The summer transfer window is open for some leagues in Europe, and there’s plenty of gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Man United turn to Rabiot
Manchester United are looking to sign Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot on a free transfer once his contract expires, says The Athletic.
Rabiot, 28, has been locked in talks for weeks over a new deal as his current terms expire at the end of the month. The France international made 32 Serie A appearances last season, scoring eight goals, and has spoken in the past about his desire to play in the Premier League.
United have been chasing a £55 million deal for Chelsea‘s Mason Mount, but sources have told ESPN the club are considering other options including Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, Ajax’s Mohammed Kudus and Taylor Booth at FC Utrecht.
Meanwhile, United will reportedly listen to offers for up to 13 players as they hope to bring in £100m, according to The Daily Mail. The Red Devils will readily let go of Donny van de Beek, Fred, Anthony Elanga, Hannibal Mejbri, Alex Telles, Eric Bailly, Brandon Williams and Zidane Iqbal.
They will also listen to offers to sign Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, Dean Henderson, Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho, with the latter reportedly available for £45m. That is in addition to players who will leave as free agents, which could still include goalkeeper David de Gea.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga & more (U.S.)
– Read on ESPN+: How can Barcelona possibly replace Busquets?
LIVE BLOG
19.30 BST: Liverpool have joined Arsenal in the race for Southampton midfielder Roméo Lavia, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 19-year-old once-capped Belgium international made 29 Premier League appearances for the Saints after making the move from Manchester City last summer, and that form has also attracted the attention of Manchester United and Chelsea.
18.57 BST: Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino is set to be the next arrival in Saudi Arabia as Al-Ahli looks to make a move official this week, according to Relevo’s Matteo Moretto. The 31-year-old Brazil international will become a free agent on Saturday once his contract on Anfield expires.
18.21 BST: AC Milan are in advanced negotiations over a deal for Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 27-year-old academy graduate is set to depart Stamford Bridge after 155 appearances for the Blues since his debut in 2014. The England international has already agreed personal terms with the Italian side, and he is seen as a potential replacement for Sandro Tonali, who is on the verge of joining Newcastle United.
17.42 BST: Pisa striker Lorenzo Lucca is closing in on a move to Udinese, reports Gianluca Di Marzio. The 22-year-old Italy youth international spent last season on loan at Ajax, scoring two goals and providing one assist in the Eredivisie, and is now set to make the move to the Serie A side in a loan deal that includes an option to make the transfer permanent for an €8m fee.
17.00 BST: Union Berlin are interested in young Chelsea forward David Datro Fofana, according to Sport Bild. The 20-year-old Ivory Coast international has only featured for 68 minutes in the Premier League since arriving from Norwegian club Molde FK in January, and could be on his way to the Bundesliga on loan to continue his career progression.
16.15 BST: Paris Saint-Germain are ready to move on striker Hugo Ekitike, says Tuttomercatoweb.
Ekitike, 21, scored four goals in 32 games and didn’t impress on his season-long loan from Reims. PSG were reportedly obligated to sign the France U20 striker after his loan expired for €35m but could now look to find him another club.
Newcastle were linked with Ekitike a year ago, before he made the move to PSG, but it’s Juventus who are interested as they seek a replacement for Dusan Vlahovic, though they are also eyeing West Ham’s Gianluca Scamacca.
15.42 BST: AC Milan are to sign midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek from Chelsea, says Calciomercato.
Loftus-Cheek, 27, has spent a decade at the club without ever fully cementing his place in the first XI. The England international has 13 goals and 18 assists in 155 appearances but is now set to move on.
Milan are ready to pounce and have agreed to pay €15m to sign him.
15.03 BST: RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol is a €100m transfer target for Manchester City if Aymeric Laporte leaves this summer, sources have told ESPN.
1:46
Why Pep Guardiola wants Man City to sign Josko Gvardiol
Julien Laurens and Nedum Onuoha debate why Manchester City want to sign Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig.
14.17 BST: Liverpool and Barcelona are watching Lecce left-back Patrick Dorgu, says his agent.
Dorgu, 18, has impressed in Primavera 1 and has now attracted the interest of some top clubs, despite not making a senior appearance for Lecce yet. But the Denmark U19 international may be best staying put according to his agent Kingsley Ogbodo.
“Liverpool want him,” Dorgu’s agent told Bold.dk. “Liverpool have been watching him and interested in him for some time, but if he goes there he will have to play in the U23 team. It’s not the best for him, so I advise him not to do it. They can offer him a lot of money, but that’s not what we’re looking for right now. We focus on his career, development and playing time.
“Liverpool is of course not the only club that wants him. There are many clubs here in England who are keeping an eye on him. Manchester City kept an eye on him when he played against England for the U19 national team in Hobro in Denmark.
“Lecce’s scout has also told me that Barcelona is also keeping an eye on Patrick, because he is a huge talent.”
13.55 BST: Borussia Dortmund are considering a deal to re-sign Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho, according to Sport Bild.
