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          Transfer Talk: Real Madrid's Zinedine Zidane quit over Eden Hazard, David De Gea disputes

          • ESPN staffJun 4, 2018, 11:45 PM

          The transfer window is open, and Transfer Talk has the latest rumours making the rounds. Follow live with our daily blog throughout the summer.

          TOP STORY: Zidane 'quit Real over Hazard, De Gea disagreements'

          Zinedine Zidane resigned as Real Madrid coach after a row over transfer policy -- and over Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard and Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea in particular -- according to the Sun.

          Zidane and Madrid president Florentino Perez "clashed over plans" the night before the former France international announced he was quitting.

          The report says Zidane told Perez he wanted to bring in Hazard -- heavily linked with a move to the Bernabeu -- only for the president to say no, and adds that "when Perez told Zidane he wished to bring in long-term target De Gea, the manager said he had faith in Keylor Navas."

          Meanwhile, the London Evening Standard says Chelsea's hopes of keeping Hazard "have been given a significant lift by Zidane's decision to step down."

          It reports that the coach had been "pushing the Real Madrid hierarchy to make a bid."

          LIVE BLOG

          22.53 BST: Thanks to those who followed along with our live transfer blog today. We'll be back with the overnight paper rounds in a few hours and then fire up the whole live party once again on Wednesday morning!

          22.35 BST: Defender Holger Badstuber wants to leave Stuttgart this summer to join a Champions League club, the Germany international has said. Badstuber left Bayern Munich after the 2016-17 season to join his boyhood club Stuttgart on a one-year deal that is now set to expire.

          22.13 BST: Juventus are ready to sell midfielder Miralem Pjanic and Tuttosport is reporting that both Barcelona and Real Madrid are interested in acquiring the Bosnia midfielder. However, with transfer fees spiraling out of control around the footballing world, Pjanic will cost either of the La Liga giants €80m if they are indeed to make a move. Ouch.

          21.34 BST: The Liverpool Echo have profiled KAA Gent winger Moses Simon, with the outlet reporting that the Reds are plotting an under-the-radar swoop for the 22-year-old to provide "pacy backup to regular wide men Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane." The Nigeria international, who will miss out on the World Cup due to injury, is rated at £10m.

          21.13 BST: Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller says goalkeeper Bernd Leno is free to leave to join one of his summer suitors, but it will only be on the club's terms. In quotes appearing in Bild, Voller said: "Leno can leave but only on our conditions, we are in constant and open discussions with Bernd and his agent." Napoli have been linked with a move for the German, who has a release clause of €28m.

          20.48 BST: In case you missed our story earlier in the day, Shakhtar Donetsk and Brazil midfielder Fred's move to Manchester United is imminent and could be completed as soon as today. The two teams have agreed to a fee in the region of €55m, according to ESPN FC sources, with the player having undergone a medical at the team's Carrington training facility on Monday.

          20.26 BST: More from Major League Soccer here with Jesse Marsch's name once again coming up as the next manager for RB Leipzig. A club chief said to expect "a surprise" when the announcement is made and Bild speculates that will come in the form of the New York Red Bulls manager moving to Germany to coach the team's sister club in the Bundesliga.

          20.01 BST: Atlanta United could be looking to add another Argentine to their ranks, with a journalist from the country saying the team has interest in River Plate midfielder Ivan Rossi. Leonel Cerrudo posted a tweet on Monday suggesting Tata Martino's team is considering a move for the 24-year-old, having already found success with other South American signings like Josef Martinez, Miguel Almiron and Ezequiel Barco.

          19.37 BST: Barcelona goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen says he is happy to stay on if he is wanted at the Camp Nou, but suggested he could otherwise be open to a move to Arsenal or Liverpool.

          Cillessen, 29, has been linked with a summer transfer to the Premier League after making nine of his 11 appearances last season in Barcelona's successful Copa del Rey campaign.

          19.13 BST: Levante striker Emmanuel Boateng has told Marca that he would love to play for a "big club" like Barcelona or Manchester United one day. The Ghana international, who scored his first national team goal in a friendly win against Japan on May 30, was instrumental in Levante's 5-4 win against Barcelona in the penultimate match of the La Liga season. The 22-year-old's hat trick helped his team end Barca's unbeaten 2017-18 league season with only one match left to play.

