Euro 2020 and the Copa America are over and the summer transfer window is open, leaving Europe's biggest clubs clear to make a splash in the market. Check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.
TOP STORY: Man United may beat Arsenal to Wolves star Neves
Manchester United have leapfrogged Arsenal in a move for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves, according to TalkSPORT.
The 24-year-old has been linked with a move to the Gunners this summer, with two years left on his deal, but the Midlands club want £35 million in transfer fee if they are to let him go.
Neves joined the Molineux outfit in 2017 from FC Porto for around £15m. He helped Wolves gain promotion from the Championship that season and his profile has only risen since then. He has made over 100 appearances in the Premier League and also has Champions League experience from his time at Porto.
With uncertainty surrounding the future of Paul Pogba, a move for the Portugal international could help United bolster their midfield for long-term security.
While for Arsenal, Neves could be a replacement for the outgoing Granit Xhaka, who is expected to leave for AS Roma in the coming weeks.
Tottenham Hotspur have also been linked with Neves and they could lure him to the club thanks to new boss Nuno Espirito Santo. The Spurs manager was in charge of Wolves when he signed Neves, meaning they could have an advantage in landing the midfielder.
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LIVE BLOG
22.30 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!
22.00 BST: Tottenham are closing in on Atalanta goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini but he is not the only Atalanta player they are after, alleges Calciomercato.
The Italian outlet claims that new Managing Director of Football Fabio Paratici is also keen on Atalanta centre-back Cristian Romero. Paratici knows Romero well having signed the defender to Juventus from Genoa, and is reportedly keen to reunite with the Argentine. Atalanta are asking for €55 million for the Copa America winner, who last season was named Serie A Defender of the Year.
It remains to be seen whether Spurs will meet the Argentine's asking price, but Calciomercato adds that an agreement between Spurs and the player's entourage has already been found. Stay tuned...
21.07 BST: Liverpool are set to beat out Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Bayern Munich for 16-year-old whiz Bobby Clarke, the Daily Mail has learned.
The Newcastle produce, who is the son of legendary Newcastle winger Lee Clarke, is an England underage international who is held in high regard. Clarke, who debuted with Newcastle's Under-18s at 14, is expected to finalise a deal in the coming days and join Liverpools U18 side.
20.26 BST: Brazilian winger Bernard has left Everton for United Arab Emirates-based side Sharjah FC.
The diminutive winger had been on the radar of clubs in the UAE, Russia and Greece, before ultimately sealing a move to the Middle East. The former Shakhtar man leaves Everton after three seasons having scored eight goals and contributed seven assists in 84 games.
Bernard was widely expected to leave Goodison Park this summer with the club having already signed two wide players in Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray.
19.39 BST: AC Milan have yet to sign midfielder Franck Kessie to a long-term extension and others clubs are suddenly on alert.
The 24-year-old has been a key cog in midfield for Milan over the past few seasons, establishing himself as one of the best midfielders in Serie A. The Ivorian has already rejected one proposal from the Italian side, adding further worry that Kessie could leave the San Siro when his contract expires next summer. While Tottenham, Chelsea and Wolves have been linked with the all-action midfielder in the past, Sport Mediaset journalist Claudio Ramondi claims that it is Liverpool who are no head of the class.
Ramondi claims Reds' sporting director Michael Edwards is already in contact with Kessie and that the club would be willing to offer Kessie around €8 million per season. It is believed that Milan will up their next offer to Kessie to €6m a season.
18.55 BST: Bayer Leverkusen have signed defender Odilon Kossounou from Club Brugge, the club has revealed.
The 20-year-old Ivory Coast international made 42 appearances last season for the Belgian champions and joins Leverkusen on a five-year deal through the 2026 season.
