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          Man United given hope in latest Bale pursuit, PSG closer to Neymar

          • ESPN staffJul 28, 2017, 12:36 AM

          The football world is awash with gossip! Transfer Talk is monitoring the whispers ahead of all the summer moves. Check out the latest deals and potential deals here.

          TOP STORY: United have clear path to Bale

          Manchester United could finally be set to land Gareth Bale after being given encouragement from Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane that "anything can happen" before the transfer window closes on Aug. 31.

          United have failed in attempts to sign Bale before. Sir Alex Ferguson missed out when Bale left Southampton for Tottenham, and the 13-time Premier League champions were unsuccessful again in 2013 when he left Spurs to join Real Madrid.

          Multiple reports in Friday's newspapers claim United are set to make a new move for the Wales international. The Mirror says that Jose Mourinho is keen to sign a wide player this summer with Bale his first-choice target, while the Daily Mail adds that Bale could be sold as part of Madrid's plans to fund a £160 million world-record bid to land Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe.

          LIVE BLOG:

          23.10 BST That does it for Friday's live edition of Transfer Talk. Thank you so much for joining us and be sure to check back in a few hours when we pull all the latest links and rumours from Saturday's papers.

          22.58 BST Alexis Sanchez's future at Arsenal has been one of the ongoing sagas of the summer but one former Arsenal legend has weighed. Alan Smith weighed in on Sanchez by saying "For me, it's a no-brainer: you've got to let him go, get the money and move on. "What the owners would think about keeping a player you could get £60m for and then letting him go for nothing in 12 months' time, I don't know."

          22.40 BST Manchester United have opened up contract extension talks with in-demand midfielder Ander Herrera, reports Express. Herrera has been linked with Barcelona this summer but Jose Mourinho has been adamant he would like to keep the Spaniard at Old Trafford long-term.

          22.30 BST According to French paper L'Equipe, Marseille have not given up on bringing Arsenal's Olivier Giroud back to France. The French striker was heavily linked with the club at the beginning of the summer but talks have died down recently, especially with Giroud travelling to Asia with Arsenal. With Alexandre Lacazette in the fold, Giroud could desire a move to a club where he would be guaranteed a starting spot.

          22.00 BST DONE DEAL Scunthorpe United have secured the services of Manchester United starlet Devonte Redmond on loan. The 20-year-old has yet to appear for the Red Devils but is highly regarded within the youth setup.

          21.30 BST Tuttomercatoweb reports that Newcastle have bid on Greek goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis. Karnezis has been heavily-linked with Napoli but the Udinese keeper could be headed to England if Rafa Benitez gets his way.

          21.20 BST According to the Sun, Brighton lead the chase for Everton castoff Oumar Niasse but face stiff competition from Premier League rivals Newcastle and Burnley.

          20.55 BST Newly promoted Huddersfield and Brighton are in a battle for Croatian striker Ante Rebic, according to reports from Tuttomercatoweb. The 23-year-old Rebic currently is owned by Fiorentina but has been loaned out the last three seasons by the Italian club.

          20.30 BST DONE DEAL The New England Revolution have signed French defender Claude Dielna from Sheffield Wednesday. Dielna, 29, has had spells at Lorient, Olympiacos and Dinamo Bucuresti. Full Story

          19.50 BST Arsenal's hopes of signing Leicester City midfielder Riyad Mahrez boosted as Roma announce they have made their final bid for the Algerian. "We've made two offers, the second is fair and then we stopped. There are no percentages, the deal will get over the line or it won't", Roma director of football Monchi told reporters. Arsenal are one of the other teams interested in Mahrez and could climb back into the driver's seat with Roma having already pushed all their chips to the table.

          19.25 BST: Real Betis remain hopeful of signing Chelsea's Mario Pasalic on loan despite rival interest from Spartak Moscow, according to Estadio Deportivo. The 22-year-old Pasalic was signed by Chelsea in 2014 but has spent the past three seasons on loan at Elche, Monaco and last season at AC Milan.

          19.10 BST Orlando City of Major League Soccer have rejected a bid for striker Cyle Larin from Turkish giants Besiktas, according to GOAL. Larin, a Canadian international, has 39 goals in 77 games for Orlando and could be available for the right price now that Orlando have acquired Dom Dwyer.

          19.00 BST Championship side Fulham are very close to securing Amiens striker Aboubakar Kamara, according to Sky Sports. Kamara underwent a medical at the London club on Friday and would be joining the club after a last-minute failed move in January.

