Football
ESPN 5y

LIVE Transfer Talk: Man United ready to spend £45m on Diop, £70m on Maguire

The European transfer window is open. Click here to review all the latest transfers, and keep up to date with the latest gossip below.

Top free agents in 2020 | What do Europe's elite need

TOP STORY: Man United ready to spend £45m on Diop, £70m on Maguire

Manchester United are continuing their efforts to try and snap up some of Europe's top young talent and will make a move for Issa Diop this week, say L'Equipe, with sources telling ESPN they have made a £70m bid for Leicester's Harry Maguire.

West Ham defender Diop, who only signed for the club from Toulouse last summer, is reported to be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's top defensive target, with Phil Jones ready to be used as a makeweight if needed. The 22-year-old impressed in the Premier League last season and United are set to open the bidding with a strong offer of £45m and although West Ham don't want to sell, that will certainly be tempting.

Meanwhile, Leicester rejected United's £40m offer for Maguire last month and are holding out for £80m, sources told ESPN, but United are getting closer to that valuation.

United have already spent £50m on Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace and £15m on Swansea winger Daniel James

LIVE BLOG

22.00 BST: That will do it for another busy day of Transfer Talk. But fear not! A brand new edition will be along soon, full of morning newspaper headlines. 

21.55 BST: Valencia is the latest club to be linked to Mexican winger Hirving Lozano this summer, with Sky Sports Italy reporting that negotiations to take the 23-year-old PSV Eindhoven player to Spain are advanced. Lozano has been heavily linked with Carlo Ancelotti's Napoli.

21.23 BST: Everton have announced that Sandro Ramirez has joined Real Valladolid on loan for the 2019-20 season. 

The 23-year-old striker moved to Goodison Park in 2017, but has made just 17 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring one goal. This will be his third loan back to Spain, following spells with Sevilla and Real Sociedad. 

21.13 BST: Leicester City are in advanced negotiations to complete the signing of Ayoze Perez from Newcastle United in a deal worth around £30m, sources have told ESPN FC.

Having joined the Magpies from Tenerife in 2014 for around £1.5m, Ayoze recently suggested that he was looking for a new challenge after ending last campaign as Newcastle's top scorer, netting 12 goals in 37 Premier League games and a further one in the FA Cup.

Valencia and other clubs from La Liga were interested in Spaniard, but sources have told ESPN FC that Leicester have stepped up the negotiations in the last days. Manager Brendan Rodgers has specifically requested the signing and negotiations over personal terms are also on track.

20.06 BST: If and when Frank Lampard is officially appointed Chelsea manager, he will receive an immediate boost with news that Ruben Loftus-Cheek is to sign a new contract with the club.

The England midfielder missed the end of the season with a ruptured achilles tendon but The Telegraph reports that Loftus-Cheek is ready to put pen to paper on a long-term deal that could more than double his wages to £150,000 per week. 

19.15 BST: Hector Herrera is on the brink of a move to Atletico Madrid after posting his goodbyes to Porto on Instagram.

The 29-year-old Mexican international ends a six-year spell in Portugal, having moved to Porto in 2013 after beginning his career in Liga MX with Pachuca.

18.07 BST: Sky Sports report that West Ham have rejected an "insulting" £19.7m bid from a Chinese Super League club for wantaway Marko Arnautovic. The forward has reportedly handed in a transfer request... just like he did in January.

17.20 BST: Having gone 518 days without signing anyone, Tottenham have gone and sealed two deals in one day! After Jack Clarke arrived from Leeds (and was then sent back on loan), Tanguy Ndombele completed a move to the Europan Cup finalists.

The 22-year-old French international midfielder arrives from Lyon for an initial fee, according to ESPN sources, of €62m -- a Spurs club record -- and has signed a six-year contract with Mauricio Pochettino's side. 

Read more about the Ndombele signing and find out what Steve Nicol makes of the move.

17.07 BST: Inter have completed the signing of Stefano Sensi from Sassuolo, on loan with a view to a permanent deal. The 23-year-old midfielder moves to the Nerazzurri after a breakout season in Serie A, in which he showed form that led to his Italy debut. 

16.43 BST: Raheem Sterling has revealed in an interview with GQ that he wants to play abroad, but that he's not thinking about leaving Manchester City just yet.

"I love it here [Man City]," he said. "This is one of the best clubs in the world and I'm here for the long haul. But you just don't know what happens in the future. I'm still young and, like I say, I am loving every minute.

"Ever since I was a kid, 100 percent it's always been a dream of mine to play abroad somewhere. It would be nice one day to finish training and go home and sit in your garden and eat some dinner."

