The summer transfer window is here, 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: Ronaldo won't budge, eyes Man Utd exit
Cristiano Ronaldo looks intent on leaving Old Trafford this summer, after talks with Manchester United failed to convince the 37-year-old striker to remain at the club, reports The Times.
New manager Erik ten Hag attempted to persuade Ronaldo to reconsider his decision after presenting his project to the Portugal international, but it looks as though United's failure to qualify for the Champions League remains crucial. Ronaldo still has one year left on his contract.
While reports indicated that United have rejected Ronaldo's request to be released from his contract, the club have given his representatives permission to explore potential options for a move.
The former Real Madrid and Juventus star scored 18 goals in 30 Premier League games last season and was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the Premier League.
Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Bayern Munich have all been linked to Ronaldo at some point. However, Atletico president Enrique Cerezo called such a move "practically impossible," while sources told ESPN earlier this month that Chelsea had ruled themselves out of the running. Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn also said the club are not interested, as Ronaldo would not "fit with our philosophy."
Meanwhile, LaLiga president Javier Tebas has said he would welcome the return of Ronaldo to Spain.
"Whether it is feasible or not for Atletico Madrid, I do not know," Tebas said. "There would have to be some player departures if they wanted to [sign him]. To sign a player of that level, you must make room [financially]."
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21.46 BST: Atalanta are closing in on a move to sign RB Leipzig winger Ademola Lookman, reports Gianluca Di Marzio. Negotiations are said to be in the final stages after both clubs agreed a deal with an initial transfer fee of €15m for the 24-year-old who spent last season on loan at Leicester City, where he scored six goals in 26 appearances.
21.19 BST: Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is insistent on keeping striker Armando Broja at Stamford Bridge this season, reports Fabrizio Romano. West Ham United recently saw a £30m proposal for the 20-year-old Albania international rejected, and with the Blues yet to acquire a replacement for Romelu Lukaku, Broja could have opportunities for minutes in the first team next season.
20.52 BST: Real Madrid are continuing their efforts to find a new club for Reinier, writes Mundo Deportivo. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder has spent the last two seasons on loan at Borussia Dortmund, but returned to the Santiago Bernabeu having made just one start in the Bundesliga during the 2021-22 campaign, and his non-EU status means that Carlo Ancelotti cannot incorporate him as part of the team, with those slots currently assigned to Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Eder Militao.
20.25 BST: Everton are looking to reunite with Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gueye, reports Fabrizio Romano. The Ligue 1 champions are reported to be keen to move on from the 32-year-old this summer, and negotiations with the brass at Goodison Park -- where the Senegal international played between 2016 and 2019 -- are set to continue in the coming days.
19.58 BST: Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot is looking to leave the club this summer, and his representatives have met with AS Monaco about a return to Ligue 1, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. Despite making 32 appearances for the Bianconeri last season, the 27-year-old France international would be allowed to leave the Allianz Stadium, with Paul Pogba having returned to the club to bolster the midfield.
19.31 BST: Tottenham Hotspur are looking to move on from midfielders Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele, reports the Athletic. Lo Celso, 26, and Ndombele, 25, both spent part of last season on loan, and it looks as though Antonio Conte doesn't see either as a potential option for Spurs in the 2022-23 campaign as the north London club look to lower their wage bill.
19.04 BST: Watford are looking for a transfer fee of €35m if they are to part ways with winger Ismaila Sarr this summer, reports Foot Mercato. The 24-year-old Senegal international has two years remaining on his contract and is reported to have received interest from clubs in Serie A, although after scoring five goals in 22 Premier League appearances last season, interested parties are reluctant to meet the demands set by the Hornets.
18.37 BST: D.C. United have signed goalkeeper David Ochoa from Real Salt Lake in exchange for an undisclosed amount of allocation, sources have confirmed to ESPN's Jeff Carlisle. A source added that the payment will consist of some guaranteed allocation money in 2023 with additional payments possible based on incentives, and if Ochoa -- who is out of contract at the end of the season -- signs a new deal with D.C. Read the full story.
18.20 BST: Well, it's not done done, but it's pretty close. Barcelona have announced that they've agreed a deal with Sevilla over the transfer for centre-back Jules Kounde. All that's left is for the 23-year-old France international to undergo his medical in the Catalan capital and put pen to paper on his new five-year contract. >Read the full story.
Agreement in principle with Sevilla for the transfer of @jkeey4
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 28, 2022
18.04 BST: AS Roma have received contact from Galatasaray over a potential move for Justin Kluivert, according to Calciomercato. With the twice-capped Netherlands international having less than 12 months left on his contract at the Estadio Olimpico, the Serie A side are reported to be looking for a transfer fee of around €12m to sanction his exit but would be willing to let him leave on loan if he were to extend his contract with the Giallorossi. The 23-year-old winger spent last season on loan at Nice, where he directly contributed to nine goals in 28 appearances.