          18.52 BST Manchester United to scout 22-year-old Anderlecht midfielder Leander Dendoncker, reports the International Business Times. Dendoncker has been on the radar since last season, when he scored a late equaliser against the Red Devils in the Europa League. Anderlecht are keen on keeping the Belgian for one more season but United could look to swoop in if they are unable to secure other targets like Ivan Perisic and Nemanja Matic.

          18.45 BST Newcastle is considering bring back striker Loic Remy, according to reports from the Chronicle. The 30-year-old striker's rights are still owned by Chelsea but he seems a likely candidate to move away from Stamford Bridge. During Remy's previous loan spell at Newcastle he was effective, baggin 14 goals in 26 games played.

          18.30 BST Swansea City are in talks with Valencia regarding striker Alvaro Negredo, according to WalesOnline. Negredo led the line last season for Middlesbrough on loan and would join Chelsea loanee Tammy Abraham, Jordan Ayew and Fernando Llorente as options up front for the Swans.

          18.08 BST According to Football Italia, Inter Milan are interested in Barcelona midfielder Rafinha. The 24-year-old made 28 appearances for Barca last season, notching seven goals and five assists.

          17.30 BST DONE DEAL Norwich City have completed the signing of former Liverpool midfielder Adam Phillips on a two-year deal with a one-year option. Phillips spent 10 years inthe Anfield set-up before being released and had been on trial with the Canaries in Germany.

          17.23 BST DONE DEAL The New York Red Bulls sign Norwegian forward Muhamed Keita from Polish side Lech Poznan. Keita was born in Gambia but has spent most of his career in Norway and is a Norwegian Under-23 international. The forward previously played for former USMNT coach Bob Bradley at Stabaek and this season has scored three goals in eight appearances while on loan at Valerenga.

          17.09 BST: DONE DEAL Hearts complete the season-long loan signing of Liverpool youngster Connor Randall. The 21-year-old defender has made seven appearances for the Reds in all competitions and was previously loaned out to Shrewsbury Town. Full story.

          16.50 BST: Inter Milan are prepared to offer in-demand winger Ivan Perisic a new contract to stay at the club if Manchester United fail to hit his €55m release clause, according to Football Italia. The Croatian has been heavily linked with a move to United but new manager Luciano Spalletti is keen on keeping Perisic in Milan.

          16.27 BST: Neymar's inner circle have denied that the Barcelona forward ever had a promotional event organised with Chinese travel agency Ctrip, according to AS. Full story.

          16.15 BST: DONE DEAL Manchester City have loaned 19-year-old forward Isaac Buckley-Ricketts to Twente for a season.

          16.00 BST: The Mirror reckons Alexis Sanchez and his agent Fernando Felicevich are in disagreement about the player's future.

          They report that Sanchez is keen to quit Arsenal this summer, with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain reported to be keen, in order to win honours and play Champions League football next season, but Felicevich wants his client to move on a free transfer next summer as it could prove to be more financially rewarding.

          15.49 BST: Arsenal are favourites to sign Nice midfielder Jean Seri, according to Guardian reporter Ed Aarons.

          Seri has also been linked with Everton, but apparently they see Swansea's Gylfi Sigurdsson as their first-choice target.

          15.25 BST: Arsenal are hanging on to too many squad players they don't need any more, according to ESPN FC's Arsenal blogger Andrew Mangan, who names Kieran Gibbs, Mathieu Debuchy and Jack Wilshere as three such players. Does he have a point? Full story.

          15.06 BST: DONE DEAL Chelsea have announced that Matt Miazga will return to Vitesse for a second season on loan.

          The 22-year-old defender recently helped the United States win the Gold Cup.

          14.52 BST: Neymar has cancelled a "meet and greet" promotion in China because he is "busy with transfer issues," according to a company involved in the event.

          The company said on its Weibo account: "It is with great pity that we announce the cancellation of the 'meet and greet' event with Neymar, which was predicted to happen next July 31.

          "Mr. Neymar and his staff are currently busy with transfer issues and failed to secure their presence on Monday in Shanghai, which is why we decided to cancel the event. We will refund the entire amount of money spent and offer our customers adequate compensation." Full story.

          14.38 BST: Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy is having a hard time of it in the summer transfer window and tried to secure a loan deal for West Ham striker Ashley Fletcher only to find out he had been sold to Middlesbrough.

          "We're still working hard at it," McCarthy is quoted as saying by the East Anglian Daily Times. "But when you see Middlesbrough spending [£6.5 million] on Ashley Fletcher... There was me, like a pillock, ringing up trying to take him on loan! I've tried for him in a couple of windows and was only speaking to his agent yesterday. He must have been laughing right up his sleeve."

          14.20 BST: Juventus are said to want a fee of €10m for defender Stephan Lichtsteiner who is linked with a move to Nice.

          The Switzerland international, who has won the Serie A title every year since joining Juve six seasons ago, is entering the final year of his contract.

