Amid all the action at Euro 2020 and the Copa America, the summer transfer window has opened, with Europe's biggest clubs looking to make a splash in the transfer market. Check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.
TOP STORY: PSG trump Barca's offer to Messi
Lionel Messi may now be a free agent following the culmination of his contract on Thursday, but Barcelona are confident that he will stay, as has previously been reported by ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens. However, that confidence seemingly won't stop other clubs from trying to lure the Argentine away from Camp Nou.
With this in mind, AS have suggested that Paris Saint-Germain have made an offer to the 34-year-old. They've already brought in former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum on a free transfer and are close to landing AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos for nothing too. Meanwhile, they are ready to spend €70m to sign Inter Milan full-back Achraf Hakimi,
Even so, Messi is said to be the dream signing, as club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has wanted to bring in the Barcelona hero or Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo since taking over at PSG in 2011. In an attempt to make this happen, PSG have made an offer that is financially superior to Barcelona's proposal.
For now, they are unlikely to get a response from the man himself, as Messi's concentration is firmly placed on Argentina's Copa America campaign. The Parisians are willing to be patient and wait until the tournament ends, but it is unclear whether they will be able to stop him from remaining at Barcelona.
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LIVE BLOG
22.00 BST: That will do it for the latest edition of our LIVE Transfer Talk blog. We hoped you enjoyed following along with us and remind you to check back shortly for the latest transfer rumours, reports and completed deals. Goodnight!
21.40 BST: Young Sampdoria winger Mikkel Damsgaard has caught eyes this summer at Euro 2020 with Denmark while stepping in for the recovering Christian Eriksen, so much so that all the top clubs in Italy are after him, according to Repubblica.
The outlet says that Juventus, Milan, Inter and now Roma are all in for the 21-year-old Dane. The winger just competed his first season in Serie A with Samp and is under contract with the club through 2024. That said, interest in Damsgaard continues to rise with each passing performance, although Samp have made it clear they will not be selling the talented youngster for a discount.
21.00 BST: Former Middlesbrough striker Britt Assombalonga has signed for Turkish side Adana Demirspor.
The 28-year-old leaves Boro after four seasons and joins Adana, who just were promoted to the Turkish top flight. Assombalonga, who plays internationally for DR Congo, scored 47 goals in 161 appearances for Boro, including 15 goals in 2017-2018.
20.06 BST: FC Dallas and U.S. international midfielder Tanner Tessmann is on the verge of being transferred to Serie A side Venezia FC multiple sources have told ESPN.
Multiple sources also indicated that the proposed fee is in excess of $3 million, but one source cautioned that there is still some work to do to complete the deal. Just last January Tessmann had training stint with Bayern Munich during the MLS offseason.
Tessmann, 19, is in his second season with FCD's first team, after having come up through Dallas' academy since 2016. He's made a total of 28 league and playoff appearances, 16 of them starts, spending the bulk of his time in the center of midfield. At international level, Tessmann made his only appearance at senior level back on January 31, coming on as a 78th minute substitute in a 7-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago. He also made three appearances for the U.S. U-23 team during the Olympic qualifying tournament last March.
If the deal is completed, he'll will join a Venezia side that was just promoted to Serie A, making the upcoming 2021-22 campaign its first in the Italian top flight since the 2001-02 season.
Tessmann's move is the latest transfer by an FCD player to a European club over the last 30 months, a group that includes Bryan Reynolds to AS Roma, Chris Richards to Bayern Munich, and Reggie Cannon to Portuguese side Boavista.
19.18 BST: Arsenal have offered youngster Reiss Nelson a new contract, according to CBS Sports.
The outlet adds that the winger will then immediately be loaned out to Greek giants Olympiakos. Nelson, 21, has made 47 appearances for Arsenal since debuting in 2017, and also had a fruitful loan spell at Hoffenheim in 2018-2019.
18.32 BST: Inter will need to replace Achraf Hakimi and Euro 2020 star Denzel Dumfries could just be the man to do it, Calciomercato claims.
The outlet claims that the PSV and Netherlands right-back is a target for the reigning Scudetto winners. Inter, who are looking to raise some funds, are reportedly figuring out if adding the €20 million-rated full-back would be a possibility.
The 25-year-old Dumfries is fresh off a breakout Euro 2020 in which he scored two goals and added an assist in four games for the Dutch.
17.55 BST: Could Donny van de Beek be on the way out at Man United after just one season?
The Daily Star understands that United are willing to let the Dutch midfielder go, after what was a disappointing season for the former Ajax man. The report adds that Real Madrid are interested in acquiring Van de Beek, and want to take him initially on a £2 million loan with an option to buy. The 24-year-old was used sparingly at Old Trafford last season by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following his £40m move, starting just 15 games, and only four in the Premier League.
