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          Transfer Talk: Man United have Jerome Boateng chance as PSG interest cools

          • ESPN
          Jul 26, 2018, 11:32 PM

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

          When does the transfer window close in the Premier League and the top European leagues?

          TOP STORY: PSG cooling on Boateng may open door for Man United

          Paris Saint-Germain appear unlikely to make a serious enquiry for Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng, potentially giving Manchester United a chance to make a run at the Germany international.

          According to L'Equipe, PSG are unwilling to meet a number of demands that would facilitate a transfer, including a transfer fee likely to surpass €50 million and Boateng's wage requirements of more than €1m a month. PSG are also more focussed on adding a left-back and a midfielder.

          Boateng, 29, is under contract with Bayern through June 2021, but his relationship with the club has broken down in recent seasons. CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said earlier this week that he believed Boateng's representatives had spoken to PSG about a move but that there had been "no direct contact between the clubs."

          The defender joined Bayern from Manchester City in 2011 and United, their rivals, have been monitoring his status since at least the spring.

          United have added one defender this summer, right-back Diogo Dalot, and have been considering a number of options at centre-back, including Boateng, Tottenham Hotspur's Toby Alderweireld and Leicester City's Harry Maguire.

          LIVE BLOG

          22.17 BST: That's going to bring Friday's live edition of Transfer Talk to a close. Thanks very much for joining us, and be sure to check back in a few short hours when we return with the latest gossip pulled from Saturday's back pages.

          21.23 BST: Barcelona are set to hold talks with West Ham over 18-year-old winger Domingos Quina, writes Sky Sports, with the Hammers looking for a fee of £600,000 as the Portugal under-19 international has just 12 months remaining on his contract in East London.

          20.37 BST: Liverpool are looking for a fee of between £5m and £7m for Lazar Markovic, who's attracting interest from Olympiakos and Standard Liege, reports the Mail.

          20.00 BST: Chelsea representatives are set to meet with counterparts from Juventus on Saturday as they look to thrash out deals for Gonzalo Higuain and Daniele Rugani, according to Calciomercato. A deal for both reportedly will cost between €90m and €100m. If the Blues are unable to convince Juve to part with Rugani, they could turn their attentions to fellow Bianconeri centre-back Mattia Caldara, who would cost up to €10m less than Rugani.

          19.23 BST: Sky Sports reports that West Ham and Sampdoria are closing in on a £10m agreement that would send Pedro Obiang back to Serie A, although the report states that Manuel Pellegrini would prefer to have the 26-year-old at his disposal this season.

          18.36 BST: It's a DONE DEAL! New York City FC have announced the signing of 19-year-old Argentine attacking midfielder Valentin Castellanos on loan from Uruguayan side Club Atletico Torque.

          18.09 BST: After selling Fabri to Fulham a week ago, Besiktas are in the market for a goalkeeper, and Sky Sports reports that the Turkish club has made contact with Liverpool over the potential signing of Simon Mignolet.

          17.42 BST: Matteo Darmian wants to leave Manchester United even if Antonio Valencia and Diogo Dalot are ruled out for the start of the season. Read the full story.

          17.15 BST: The Express cites Tuttosport as reporting that Manchester United are set to raid Chelsea, with a £66m deal allegedly agreed for Willian, and the Red Devils weighing up whether Gary Cahill could be the answer in their quest for another centre-back.

          16.48 BST: While Crystal Palace have yet to lodge a formal bid for Cheikhou Kouyate despite holding talks with West Ham over the 28-year-old midfielder, Sky Sports reports that the South London side remain interested in the Senegal international.

          16:21 BST: Patrick Mendy, the agent for Bafetimbi Gomis, said his client has been told he can leave Galatasaray this summer if they receive a reasonable offer, according to FootMercato.

          Gomis scored 29 goals last season and had negotiated a pay rise, but the new Galatasaray hierarchy have reneged on that promise and instead told the 32-year-old that he should start looking elsewhere.

          16:06 BST: West Ham United have expressed interest in Celtic midfielder Oliver Ntcham, L'Equipe reported.

          Ntcham, who spent part of his youth career at Manchester City, joined Celtic on a four-year deal last summer.

          15:59 BST: Sevilla attacking midfielder Joaquin Correa is close to making a €20m move to Lazio, Marca reported. Correa has also drawn interest from Real Sociedad.

          13:36 BST: DONE DEAL -- Levante have sent forward Ivi on loan to Real Valladolid for their first season back in La Liga since 2013-14.

          15:31 BST: Samuele Sopranzi, the agent for Napoli's Roberto Inglese, told Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli that "you never know what can happen" when asked about reports that the forward may leave the club this summer. Inglese, 26, joined the club a year ago, but was sent on loan to former club Chievo Verona last season.