          Juve, meanwhile, hope to bring in Joao Cancelo from Valencia as Lichtsteiner's replacement, according to Corriere dello Sport.

          14.02 BST: Javier Hernandez has said he turned down offers from Spain and Italy to join West Ham and return to the Premier League.

          Speaking at a news conference the former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker said: "There were other options -- one in Spain and two in Italy. The last two transfers I made on the last day, this time it was more calm and easy. Thankfully I'm where I want to be."

          The Mexico international could make his full West Ham debut at Old Trafford, but he isn't fazed by playing there again.

          He said: "I'm going back to my old club -- my old house -- and it's going to be very special, but I'm defending other colours now. I want to help my team win three points and start the season on the right foot."

          13.47 BST: Amid speculation that Paulo Dybala could be lined up to replace Neymar at Barcelona, Juventus general manager Beppe Marotta has said the Argentina international will not be moving anywhere.

          "Paulo won't be sold at any price," he told Tuttosport. "We've rejected so many offers for Dybala. When a player is happy to stay at Juve, he'll stay for as long as he wants."

          13.25 BST: Lucas Perez could be edging closer to the Arsenal exit door after his agent claimed former club Deportivo La Coruna have tabled a bid for the forward. "Deportivo made an offer a week ago. It is a permanent deal," Rodrigo Fernandez Lovelle said. Full story.

          13.14 BST: Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon says football is heading in a dangerous direction if Neymar's proposed €220 million transfer to Paris Saint-Germain goes through. "When I was little, my granddad always used to say: inflate, inflate and the balloon will burst," he said. Full story.

          12.53 BST: DONE DEAL Bristol City have completed the signing of Nathan Baker from Aston Villa on a four-year deal. Baker spent the 2015-16 season on loan with City.

          12.29 BST: Shanghai SIPG technical director Mads Davidsen says Bayern Munich duo Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are too old for the Chinese Super League. "If Ribery had an offer two or three years ago from China then that was his chance but an ambitious Chinese team like Shanghai SIPG wouldn't sign him or Robben now," he said. Full story.

          12.09 BST: DONE DEAL Newcastle have signed midfielder Mikel Merino from Borussia Dortmund on loan for the season... Full story.

          12.04 BST: Manchester United academy coaches are taking another look at Brazilian teenager Gabriel Martinelli. The 16-year-old forward has returned to Carrington as part of an on-going trial from San Paulo-based side Ituano and played for a United youth XI against Lincoln City on Wednesday. Full story.

          11.48 BST: Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has asked Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern Munich about the availability of Renato Sanches, according to the Bundesliga champions' CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. "[Sanches] also surprised Antonio Conte, who later asked Carlo about him -- that shows his value," Rummenigge said. Full story.

          11.35 BST: An unnamed source has told footmercato.net that Riyad Mahrez is unlikely to leave Leicester for Roma this summer. "The situation hasn't moved on with Roma. Up to now, there has been no new offer," the source said. "It remains very improbable that the Italian club meets Leicester's demands."

          11.22 BST: DONE DEAL Middlesbrough have completed the signing of Ashley Fletcher from West Ham for £6.5 million, with the striker becoming the Championship club's sixth signing of the summer. Full story.

          11.10 BST: And now yet another Neymar update... Paris Saint-Germain right-back Dani Alves has hit out at suggestions that he is trying to sway Neymar's decision over his future in favour of the Ligue 1 club. "I am not trying to convince anybody of anything," he tweeted. "When I speak with him, we talk about everything but football." Full story.

          11.01 BST: And while we're still on the subject of Neymar, he has been filmed clashing with new Barcelona teammate Nelson Semedo in training. The clip, broadcast by Sky Sports News, appears to show Semedo challenging Neymar before the forward reacts angrily and is held back by Sergio Busquets. Is his time at Barca coming to an unhappy end? Full story.

          10.52 BST: Neymar had been due to travel to China because of promotional obligations, but that now appears not to be the case... Looks like he's jetting to Paris instead to complete a certain transfer...

          10.40 BST: Aymen Abdennour is being chased by Watford, Inter Milan and Lazio this summer, according to footmercato.net. Inter could have the advantage in the race for the Valencia defender with the Spanish club reportedly interested in Nerazzurri midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia.

          10.27 BST: Barcelona may have to stump up some extra cash if they want to sign Philippe Coutinho, according to Sport. The publication says Barca do not want to pay more than €80 million for the midfielder, yet Liverpool are said to value their player at €150m.

