Transfer Talk: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd battle for Lavia

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: Top Premier League clubs battle for Lavia

Arsenal are facing competition from three Premier League sides in the race to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, according to the Independent.

Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool are all reported to be keen on the 19-year-old Belgium youngster, who impressed last season despite his side suffering relegation to the Championship. While the Saints had been looking for a transfer fee in the region of £45 million, they could now increase their demands as interest continues to grow in Lavia.

The Gunners have already begun negotiations with his representatives over a switch to the Emirates, with manager Mikel Arteta seeing him as a potential alternative to Brighton‘s Moises Caicedo, but the report suggests that they could now be forced to fend off interest for another one of their transfer priorities.

Lavia arrived at St. Mary’s Stadium for around £10.5m last summer from Manchester City, who inserted a clause into the deal that would allow them to re-sign for £40m in 2024 if he stays at Southampton.

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21.27 BST: Juventus left-back Alex Sandro has an offer from Al Nassr alongside approaches from Turkey and the United States, according to Calciomercato. The 32-year-old former Brazil international is under contract with the Bianconeri until next summer, but they are open to his departure.

20.54 BST: Bayern Munich are open to attacker Sadio Mane leaving the club, but the 31-year-old Senegal international is keen to stay with the German champions, according to BILD. Mane joined the Bavarian outfit from Liverpool last summer, but made just 25 Bundesliga appearances, and was involved in an altercation with teammate Leory Sane, following a defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League. Newcastle United are reportedly interested in bringing him back to the Premier League.

20.21 BST: Al Hilal are close to finalising a deal for Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Blues have been keen to find a new home for the 32-year-old Senegal international, who struggled with injury problems that limited him to just 23 Premier League appearances in his first season with the club. The Saudi side have agreed a €25m transfer fee with Chelsea, and Koulibaly will sign a three-year contract.

20.04 BST: Barcelona have reached an agreement with Manchester City to sign Ilkay Gundogan as a free agent when his contract expires on June 30, sources confirmed to ESPN. The 32-year-old Germany international has agreed a two-year deal with Barca with an option for a third year, turning down an offer to extend his seven-season stay at City as well as proposals from Premier League side Arsenal and clubs in Saudi Arabia, sources said.

19.48 BST: Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic would prioritise a move to Barcelona over Al Nassr, however, the Catalan giants face potential registration issues, reports Sport. The 30-year-old Croatia international is subject of an €18m bid from the Saudi outfit, but he has yet to accept the offer, despite the Blaugrana facing registration issues due to their ongoing financial problems.

19.15 BST: Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich have shown interest in FC Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa, according to Rudy Galetti. United have already approached the 23-year-old Portugal international, but they consider his €75m release clause prohibitive.

18.42 BST: Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic will seek a move within Europe despite interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, according to Football Insider. The 24-year-old U.S. international has one year remaining on his contract and is widely expected to depart Stamford Bridge this summer after making just 10 starts in all competitions in 2022-23.

18.09 BST: Juventus have offered midfielder and pending free agent Adrien Rabiot a new contract but the 28-year-old France international would prefer a move to the Premier League, reports Foot Mercato. The Bianconeri have identified several replacements should Rabiot turn down the contract, with Manchester United and Newcastle heavily linked with a move for the former Paris Saint-Germain standout.

17.36 BST: Borussia Dortmund are monitoring the situation of Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, according to Sky Sport Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg. The Bundesliga runners-up need to rebuild their engine room after the departures of Jude Bellingham and Mahmoud Dahoud. The club view the 23-year-old England international as an interesting option, and the Blues are reportedly happy to part ways with the Cobham graduate as they seek to balance their books. However, Chelsea are likely to demand a hefty transfer fee, which could prove to be an obstacle for Dortmund.

17.00 BST: Newcastle United are considering making a loan move for midfielder Ruben Neves, reports Football Insider. The 26-year-old Portugal international is close to completing a permanent switch to Saudi side Al Hilal from Wolves, with the report suggesting that the deal is set to be announced this week. However, the Magpies are said to be discussing a two-year loan deal, with both clubs being owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

16.21 BST: PSV forward Xavi Simons could return to PSG in July for just €6m, reports Fabrizio Romano.

Simons, 20, scored 22 goals in 48 games for PSV last season to attract plenty of attention from Europe’s top clubs. However, PSG have a clause in his contract to bring him back to Paris for a small fee from July 1-July 31.