          15:18 BST: DONE DEAL -- Fulham have signed midfielder Kevin McDonald to a two-year contract extension, keeping him with the club until June 2020, with an option to extend it by another year.

          "Obviously, I'm delighted," McDonald said in a statement. "I feel settled here, it's a great place to play, it's got everything needed for a Premier League club, and thankfully, that's what we are."

          15:06 BST: Barcelona sporting director Eric Abidal met with Paris Saint-Germain officials regarding a possible transfer for Adrien Rabiot, Sport reported.

          Abidal wants to improve relations between the two clubs, but may have some work to do regarding Rabiot as PSG reportedly are not interested in selling him.

          14:48 BST: Real Madrid left-back Theo Hernandez has said goodbye to teammates ahead of a loan to Real Sociedad, Cadena SER's "Gipuzcoa" radio show reported.

          It is unclear if the two sides have reached an agreement on a loan or a sale, but Madrid were reportedly insisting upon having a buyback clause in any potential permanent deal.

          14:37 BST: Croatia international Filip Bradaric is close to securing an €8.5m move from Rijeka to Bordeaux, according to L'Equipe.

          Bradaric, who made one substitute appearance at the World Cup, would prefer to leave for Cagliari, but they have offered only €5m to Rijeka for the midfielder.

          14:07 BST: DONE DEAL -- Monaco announced they have signed Russia international Aleksandr Golovin from CSKA Moscow.

          Golovin, who signed a five-year deal, chose to join the Ligue 1 club over an offer from Chelsea and had also been linked to Juventus throughout the World Cup.

          13:42 BST: Fenerbahce have completed their agreement with Swansea City for Andre Ayew, announcing a season-long loan with an option to make the deal permanent next summer.

          The striker was formally presented by the club on Friday after undergoing a medical earlier in the day:

          13:37 BST: Levante have turned down a €25m offer from Bournemouth for Colombia international Jefferson Lerma, according to AS.

          It was the second time Bournemouth have had an offer rejected for the midfielder, who has a €60m release clause in his contract and is under contract through June 2022 after signing a new deal last summer.

          13:14 BST: Chelsea have identified Jordan Pickford as their top target if Thibaut Courtois chooses to leave the club this summer, Sky Sports reported.

          Courtois has been long rumoured to call time on his seven years at the club this summer, likely in favour of a move to Real Madrid. Should that happen, Chelsea would be keen to secure Pickford, the England No. 1 at the World Cup, as his replacement -- but there has been no formal approach to Everton thus far, according to the report.

          Prising him from Everton may be tricky, as the club signed him from Sunderland for £30m last summer and he has four years remaining on his contract.

          13:08 BST: Tottenham Hotspur will need to sign an eighth homegrown player or will have to start the season with a reduced squad, according to the Evening Standard.

          Spurs currently have only seven homegrown players on their first team, and if they do not sign one more before the Aug. 9 deadline, they will only be allowed to have 24 players in their matchday squad.

          12:58 BST: Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech is determined to battle for his place under new coach Unai Emery despite the club signing Bernd Leno from Bayer Leverkusen this summer.

          "I said from the start I want to stay and fight for my place in the team and I will honour my contract, unless the club tells me to go," Cech told Sky Sports News.

          "I want to show the manager I can be the starting goalkeeper and all the players do the same and I think it's great for the team."

          12:52 BST: The season-long loan of Andre Ayew from Swansea City to Fenerbahce is nearing completion after the striker underwent a medical with his new club on Friday.

          12:43 BST: DONE DEAL -- Midfielder Marcel Heller, who left Darmstadt for Augsburg last summer, will return to Darmstadt on a two-year contract.

          12:33 BST: Arsenal coach Unai Emery said at a news conference in Singapore that midfielder Alex Iwobi is close to signing a five-year contract to stay with the club.

          "My information is he is going to sign and continue with us," Emery said.

          Iwobi, 22, started 22 Premier League games last season but was constantly pushed by former manager Arsene Wenger to develop more of an offensive game after scoring just three goals.

          12:20 BST: Leganes are set to sign Jose Arnaiz from Barcelona in a €6m deal, according to Onda Cero's "El Transistor" radio show.

          The only thing holding up the deal is late interest from Getafe, who also hope to secure his services.

          11:42 BST: DONE DEAL -- Empoli have signed goalkeeper Andrea Fulignati from Cesena on a three-year contract.

          11:39 BST: DONE DEAL -- Nurnberg have signed 34-year-old goalkeeper Patric Klandt from Freiburg in a move sporting director Andreas Bornemann said was designed to provide leadership for the club's young keepers.