17.31 BST: Everton have signed Burnley winger Dwight McNeil, the Premier League club announced on Thursday. The 22-year-old England youth international has signed a five-year contract at Goodison Park, and joins up with former Clarets teammate James Tarkowski in Frank Lampard's Toffees team.
Officially a Blue! 🔵
— Everton (@Everton) July 28, 2022
Welcome to Everton, @dwightmcneil! pic.twitter.com/3GztiWtHDb
16.58 BST: New England Revolution forward Jozy Altidore is close to completing a move to Puebla, writes Fabrizio Romano. The deal is reported to be at the final stages after the former United States international agreed to join the Liga MX side on loan through the remainder of the year. Altidore has made 17 appearances for the Revs this season, scoring once during a 3-2 defeat against Real Salt Lake on March 13.
16.25 BST: Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Roberto Firmino is in his plans as the forward, who has entered the final year of his contract, attracts the interest of European clubs.
"Bobby is the heart and soul of this team. That's why I'm happy he has trained with us so far," Klopp said. "For me there's no doubt about his quality. He's essential to us."
Firmino, 30, has been most strongly linked with Juventus, who were reportedly to have held talks with the player.
15.41 BST: La Provence reports that Marseille are hopeful of signing Alexis Sanchez, but the player must walk away from Inter and take a huge pay cut to move to the Ligue 1 club.
Sanchez, 33, has been at Inter Milan for three years but is now deemed surplus to requirements. Talks have begun with officials from Marseille but the two parties are a long way from a deal.
The Chile international is in the final year of his Inter contract, but he will have to agree to terminate it to make a clean break.
15.00 BST: Celta Vigo are close to completing the signing of Barcelona defender Oscar Mingueza, according to Diario AS.
Mingueza, 23, was one of five players left out of Barcelona's squad for their tour of the United States this summer after being told to find a new club.
Teams across Europe have shown an interest in the defender, although the €5m transfer fee Barca's have requested has so far put potential suitors off.
However, per reports in Spain on Thursday, the La Masia graduate is expected to complete a move to LaLiga side Celta in the coming days.
Mingueza made his Barca debut under Ronald Koeman in 2020 and has made 66 appearances since, but he is not part of Xavi Hernandez's plans moving forward.
Neto, Samuel Umtiti, Riqui Puig and Martin Braithwaite are the other players left in Barcelona this summer with the task of finding a move away from Camp Nou.
14.17 BST: AC Milan finally appear to be on the brink of signing Charles De Ketelaere from Club Brugge.
The Serie A side have beaten Leeds United to the 21-year-old's signature, with a €32m fee reported, plus an additional €3m in add-ons.
Reports in Belgium suggest the attacking midfielder was not at Club Brugge's training complex on Thursday and was putting the finishing touches to his move.
The Belgium international, who scored 14 goals and with seven assists last season, is expected to sign a five-year contract.
13.35 BST: We have a DONE DEAL! Atletico Madrid have officially announced the signing of Nahuel Molina.
Molina, 24, moves to Atletico from Udinese on a five-year contract on a deal reported to be worth in the region of €26m.
He is a right-back who began his career at Boca Juniors before moving to Serie A in 2020.
🎙 Nahuel Molina
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) July 28, 2022
❝Having the chance to play here is a dream❞ pic.twitter.com/LsOer88B7B
12.53 BST: Chelsea could turn their attentions to Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana, having failed to sign Jules Kounde from Sevilla.
Leicester are the only Premier League club yet to sign anyone this summer, and need to move some players on before they can reshape their squad. They have had no transfer offers for midfielder Youri Tielemans, who has been linked with a number of clubs and is into the final year of his contract. Instead, the Foxes may need to entertain transfer offers for players such as Fofana.
Fofana, 21, was one of the breakout stars of the 2020-21 season, before he suffered a broken leg in a friendly before the start of last season. The France under-21 international has returned to full fitness, and The Guardian reports he is seen as a new option for Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel.
The centre-back only signed a new five-year deal in March, so Leicester are believed to be looking for a transfer fee of £70m.
12.10 BST: Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has the backing of the club's coaching staff and will not be made available for a transfer this summer, according to Diario Sport.
Reports earlier this week claimed Barca would consider offers for the Germany international given their failure to so far move on the likes of Memphis Depay and Frenkie de Jong. Barca need to raise cash from player exits and reduce the wage bill to register their new signings with LaLiga.
However, Diario Sport assures that Barca will not look to cash in on Ter Stegen, who is preparing for his ninth season at Camp Nou following a €12m move from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014.
Barca are actively trying to move on their reserve goalkeeper Neto, though, with Napoli and Fulham interest, while academy graduate Inaki Pena, who spent last season on loan at Galatasaray, will be Ter Stegen's new backup.
Barca have so far made five signings in this transfer window, including Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, and sources have told ESPN they hope to make Sevilla defender Jules Kounde their sixth arrival of the summer on Thursday.
