The transfer window is open, and Transfer Talk has the latest rumours making the rounds. Follow along with our daily blog throughout the summer.
TOP STORY: Madrid prepare £150m Hazard bid
Real Madrid are preparing a £150 million move for Eden Hazard as they begin a frantic attempt to replace Cristiano Ronaldo after his move to Juventus was confirmed this week, the Mail reports.
Los Blancos appear to have identified the Chelsea man as the primary candidate to replace the Portuguese superstar, though it is likely the strategy will involve acquiring a number of world-class players to fill the void.
The instability at Stamford Bridge appears to have made Hazard reluctant to sign the new deal on the table, worth £300,000 per week, and with two years left on his existing contact, Madrid are ready to make their move.
Having dazzled in Russia as one of the players of the tournament, the Belgian has emerged as one of the more obvious candidates to lead a new generation of galacticos at the Bernabeu. Though an aggressive transfer strategy following the firing of Antonio Conte and expected hiring of Maurizio Sarri could persuade the player to stay as the focal point of the side, rather than become just one star among many.
LIVE BLOG
13.35 BST: Once Maurizio Sarri has been confirmed as manager, Chelsea will make official approaches to Juventus for Daniele Rugani and Gonzalo Higuain, according to Tuttosport.
13.25 BST: Harry Maguire will be offered a new £100,000-a-week contract at Leicester, as they attempt to ward off interest from Manchester United, the Mirror say.
13.15 BST: Sky Sports News say that Jorginho has arrived in London for his medical at Chelsea.
13.05 BST: Earlier we covered a report from Marca which said James Rodriguez wants to end his two year loan at Bayern Munich and return to Real Madrid.
BILD say that this is not the case, and that he is very happy in Germany and is expected to join on a permanent basis.
12.55 BST: Crystal Palace are interested in Uruguay World Cup star Diego Laxalt, according to Calciomercato.
However, they face stiff competition for the Genoa man, with Benfica, Valencia and Marseille among a number of teams all looking to secure a deal.
12.45 BST: Paris United say Real Madrid are willing to pay Neymar €49 million a year should he join the club.
12.35 BST: A done deal in Germany, where Borussia Monchengladbach have beaten Newcastle and Tottenham to the signing of Nice forward Alassane Plea…
👀 #DieFohlen pic.twitter.com/MGuPRN1UCB
— Gladbach (@borussia_en) July 13, 2018
12.25 BST: Football.London believe Fulham signing Jean-Michael Seri will not impact any move for Aleksandar Mitrovic, with Crystal Palace pulling out of the running.
12.15 BST: Brighton are closing in on the €20 million signing of Yves Bissouma from Lille, according to L’Equipe.
12.05 BST: Besiktas have received an offer for goalkeeper Fabri from a Premier League club, believed to be Fulham, Bein Sports say.
11.55 BST: Sport say that Tottenham have withdrawn their interest in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot, because they believe he is joining Barcelona.
11.45 BST: Turkish outlet Fanatik report Newcastle are asking for €2 million for Henri Saivet, with Sivasspor said to be interested.
11.35 BST: Sevilla are targeting Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko on loan to replace Steven Nzonzi, AS say.
11.25 BST: Euro United — an affiliate of Paris United — report that Manchester United have reopened talks with Inter Milan regarding Ivan Perisic.
Yes, the French press are talking about the future of a Croatian player days before they meet in the World Cup final.
11.15 BST: A done deal on the south coast — Southampton have signed Denmark defender Jannik Vestergaard from Borussia Monchengladbach.
The 25-year-old scored seven goals in 66 Bundesliga games for Monchengladbach, and looks set to be the long-awaited replacement for Virgil van Dijk.
Welcome to #SaintsFC, @JVestergaard7! 👊 pic.twitter.com/TlWF8fxR9D
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) July 13, 2018
11.05 BST: Dutch publication AD report that Feyenoord are hopeful of agreeing a deal with Southampton to bring Jordy Clasie back to the club, three years after he left them for the Premier League club.
10.55 BST: Inter Milan and Jiangsu Suning have confirmed the transfer of Italian forward Eder to the Chinese club, where he is reportedly set to earn over €5 million per season over two and a half years.
The 31-year-old, who joined Inter from Sampdoria in 2016, has moved on a permanent deal believed to be worth €5 million to the Serie A club, who are owned by the same Suning group as Jiangsu. Eder played 86 times for Inter, scoring 14 goals.
Best of luck with your new adventure at Jiangsu Suning @Edercitadin7! 💪
👉 https://t.co/3nUiIz1Xzt#FCIM pic.twitter.com/Uzxx2bIzaF
— Inter (@Inter_en) July 13, 2018
10.45 BST: Gazzetta dello Sport write that, while Leonardo Bonucci has not asked to leave AC Milan, new Paris Saint-Germain star Gianluigi Buffon could convince him to join the French champions.