          10.19 BST: Paulo Dybala says he is happy at Juventus and it is up to them to decide where his future lies, amid growing speculation that Barcelona want him to replace Neymar if he moves to Paris Saint-Germain. "If an offer were to arrive, it would be up to the club to show it to me and up to them to say if they want to sell me or not," Dybala said. Full story.

          10.06 BST: Manchester United are not currently pursuing Real Madrid's Gareth Bale, says Sky Sports' Kaveh Solhekol, though that could still all change...

          09.54 BST: Talking of that deal, UEFA's FFP head has said that Paris Saint-Germain will have "done their sums well" to ensure a potential world-record move for Neymar keeps them within financial fair play regulations. Full story.

          09.46 BST: Mundo Deportivo's front page on Friday states "the clause or nothing" in reference to Barcelona reportedly only willing to accept Paris Saint-Germain meeting Neymar's buyout clause of €222m.

          09.30 BST: Staying with Chelsea, they are looking to secure the loan signing of Renato Sanches from Bayern Munich, the Daily Telegraph claims, and hope to beat off competition from AC Milan for the Portugal international.

          09.08 BST: Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has dismissed speculation linking Eden Hazard with a move to Barcelona after reports emerged in the Spanish media that the Belgium international is being lined up as a potential replacement for Neymar. "I know nothing about this situation," Conte said. "I think Eden is very happy to stay with us and playing for Chelsea." Full story.

          08.55 BST: We mentioned Arsenal making a third offer for Thomas Lemar a little earlier... Well, L'Equipe is reporting that Monaco have turned that Gunners bid down.

          08.45 BST: AC Milan's general manager Marco Fassone says Diego Costa is a "great player," but played down speculation that the Chelsea striker will be the marquee signing promised to the club's fans this summer. "Diego Costa is a Chelsea player and I don't want to talk about players from other clubs," he said. Full story.

          08.31 BST: Here's L'Equipe's front page for Friday... Monaco are prepared to let prized talent Kylian Mbappe go this summer -- but only for a fee of €200 million.

          08.16 BST: Alexis Sanchez has posted an image of himself on Instagram looking rather poorly alongside the caption: "Sick." He's due to return to Arsenal training on Sunday but perhaps this is his way of trying to force through a move to Paris Saint-Germain or Manchester City?

          Enfermo 😢🌡💉🤒🤧 sick 🤒🤒🤒🤒🤒

          A post shared by Alexis Sanchez (@alexis_officia1) on

          08.03 BST: Morning all and welcome back to Transfer Talk... First we're off to Arsenal, who, The Sun claims, are edging towards sealing a £45 million deal for Monaco's Thomas Lemar, having previously had two bids rejected for the France international.

          Neymar to PSG gathers steam

          You may have heard by now that Neymar is linked with a move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain. According to French newspaper L'Equipe, the transfer is closer than ever to happening, with PSG and the player agreeing to terms on a five-year contract worth a cool €30m per year after tax.

          Having found out how much it will cost them to get Neymar on board, PSG now have to organise the funds to cover the buy-out clause for the Brazil international. What's more, they want to cut a deal in order to meet financial fair play regulations and avoid some of the fees that could end up pushing the total cost of the transfer towards €300m.

          It is claimed that could even involve PSG midfielder Marco Verratti, a reported Barcelona target, moving to Camp Nou as part of the deal.

          Blues eye Oxlade-Chamberlain, Barkley

          Chelsea are considering a move to sign Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ross Barkley, the London Evening Standard reports.

          The Premier League champions have already added Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Alvaro Morata to their squad this summer, but reports this week have suggested Antonio Conte still wants as many as four more new arrivals with a new midfielder seen as a priority.

          Both Oxlade-Chamberlain and Barkley are entering the final year of their contracts with Arsenal and Everton, respectively, and come with the bonus of having Premier League experience.

          Tap-ins

          - The Mirror reckons that Naby Keita has told his advisers to get him a move away from RB Leipzig, with Liverpool set to make a final bid of more than £70m for the 22-year-old next week. Having already seen two bids turned down for Keita, Schalke's Leon Goretzka is an alternative target for Liverpool but Bayern Munich are favourites to sign him.

          - Manchester United now have a clear path to move for Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic after Juventus decided to focus on signing Blaise Matuidi from Paris Saint-Germain, the Independent claims. Matic is said to have made it clear a move to Old Trafford is his preference leading Juve to end their interest.

          - Sao Paulo midfielder Lucas Fernandes is linked with a move to Real Madrid by AS. The Los Blancos coach who discovered Casemiro has said they have regularly scouted Fernandes since watching him in the 2016 Under-20 Copa Libertadores and even asked how much it would cost to buy the 19-year-old.