Sancho, 23, left Dortmund to join United for €85m in 2021. However, the England international has struggled to assert himself, with 12 goals and six assists from 79 games, and injury has played a part too.
Dortmund are considering a bid of €50m to bring Sancho back to the Bundesliga but have other priorities, namely a central midfielder to replace Jude Bellingham after he left to join Real Madrid for €103m.
13.31 BST: Brentford have signed South Korea defender Kim Ji-Soo from Seongnam.
Kim, 18, has sign a four-year contract and goes into the B team. Following some fine displays at the U20 World Cup, he was named in the team of the tournament
13.22 BST: Real Madrid remain cautious over the possible signing of Kylian Mbappe, sources have told ESPN, but the club are also hopeful that a deal could finally be done to land the Paris Saint-Germain forward this summer.
There is a reluctance to talk openly about the arrival of Mbappe at the Bernabeu after last summer’s abrupt U-turn that saw the France international agree a new contract with PSG when he had been on the verge of a move to Madrid.
The club’s public position is that their transfer market activity has been completed after the signings of Jude Bellingham, Joselu, Fran Garcia and Brahim Diaz. However, the reality is that the club has left vacant the No. 9 shirt that belonged to Karim Benzema before his departure for Al Ittihad because there is also hope that Mbappe could become available.
Sources have told ESPN there has been no notable progress since Mbappe announced on June 12 that he had informed PSG that he would not be exercising an option to extend his contract beyond 2024.
PSG want €150m to do a deal this summer.
13.00 BST: What advice does Gareth Bale have for Lionel Messi over MLS?
1:57
What does Gareth Bale actually mean saying ‘MLS is more chilled’?
Sebastian Salazar and Herculez Gomez comment on ex-LAFC star Gareth Bale’s comments that teams in MLS “accept losing a bit more.”
12.15 BST: Zinedine Zidane says he will be returning to football management soon.
Zidane, 51, left his position as Real Madrid head coach for the second time in May 2021 after previously winning two LaLiga titles, three Champions Leagues, two Super Cups and two Club World Cup trophies at the club. But the France legend could return to a job soon.
“Without a doubt I miss the adrenaline,” he told TF1 channel. “Without it you see football differently. I need it. I haven’t had it for a while now, but it will come back.
“I know what I want and what I don’t want. I tell myself that if this break is here, it’s because it had to be. We have to accept it and we’ll see later. But I hope to get back to coaching soon.”
11.49 BST: Marcus Thuram is expected to undergo a medical at Inter Milan on Tuesday, which will move him closer to becoming the club’s first summer signing, according to Tuttomercatoweb.
Thuram, 25, is set to sign a five-year deal with Inter, earning €6m per season. The France forward turned down a contract extension with Borussia Monchengladbach and will join the Nerazzurri as a free agent.
A reported target of AC Milan and Tottenham, Thuram can play in three different positions in attack which makes him an attractive choice for many clubs.
11.23 BST: Argentina winger Lucas Ocampos wants to remain at Sevilla next season despite interest from Fulham.
Ocampos, 28, is under contract until June 2024 and scored four goals in 19 league appearances last season. He helped Sevilla win the Europa League after returning to the club in January following a disappointing six-month loan spell at Ajax.
Fulham are prepared to offer €15m to sign Ocampos but, according to Estadio Deportivo, have yet to agree personal terms with the former Marseille star. Ocampos has not ruled out playing in the Premier League one day, but his priority is to honour his contract with Sevilla.
11.09 BST: Luka Modric has signed a one-year contract extension at Real Madrid which will keep him at the club until June 2024, the club announced on Monday.
The Croatia international, 37, joined Madrid in 2012 and has won 23 trophies in 11 years at the Bernabeu.
Modric had said both publicly and privately that he wanted to stay at Madrid, although strong interest from Saudi Arabia in recent weeks had raised some doubts over his future.
10.52 BST: Aston Villa are leading the race to sign Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres, according to El Periodico Mediterraneo.
Torres, 26, is under contract with Villarreal until June 2024 and has not signed a contract extension. He has a €60m release clause but Villarreal are willing to listen to offers in the region of €35m.
The Spain international, who made 34 league appearances in the 2022-23 campaign, is considered one of the best defenders in LaLiga.
Bayern Munich and Juventus have monitored his progress in recent times, while Aston Villa coach Unai Emery is a big fan and has requested his signing, having coached him at Villarreal for two seasons.
10.11 BST: There’s “calm” at Real Madrid over the Kylian Mbappe situation, Marca reports, with the club “under no obligation” or pressure to sign the Paris Saint-Germain forward, despite the departure of Karim Benzema this month.
Mbappe’s revelation that he would not be extending his PSG contract beyond 2024 sparked speculation that the most likely outcome was a move to Madrid during this transfer window, to replace Benzema as their first-choice centre forward.