18.02 BST: Aston Villa are reportedly closing in on signing their second Norwich player of the summer.
Football Insider claims that Villa are in advanced talks with Norwich about attacker Todd Cantwell, having previously signed Emiliano Buendia for a club record £35 million back in June. The highly-rated Cantwell, 23, scored eight goals and added six assists last season for the Canaries, but recently entered the final year of his deal at Carrow Road.
Norwich are hoping to land £20 million for the former England Under-21 international, and reportedly are also talking with Bayer Leverkusen about signing winger Leon Bailey.
17.33 BST: PSG remain interested in signing Man United midfielder Paul Pogba, Sky Sports understands.
Pogba, 28, is entering the final year of his deal at Old Trafford, and according to his agent, Mino Raiola, is "unhappy" at Man United. PSG, who are still seeking to win that elusive Champions League crown, have been busy this summer signing Georginio Wijnaldum, Achraf Hakimi, Sergio Ramos, and Gianluigi Donnarumma.
17.00 BST: Leicester midfielder James Maddison is reportedly keen on a move to Arsenal, says The Football Terrace.
Maddison, 24, could move for upwards of £50m to fill the creative midfield spot left by Martin Odegaard's return to Real Madrid after his loan expired.
Evidently "Arsenal are ready to offer a couple of fringe players as well as a substantial fee," which could get the deal done.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Joe Willock are among those who could be considered ahead of the new season.
16.31 BST: Serie A side Lazio have an agreement to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Julian Brandt, according to Il Messaggero.
Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri reportedly wants to sign Germany international on an initial loan deal with the option to sign him permanently for €25m.
New Dortmund coach Marco Rose evidently doesn't see Brandt as part of his plans and the 25-year-old has already agreed personal terms with Lazio.
16.05 BST: Manchester City's pursuit of Tottenham striker Harry Kane could see Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Bernardo Silva offered as part of the deal, says L'Equipe.
Kane, 27, would cost upwards of £100m to sign but City can soften the financial blow by adding players.
Tottenham would likely be happy to take on any of the above four, though it remains to be seen how much of a discount on Kane that would give City.
15.45 BST: Liverpool will need to add a midfielder if they are to compete for the title this season.
15.02 BST: Emile Smith Rowe has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal and has been given the No. 10 shirt.
Smith Rowe, 20, made a big impact on the first team last season, making 33 appearances across all competitions. He had previously spent time on loan in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig and in the Championship with Huddersfield Town.
"As we all saw last season, Emile is an intelligent player with excellent ability," manager Mikel Arteta said. "His sharpness on the turn and exceptional vision have already made him a key player for us. His attitude and willingness to learn have also been very impressive. Huge credit to our team in our academy who have given Emile a great education and have worked superbly to help with his development through the age groups.
Get your tickets to watch Emile in action against Chelsea in the Mind Series! "Along with the first-team staff, huge credit also goes to our senior players, who have played such an important role to help Emile develop, gain confidence and perform the way he did last season. I know the fans will join us in being delighted that Emile has committed his future to the club. We're now looking forward to helping him develop further and seeing him become even more important to the strong young team we're building."
14.52 BST: Arsenal have signed Denmark international defender Simone Boye Sorensen from Bayern Munich.
Sorensen, 29, made 32 appearances for the club since joining in 2019 and won the Danish Football Player of the Year award in 2014.
"It feels really good to be here," she told Arsenal's website. "I needed a new start and I'm grateful that Arsenal reached out to me. I'm very excited to get started. It's been a while coming now so I'm looking forward to it."
14.35 BST: United States international Chris Mueller has signed a pre-contract to join Hibernian from Orlando City in January 2022.
Mueller, 24, will head to the Scottish side following the conclusion of the MLS season. The right winger was runner-up for the 2018 MLS Rookie of the Year Award and netted 10 goals in 22 league appearances during the 2020 campaign.
"I am very excited to have Chris Mueller join Hibs," said executive chairman Ron Gordon. "He's an exceptional player with a knack for goal. This signing speaks to our commitment to build and improve on last season. I know he will be an exciting addition to our very strong squad. I am confident he will become a fans' favourite.