The Netherlands international is waiting to hear from his former side, while Man Utd, Arsenal, Brighton, Spurs, Dortmund and RB Leipzig have asked to be kept informed. Though his transfer could cost them about five times as much.

16.02 BST: Arsenal and USMNT striker Folarin Balogun won’t leave on loan again this summer, so top clubs in Europe should be looking to land him if he moves on.

15.32 BST: AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali has been the subject of a €50m bid from Newcastle, reports The Athletic.

Tonali, 23, moved to Milan from Brescia for around €25m in 2021 and has seven goals and 13 assists from his 130 appearances in all competitions.

Newcastle want to sign two midfielders this summer, with Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella, Leicester City’s James Maddison and RB Leipzig’s Dominik Szoboszlai also being tracked.

14.55 BST: Napoli have joined the race to sign Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga, Sky Italia reports.

Veiga, 21, is a target of several Premier League clubs and is expected to leave Celta this summer for his €40m release clause after he scored 11 goals and set up four more in LaLiga this past season to help them avoid the drop.

Napoli are hoping to convince the Spain U21 star to join them, but he is reportedly keen to play in the Premier League and has attracted interest from a number of top clubs there.

14.14 BST: Manchester United have made a second bid for Mason Mount but Chelsea are holding out for a fee closer to their valuation, sources have told ESPN.

United have already had one offer of £40m knocked back but have returned with a second offer worth close to £50m. Chelsea’s valuation is £70m and negotiations between the two clubs are ongoing.

Erik ten Hag is keen to land the England international to bolster his midfield and take some of the burden off Christian Eriksen, who made more than 40 appearances last season after joining on a free transfer from Brentford.

13.50 BST: AC Milan are confident they will be able to bring in forward Marcus Thuram on a free transfer this summer, according to Sky Italia.

Thuram, 25, who scored 16 goals in 32 games this season, will leave Borussia Monchengladbach once his contract expires this month. The Rossoneri have made Thuram a contract offer and told the player he will have a key role in Stefano Pioli’s squad should he accept.

The France international, who can play in three different positions in attack, is also a target of Juventus and Inter, as well as PSG and Man United.

13.24 BST: Manchester United are seriously considering signing Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana, according to Sky Italia.

Onana, 27, has a €40m release clause and is a reported target of several Premier League clubs after a strong season at Inter which saw the club finish third in Serie A and reach the Champions League final.

United are looking to strengthen their back line and could make an offer to sign the Cameroon international in the coming days. He made 41 appearances for Inter since joining last summer as a free agent after his contract with Ajax expired.

12.43 BST: Barcelona are weighing up a move for the Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, according to Mundo Deportivo.

After failing to bring Lionel Messi back to the club, Barca coach Xavi Hernandez has said the club must add more creativity to their midfield this summer.

Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan is their primary target, with the Germany international expected to make a decision on his future this week with his contract with the Premier League champions expiring this month.

However, Barca are also looking at other options, which has led them to Lo Celso, who spent last season on loan at LaLiga side Villarreal.

Barca could even offer defender Clement Lenglet in part-exchange following the expiry of the Frenchman’s loan at Tottenham.

12.30 BST: Arsenal are working on a £30m deal to sign Ajax defender Jurrien Timber but may face competition from Bayern Munich for his signature, sources have told ESPN.

12.14 BST: Arsenal are closing in on a deal worth around £65m to sign Chelsea forward Kai Havertz, sources have told ESPN.

The deal is not yet finalised — a source close to Chelsea insisted on Wednesday they had not yet received a formal improved offer — but all parties believe an agreement is nearing as talks continue over the precise structure of the transfer. Personal terms are not thought to be an issue.

ESPN reported on Monday that Havertz had informed the Blues he had no interest in signing a new contract with the club. His present deal expires in 2025 and Chelsea do not want to be in a position where the 24-year-old runs his contract down.

11.49 BST: Manchester City and Chelsea have agreed a £25m fee for the transfer of midfielder Mateo Kovacic, with £5m in add-ons, sources have told ESPN.

Kovacic, 29, will undergo a medical before joining Pep Guardiola’s squad ahead of City’s preseason tour of Japan and South Korea, which begins at the end of July.