However, according to Marca, Madrid “haven’t made a move and won’t make a move over the next few weeks” — despite various media reports to the contrary — and prefer to bide their time, waiting to see what happens between Mbappe and PSG, in a saga that could last all summer.
09.42 BST: Atletico Madrid defender Mario Hermoso must choose between renewing his contract at the club or pushing for a move to the Premier League, according to Marca.
Hermoso, 28, was key to Atletico’s improvement in form in the second half of last season — when they accumulated the most points of any team in LaLiga — but the left-sided centre-back’s deal is due to expire in 2024.
Marca reports that Atletico have offered Hermoso a new contract with a sizeable wage cut, which could see him favour a switch to the Premier League if the right offer arrives.
09.05 BST: FC Porto striker Mehdi Taremi has turned down an offer to join Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, according to his agent.
Taremi, 30, scored 22 goals and set up eight more in 33 league appearances last season. He has one year left on his contract and wants to continue with the Portuguese giants next season, though Al Hilal are prepared to offer Porto €35m to sign the Iran international this summer.
“He [Taremi] has one year left on his contract and will continue playing in Europe,” Taremi’s agent, Alireza Nikoomanesh, said. “Despite the interest from Saudi Arabia, which we respect, Taremi’s wish is to continue at FC Porto and in European football.”
09.00 BST: Barcelona have announced the signing of Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan as a free agent.
Gundogan, 32, is out of contract with City at the end of the month and has agreed to join Barca on a two-year deal with the option for a third year. His release clause has been fixed at €400m.
Sources told ESPN last week that City were unwilling to match Barca’s financial offer and would only extend Gundogan’s contract for one year with an option for a second.
08.47 BST: Former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino is in advanced talks to join Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli as a free agent, according to Globo.
Firmino, 31, spent eight seasons at Liverpool, scoring 110 goals in 361 games, but the Brazil international left earlier this month after his contract expired. A reported target of Barcelona, Firmino also has offers to return to play in Brazil.
Al-Ahli are also targeting a move to sign Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
08.30 BST: Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly has joined Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal from Premier League side Chelsea, the two clubs announced on Sunday.
“We’ll continue to make history together,” Al Hilal said on Twitter, alongside a short video featuring Koulibaly.
The four-time Asian Champions League winners said Koulibaly’s contract would run until 2026 without giving any financial details. British media reported that the Saudi club would pay around £17m for the centre-back.
“I’m here with those who make the glory in the present and the future,” the Africa Cup of Nations winner said.
Koulibaly, 32, scored two goals in 32 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea after joining them from Napoli last July. He is the second player moving to Al Hilal from the Premier League after Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves signed from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £47m on Friday.
2:03
Pulisic on his Chelsea future: Sometimes you need a new start
USMNT and Chelsea star Christian Pulisic speaks to Herculez Gomez on his future at Stamford Bridge under new manager Mauricio Pochettino.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)
– There has been contact between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain regarding left-back Lucas Hernandez but no offer yet, reports Florian Plettenberg. Hernandez wants to leave Bayern, who have made it clear that they want a transfer fee of €50m plus bonuses for the 27-year-old, while PSG are now preparing a first offer.
– Fulham have made an approach to sign Leeds United and U.S. men’s national team midfielder Brenden Aaronson, as has been reported by The Daily Mail. Aaronson only joined Leeds from RB Salzburg last summer for £24.7m but he has a relegation clause that allows him to leave on loan following Leeds’ drop to the EFL Championship. Fulham also are weighing up a move for Manchester United‘s Fred, after seeing the 30-year-old as a possible option for their midfield.
Meanwhile, Leeds could face a number of other outgoings after their relegation from the Premier League. Aaronson’s U.S. teammate Tyler Adams remains a notable player who is being looked at, and Roma reportedly want Rasmus Kristensen and Diego Llorente on loan. Meanwhile, Everton are among the clubs who have enquired about Wilfried Gnonto and Crysencio Summerville.
– Villarreal striker Nicolas Jackson has completed his medical ahead of a move to join Chelsea, reports The Guardian. The €37m that the Blues have offered is more than the 22-year-old’s €35m release clause, but that has allowed them to have a more beneficial structure, with Jackson joining on an eight-year deal.
– AC Milan have lost some confidence in their ability to sign Fenerbahce attacking midfielder Arda Guler, reports Calciomercato, with Barcelona and Real Madrid both among the other clubs looking at the 18-year-old, who has a €17.5m release clause. Milan would want Guler to go straight into their squad, while the Spanish giants would both plan on signing him before immediately sending him back out on loan. Guler is expected to make a decision in the coming days.
– PSV Eindhoven attacking midfielder Xavi Simons hasn’t made a decision on his future but isn’t leaning towards a return to Paris Saint-Germain, as reported by L’Equipe. The 20-year-old has impressed since leaving the Parc des Princes for the Netherlands last summer, scoring 22 goals and assisting another 12 this campaign. PSG have a €6m option to re-sign him.
