<
>

LIVE Transfer Talk: PSG hope to spark Mbappe bidding war

play
Burley: Mbappe has turned into an egotistical maniac at PSG (1:55)

Craig Burley discusses Kylian Mbappe's comments about his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or. (1:55)

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: PSG hope to start bidding war for Mbappe

Paris Saint-Germain are hopeful of encouraging Premier League clubs to bid for star striker Kylian Mbappe this summer, according to The Sun.

Sources have told ESPN's Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez that Real Madrid remain cautious over the possible signing of Mbappe, but the club are also hopeful that a deal could finally be done to land the 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 to sign a new contract with PSG when he had been on the verge of a free transfer to Madrid.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

However, that contract expires next summer and, if he does not extend his stay at Parc des Princes, then PSG would rather lose him this summer for a transfer fee rather than for nothing in a year's time.

Earlier this month, sources told ESPN's Julien Laurens the PSG would be looking for a fee in the region of €150 million ($161.5m) for Mbappe. While such a fee would appear to be prohibitively high, even for Premier League giants such as Manchester United and Liverpool, PSG hope that clubs in England could be convinced to enter the fray and compete for a player who for so long looked certain to move to Madrid.

LIVE BLOG

21.27 BST: Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Sergio Ramos wants to return to boyhood club Sevilla next season, reports Cadena Ser. The 37-year-old pending free against has been linked with Inter Miami as well as clubs in Saudi Arabia.

21.10 BST: Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of midfielder James Maddison from Leicester City, the clubs announced Wednesday. The 26-year-old signed a five-year deal with the north London club and is Spurs' third signing of the summer transfer window following the permanent arrivals of Dejan Kulusevski and Guglielmo Vicario.

20.54 BST: Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic is looking for an improved offer if he is to move to Al Nassr, writes Calciomercato. The Saudi Pro League club have already agreed a €23m transfer fee to sign the 30-year-old Croatia international from the Nerazzurri, but they will need to up their offer of €20m a year in wages to agree personal terms, with Barcelona also said to be interested in Brozovic.

20.21 BST: Discussions between Manchester United and Chelsea will continue over a deal for Blues midfielder Mason Mount, writes the Telegraph. The Stamford Bridge hierarchy have so far been adamant in sticking to their demand for a £65m transfer fee for the 24-year-old England international, but the Red Devils are willing to adapt the structure of their recently rejected £55 proposal in hopes of getting a deal done for a player 12 months away from free agency.

20.04 BST: Arsenal have completed the signing of forward Kai Havertz from Chelsea in a deal that ESPN reported earlier this week is worth up to £67.5m. The Germany international has signed a long-term deal with the north London club and becomes Arsenal's first signing of the transfer window.

19.48 BST: Fenerbahce are looking to hand attacking midfielder Arda Guler a new contract that removes the £15m release clause in his existing deal, writes Football Insider. The 18-year-old Turkey international has been on the radar of both Arsenal and Newcastle of late, while interest in Europe has surfaced from Barcelona and Ajax.

19.15 BST: Talks are ongoing between AC Milan and Valencia over a move for midfielder Yunus Musah, according to Fabrizio Romano. It is reported that the Serie A side are preparing to offer a €20m transfer fee for the 20-year-old U.S. international, with optimism that it could be enough to seal an agreement with the LaLiga side. Musah made 33 LaLiga appearances last season and was a standout at the World Cup in Qatar.

18.42 BST: Manchester United are interested in signing Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana, reports Gazzetta dello Sport. A meeting is set to be held between the two clubs on Friday to discuss a move for the 27-year-old Cameroon international, and there is confidence that a deal could be done as the Nerazzurri look to Shakhtar Donetsk No. 1 Anatoliy Trubin, who has informed his club that he won't be signing a new deal, as a potential replacement.

18.09 BST: A meeting is set to be held between Barcelona and the representatives of winger Ousmane Dembele over a new contract, writes Sport. Set to enter the final year of his contract on Friday, the 26-year-old France international has a release clause €50m, but it is reported that he is prioritising remaining at Camp Nou after playing a key role in the Blaugrana's LaLiga title success last season, contributing to 12 goals in 25 appearances.