Sources have told ESPN that Chelsea were initially hoping to agree a deal worth closer to £35m for the Croatia international, but reduced their demands in order to reach an agreement before June 30. Outgoings completed before then will fall under the first full tax year and help Chelsea comply with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules.

City moved quickly for Kovacic to bolster their midfield after missing out on 19-year-old England international Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund for €103m.

11.42 BST: Toni Kroos has agreed a one-year contract extension at Real Madrid, the club confirmed on Wednesday.

Midfielder Kroos, 33, will remain a Madrid player until June 30, 2024.

“Real Madrid and Toni Kroos have agreed the extension of the player’s contract,” the club said in a statement. “Toni Kroos arrived at Real Madrid in 2014 and is already the German player who has worn our club’s shirt for the most times, with 417 games.

“In his nine seasons as a Madrid player, he has won 20 trophies: four Champions Leagues, five Club World Cups, four European Super Cups, three LaLiga titles, one Copa del Rey and three Spanish Supercopas.”

Kroos had previously considered taking an early retirement this summer, before his improved form and fitness over the last two years convinced him to continue playing. The former Germany international made 30 LaLiga appearances for Madrid last season, scoring two goals, as well as playing 12 times in the Champions League, 10 of them starts.

11.31 BST: Neymar wants to return to Barcelona this summer and is willing to take a cut to his salary to force through a move, according to Sport.

However, Neymar’s chances of returning to the LaLiga champions are slim because of the club’s financial situation and their need to strengthen in other positions first.

Neymar, 31, left Barca for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for a world-record transfer fee of €222m. However, he has been frequently linked with a return to the club since.

This summer is proving no different, with Sport reporting that the Brazil forward is insisting on re-joining Barca, who he helped win the treble as part of a front three with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in 2015.

Barca, though, are currently not in a position to be able to sign players and any deal would likely be dependent on PSG willing to let Neymar leave on loan. The player would then have to take a hit to his salary.

Barca coach Xavi Hernandez said recently that signing Neymar is not a priority, as he wants to bring in a Sergio Busquets replacement, as well as more creativity and goals in midfield.

11.11 BST: Dani Ceballos posted a cryptic Instagram story on Tuesday suggesting his future is about to be resolved.

The Real Madrid midfielder, 26, has been considering the club’s contract extension offer, with his deal due to expire this month.

Ceballos posted three emojis — an hourglass, a football, and some eyes — suggesting there’ll be news on a resolution sooner rather than later.

The Spain midfielder played an increasingly important role for Madrid over the last campaign, but would face competition for his place next season from new €103m arrival Jude Bellingham.

10.46 BST: Bournemouth are set to land their first signing under new manager Andoni Iraola, with sources telling ESPN’s David Cartlidge that Justin Kluivert is close to a move from AS Roma.

The Netherlands winger spent the 2022-2033 season on loan at Valencia in LaLiga, where then Rayo Vallecano coach Iraola saw him up close.

Sources said that the Premier League side will pay an initial €10m transfer fee, followed by a further €1m in variables to sign the 24-year-old.

10.23 BST: Arsenal have submitted a second offer for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice but still remain short of the player’s £100m valuation, sources told ESPN’s James Olley.

The North London club had an opening bid rejected last week and have now returned with a revised bid totalling around £90m.

Although the overall package is a similar amount, sources suggest more of the initial £75m payment would be paid up front while the proposed £15m in add-ons are viewed as more attainable than previously indicated.

It remains to be seen if West Ham accept Arsenal’s bid or continue to hold out for a higher fee. Given they value Rice in excess of £100m, the expectation is it will be rejected.

09.50 BST: French World Cup winner N’Golo Kante has agreed to join Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad on a three-year contract when his Chelsea deal expires this summer, the club announced on Tuesday.

Kante, whose Chelsea deal officially expires June 30, will join Karim Benzema at the Jeddah-based club and becomes the latest big name to move to Saudi Arabia following Cristiano Ronaldo‘s transfer to Al Nassr in January.

09.41 BST: Leeds forward Rodrigo Moreno is edging closer to a move to Sevilla, according to COPE radio.

Rodrigo, 32, is under contract with Leeds until June 2024 but is expected to exercise a relegation release clause that would see him leave as a free agent this summer.

The Spain international, who joined Leeds from Valencia in the summer of 2020, scored 13 goals in 31 league appearances but it was not enough to help Leeds avoid the drop.