16.15 BST: It's not easy to get into the PSG first-team, so sometimes it's better to try your luck somewhere else.

15.36 BST: The Daily Mirror report that Tottenham are in a sticky situation over midfielder Christian Eriksen.

It seems Eriksen won't sign a new contract, with the club holding out for a fee of £150m. But Real Madrid reckon they can snag the 27-year-old for more like £65m given that his contract is running down and they know Spurs will start to get desperate.

15.19 BST: Philadelphia Union have signed right-back RJ Allen, who was waived by Orlando SC in February.

"RJ will provide needed depth and cover for our fullback corps," said Ernst Tanner, Union Sporting Director. "He has four years of MLS experience and has shown well as a trialist over the past week. We'd like to welcome him to our team."

15.08 BST: Esporte Interativo report that Neymar's father and the player's lawyer will meet Barcelona official Andre Cury to discuss his potential return from PSG. 

Cury, considered the right-hand man of Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, was involved in negotiations when Neymar decided to join PSG from Barcelona in August 2017 after his release clause of €222m was paid.

Neymar reportedly wants to return to Barcelona, where he scored 105 goals and set up 76 more in 186 appearances across all competitions during his four-year spell at the club. According to the Brazilian outlet, PSG would be prepared to accept a fee plus for several Barca players to be included in the deal that would see the Brazilian return to Camp Nou.

14.43 BST: Il Messaggero and Corriere della Sera report that Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's agent Mateja Kezman is expected in Rome to sort out his client's situation with Lazio amid PSG interest.

Lazio sporting director Igli Tare told Il Messaggero: "It is not difficult to answer the question of whether or not Sergej will stay as he extended his contract a few months ago. However, in today's world, if indecent offers are made, they can be taken into account. That said, the player and the club are happy to continue together."

14.17 BST: Arsenal have made a signing! Gabriel Martinelli arrives for around £5.1m from Ituano and the Brazilian forward is being tipped to leap into the first team if he impresses with the U23s first.

14.08 BST: West Ham United forward Marko Arnautovic has handed in a transfer request, according to Sky. The 30-year-old almost moved to China for £35m in January before he opted to stay and sign a new contract.

13.49 BST: Chelsea U23 goalkeeper Marcin Bulka has told TVPSPORT: "I know where I stand. I informed Chelsea that I will not be signing a new contract. My situation should be clarified soon. My new contract will be confirmed officially.

"I will not confirm that a medical and official photographs have already been done with PSG as it is not the case. I was in Paris with my family for the weekend. There is always a plan B (asked what happens if he does not sign with PSG). I did not only leave Chelsea because of Kepa [arriving]. There were other aspects that we spoke about after last preseason that left me dissatisfied. I was promised first team opportunities and I wanted to go out on loan, which was refused. Soon, I will start to prepare for the new season. I cannot say where that will be, though, right now."

13.11 BST: Gianluigi Buffon has agreed a one-year deal to re-join Juventus after leaving Paris Saint-Germain, a source has told ESPN FC.

The former Italy goalkeeper left Juve for PSG last summer after winning eight Serie A titles in a row. He is expected to arrive as back-up to Wojciech Szczesny, with Mattia Perin likely to leave.

Buffon first signed for the Bianconeri from Parma in 2001 and stayed for 17 years, winning the Serie A title on 12 occasions -- though two were later taken away following the Calciopoli scandal.

A source has told ESPN FC that reports Buffon will become a director at Juve once his 12-month contract expires are premature.

12.50 BST: Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is set for talks with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this week, while Romelu Lukaku wants his future resolved before the squad leave for their preseason tour, sources have told ESPN FC.

Pogba is scheduled to appear at the adidas store in New York on Tuesday afternoon before flying back to Manchester to begin preseason training.

It will be the first time the France international has spoken to Solskjaer face-to-face since suggesting he wants a "new challenge" amid interest from Real Madrid and Juventus.

Solskjaer is keen to keep Pogba at Old Trafford and, according to sources, will attempt to convince the 26-year-old to stay.

12.31 BST: Barcelona's move for Antoine Griezmann does not rule out the possibility of signing Neymar this summer, although the Spanish champions will wait for Paris Saint-Germain to come to them, various sources have told ESPN FC.

Both Ernesto Valverde and the club's sporting structure -- including sporting director Pep Segura, technical secretary Eric Abidal and his assistant Ramon Planes, who are working hard on bringing in new players -- have given the green light to adding both forwards to the squad during the transfer window.