10.35 BST: After losing Fabian Ruiz to Napoli, Real Betis have agreed a deal with William Carvalho, and are now finalising an agreement with Sporting Lisbon, AS say.
10.25 BST: Liverpool could match Roma’s asking price for goalkeeper Alisson, but face competition from Real Madrid, according to Sky in Italy.
10.15 BST: Sport report that Barcelona are preparing for life without Jasper Cillessen, who will be allowed to leave for €30 million.
10.05 BST: Boca Juniors and Colombia midfielder Wilmar Barrios has been talking to ESPN in Argentina about speculation linking him with Tottenham.
“The truth is that I do not know anything about that [transfer links],” he said. “There are many rumours but now I have my head in Boca and to spend these days of rest with the family. I have to show up for the preseason with my team. I belong to Boca and I have to prepare myself for whatever comes.”
09.55 BST: Mundo Deportivo report that West Ham are interested in Franco Vazquez, and Sevilla could let the midfielder go for €30 million.
09.45 BST: Liverpool have triggered Xherdan Shaqiri‘s release clause and he is undergoing a medical, sources have told ESPN FC.
09.40 BST: Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot has told the club he would like to leave, as talk linking him with Barcelona grows stronger, RMC say.
09.30 BST: TuttoMercatoWeb write that Everton are pushing ahead for a deal to sign AC Milan midfielder Andrea Bertolacci.
09.20 BST: Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend has told Football.London that he is not thinking about speculation linking him with a return to Newcastle, and is only looking ahead to preseason.
09.10 BST: Andre Gomes will not travel with the Barcelona squad to the United States for their preseason tour, as he looks to secure a move away from the club, according to Sport.
Juventus and Arsenal are said to be interested, with Barca looking to sell for €20 million.
09.00 BST: Marca lead with James Rodriguez wanting to end his two year loan at Bayern Munich to return to Real Madrid.
New Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui is thought to be keen on the idea, but the German champions will have the last say on any deal.
#LaPortada ‘James quiere volver’ pic.twitter.com/le8zSln3Yn
— MARCA (@marca) July 12, 2018
08.16 BST: With Cristiano Ronaldo off to Juventus, the Neymar-to-Real Madrid rumours will be heating up.
According to Globo Esporte, Madrid will be sending Juni Calafat, their chief transfer negotiator, to Santos, Brazil, this week to meet with Neymar’s father and inquire about a possible move to the Spanish capital.
In an attempt to ward off Madrid’s advances, AS reported Paris Saint-Germain are willing to give Neymar a pay rise — potentially to more than Lionel Messi’s €50m a year. And, PSG have hired Bruno Mazziotti, the physiotherapist who helped Neymar back to fitness in time to represent Brazil at the World Cup.
PAPER TALK (by Jack Rathborn)
Barca make Kante priority
And Chelsea could field an enquiry for another of their stars, with Barcelona making an ambitious move for N’Golo Kante, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.
The Spanish champions appear to have been enchanted by the midfielder’s performances for France at the World Cup, while the lack of Champions League football, in addition to Conte’s departure, could convince the player to leave.
Kante has three years left on his deal at Stamford Bridge though, and given his pivotal role for Didier Deschamps’ side in Russia, his stock has never been higher.
Incoming Blues manager Sarri surely will be desperate to keep the player, though Barca are hoping to insert forgotten man Andre Gomes into negotiations.
Whether Chelsea would be interested in the little-used Portugal international remains to be seen, though the Londoners’ dialogue surrounding a potential deal for Willian suggests relations between the clubs are amicable.
United in for England hero Maguire
Manchester United are looking seriously at Harry Maguire as a summer signing following his outstanding World Cup for England.
Jose Mourinho has struggled to establish a strong centre-back partnership, with Eric Bailly falling out of his starting lineup toward the end of the season, Victor Lindelof struggling to settle after a big-money move from Benfica and both Phil Jones and Chris Smalling proving inconsistent over a number of years.
Maguire would cost upward of £50m, just a year after Leicester acquired the player for £17m from Hull, claims the Mail.
Tap-ins
– Marcelo could join Ronaldo at Juventus, says Corriere dello Sport, with the Real Madrid full-back thought to be keen on joining his former teammate in Turin.
The Old Lady would likely move Alex Sandro on to make way for Marcelo in a move that could appease Ronaldo and re-establish one of the winning partnerships from Real Madrid’s run of four Champions League titles in five years.
Meantime, Paris Saint-Germain could be Alex Sandro’s new home, with reports in France claiming talks are underway between the clubs.
– Everton are plotting a swoop for Lucas Digne in addition to fellow Barcelona defender Yerry Mina, the Mirror reports. The Mirror claim the Toffees will look at Digne as a cheaper alternative to Kieran Tierney after Celtic demanded £25m.
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