Mueller will become the third United States international to play for the club after Emerson Hyndman and Jonathan Spector.
USA international Chris Mueller has signed a pre-contract to join Hibs in January 🟢⚪️
— Hibernian Football Club (@HibernianFC) July 22, 2021
Looking forward to welcoming you to Easter Road, @CMueller1662! 😁
14.07 BST: Manchester City have reportedly been chasing Sporting CP left-back Nuno Mendes this summer and Record claims they are preparing a €35m offer.
Mendes, 19, is one of the top young defenders in Europe and City have reportedly already had a €25m bid turned down, with the Portugal international's contract valued at closer to €50m.
However, sources have told ESPN's Rob Dawson that City have no interest in the left-back.
13.40 BST: Juventus defender Cristian Romero is on the radar of Tottenham, says Gazzetta dello Sport.
Romero, 23, was signed for Juve by Tottenham's new managing director Fabio Paratici before being shipped to Atalanta on loan.
Atalanta actually have an option to sign the Argentina international permanently for €16m as part of the deal, but Tottenham are ready to pounce while they are discussing the transfer of Atalanta goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini.
The transfer fee required is reportedly €60m, but it might be that Spurs try to do a swap deal of €30m plus Davinson Sanchez. Though it remains to be seen if Atalanta want Sanchez as a replacement or, as per other reports, they will target Juve's Merih Demiral.
13.11 BST: Antoine Griezmann's future at Barcelona is uncertain as the club look to trim their wage bill to be able to register Lionel Messi's new contract next season.
They are getting a bit desperate it seems, as L'Equipe claims Tottenham have now been contacted over a possible move for Griezmann.
Atletico Madrid, Manchester City and Juventus are also options, but no club has shown much interest at this point. And when they do, they'll know they have Barcelona over a barrel.
The 30-year-old Frenchman reportedly earns around €36m pre-tax per year, so he won't be keen on dropping that either.
12.30 BST: Chelsea could move for a new striker -- Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland is No. 1 choice -- but does that mean having to move on a man who cost them €53m to sign last summer?
12.06 BST: Everton have signed winger Demarai Gray on a three-year deal from Bayer Leverkusen for an undisclosed fee.
Gray, 25, began his career at Birmingham City before joining Leicester in January 2016. He left for a new challenge in Germany in January 2021 but has returned to England.
"I'm delighted to be back in the Premier League at such a big club and I'm excited to play with the team and get to work," Gray told Everton TV. !Speaking to the manager and [Director of Football] Marcel Brands, I had a really good feel for the Club and I feel this is a place where I can continue to develop.
"The manager, with his ambition and what he has won in the past, is important and we'll look to push forward and compete with the top clubs. I think a club of this magnitude has all the potential to be right up there."
11.18 BST: Sao Paulo have stepped up negotiations to secure the services of Dario Benedetto from Marseille in a season-long loan deal, sources have told ESPN Brasil.
Benedetto, 31, has scored 17 goals in 69 appearances for Marseille since joining them from Boca Juniors in 2019. However, the forward only started 19 games in Ligue 1 during last season and is now ready for a new challenge in Brazilian football.
ESPN Brasil reports that negotiations have advanced considerably in recent hours and only minor details are pending to complete the deal.
10.44 BST: Sevilla have agreed personal terms with Erik Lamela as part of the negotiations that the Spanish side are having with Tottenham Hotspur over a swap deal between the Argentine midfielder and winger Bryan Gil, according to Spanish news agency EFE.
Lamela, 29, would sign a three-year-deal with Julen Lopetegui's side and EFE adds that Sevilla would also get around €25m in cash as part of the deal which is expected to be completed in the coming days.
10.20 BST: Real Madrid have made contact with Leon Goretzka over a free transfer next summer, says Bild.
The Bayern Munich midfielder has yet to agree new terms to his contract which expires in 2022, and is reportedly demanding €20m per year in salary, with Bayern only willing to give him half that.