17.36 BST: Tottenham have begun talks with Wolfsburg over a move for centre-back Micky van de Ven, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 22-year-old former Netherlands youth international, who has also been linked with Liverpool, is said to be keen on making the switch to Spurs and progress has been made after the north London club submitted an official verbal offer.

Tottenham are also considering a move for Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba, but closing a deal for the 24-year-old Burkina Faso international is seen as a more complicated process than negotiating with Wolfsburg for Van de Ven.

17.03 BST: Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi is attracting interest from sides in the Premier League, reports the Guardian. Both Nottingham Forest and Fulham are keen on adding the 22-year-old, who is available if the Blues receive a transfer fee in the region of £15m. Hudson-Odoi made 14 league appearances while on loan at Bayer Leverkusen last season, where he registered one assist.

16.30 BST: This summer was supposed to mark the start of a new era at Manchester United. Instead, so far, it's been the same old story. Erik ten Hag can't them fall behind, writes Rob Dawson.

He's sympathetic to the club's financial position, with the transfer budget limited by Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions. But he would still like at least a striker, a midfielder and a goalkeeper before the season starts. United have had three bids turned down by Chelsea for Mason Mount, although their latest offer of £55m remains on the table. There's also interest in Harry Kane, Rasmus Hojlund, Moises Caicedo and Andre Onana among others but, so far, valuations set by opposing clubs have proved problematic.

Concerns over FFP mean United can only realistically spend between £100m and £150m on new players, and although that figure would increase with any funds raised through departures, the financial position can be summed up by their interest in Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice. Ten Hag likes both players but United were nowhere near when Bellingham joined Real Madrid for Borussia Dortmund for an initial £88.5m, simply because they couldn't afford it. It's a similar story with Rice, a player tracked since he was a teenager, because of West Ham United's demand to receive £100m up front.

15.43 BST: Barcelona are among the Spanish clubs to have been handed a transfer boost after changes to LaLiga's financial fair play regulations.

Clubs in excess of their league-imposed spending limit for the season -- which includes Barca -- will now be able to spend 50% of anything they save or raise on signing new players.

In addition, if the saving they make on a departing player accounts for more than 5% of their spending limit, they will be able to invest 60% on incomings.

Under the previous rules, clubs could only spend 40% of the money they saved or raised, rising to 50% if the saving on a given player was substantial.

15.07 BST: RB Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is on the radar of Liverpool, says The Athletic.

Szoboszlai, 22, has a €70m release clause in his contract and scored 10 goals in 48 games last season.

The Reds are looking to rebuild their midfield after the signing of Brighton's Alexis Mac Allister. Nice's Khephren Thuram and Southampton's Romeo Lavia are also reported to be on the club's shortlist.

14.55 BST: After completing the signing of Ilkay Gundogan, Barcelona are working on the signing of a deeper midfielder, but the lack of options on the market could see them switch their attention to a right-back, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Coach Xavi Hernandez has been clear that replacing Sergio Busquets at the base of the midfield is key. However, with his primary targets off the table due to the club's financial issues, signing a substitute is proving difficult.

Therefore, with a right-back also needed, Barca could re-ignite their interest in Real Valladolid's Ivan Fresneda if some money comes available this summer.

Fresneda, 18, has drawn interest from the Premier League and Borussia Dortmund and is available for €20m after his release clause halved following Valladolid's relegation to the second division of Spanish football.

Barca have monitored the youngster for a while, although Manchester City's Joao Cancelo remains another option to fill the right-back vacancy if they can land him on loan, per Mundo Deportivo.

14.23 BST: Sport says that Santos winger Angelo is being tracked by Chelsea.

Angelo, 18, has previously been linked with Barcelona and Nottingham Forest, with a €15m offer from the Blues reportedly set to arrive in the coming days.

14.10 BST: Is a move to Juventus the right one for Tim Weah?

play
1:45
Would a transfer to Juventus be the wrong move for Tim Weah?

Julien Laurens and Nedum Onuoha wonder whether Timothy Weah would be a regular starter for Juventus.

13.54 BST: Franck Kessie is the latest player to be linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, with Diario Sport claiming Al Ahli want to sign the Barcelona midfielder.

Kessie, 26, joined Barca as a free agent last summer from AC Milan but has struggled for minutes in his first season at the club. As a result, he is one of the players the Catalan club will listen to offers for as they seek to raise funds to strengthen elsewhere.