Van de Beek's former club Ajax have also reportedly enquired abut his availability.
17.09 BST: Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos has been linked with a move away but it sounds as if Steven Gerrard is confident of retaining the Colombian.
Morelos, 25, has scored 94 goals in 182 games for the Scottish champions since joining four years ago and is currently participating in the Copa America with Los Cafeteros.
"When he finishes in the tournament he'll have a short break and then come and join us for the rest of pre-season and we'll try have him ready for game one as well," Gerrard told Rangers TV.
"It's important he does the right things when he stops until he comes back because he'll have a very short pre-season and we need Alfredo to be fit and firing for the important games coming our way."
The hot-tempered striker has been linked with a move away from Rangers this summer, with Porto one of the mains clubs linked.
16.30 BST: Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho could join Serie A side AC Milan on loan next season, sources have confirmed to ESPN.
Tuttosport reported last week that Milan have been offered Coutinho, with a source close to the deal telling ESPN it's "possible" the Brazilian returns to Italy this summer but that talks are still at a very early stage.
Barca need to reduce the wage bill to be able to register Lionel Messi's new contract and Coutinho, who previously played for Inter, is one of the players they are keen to move on.
The Catalan club acknowledge that they are unlikely to bring in a transfer fee for the player, who cost them a club record €160m from Liverpool in 2018, and are open to letting him leave on loan. However, the club would still hope to get most of his salary covered, which is around €20m gross annually.
Coutinho, 29, has a contract at Camp Nou until 2023. The club have previously held discussions about extending his deal until 2024 in exchange for a salary reduction, but the two parties could not reach an agreement.
He's currently in the final stages of recovering from a knee injury that ruled him out for the second half of the season.
Milan, who will return to the Champions League next season for the first time since 2013-14, are looking for an attacking midfielder after Hakan Calhanoglu joined rivals Inter on a free transfer.
15.50 BST: Could Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale be headed to MLS?
15.09 BST: The Liverpool Echo claims that Liverpool will ask for £13m for any club wishing to sign Xherdan Shaqiri this summer.
Shaqiri, 29, has seen his stock rise with an impressive Euro 2020 tournament for Switzerland but will still be down the pecking order at Anfield when he returns.
Lazio have shown an interest in Shaqiri in the past, and he could be one of the transfer window's bargains.
14.58 BST: Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic has been the subject of a €16m offer from an English club, says La Nazione.
Milenkovic, 23, has a contract which expires in 2022 and doesn't look like signing a new deal. West Ham and Man United have been linked with the Serbia international, though Fiorentina reportedly want around €25m.
14.31 BST: Lyon striker Moussa Dembele has been on loan at Atletico Madrid since January and the Spanish side want to keep him next season, says Footmercato.
There's a €33.5m clause in Dembele's loan deal which would see him move permanently, but Atletico aren't keen to pay that. Instead they tried to negotiate that fee down and now want him on another loan as those talks came to nothing.
The 24-year-old scored no goals in seven games at Atletico, so probably wants another shot.
13.40 BST: United States forward Sebastian Soto has completed a season-long loan move to FC Porto from Norwich City.
Soto, 20, moved to Norwich last summer from Hannover 96 and was loaned to Telstar in the Netherlands before being brought back in January to play for the under-23 team.
He has two appearances for the United States men's senior side.
13.27 BST: Liverpool and Arsenal are keeping an eye on Lille midfielder Renato Sanches, says L'Equipe.
Sanches, 23, hit the headlines when he starred for Portugal as they won Euro 2016 aged just 18. He then sealed a transfer to Bayern Munich worth a potential €80m but flopped and spent time on loan at Swansea before heading to Lille for €25m in 2019.
The Portugal international did well at Euro 2020 this summer, despite the country's exit to Belgium at the round-of-16 stage. And now he's on the transfer radar again.
12.55 BST: The Athletic says that Arsenal defender William Saliba is set to go on loan again, this time to Marseille.
Saliba, 20, was signed two years ago for €30m from Saint-Etienne but hasn't played a competitive game for his new club and has been on loan back at Saint-Etienne, then at Nice.
With Arsenal making a £50m move to sign Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Ben White this summer, Saliba is keen to move on so he plays first-team games.
The report states: "There is believed to have been interest in Saliba from England, France, Spain, Italy and Germany, with Marseille, Newcastle United and Lille emerging as the leading contenders for his signature. The France youth international is understood to have picked Marseille and the Ligue 1 side will now try to agree a deal with Arsenal, which should not be problematic."