          18.46 BST: Reading have announced that Republic of Ireland international David Meyler will sign for the club once his contract with Hull City expires at the end of the month. The club's website reports that the 29-year-old accepted a two-year deal that includes an option for a third season.

          18:05 BST: Liverpool have a new (old) coach as Pepijn Lijnders has returned to Jurgen Klopp's staff after six months managing in Netherlands, the Merseyside club announced on Tuesday.

          17:45 BST: Manchester City are considering whether to offer Oleksandr Zinchenko to Napoli as a makeweight to complete the deal for Jorginho, according to The Mirror. Zinchenko, 21, made only six starts in the Premier League last season.

          17.15 BST - DONE DEAL: Manuel Pellegrini has made his first signing as West Ham manager, bringing in defender Ryan Fredericks on a free transfer from Fulham. Fredericks, out of contract at Craven Cottage, has agreed a four-year deal with the Hammers.

          17.00 BST: Leicester have opened talks with West Bromwich Albion defender Jonny Evans, linked with Manchester City in the winter window, with his departure from The Hawthorns appearing inevitable after the club's relegation stopper. The Mirror says the Northern Ireland international "has given up on a dream switch to City."

          16.45 BST: AC Milan defender Alessio Romagnoli has signed a new contract that commits him to the club until 2022.

          16.15 BST: Watford are closing on a permanent move for Barcelona winger Gerard Deulofeu, who spent the second half of last season on loan from Barcelona, according to reports.

          15.45 BST: Manchester United have announced that they have "reached agreement with Shakhtar Donetsk for the transfer of Frederico Rodrigues de Paula Santos" -- Fred to you and me --- with a further announcement to follow "in due course."

          15.30 BST: Three Championship clubs -- Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Blackburn - are being linked with forward Graham Burke, who plays for Irish club Shamrock Rovers, according to reports.

          15.00 BST: Wolves "are on the brink of selling Benik Afobe to Stoke City" less than a week after making his loan deal from Bournemouth permanent, the Mail reports.

          14.15 BST: DONE DEAL: Arsenal have announced they have agreed terms with Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner, who will join the Gunners on a Bosman free transfer on July 1.

          14.00 BST: Yaya Toure is ready to join one of Manchester City's rivals for £1-a-week to prove to Pep Guardiola that he can still play the top level, his agent has said. Toure, 35, is a free agent, having being released at the end of the season after making just one Premier League start as City won the title.

          13.45 BST -- DONE DEAL: Championship Wigan have signed Peterborough midfielder Leonardo Da Silva Lopes for an undisclosed fee on a four-year contract.

          13.30 BST -- Santi Cazorla has rejoined La Liga club Villarreal, where he began his professional career and has spent two spells, after leaving Arsenal. He will train with the club with a view to a permanent contract.

          13.00 BST: Goalkeeper Dean Henderson will make a decision on his Manchester United future in the next two weeks, sources have told ESPN FC.

          13.00 BST: Fulham have become the latest club to be linked with a move for Norwich midfielder James Maddison, the Mirror reports. Maddison, who scored 14 goals for the Canaries last season and is thought to be rated at around for £30 million, has also been linked with both Liverpool and Spurs.

          12.45 BST: Reports in France suggest that Angers want to sign Wolves midfielder Prince Oniangue.

          12.15 BST: Championship side Preston are set to beat newly-promoted Cardiff to the signature of goalkeeper Michael Crowe, who has been released by Ipswich, the East Anglian Daily Times says.

          11.45 BST: Terence Kongolo could make his move to Huddersfield Town permanent, with Monaco willing to sell the Netherlands international, France Football reports.

          11.30 BST: Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois "is still planning to hold contract talks and has been left mystified at suggestions that the club have begun the search for his replacement," the London Evening Standard reports.

          11.00 BST: To France, where L'Equipe reports that both Lyon and Rennes are interested in PSG outcast Hatem Ben Arfa.

          10.45 BST: West Bromwich Albion have turned down a £4 million bid for James McClean from Stoke City because they want around £6m, according to the Express and Star.