There have been reports of interest from Italy and England, but Sport says that Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli are best positioned to sign the Ivory Coast international.

Barca would request a €30m fee for Kessie, who is reluctant to leave but would apparently listen to other offers if coach Xavi Hernandez tells him he is not in his plans for next season.

13.26 BST: Tottenham are on the verge of signing midfielder James Maddison from Leicester City in a deal worth in the region of £40m, sources have told ESPN.

Maddison, 26, will have his medical on Wednesday and, if all goes well, he will become the latest arrival of Ange Postecoglou's tenure following confirmation of Guglielmo Vicario's signing last week.

The England international was attracting the interest of Newcastle, but sources have told ESPN that Maddison is on the verge of agreeing a move to Spurs and is set to sign a five-year contract.

13.04 BST: Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney is weighing up his future, says the Scottish Sun.

Tierney, 26, made just four starts from January onwards as the signing of Oleksandr Zinchenko impacted his first-team chances.

Newcastle have been linked with a £25m move, but a return to former club Celtic could also be on the cards for the Scotland international.

12.46 BST: Manchester City are interested in signing Celta Vigo star Gabri Veiga, says Fabrizio Romano.

Veiga, 21, scored 11 goals in 36 LaLiga games last season and has been tracked by Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool and Chelsea.

The Spain U21 international has a release clause of €40m and City are looking to bolster their midfield.

12.15 BST: Manchester City defender Demi Stokes has signed a one-year contract extension at the club.

12.05 BST: Harry Kane has been told by Tottenham Hotspur that he is not available for transfer this summer, sources told ESPN's Mark Ogden, despite Bayern Munich stepping up their interest in the England captain.

It has been reported that Bayern have submitted a €70m offer for the Kane, 29, but sources told ESPN that Spurs have not received an official bid from the German champions.

Spurs are aware of Bayern's interest in Kane, who has a year to run on his contract at the London club, but there are no plans to offload the forward during the transfer window.

Manchester United are also monitoring Kane's situation, but sources have repeatedly told ESPN that a move to Old Trafford is unlikely unless the player actively forces a transfer by telling Spurs that he wants to leave this summer.

Kane will be able to leave as a free agent at the end of next season if he chooses not to sign a new contract, and he could speak to overseas teams in January to negotiate a move at the end of next season.

11.23 BST: Manchester United have money to spend this summer but their transfer budget has been squeezed by Financial Fair Play restrictions, sources told ESPN's Rob Dawson.

United posted positive financial results on Tuesday with revenue up 11% to £170m for the three months ending March 31.

The third-quarter results also included a projection that full year revenues will hit a record £630m to £640m.

Sources told ESPN that despite the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the club's ownership, Erik ten Hag will be able to invest in his squad this summer.

However, the budget will be limited by UEFA's FFP rules because of the club's historic spending.

10.38 BST: After completing the signing of Ilkay Gundogan, Barcelona are working on the signing of a deep-lying midfielder, but the lack of options on the market could see them switch their attention to a right-back, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Barca coach Xavi Hernandez has been clear that replacing Sergio Busquets at the base of the midfield is key. However, with his primary targets off the table due to the club's financial issues, signing a substitute is proving difficult.

Therefore, with a right-back also needed, Barca could re-ignite their interest in Real Valladolid's Ivan Fresneda if some money comes available this summer.

Fresneda, 18, has drawn interest from the Premier League and Borussia Dortmund and is available for €20m after his release clause halved following Valladolid's relegation to the second division of Spanish football.

Barca have monitored the youngster for a while, although Manchester City's Joao Cancelo remains another option to fill the right-back vacancy at the club this summer, per Mundo Deportivo.

09.55 BST: Arsenal are close to agreeing a deal with West Ham for Declan Rice after Manchester City pulled out of the race to sign the midfielder, sources have told ESPN's Rob Dawson.

Arsenal submitted a third offer for Rice worth £100m plus £5m in add-ons on Tuesday, sources told ESPN.

City will not match or better the offer, sources have said, and are no longer in the hunt for the England international as things stand.

The reigning Premier League champions had a valuation in mind for the 24-year-old and believe Arsenal's bid has already exceeded it. City had an offer of £80m plus £10m in add-ons rejected on Monday.