While a deal to bring in Griezmann from Atletico Madrid is progressively advancing, with the transfer set to be announced within the next week, the situation with PSG attacker Neymar is moving much slower.

12.02 BST: Real Madrid are to loan young left-back Sergio Reguilon to Sevilla, a source has confirmed to ESPN FC.

Home-grown defender Reguilon was one of the few bright spots for much of Madrid's disastrous 2018-19 campaign, but then fell out of the first-team picture when Zinedine Zidane returned as coach in March.

The 22-year-old is now set to link up with his former boss Julen Lopetegui at Sevilla, with a source saying that he would get more opportunities next year at the Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan, and then aim to return and convince Zidane he deserved a further chance at the Bernabeu.

11.39 BST: Iker Casillas is still awaiting medical clearance before deciding if he will resume his playing career, despite reporting back for preseason training with Porto on Monday.

Casillas, who suffered a heart attack two months ago, posted a photograph on Twitter of himself and teammates at Porto's training ground on Monday with the message: "Back to work. First day." However, he cannot practice until he is cleared by doctors, which according to his agent Carlo Cutropia, could take "some time."

"Casillas is still on medical leave and neither the club nor Iker are in a hurry to make a decision," Cutropia told ESPN FC. "No decision regarding his future will be made until Iker is given the all-clear by doctors."

11.22 BST: Former Manchester United academy star Ravel Morrison could be playing in the Premier League next season.

11.02 BST: Ajax wonderkid Hossein Zamani could become the latest player to leave the club, say the Daily Mail, with Manchester United and Man City keeping a close eye on things alongside AC Milan, Everton, Leicester, Marseille and Atalanta.

Zamani, 16, certainly has a number of admirers and will make a decision on his future this summer, with the likelihood that he'll leave the Dutch league.

10.27 BST: Arsenal want Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha but aren't willing to spend the £80m required. Zaha would prefer a move to Arsenal over Manchester United during this transfer window, a source has told ESPN FC.

But while the BBC reports they have made an opening £40m offer, the Daily Mail has an interview with his brother, Judicael.

"Crystal Palace have told me that if an opportunity presented itself again for him to join a club who play European football regularly they would not stop Wilfried from getting back up to that level because they know there is a limit to whether he can fulfil all of his ambitions with Palace," he said.

"They said if an opportunity like this presented itself they would not stand in his way. We are hoping they still feel that way and they can come to agreement with Arsenal quickly, for the benefit of Wilfried's future."

10.00 BST: TOTTENHAM HAVE MADE A SIGNING! Leeds winger Jack Clarke is their first signing in 518 days.. since Lucas Moura.

Oh... but he's been sent back to his former club on loan one minute later. You give with one hand and taketh with the other.

09.45 BST: Sevilla have signed PSV Eindhoven forward Luuk de Jong, the Spanish club announced.

The 28-year-old Netherlands international was last season's top scorer in the Eredivisie with 28 goals and has signed a contract until June 2023.

De Jong greatly contributed to PSV winning three league titles in the past four seasons, scoring 112 goals in 204 games. He is Sevilla's fourth summer signing.

09.20 BST: Rafa Benitez's contract only ended at Newcastle yesterday and he's already got himself another job! Impressive!

09.02 BST: PSG have confirmed the signing of Pablo Sarabia from Sevilla on a five-year deal.

08.26 BST: Newcastle are considering hiring Porto coach Sergio Conceicao as their new manager, due to his proven ability to develop talent and make a profit in the transfer market, a source has told ESPN FC.

Former Portugal international midfielder Conceicao led Porto to the Portuguese title in his first season in charge in 2017-18, then last year qualified the team for the Champions League quarter-finals, while just missing out on retaining the league despite reaching a club record 88 points.

Meanwhile the club have made at least £60m in each summer's transfer market, with players developed under his tutelage being sold for big sums -- including new €50m Real Madrid defender Eder Militao, Wolves' Ruben Neves, Manchester United's Diogo Dalot and Leicester's Ricardo Pereira.

Such an ability to get results while turning a profit is of interest to Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, the source said, with balance the books always a big concern for the Sports Direct magnate.

08.00 BST: Atletico Madrid's €126m move to sign starlet Joao Felix from Benfica remains in limbo, with the Spanish club yet to bank the expected €120m from Antoine Griezmann's exit this summer.

Benfica last week revealed that Atletico had made the huge offer for the 19-year-old attacker, who would become Atletico's biggest ever signing and the fifth most expensive footballer in history.

A source in Portugal told ESPN FC that "logistic issues with the financial operation" at Atletico's end was now the only thing holding up the deal, as personal terms were agreed and Benfica happy to go ahead with the transfer.

