The summer transfer window is approaching, and there's plenty of gossip swirling about who's moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Nunez now on to Newcastle?
Another twist in the race for Darwin Nunez looks to have taken place, with reports that Newcastle United have made an offer to Benfica worth in excess of €60 million, according to Foot Mercato.
The 22-year-old striker's performances this season have captured the interest of a number of Premier League sides this season, with West Ham United having a potential club-record bid turned down during the January transfer window.
Arsenal and Manchester United are also eyeing the Uruguay international, with the Old Trafford side having reportedly sent scouts to watch him in action in Benfica's Champions League quarterfinal with Liverpool.
Nunez has scored 30 goals in 35 games this season and looks certain to be the subject of transfer interest as soon as the season concludes.
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21.48 BST: Corriere dello Sport reports that Lazio and AC Milan centre-back Alessio Romagnoli are still some way apart in their contract negotiations, as the pending free agent and Rome native looks to return home this summer. Maurizio Sarri's side have offered the 27-year-old wages of €2m a year plus bonuses, while the AS Roma academy graduate is holding out for a €3m-a-year salary.
20.31 BST: With Jason Denayer seemingly certain to leave as a free agent this summer, and Jerome Boateng potentially following him out of the club, Lyon are in the market for a new centre-back, L'Equipe writes. The historic French side have set their sights on West Ham United defender Issa Diop, with the 25-year-old said to be available for a transfer fee of less than €10m.
19.14 BST: Juventus are looking to bring in two new midfielders this summer, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, which has identified the club's No. 1 targets as well as backup options for each role.
Manchester United's pending free agent Paul Pogba is at the top of their list, but if he goes elsewhere, the Bianconeri will turn their attention to Chelsea metronome Jorginho. Similarly, the Old Lady are hopeful that they can finally lure Sergej Milinkovic-Savic away from Lazio, but if that operation proves too complicated (or costly), Renato Sanches of Lille would make a fine alternative.
17.57 BST: Nicolo Zaniolo will have two years remaining on his contract at AS Roma once this season ends, leaving the Italian club with a decision to make: Is now the time to move on from the often-injured 22-year-old midfielder, while his transfer value is at its highest, or sign him to a lucrative new contract?
Corriere dello Sport reports that the Giallorossi would consider offers including a transfer fee of €60m for the Italy international, with AC Milan, an unnamed Serie A club and sides from the Premier League all said to be interested in Zaniolo.
16.40 BST: Man United have had to rely on Cristiano Ronaldo today. And maybe his son in the future?
16.00 BST: Torino centre-back Gleison Bremer has quite the list of the clubs on his trail, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
Bremer, 25, has impressed in Serie A, though has yet to make the senior Brazil national side.
A €30m move could be on the cards this summer, with Arsenal, Leicester, Everton, Newcastle, Tottenham, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund all monitoring him.
14.45 BST: Barcelona have long been linked with a move to sign striker Lautaro Martinez from Inter Milan, but now Sport says they are back.
Martinez, 24 has 17 goals in 41 games this season but hasn't set Serie A alight as he has in previous years.
Barcelona need a long-term option up front, though maintain an interest in Dortmund's Erling Haaland, and cash-strapped Inter are willing to do a deal for Martinez that could see cash plus Memphis Depay going the other way.
13.22 BST: PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino could be out of a job soon, having failed to land the Manchester United gig.
PSG will likely win Ligue 1 but are out of the Champions League and Le Parisien reports the French side are ready to part ways with Pochettino to hire Zinedine Zidane.
If the club were to bring in Zidane, it may help persuade star striker Kylian Mbappe to stay for a little longer and not leave on a free transfer this summer.
12.52 BST: Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has been speaking at a news conference.
On Luka Modric, whose contract expires in the summer, he said: "I think Luka will end his career here at Real Madrid, it's everyone's idea, I don't think there's any problem to renew, the club, us, him, he's a player who looks after himself, he's never had serious injuries in his career and that helps him. I had [Paolo] Maldini [at AC Milan], a legend of football, who won his last UCL at 40. If I have to compare him with someone, it's him; his quality, his seriousness, how he understands football. They're legends of football."
Madrid recently signed 18-year-old defender Vinicius Tobias from Shakhtar Donetsk and Ancelotti said: "Vinicius Tobias is young, we signed him recently, he's doing well, he's learning, he has a lot of quality; a right-back with a lot of energy. He learns fast, he's serious, we're counting on him for the future just like all the academy players."
12.33 BST: Juventus' Paulo Dybala is a free agent this summer, but where might he end up?
Dybala, 28, has every top club in Europe after him and seems most likely to join either Inter Milan and AC Milan if he stays in Italy. Manchester United are named by Tuttomercatoweb as a possible destination and reported new boss Erik ten Hag is a fan of the Argentina international.
11.48 BST: Kylian Hazard has been speaking about his his brother Eden's future at Real Madrid.
Eden, 31, moved from Chelsea to Madrid in 2019 for €100m but has struggled to live up to expectations and has been linked with moves to Arsenal, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund.