          10.30 BST: The father of Borussia Dortmund defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos has told Greek radio station Radio 24/7 that his son turned down Manchester United, preferring to move to Arsenal. "United were also interested but he would have had to wait until July," he said. "United has a good relationship with Dortmund and the two clubs spoke, but Sokratis decided to join Arsenal."

          10.15 BST: Oliver Norwood wants to return to Fulham on a permanent basis after helping them reach the Premier League while on loan from Brighton last season, Football London reports.

          10.00 BST: It had seemed likely that Mario Balotelli would return to Italy after leaving Nice -- but now L'Equipe reports that he could stay in Ligue 1, with Marseille ready to pay €10 million for him.

          09.45 BST: Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Inter Milan's sporting director Piero Ausilio has met Bordeaux general manager Alain Deveseleer to discuss the Italian club's interest in Malcom, who would cost €40 million.

          09.30 BST: Boca Juniors president Daniel Angelici has denied reports that his club will sign Sevilla midfielder Guido Pizarro, telling TyC Sports: "There's no possibility for Pizarro."

          09.15 BST: Bologna forward Simone Verdi, speaking after the Italy-Netherlands friendly, confirmed that he will join Napoli and has already had "an informal chat" with newly-appointed coach Carlo Ancelotti.

          08.55 BST: Paris Saint-Germain are interested in signing out-of-contract Belgium midfielder Marouane Fellaini, according to RMC, but new coach Thomas Tuchel has not given the green light to the move.

          The Manchester United man -- also linked with a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal and Chelsea -- is advised by Raul Costa, who is close to PSG's sporting director Antero Henrique and worked with the French champions to help bring Neymar to the Parc des Princes last summer.

          08.30 BST: It's not just Hazard and De Gea who have reportedly been attracting Real Madrid's interest in the Premier League. According to France Football, Liverpool's Sadio Mane was being lined up as Real's first big transfer of the summer, only for Zidane's surprise exit to scupper the move.

          PAPER TALK: Foxes set to land City's Roberts in Mahrez deal

          Leicester want Manchester City forward Patrick Roberts as part of the deal that takes Riyad Mahrez to the Premier League champions, the Telegraph reports.

          England under-20 international Roberts spent last season -- and part of the campaign before that -- on loan at Celtic, where Leicester scouts kept tabs on his performances.

          And as manager Claude Puel looks to add to his attacking options, and plans for life without Algeria international Mahrez, the Telegraph says Roberts "is expected to join Leicester when the protracted £60 million Mahrez deal is finally thrashed out."

          It adds that "there remains an expectancy that Mahrez will team up with Pep Guardiola" after what had appeared to be a likely winter deal fell through.

          Saints' Hughes in line for Shaqiri reunion

          Could Southampton boss Mark Hughes be set for a swift reunion with Xherdan Shaqiri, one of his former Stoke players?

          Indeed he could, says the Mirror, which reports that he "will step up his interest in Shaqiri after the Swiss playmaker confirmed that he plans to quit the Potters."

          Hughes, who brought Shaqiri to Stoke in 2015, preserved Southampton's Premier League status after taking over towards the end of the season and "is ready to activate Shaqiri's £12m release clause."

          But he is not the only manager interested, with the Mirror reporting that Tottenham are monitoring the situation and could line up a move of their own.

          Tap-ins

          -- With Stoke already poised to sign striker Benik Afobe days after he arrived at Wolves, the Telegraph says they will also battle Cardiff to sign West Bromwich Albion's James McClean.

          Republic of Ireland winger McClean "is firmly on Stoke's radar" but could opt to make a return to the Premier League with newly promoted Cardiff, who have registered an interest with the relegated Baggies.

          -- Hull City striker Abel Hernandez is in demand after confirming that he will leave the club, and the Hull Daily Mail reports that he might already be on the verge of agreeing a deal with Championship rivals Leeds.

          It says Uruguay international Hernandez "could be a Leeds player this week, as negotiations have reached the point of finalising personal terms."