Transfer Talk: West Ham's Rice wants Arsenal move this summer

The summer transfer window may not be open yet in Europe, but teams are getting ready for it, 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: Rice wants Arsenal move this summer

West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice is keen on a move to Arsenal this summer and is ready to make his intentions clear, reports the Mirror.

The 24-year-old has been earmarked as a priority signing for the Gunners in the upcoming transfer window, with manager Mikel Arteta set for a summer of heavy spending as he looks to add to his squad in order to compete in the Champions League next season.

The England international has a contract with West Ham until 2024 (with an option to extend by another year) but Arsenal believe they are in pole position to land the midfielder.

While this preference may help Arsenal’s chances of signing Rice, the Gunners will still have to dig deep to meet West Ham’s £100 million valuation of their captain. Due to interest from clubs such as Manchester City and Manchester United, Arsenal want to wrap up a deal as quickly as possible to avoid a potential bidding war.

With Granit Xhaka set to leave the Emirates in a €15m move to Bayer Leverkusen and Thomas Partey also potentially exiting, midfield reinforcements are seemingly high on the list of priorities for Arsenal in the upcoming window. Brighton‘s Moises Caicedo has also been heavily linked with a switch to North London, however, Rice is still the No. 1 target for the summer.

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21.34 BST: Bournemouth’s Jefferson Lerma is set to join Crystal Palace on a free transfer this summer, according to BBC Sport.

The 28-year-old Colombian midfielder has been offered a four-year deal to join Roy Hodgson’s side after his contract expires this summer.

Lerma has made 175 league appearances since joining the Cherries from Levante in 2018.

20.28 BST: Chelsea and Manchester United are yet to agree on the transfer fee for midfielder Mason Mount, according to the Independent.

The 24-year-old England international has a year left on his contract, but after struggling to get minutes this season, is looking to move elsewhere.

Chelsea are asking for a £55m transfer fee, but that’s understood to be higher than Man United’s valuation.

19.07 BST: Ajax are set to sign Branco van den Boomen this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Dutchman will leave Toulouse on a free transfer this summer after joining the Ligue 1 side in 2020 and helping them get promoted last season.

This season, the 27-year-old midfielder has contributed eight assists and five goals, and won the the French cup.

18.04 BST: Leeds United are unlikely to keep Weston McKennie after this season, according to Calciomercato.

The United States midfielder joined Elland Road in January from Juventus on loan, which includes a clause to make the deal permanent for nearly €40m.

However, with Leeds on the cusp of relegation from the Premier League, McKennie will likely return to Juventus.

17.00 BST: Could the USMNT hire former Leeds coach Jesse Marsch?

16.15 BST: Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister is closing on a £70m summer move to Liverpool, according to TyC.

Mac Allister, 24, has reportedly agreed personal terms on a contract until 2028, with his father and agent booked on a flight to England next week to finalise the move.

The World Cup winner has been in high demand since impressing in Qatar, but Brighton won’t let him leave for less than £70m.

15.27 BST: Fulham loanee Manor Solomon is on the radar of Tottenham, says The Athletic.

Solomon, 23, joined Fulham on loan from Shakhtar in 2022 and is now set for a permanent move. The Cottagers would like to land the Israel international winger but now face competition from Spurs, as a FIFA ruling confirmed that he will be able to leave the Ukrainian club on a free transfer this summer.

14.36 BST: Barcelona boss Xavi, who left in 2015 before returning as the coach in 2021, says the hardest part of his job has been how to handle the pre-existing relationships with players who used to be his teammates.

Sergio Busquets announced earlier this month that he will not renew his contract with the club when it expires in June, while Jordi Alba revealed this week he has also reached an agreement to depart in the summer, despite having a contract until 2024.

Gerard Pique retired last November and Dani Alves, after a brief second spell back at the club, left last summer following the exits in recent years or Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi himself, among others.

“One of the most difficult things has been managing friendships and having to tell them they are not playing,” he said of the generational change which has been carried out at Barca in the last few years. “At the end of the day, I am the Barcelona coach and I have to make these decisions, but that doesn’t mean they are not painful. It happened with Davi Alves, Pique… [but] I have to prioritise the club and be professional.

“They are not personal decisions, they are football decisions. Now it is Jordi and Busi, who actually made these decisions themselves, but we will miss them. They have been captains and references for their teammates.”

14.05 BST: Manchester City are looking to use Joao Cancelo as part of a deal to land Joshua Kimmich from Bayern Munich, says 90min.

Kimmich, 28, is reported to be considering his future in Munich and City are looking to strengthen in midfield, with Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan set to depart. City look to have missed out on 19-year-old Dortmund sensation Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid, so are turning to Kimmich instead.

Right-back Cancelo joined Bayern on loan in January and has a €70m clause to sign permanently. Bayern won’t pay that, but a swap deal plus cash for Kimmich could be a good deal for all concerned.

13.22 BST: Arsenal are interested in signing Galatasaray right-back Sacha Boey, says the Daily Mail.

Boey, 22, has done well in Turkey since moving from Rennes in 2021 and his transfer is valued at around €22m. The France U20 international, who can also represent Cameroon, has a contract until 2025.

Arsenal are also exploring a possible move for Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda.