11.29 BST: In case you missed it late on Wednesday night, Former Liverpool and Barcelona striker Luis Suarez completed a return to Uruguayan club Nacional as a free agent.
The 35-year-old striker started his professional career at Nacional before moving to Dutch side FC Groningen in 2006.
Suarez is Uruguay's all-time leading scorer with 68 goals in 132 games since 2007.
He played for Ajax Amsterdam as well as Liverpool and Barca before leaving Atletico Madrid at the end of last season.
La ilusión de todos, el amor por los colores y la alegría de volver a verte con la camiseta más linda del mundo 💙🤍❤️
— Nacional (@Nacional) July 27, 2022
¡Felices de tenerte en casa! @LuisSuarez9 #ElClubGigante pic.twitter.com/KpH9qK1nVl
10.50 BST: Bayern Munich have announced the signing of Adam Aznou from Barcelona on a long-term contract.
Aznou, 16, is a Spain youth international through to under-16 level and plays as a left-back.
"We are very happy to have signed him for Bayern and to the fact that he wants to take his next steps on campus," Bayern youth boss Jochen Sauer said. "Adam is a creative wing-back with a lot of attacking drive. He is quick, technically strong and has good crosses. We are convinced that he will strengthen our youth teams and are convinced of his potential."
𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝘂𝘀, 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗺! 🇪🇸
— FC Bayern Campus (@fcbayerncampus) July 28, 2022
Der #FCBayern hat den spanischen Juniorennationalspieler Adam #Aznou vom FC Barcelona verpflichtet. Beim FCB hat der 16-jährige linke Außenbahnspieler einen langfristigen Vertrag unterschrieben. ✍️✅
👉 https://t.co/L5JiWqST34#MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/fVKgnuYlIT
The Spain youth international, who is also eligible for Morocco, where his parents are from, will initially join up with Bayern's U19 team.
"After three years with Barcelona, it's time to say goodbye," Aznou, who can also play further forward, wrote on Instagram.
"It's difficult to leave a club that has allowed me to grow as a player. It's been a tough decision but my family and I believe it's the best one for my future."
10.12 BST: Chelsea will be able to sign Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan for €40m, according to Calciomercato.
Thomas Tuchel is rebuilding his defence following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, with Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso also linked with moves away.
So far, Chelsea have only managed to bring in Kalidou Koulibaly, and Netherlands international wing-back Dumfries will be available for transfer to move to Stamford Bridge.
09.30 BST: Manchester United have offered a trial to 16-year-old Bosnian goalkeeper Tariq Karic, reports The Sun.
The report says that Karic, who plays for Bosnian top-flight outfit FK Zeljeznicar, will join up with United in September.
FIFA regulations after the UK left the EU mean players cannot move to English clubs from other countries when under the age of 18, so Karic could not move to Old Trafford until September 2023.
08.42 BST: Kicker reports that Timo Werner will be staying at Chelsea next season, with coach Thomas Tuchel seeing the striker as part of his first-team plans.
Werner, 26, has failed to find top form since joining the Blues from RB Leipzig two years ago, scoring only 10 Premier League goals. The Germany international has been strongly linked with a move to Juventus this summer, as well as a return to Leipzig.
08.00 BST: Barcelona have beaten Chelsea to the signing of defender Jules Kounde after agreeing a fee of around €55m with Sevilla, sources told ESPN late on Wednesday.
Kounde, 23, was the subject of several bids from Chelsea last summer, and reports suggested he was close to a move to the English side at the end of last week
However, Barca upped their interest over the weekend, with sources telling ESPN that coach Xavi Hernandez's insistence on signing the centre-back has been key in getting the deal over the line.
It's the second time during the transfer window that Barca have beaten Chelsea to a player. They also brought in Raphinha from Leeds United after the London club had agreed a fee for the forward.
PAPER GOSSIP
- Manchester City are in search of a left-back and will consider Benfica's Alejandro Grimaldo, according to Marca. City are still prioritising Brighton & Hove Albion's Marc Cucurella as their top choice but the clubs are £20m apart in their valuation of the player. City will have to compete with Juventus and Newcastle United for Grimaldo's signature.
- AFC Bournemouth are set to sign Middlesbrough winger Marcus Tavernier, writes The Athletic. An initial fee of £10m has been agreed between the two sides, with £2.5m in add-ons included as part of the deal. The 23-year-old was a key player for the Championship side last season, contributing to 10 goals in 44 appearances.
- Chelsea will allow Hakim Ziyech to leave for a transfer fee of £8m, reports the Daily Mail. The 29-year-old attacking midfielder is keen to make the switch to AC Milan, but the player will have to take a salary reduction to move to the San Siro.
- Georginio Wijnaldum is one step away from joining AS Roma, according to Rudy Galetti. It is reported that Jose Mourinho's side have made strong progress during negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain over a loan move that includes an option to make it permanent. Discussions will continue this week over how much of the 31-year-old midfielder's salary will be covered.