The arrival of former Leeds sporting director Victor Orta at Sevilla to replace the departed Monchi, has accelerated negotiations to bring Rodrigo.

Sevilla are looking to reach an agreement with Rodrigo, with his current wages, €3.5m per season, considered too high for the Europa League winners.

09.03 BST: Angel Di Maria is in advanced talks to return to Benfica, who have offered the veteran winger a one-year contract, O Jogo reports.

A World Cup winner with Argentina, Di Maria will leave Juventus as a free agent this summer after just one season in Turin.

The 35-year-old is considering his options and has an offer from Inter Miami that would see him play alongside Argentina teammate Lionel Messi. However, Di Maria’s priority is to remain in Europe.

Benfica are among the European clubs keen to land Di Maria, who spent three seasons at Benfica before joining Real Madrid for a €33m transfer in July 2010.

08.39 BST: One player who won’t be going to Al Ittihad is Son Heung-Min, who has announced his intention to stay at Tottenham despite receiving a lucrative offer to join the Saudi club.

ESPN revealed on Monday that the 30-year-old had become the latest high-profile player to be targeted by Saudi clubs with Al Ittihad offering the forward a four-year deal worth €30m per season.

A source close to negotiations suggested the Saudi side were preparing an opening bid of €60m ($65.4m) plus bonuses, but Tottenham indicated they were unwilling to listen to offers for the South Korea forward. Speaking on Tuesday, Son moved to dampen speculation over a transfer by reiterating his commitment to Spurs.

Son said: “I have many things to do in the Premier League. Money doesn’t matter to me now, and the pride of playing football, to play in my favourite league is important. I want to play more for Tottenham in the Premier League. I’ll prepare well when I’m back to Spurs.”

– Saudi Arabia transfer tracker: Done deals, players linked and failed talks

08.00 BST: N’Golo Kante has agreed to join Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad on a three-year contract when his Chelsea deal expires this summer, the club announced on Tuesday.

Kante, whose Chelsea deal officially expires June 30, will join Karim Benzema at the Jeddah-based club and becomes the latest big name to move to Saudi Arabia following Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to Al Nassr in January.

Best players in the best team 👊🤩#WelcomeBox2Box

pic.twitter.com/urejQwiZo9

— Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en) June 20, 2023

The 32-year-old’s deal will see him paid around €86m ($109.78m) per year, according to reports.

ESPN reported in February that Kante was close to signing a new contract with Chelsea, but no deal was finalised and the midfielder has now decided to end his seven-year stay at Stamford Bridge.

PAPER GOSSIP (Adam Brown)

– Barcelona are closing in on completing a move for Athletico Paranaense forward Vitor Roque, according to Sport. Barça club president Joan Laporta is set to meet with the Camp Nou hierarchy to finalise their approach for the 18-year-old Brazil international this week, with a deal believed to be worth €35m, plus €10m in bonuses. Sources told ESPN earlier this week that talks had progressed well.

– Talks are ongoing between Fulham and Manchester United over a move for midfielder Fred, writes the Telegraph. The 30-year-old has just one year left on his contract at Old Trafford, and it is reported that an offer of £20m would be enough to convince the Red Devils to part ways with him. The Brazilian played a key role for Erik ten Hag last season, playing 56 times across all competitions.

– Manchester City have identified RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol as their next transfer priority, according to Fabrizio Romano. The treble-holders are looking to complete a €40m move for Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic and will switch gears to sign the 21-year-old Croatia international, who is their top reinforcement option at centre-back, once that is done. It is reported that an offer worth “much more” than €80m will be required to land Gvardiol.

– Barcelona are leading the race for Manchester City wing-back Joao Cancelo, reports Fabrizio Romano. Manager Xavi Hernandez is continuing his search for a right-sided defender, but that could prove difficult as the Blaugrana look to remain within Financial Fair Play regulations. Cancelo, 29, is set to return to the Etihad after a loan spell at Bayern Munich, but the report indicates that manager Pep Guardiola is open to moving him on.

– Al Nassr have made an approach for Internazionale midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, reports Gianluca Di Marzio. The Saudi Pro League club are keen to sign the 30-year-old this summer, and have made an offer worth €18m to secure his signature. Barcelona are also interested in him and they would be willing to match their proposal with a salary worth €7m-per-season.