Meanwhile, Griezmann's future remains unresolved, with the France international having told Atletico at the end of last season that he was going to move on, and his release clause having dropped to €120m on July 1.

Barcelona are widely expected to be Griezmann's next club, and sources told ESPN FC on Monday that the Catalan club were working on finalising the deal with an announcement expected this week.

However when asked whether the 26-year-old was expected when Diego Simeone's side return to preseason training this Thursday, Atletico sources told ESPN FC that the situation remained unclear and out of their control.

PAPER TALK (by James Capps)

Man United bid rejected for Fernandes

Earlier this week, ESPN FC sources reported that Manchester United had stepped up their pursuit of Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes. Based on the latest from Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Nicolo Schira, those efforts have borne fruit, with United agreeing personal terms with Fernandes, but having a £31m bid rejected.

Now the only stumbling block that remains is the fee but that sticking point is so far proving significant, however, with United still short of Sporting's £54m valuation. The sizeable asking price has left the likes of Liverpool and Spurs baulking, meaning United are willing to play the long game to drive down the fee.

Interest in 24-year-old Fernandes comes after a dazzling season in Portugal, where he scored 32 goals and provided a further 18 assists in 53 games in all competitions.

Could Bowen be headed to the Gunners?

Reports in The Sun claim Arsenal are set to make a surprise move for Hull City forward Jared Bowen.

The 22-year-old has been on the Gunners' radar since January, and boss Unai Emery has been impressed enough by the forward's displays at Championship level to give the green light to a £12m bid.

Bowen netted 22 goals last season for the Tigers as they failed to reach the playoffs, and they might now be willing to cash in on their prized asset. Hull value the former Hereford man at £15m, but reports claim they might be willing to accept a slightly lower bid if a top-six club comes calling.

Arsenal see Bowen as a good-value alternative to Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, who is currently worth a whopping £80m by the Selhurst Park club's accounts.

Dejan is the man for Milan

AC Milan have held meetings with representatives of Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren over a potential deal for the Croatian, according to reports at Calciomercato.

The centre-back, who will turn 30 years old on Friday, has become increasingly frustrated at a lack of consistent first-team football at the heart of the Anfield defence and is believed to be seeking regular action elsewhere.

But a potential hitch lies in the fee that Jurgen Klopp's side are demanding for their fiery defender, with the Reds looking for a sum in the region of €25m for the former Lyon man.

The Rossoneri are desperate for defensive reinforcements, following the exit of Colombian stopper Cristian Zapata, as well as the continued absence of Mattia Caldara to long-term injury, leaving just Alessio Romagnoli and Mateo Musacchio available to fill in.

- Premier League fixtures 2019-20 in full
- Who has qualified for Europe from the Premier League?
- When does the transfer window close?

De Tomas departure to add to Madrid summer kitty

Marca claims a deal that will see Real Madrid's Raul de Tomas join Benfica for a fee of around €25m could be completed as early as Tuesday.

The 24-year-old has spent the vast majority of his senior Madrid career out on loan, and he has impressed most recently during a two-year spell at Rayo Vallecano, where he scored 38 goals in 66 league games, including 14 at La Liga level last season.

That form has sprung Benfica into action, who look set to make De Tomas their most lucrative summer signing so far.

The size of the fee will be welcome news to Real, who have now recouped around €100m in transfer fees as they look to fund a major summer revamp. The impending sale of Theo Hernandez to AC Milan is set to provide further cash for Zinedine Zidane's shopping list.

Tap Ins

- The Scottish Herald claims Zenit St Petersburg are lining up a £9m bid for Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic. The Australia international came to the Russian Premier League champions' attention 18 months ago when the two sides met in the Europa League, but Celtic are believed to be unwilling to listen to any offers below £15 million.

- Real Betis are keen on a deal to bring Espanyol striker Borja Iglesias to the club, reports AS. The €28m move would smash their all-time transfer record. The 26-year-old enjoyed a superb season in front of goal, netting 17 times in La Liga after signing from Celta Vigo a year ago.

- Benfica midfielder Filip Krovinovic will fly to England this week to finalise a season-long loan move to Championship side West Bromwich Albion. The Express & Star claims the Baggies are paying a loan fee of up to £300,000 for the 23-year-old, who struggled for regular first-team football in Portugal last season.

- Reports in The Sun claim Crystal Palace are lining up a move for Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson, as they look to replace Aaron Wan-Bissaka following his move to Manchester United. It's reported the 27-year-old is available for a cut-price £5m after making just eight appearances for the Gunners last season.

^ Back to Top ^