Goretzka, 26, is a world-class player so other clubs are showing interest, including Man United. The Daily Mail says they are looking for Paul Pogba's replacement and are willing to offer him £200,000-a-week (around €12m per year).
10.05 BST: Leeds United have signed midfielder Lewis Bate from Chelsea for around £1.5m on a three-year deal.
Bate, 18, has been part of the Chelsea youth setup for the last decade and captained the Blues in the 2020 FA Youth Cup final.
09.41 BST: Arsenal are preparing another move to sign Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, says TalkSPORT.
Ramsdale, 23, was part of the England squad at Euro 2020 and the Gunners are seeking a reliable backup to No. 1 Bernd Leno.
Sheffield United have already reportedly rejected two bids, and The Times says the club want over £32m from clubs wanting to land Ramsdale.
09.24 BST: Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard has been offered to former club Chelsea, according to AS.
Hazard, 30, has made 43 appearances in all competitions across two seasons due to injury after his €100m move in 2019.
Chelsea have Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner who all operate in the forward positions, but could be keen to bring Hazard back if the terms are right.
08.30 BST: Real Madrid's first summer signing David Alaba has said he would love to play alongside Raphael Varane amid reports the France international defender will leave and join Manchester United.
Varane, whose contract at Bernabeu is due to expire in June 2022, is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's top defensive target and sources have told ESPN that United are closing in on his signing.
"Of course I would love to play with Varane," Alaba said during his unveiling on Wednesday. "For many years he has played excellent football and not just now. He is a wonderful defender and has great qualities."
Madrid already lost a defensive stalwart with Sergio Ramos leaving for Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent after 16 years at the club and six seasons as captain.
Alaba has inherited the No. 4 shirt left vacant by Ramos.
"They only had this number available but I know what this number means for the club," Alaba said. "For me it's an honour to wear it. I want to honour this number. It really motivates me. It's a number that represents strength and leadership."
PAPER GOSSIP (by Luke Thrower)
- Liverpool are interested in West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen as Jurgen Klopp looks to bolster his squad in the attacking third. The Athletic reports that the 24-year-old is on the Merseyside club's radar this summer. The winger, who can play anywhere across the front three, joined the Hammers for roughly £18m from Hull City in January 2020. Any move is said to be dependent on if Klopp can move on squad members Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri. Liverpool are said to be monitoring Bowen's development beyond this summer if a deal doesn't materialise.
- Aston Villa are in advanced talks to sign Norwich City playmaker Todd Cantwell, reports Football Insider. The Canaries are reported to value the 23-year-old highly, meaning that Villa would have to put in a significant offer for the player. However, Cantwell only has one year left on his deal, meaning manager Daniel Farke could be forced to move him on rather than lose him on a free. The playmaker can play across the attacking midfield positions but usually on the left for Norwich.
- Leicester City, Southampton and Burnley are all interested in a move for Arsenal's Ainsley Maitland-Niles, according to BBC Sport. The 23-year-old has been linked with a move away from the Emirates after coming through the youth ranks with the Gunners. Maitland-Niles has nearly 80 appearances in the Premier League, spending last season on loan at relegated West Brom, making 26 appearances.
- Tottenham are pushing to sign Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini, according to Calciomercato. The 25-year-old only has a year left on his current deal, which would allow him to discuss joining a new club in six months' time. The midfielder also has a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave for €30m but that expires in just over a week and Spurs aren't willing to meet that valuation at the moment. The Italy international has a preference to stay with Jose Mourinho's team beyond the end of next season, but could be willing to leave if improved terms aren't agreed.
- Aston Villa are eyeing a move for Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey, reports the Daily Mail. The 23-year-old is valued at around £30m with the club looking to add another wide player to their ranks. The Jamaica international registered 18 goal involvements in 30 Bundesliga appearances last season -- his best output since moving to Germany.