12.33 BST: Tottenham didn’t make a move to bring in Feyenoord’s Arne Slot as manager.

11.44 BST: Real Madrid’s replacement for the outgoing Marco Asensio will be Brahim Diaz as he returns from a three-year loan spell at AC Milan, AS reports.

ESPN reported on Friday that Asensio, 27, is in talks with Paris Saint-Germain over a free transfer move this summer after failing to reach an agreement with Madrid on a contract extension.

According to AS, Diaz, 23, would take his place in the squad as a cost-effective addition at wide forward, with Real Sociedad’s Take Kubo — for whom Madrid didn’t agree a clause to re-sign when he left last summer — ruled out due to his €60m release clause.

11.01 BST: Carlo Ancelotti wants Real Madrid to sign Harry Kane this summer, Diario AS reports in its frontpage story on Saturday, viewing him as the “ideal No . 9 to complement [Karim] Benzema.”

Madrid are currently weighing up their options at centre-forward, with a recognition that Benzema, 35, needs more support after an injury-hit season.

According to AS, the LaLiga club are torn between going for a “low cost” option or a more high-profile alternative, and Tottenham captain Kane — whose contract expires next summer — would be Ancelotti’s choice in the latter camp.

Cadena SER reported this week that Madrid could look to include Eden Hazard in a deal for Kane, to try to bring down the costs involved.

10.12 BST: Tottenham are looking to sign Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, according to Football Insider.

Raya, 27, has become one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League but only has a contract until 2024.

Brentford are reportedly willing to entertain offers around £40m, with Tottenham in the market for a new No. 1 to replace Hugo Lloris long term. The Spain international will also land a salary of £100,000-a-week, which is three times what he currently earns.

09.41 BST: ICYMI – Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl has said the club have received no proposals to sign star midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Bellingham, 19, is one of the most admired midfielders in world football and has been linked with a €100m move away from the German club this summer.

Earlier this month, ESPN reported that Real Madrid are planning a trip to Germany to negotiate a deal to sign the teenager. Premier League champions Manchester City are also in the running to sign Bellingham, while Liverpool have ruled themselves out of the race.

Dortmund face Mainz on Saturday and could win their first Bundesliga title in 11 years with a victory to end Bayern Munich’s decade of dominance. But Kehl was unwilling to give any indication on Bellingham’s future when he spoke to the media on Wednesday.

“He showed so many great performances and I think to win a title for him is everything,” Kehl said. “I think he mentioned it already some weeks ago. He’s completely committed to that club.

“And of course, there are rumours all the time and media speculations all the time. But honestly at the moment, [there is] nothing on the table, nothing what we can decide, nothing what we can talk about or negotiate.”

09.00 BST: Real Madrid attacker Marco Asensio is in advanced talks to join Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent, sources have told ESPN.

The Spain international, whose contract expires in the summer, received a proposal to renew with Madrid that convinced him financially but he has decided to move on after a season in which he has started less than half of the club’s LaLiga games.

Sources told ESPN that Aston Villa, Juventus and AC Milan have also shown interest in the Mallorcan in recent months but the PSG proposal is currently the one that is proving most tempting to Asensio.

The good relationship between Jorge Mendes, Asensio’s agent, and Luis Campos, PSG’s sporting director, has been key in the negotiations, sources added.

PAPER GOSSIP (by Rajan Hothi)

– Erling Haaland is set to extend his contract with Manchester City, reducing the chances of Real Madrid landing the forward anytime soon, says Football Insider. The report reveals that the Norway international, who is under contract until 2025, is happy to stay with the Premier League champions until 2026. This follows a record-breaking season in which the 22-year-old Haaland has netted 52 goals across all competitions.

– Arsenal and Manchester City are monitoring the situation of Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise, says Ekrem Konur. The 21-year-old endured a promising season with the South London club, registering 10 assists in the Premier League, alongside two goals. Whilst there is interest from across Europe in the talented winger, Olise is under contract at Selhurst Park until 2026, meaning Palace are under no financial pressure to transfer him.

– Barcelona must meet Juan Foyth‘s release clause of €55m if they are to sign the Villarreal defender this summer, reports Sport. Villarreal are reportedly reluctant to part ways with the 25-year-old and view Foyth as a key player for next season, meaning the only way the LaLiga champions can secure the services of the defender is to meet the release clause. This could be a stumbling block for cash-strapped Barcelona, who can’t spend heavily this summer if they are to comply with LaLiga’s Financial Fair Play rules.

– AC Milan have agreed personal terms with Daichi Kamada, according to Rudy Galetti. The 26-year-old has emerged as one of the most sought-after free transfers this summer, after it became clear that he would not extend his stay with Eintracht Frankfurt. The Japan international has endured a stellar season in Germany, netting 16 goals alongside six assists in all competitions, attracting attention from across Europe in the process.

– Benfica and Barcelona are interested in winger Angel Di Maria, who looks set to become a free agent this summer, according to Relevo. The Argentina international has a contract with Juventus until June, however, it is reported he will not sign a new deal with the Italian giants. As well as attracting attention from Europe, the report suggests that clubs in Saudi Arabia are monitoring the situation of the 35-year-old.