"He's not going to leave Real Madrid until he proves he's the strongest there," Kylian, who is 26 and plays as a midfielder for RWDM on loan from Cercle Brugge, told RTBL in Belgium. "He's proven it at every club he's been to. For me, he doesn't want to leave. I don't think he's going to leave... If the president wants him to leave, if he knows he has no more chances to play, then I don't think he'll stay. But I can assure you one thing: he'll do everything possible to prove that he is the best player at Real...
"He's been wanting to remove the plaque [in his ankle] for two years but the opportunity never arose. Will removing it change anything? We'll see in the future."
11.15 BST: Chelsea's ownership situation is proving to be something of a distraction for the club.
10.52 BST: Tottenham want to sign a left-sided centre-back this summer and are eyeing a move for Atletico Madrid's Mario Hermoso, according to the Daily Mail.
Hermoso, 26, joined the LaLiga champions for around €29m from Espanyol in 2019. The former Real Madrid academy product has made almost 100 appearances since and is highly rated in Spain, having made the breakthrough into the senior national side.
Spurs have other options, including RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol and Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni, too.
10.19 BST: River Plate midfielder Enzo Fernandez has caught the eye of Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid.
The Daily Mail says that United sent scouts to watch the 21-year-old against Fortaleza in the Copa Libertadores on Wednesday, while Sports Illustrated reports that City are leading the race to sign the midfielder.
Fernandez has a reported release clause of $26m, which is just over £20m, and is ready for a move to Europe.
09.46 BST: Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic said on Friday he will leave the Premier League club at the end of the season, bringing an end to his five-year spell at Old Trafford.
Serbia international Matic, who is under contract at United until 2023, has made 26 appearances across all competitions for the club this season.
"I have informed the board, the manager and the players of my decision," the 33-year-old wrote on Instagram. "It has been a huge honour and a privilege to play for this great club. A big thank you to the fans for their unwavering support.
"I will now give everything until the end of the season to help my team mates finish as strongly as possible."
09.14 BST: Tottenham are already set to commit €80m on making loan signings Cristian Romero and Dejan Kulusevski permanent, but the club plan to back Antonio Conte further this summer as he tries to turn Spurs into Premier League title contenders, sources told ESPN.
Conte has publicly indicated the north Londoners will pay the €55m fixed fee to Atalanta for Romero while sources told ESPN that he is pushing for Kulusevski's temporary switch from Juventus to be formalised by taking up an option to buy the winger for €30m.
Conte has ambitious plans to overhaul his squad with sources suggesting a right-back, centre-back, a midfielder, a back-up striker and a back-up goalkeeper are his main priorities; a list which senior figures at Tottenham are willing to support in principle despite the club posted a pre-tax loss of £80.2m in their most recent financial figures last November.
09.00 BST: Erik ten Hag, who is set to take over the managerial role at Manchester United, is keen on signing Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, sources told ESPN.
Ten Hag discussed his thoughts over the United squad as part of his interview for the job at Old Trafford last month and official confirmation of his appointment could come as early as the end of April.
The recruitment department at United have also been finalising shortlists on players in each position for the summer transfer window, and Ten Hag will be allowed to present his own targets. Among them is Tchouameni, the 22-year-old midfielder who is enjoying a fine season in Ligue 1. Tchouameni initially impressed under former Monaco manager Niko Kovac and has raised his game further under Philippe Clement, following his arrival in January.
Monaco are open to negotiations regarding a move for their rising star this summer and will ask for a transfer fee of €60-€70 million. Sources told ESPN that Paris Saint-Germain are interested in the Frenchman but added that as it stands, he favours a move away from France. Chelsea have also made contact with Tchouameni's agent and Monaco but United may have the upper hand on their Premier League rivals considering the uncertainty over the club's ownership at present.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)
- FC Salzburg are set to sign Shakhtar Donetsk star Fernando, according to Fabrizio Romano. It is reported that the 23-year-old striker is seen as a replacement for Karim Adeyemi who has been heavily linked with a number of clubs across Europe in recent months. The deal requires just the final few details with the Ukrainian Premier League striker set to join up with the Austrian Bundesliga club in July.
- Mallorca have no plans to execute the €15m option clause to make Vedat Muriqi's loan move become permanent, writes Ekrem Konur. The 27-year-old striker joined from Lazio on loan during the January transfer window, but a return of three goals in 10 LaLiga matches has failed to persuade the board to extend his stay at Son Moix. The Kosovo international scored the winner in Mallorca's 1-0 league win over Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
- Juventus are stepping up their approach for Sassuolo's Giacomo Raspadori, reveals Tuttosport. The 22-year-old's performances in the league this season are reported to have captured the attention of Bianconeri stars Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci who are both supporting the pursuit of the Serie A forward. Raspadori has contributed to 13 goals in 26 starts so far this season.
- LaLiga sides are beginning to enquire with Getafe over the potential signing of striker Hugo Duro, reports Marca. Duro is on loan at Valencia, and have the option to make his move permanent for €4m, but teams have already made contact with the 22-year-old's parent club on whether a deal can be reached if Los Che pass. He has scored six goals in 19 starts this season.