          11:37 BST: Out-of-favour Liverpool winger Lazar Markovic is close to finalising a loan to Olympiakos after being told (again) to find a new club, according to Milliyet.

          Markovic, who joined Liverpool for the International Champions Cup, has not featured for the club since 2015 and has since been loaned to Fenerbahce, Sporting Lisbon, Hull City and Anderlecht, where he played last season.

          11:23 BST: Queens Park Rangers have accepted a transfer ban for next January after withdrawing their appeal of financial fair play sanctions imposed by the English Football League.

          QPR must pay a fine of £17m and an additional £3m for the EFL's legal costs, with the £21.965m balance covered by the owners converting outstanding loans made by the club into shares.

          The EFL was concerned about bankrupting QPR with the sanctions but needed to enforce its policies after the club overspent by £70m in 2013-14.

          11:14 BST: Juventus general manager Beppe Marotta said that the club could consider selling Gonzalo Higuain this summer because of the increased competition for places following the purchase of Cristiano Ronaldo.

          Higuain joined Juve from Napoli in 2016 and could be set for a reunion with Maurizio Sarri, his former coach, as Chelsea are among the teams that have expressed interest in a move.

          11:03 BST: Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Carl Ikeme announced his retirement on Friday after recovering from leukaemia.

          Ikeme, who joined Wolves as a 14-year-old in 2000, told teammates of his decision before training on Tuesday. He was diagnosed with cancer in June 2017 and missed all of last season and the chance to represent Nigeria at the World Cup.

          "When Carl came to tell us his news, yes, there was sadness, but also great happiness to see him so healthy and hungry for the opportunities that lay ahead of him," chairman Jeff Shi said in a statement.

          10:54 BST: Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev said that Chelsea were the only real competitors to sign Russia international Aleksandr Golovin, who agreed to leave CSKA Moscow for the Ligue 1 club on Wednesday.

          "I believe that Monaco offered more favourable conditions for the club and a more understandable project for the player," Vasilyev told reporters. "Chelsea is a top club, whom I treat with great respect, but their midfield is overloaded."

          10:41 BST: DONE DEAL -- Chelsea have signed 21-year-old midfielder Victorien Angban to a one-year contract extension and sent him on a season-long loan to Metz.

          10:26 BST: After letting Malcom leave for Barcelona earlier this week, Bordeaux are lining up their second offer, this time for €8.5m, for Fluminense forward Pedro, according to Globo Esporte.

          Pedro, 21, is the leading scorer in the Brasileirao with nine goals in 13 appearances.

          10:05 BST: DONE DEAL -- Sampdoria have finalised the season-long loan of Gregoire Defrel from Roma.

          Defrel, who followed manager Eusebio di Francesco to Roma last season, could remain in Genoa as Sampdoria have the option to make the deal permanent in June.

          09:50 BST: DONE DEAL -- Werder Bremen have announced the signing of Davy Klaassen, who Werder coach Florian Kohfeldt called "our absolute favourite player."

          Klaassen, the former Ajax captain, joined Everton last summer for £23.6m but quickly fell out of favour at the club, making just 16 appearances in all competitions.

          According to the Liverpool Echo, Werder paid £12m for Klaassen, who signed a four-year deal.

          09:39 BST: Despite links to a number of clubs, including Arsenal and Napoli, PSG's Goncalo Guedes wants to continue to playing for Valencia, Superdeporte reported.

          Guedes, under contract to PSG until June 2021, was sent on loan to Valencia last summer, and although no purchase option was included, the club are keen to keep the Portuguese winger -- even though PSG have set a €40m valuation on him.

          09:26 BST: Celta Vigo coach Antonio Mohamed told Cadena Ser's "El Larguero" radio show that the club will not sell striker Iago Aspas this summer.

          Aspas, the top national scorer in La Liga last season with 22 goals, is under contract through 2021-22 but was linked to a move to Valencia earlier this summer.

          09:12 BST: Chelsea officials have travelled to Italy to meet with the representatives of centre-back Daniele Rugani, the Times reported.

          It could be a busy two weeks until the deadline for Chelsea, who are considering a move for Juventus' Miralem Pjanic and want to recoup the £58m they paid last season for Alvaro Morata by selling him to a Serie A club.

          08:57 BST: Left-back Theo Hernandez, who made only 23 appearances in all competitions in his first season for Real Madrid, would be open to a loan or sale to Real Sociedad, according to Diario Vasco.

          Hernandez left Atletico Madrid to sign a six-year deal last July, but his lack of first-team football has the defender already considering his future. Madrid's first option would be to send Hernandez out on loan, preferably with a club picking up his €5m in annual wages, but would also be open to a sale that would include a buyback option.