12.10 BST: Cagliari have announced the signing of Kevin Strootman from Marseille on loan with an option to sign him permanently.
Strootman, 31, signed for Marseille from Roma for €25m in 2018 having struggled to overcome damage to his anterior cruciate ligament. He spent time on loan in Serie A with Genoa from last January, where he made 18 appearances.
𝖬𝖺𝗆𝗆𝖺, 𝗁𝗈 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼 𝗅'𝖺𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗈 😎
— Cagliari Calcio (@CagliariCalcio) July 3, 2021
@Kevin_strootman #welkomStrootman#forzaCasteddu pic.twitter.com/hx7gA9agkB
11.30 BST: Should Man United keep Paul Pogba, or try and move him on to Juventus or Real Madrid?
Mark Ogden says Jadon Sancho is exactly the type of player Man United need.
10.32 BST: Goal says that Arsenal could be interested in signing Sergio Ramos and "have asked to be kept updated regarding any future talks regarding the former Real Madrid captain."
Ramos, 35, is a free agent and has left Madrid after failing to reach an agreement to extend his 16-year stay in the Spanish capital.
Sources told ESPN that Paris Saint-Germain are in advanced negotiations with the defender, while Manchester City and Bayern Munich are also monitoring Ramos' situation. Ramos wants a two-year deal but PSG are only offering one with a second year as an option to be triggered by mutual content. His wages should also be lower than what he was earning in Spain and what he would have earned had he stayed at the Bernabeu.
Arsenal may not be the most glamorous spot to land anymore, but they might be able to offer him a two-year deal at least.
10.03 BST: Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic is on the radar of Manchester United this summer, according to La Repubblica.
Brozovic, 28, has been linked with Liverpool in the past and is available for around €30m as his contract expires in 2022.
Given his contract situation, Barcelona are also reported to be keen on the Croatia international.
09.22 BST: England forward Nikita Parris has signed for Arsenal from Lyon, the Women's Super League (WSL) club announced on Friday.
The 27-year-old has signed for Arsenal in a deal worth €80,000, with €20,000 in potential bonuses. The former WSL top scorer is with Team GB for Tokyo 2020 and will link up with the north London side for preseason later this summer.
Parris returns to the WSL after two seasons in France where she won the UEFA Women's Champions League, Coupe de France Feminine, Trophee des Championnes, and the Women's International Champions Cup.
09.00 BST: ICYMI - New Tottenham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo wants to meet Harry Kane before the wantaway striker goes on holiday after Euro 2020, sources have told ESPN.
Spurs appointed Nuno on Wednesday after a protracted managerial search during which they discussed the vacancy with several candidates following their decision to sack Jose Mourinho on April 19.
The 47-year-old was a free agent after leaving Wolves by mutual consent at the end of last season and accepted the role following further talks in London with chairman Daniel Levy and managing director of football Fabio Paratici.
One of his first tasks will be convincing Kane his future lies in north London after the England captain expressed a desire to leave the club this summer.
Mark Ogden feels Paul Pogba lacks the defensive discipline to fit comfortably into Manchester United's team.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)
-- Toby Alderweireld has indicated that he would like to leave Tottenham Hotspur, and new manager Nuno Espirito Santo is willing to sanction the departure, as has been reported by the Mail. This news comes with the suggestion that Spurs are hoping to sign Denmark centre-back Joachim Andersen, who spent last season on loan at Fulham from Lyon. The North Londoners have also been looking at Sevilla FC's Jules Kounde and Bologna's Takehiro Tomiyasu.
-- According to Calciomercato, AC Milan are looking to fill the attacking void left by Hakan Calhanoglu's move to Inter and see Ajax Amsterdam's Dusan Tadic as the man to do it. In fact, it is suggested that they have even made initial contact with the Eredivisie champions regarding their captain. With the Serbian having played in various attacking roles, it is felt that he could work well behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
-- Borussia Dortmund are hoping to sign RB Leipzig defender Marcel Halstenberg, as has been reported by Bild. BVB are said to have offered €8m, while RB Leipzig are looking for €12m. However, with there being just one year left on the 29-year-old's contract, he is likely to leave this summer.
-- Following Andre Silva's departure to RB Leipzig, Eintracht Frankfurt are already close to securing Santos Rafael Santos Borre as his replacement up front, reports Fabrizio Romano. The deal is almost done for the Colombia international, who is a free agent after his River Plate contract came to an end.
-- Mamadou Sakho is set to join Ligue 1 side Montpellier, as has been reported by L'Equipe. The ex-Liverpool centre-back, who is now a free agent after his Crystal Palace contract came to an end, had offers from Asia but prefers a return to France.