Arsenal and West Ham remain in negotiations over the payment structure and total fee, sources have told ESPN, with West Ham wanting £100m up front and another £10m in add-ons.

The north London club have agreed personal terms with Rice, sources added.

play
2:16
Dawson: West Ham hold all the power in Rice transfer saga

Rob Dawson gives the latest on Declan Rice's future amidst bids from Manchester City and Arsenal for the West Ham midfielder.

09.14 BST: Tottenham Hotspur are in advanced talks with Leicester City over the transfer of midfielder James Maddison, sources told ESPN's Tom Hamilton.

Spurs have tracked Maddison, 26, for several seasons, and new manager Ange Postecoglou is thought to be keen on the move. Sources told ESPN that negotiations are ongoing, with the two sides are still trying to find mutual ground on the transfer fee.

Maddison and his Leicester teammates were relegated from the Premier League last season, during which the midfielder registered 10 goals and nine assists from 30 league appearances.

08.37 BST: Turkish club Adana Demirspor is interested in signing Valencia forward Edinson Cavani, according to Estadio Deportivo.

Adana Demirspor are looking to strengthen their squad as they will play in the Europa League next season, and have already expressed their interest to Cavani's brother and agent Nando Guglielmone.

Cavani, who joined Valencia last summer after his contract with Manchester United expired, endured a disappointing season at the Mestalla stadium.

The Uruguay international, who is under contract with Valencia until June 2024, scored only five goals in 25 league appearances for Los Che.

According to reports, Valencia could allow the 36-year-old to leave for free to offload a high-wage player.

08.00 BST: Celta Vigo left-back Javi Galan is set to join Atletico Madrid in a transfer worth around €3.5m, sources have confirmed to ESPN's Rodrigo Faez.

Atletico youngster Manu Sanchez will move in the other direction as part of the deal.

Galan's arrival ends Atletico's search for a permanent left-back following Renan Lodi's move to Nottingham Forest last year and an injury to Reinildo.

Sergio Reguilon joined on loan from Tottenham last season but, for various reasons, did not nail down a regular starting sport and coach Diego Simeone was forced to improvise with personnel and his formation.

Galan, 28, was a regular for Celta last season, making 40 appearances in all competitions, and has previously been linked with Barcelona.

play
1:53
Why Harry Kane holds all the cards over his future

Rob Dawson discusses Harry Kane's future amidst interest from Bayern Munich in the striker.

PAPER GOSSIP (by Abbie Ingham)

- Bayern Munich are preparing a written bid for Harry Kane, after their initial verbal offer of €70m was rejected by Tottenham Hotspur, according to Sky Sports Deutschland. However, sources have told ESPN that the north London club are not willing to part with the 29-year-old striker, who has one year remaining on his contract, and they have not received an official bid to sign the England captain.

- Roberto Firmino is closing in on a move to Al Ahli, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 31-year-old is set to become a free agent when his contract expires with Liverpool this week, departing Anfield after eight years and 111 goals in 362 appearances. The Brazil international is now reportedly in advanced talks to join the Saudi Pro League club on a three-year contract.

- Leicester City are pushing hard for a deal for Conor Coady, according to the Mirror. Following their relegation, the Foxes are set to beat out Premier League competition for the 30-year-old defender's signature. The England international, who spent the past season at Everton on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, is wanted by the East Midlands club's new manager, Enzo Maresca, who heard positive remarks about the centre-back from Pep Guardiola when he was part of the coaching setup at Manchester City.

- Leicester also are lining up moves for Tottenham's Harry Winks and Manchester City keeper Zack Steffen, according to the Telegraph. The Foxes are reportedly in negotiations for 27-year-old Winks, who spent the past season on loan at Sampdoria and is reportedly not part of Spurs' plans for next season. Maresca also is eyeing a move for 28-year-old U.S. goalkeeper Steffen, whom he knows well from his time at Man City.

- Sevilla are in talks with Espanyol over the signing of Nico Melamed, Fabrizio Romano reports. The 22-year-old winger has several suitors and his departure from the Periquitos is a distinct possibility. The Spain under-21 international made 32 appearances, scoring one goal and providing two assists as the club finished 19th and were relegated from LaLiga.