          08:38 BST: DONE DEAL -- Eintracht Frankfurt have finalised a season-long loan with Sporting Lisbon for midfielder Francisco Geraldes, a former Portugal youth international.

          08:28 BST: The long-running Mario Balotelli saga is not nearing a resolution as Nice maintain they have not yet received an offer from Marseille for the disgruntled striker, L'Equipe reported.

          Agent Mino Raiola made the grandiose claim in the spring that Balotelli would be available on a free transfer this summer, but Balotelli remains under contract at Nice for one more season. Marseille have long made their interest known, but L'Equipe, citing an unnamed official, reported they have not yet made a formal approach for his services.

          08:10 BST: Although Leonardo Bonucci has seemingly acknowledged his mistake in leaving Juventus for AC Milan last summer and is eager to return to his former club, the two sides appear to be far apart when it comes to any potential deal.

          "At the moment, our defence is full, so if nobody leaves, Leo cannot return," Juve general manager Beppe Marotta told Sky Sport Italia on Thursday.

          Sources have told ESPN FC that the two clubs are discussing the possibility of a swap move, with Bonucci returning to Turin and Mattia Caldara, who spent last season on loan at Atalanta, heading to Milan.

          PAPER TALK (by Jack Rathborn)
          Spurs believe they can snap up Grealish

          Tottenham Hotspur owner Daniel Levy reckons he still can scoop Jack Grealish for no more than £20 million despite Aston Villa's recent takeover, reports the Mirror.

          Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino wants Grealish to compete with Dele Alli behind Harry Kane in attack.

          Levy had been trying to exploit Villa's cash woes that had left the club on the brink of administration, but last week Villa announced they will receive a "significant investment" from NSWE, a company jointly owned by billionaires Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, and the new majority owners have backed manager Steve Bruce in a bid to return to the Premier League.

          Still, questions remain around the 22-year-old Grealish as Villa are under pressure from financial fair play rules, and that could be why Levy remains confident.

          Meanwhile, the Independent reports that Spurs have set their demands in Manchester United's pursuit of defender Toby Alderweireld: Totteham would prefer Anthony Martial included in any negotiation, or for United to meet a £55m valuation.

          Chelsea win race to sign Higuain?

          Chelsea are set to win the race to sign Gonzalo Higuain from Juventus, beating AC Milan for the Argentinian striker. Corriere dello Sport says. "Higuain is more Sarri than ever."

          Milan are the other main contender for the player, but given their financial situation, Higuain could prove to be beyond their means after a change of ownership and new sporting director Leonardo's intent to lower expectations.

          The Italian paper claims the deal for Higuain to London will be closed in Nice on Friday, with Daniele Rugani also set to join Chelsea. The Times is more cautious on the Rugani bit, saying that while Chelsea officials have traveled to Italy to sign the defender, they are reluctant to meet his £40m valuation.

          United receive Maguire boost

          Manchester United have been given hope they can sign Harry Maguire before the transfer deadline, with the Mirror reporting that Leicester City are targeting Ben Gibson as a replacement.

          Jose Mourinho wants to strengthen the back, with Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Victor Lindelof, Marcos Rojo and Chris Smalling all failing to convince at times last season.

          Leicester have insisted Maguire, who joined the club from Hull last season for £17m, is not for sale. But the player's value has shot up after a superb World Cup for England, and with Mourinho bemoaning a lack of signings this summer, United may put pressure on Leicester by tabling an offer that could threaten the world record for a defender set by Liverpool in January when they paid £75m for Virgil van Dijk.

          Tap-ins

          - The Express claims Liverpool were "handed a boost" in their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund star Christian Pulisic after the American winger's father suggested he wants a move to the Premier League. But the quotes are vague to say the least.

          "Football is crazy," Mark Pulisic said. "You have to go with the flow and make sure the player feels comfortable, whatever the decision is. There's no magic formula. Is it right to stay at Dortmund? Who knows. ... The Premier League is a league where he's always aspired to be in and play in. ... As a player nowadays, there are so few players staying at one club throughout a career, the chances of him moving to different clubs and leagues is a high probability."

          - Brighton are set to continue their fine summer of recruitment by landing Ecuador starlet Billy Arce and Iranian centre-back Morteza Pouraliganji. The Mail claims the 20-year-old Arce will join from Independiente Del Valle and pen a four-year deal before heading out on loan to a Albacete. Pouraliganji, 26, is available for nothing after his contract with Qatari side Al-Sadd expired on July 1.

          - Oleksandr Zinchenko has snubbed a move to Wolverhampton despite Manchester City accepting a £16m bid for the Ukrainian, says the Mirror. Pep Guardiola used the 21-year-old as an unorthodox left-back last term and the opportunity to work with the Spaniard appears to be something Zinchenko is unwilling to give up just yet.