeks could be crucial in deciding the player's future.

The Norway international was sent on loan to Arsenal in the second half of last season due to a lack of playing time under then-coach Zinedine Zidane.

Madrid know that Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta is keen to sign Odegaard should he come available, although sources have said it is "highly unlikely" that the midfielder would leave on loan given Madrid's financial difficulties during the pandemic.

Sources said there's a debate at the Bernabeu around the best option for Odegaard. Some at the club are confident he can start regularly for Real Madrid, while others are concerned he is considering leaving instead of focusing on fighting for his place in the starting XI.

14.02 BST: Barcelona need to move on Antoine Griezmann if they are to register Lionel Messi's new contract and the rest of their new signings...

13.23 BST: Juventus forward Dejan Kulusevski has been watched by Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, according to Calciomercato.

Kulusevski, 21, signed from Atalanta for €35m, with €9m in add-ons, back in January 2020, though the Sweden international hasn't performed brilliantly for the club since returning from his loan at Parma.

Still, Juve consider the youngster "non-transferable" so won't accept any offers from interested clubs.

12.45 BST: Defender Dani Carvajal has extended his contract with Real Madrid until June 2025.

12.00 BST: United States international Sergino Dest has turned down approaches from Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal because he wants to stay at Barcelona, sources have told ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.

Monaco also sounded out a move for Dest, 20, but all four clubs were knocked back by both the player and Barca. Therefore, an official offer never arrived and numbers were never even discussed.

Sources said the clubs had hoped to take advantage of Barca's awful financial situation by making a move for Dest, who joined the Catalan club from Ajax for an initial €20m last September.

Barca need to raise funds and reduce the wage bill to be able to register their new signings and Lionel Messi's new contract while complying with LaLiga's financial fair play rules. President Joan Laporta has said the club are open to "all proposals."

Barca are well-stocked at right-back. In addition to Dest, they also have Emerson Royal and Sergi Roberto, while Oscar Mingueza can also play there, but they are not planning on letting the USMNT defender go.

11.23 BST: The effect of the coronavirus pandemic is beginning to impact European football, with overall revenues falling by €3.7 billion during the 2019-20 season, according to Deloitte.

As part of the first collective reduction in revenues since 2008-09, the big five European leagues saw an 11% decrease from the previous season, before COVID-19 hit.

The Premier League was especially impacted, with revenue falling by 13%, the first drop in the league's history. Over half of Premier League clubs reported a loss, but the division was still 60% larger than its nearest competitor in terms of revenue.

"It will be a number of years before the full financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on European football is known," Dan Jones, partner and head of the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said. "But we're now beginning to see the scale of the financial impact that the pandemic has had on European clubs.

10.55 BST: West Ham are set to sign Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Alphonse Areola on loan with an option for a permanent deal next summer, says The Guardian.

Areola, 28, spent last season on loan at Fulham and has no future in Paris after the club signed Gianluigi Donnarumma on a free transfer from Milan.

West Ham had tracked West Brom's Sam Johnstone but opted for Areola to add competition for No. 1 goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

10.27 BST: Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland could cost around €180m to sign this summer, but he's worth it.

09.25 BST: The Athletic reports that "PSG have opened initial discussions to gauge Paul Pogba's interest in a move but remain undecided as to whether to purchase the player from Manchester United this summer or to wait until the end of next season to try to sign him on a free transfer."

Pogba, 28, can speak to foreign clubs in January over a free transfer as his contract expires in 2022. Real Madrid and Juventus have been linked with the France midfielder in recent years but PSG are now showing the most interest and a bid is "anticipated to arrive in the coming weeks."

United and Pogba are still in discussions over a new contract, according to manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but the club would likely accept around €40m-€50m for a player who could leave for nothing in a year.

09.03 BST: Ajax director of football Marc Overmars has confirmed Arsenal and Lyon's interest in goalkeeper Andre Onana.

Onana, 25, was handed a 12-month ban in February after testing positive for a banned substance but that was reduced to nine months by CAS and he will be available to play in November.

Overmars told Voetbal International: "I'm not sure if we'll get to a deal with Lyon. There hasn't been contact for a week. Another club was interested but they already got another goalie. Arsenal were also mentioned but I haven't had any contact with them."

08.31 BST: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says the arrival of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane this summer proves "the ambition" of Manchester United ahead of the new season.

United have agreed deals for Sancho and Varane for a combined fee of more than £100m and Solskjaer admits he "could not have asked for more backing" as he attempts to build a squad capable of challenging for the Premier League title.

"I'm very happy that we've managed to get a deal with Real Madrid [for Varane]", Solskjaer said after the 2-2 draw with Brentford on Wednesday night. "He's a proven winner and a player we've followed for many, many years.

"The club has shown its ambition with one of the most exciting young forwards in world football [Sancho] and one of the most respected centre-backs in the world.

"As I've said before, every manager would be happy the sooner the better the deals are done and this year we've managed to get it sorted. The two we've got in will make a huge difference for us and as a manager you can't ask for more backing when you've got these two in as early as we have."

08.00 BST: Chelsea and Sevilla have entered talks over a deal that will take defender Jules Kounde to Stamford Bridge this summer, sources have told ESPN. Sources said that the deal could be worth around €70m -- €10m less than Kounde's buyout clause.

Chelsea are considering including Kurt Zouma in the deal, according to ESPN sources, to lower the transfer fee but the Premier League side are yet to set a value on the France defender.

Sevilla agreed a similar swap deal with Tottenham Hotspur earlier this week when Spanish winger Bryan Gil joined Spurs for €25m and Erik Lamela moved in the other direction.

Sevilla, who paid Bordeaux €25m two years ago to sign the talented centre-back, were hopeful Manchester United would enter the race to sign Kounde but the Old Trafford side never made an offer with their top priority being Raphael Varane.

PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)

- AC Milan are hoping to sign Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech on loan with a right to make the deal permanent, according to Calciomercato. The two clubs have a good relationship, with Fikayo Tomori and Olivier Giroud both having recently moved to the Serie A side, but it is stated that the London club are currently only considering a permanent deal or a loan with an obligation to sign the Morocco international. Milan could offer over €25m if they are able to sign the 28-year-old on loan first.

- Fabrizio Romano reports that Dejan Joveljic will join the LA Galaxy from Eintracht Frankfurt. The 21-year-old forward will sign a deal to stay with the MLS side for four-and-a-half seasons with the final paperwork set to be signed. The Serbia youngster played last season on loan at Austrian club Wolfsberger, bagging 18 league goals.

- Napoli are on the lookout for a midfield option, due to Diego Demme's lengthy injury, reports Calciomercato. One option is Borussia Monchengladbach's Denis Zakaria, who is at the top of their priority list, as they work on a loan with a right to permanently sign the Switzerland international for €20m. They're also looking at Sander Berge, whose transfer could be cheaper after Sheffield United's relegation from the Premier League.

- Manchester City and Hellas Verona are in advanced talks for Ivan Ilic to permanently make the move to the Italian side after the midfielder spent last season on loan there, reports Matteo Moretto. The fee is set to be around €8m, according to Fabrizio Romano, while Verona have also asked Bayern Munich if they can bring in striker Joshua Zirkzee on loan.

- Crystal Palace and Newcastle United are both monitoring Angers midfielder Angelo Fulgini, as has been reported by the Daily Mail. They're not alone though, as AS Monaco and a couple of unnamed Spanish outfits are also considering the 24-year-old, who has previously been linked with Everton and Southampton.

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