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          De Bruyne closes on £46m Man City move, Man Utd back in for Kane

          • ESPN staffAug 10, 2015, 12:35 AM

          As always, Transfer Talk has its finger on the pulse when it comes to all the latest rumours and gossip. See all the latest deals here.

          TOP STORY:

          Could one of the summer's transfer sagas finally be about to finish? The Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph have reported that Manchester City hope to sign winger Kevin De Bruyne for £46 million before Sunday's Premier League match against Chelsea, while The Daily Star Sunday has claimed City have even booked in his medical despite having yet to agree terms with Wolfsburg.

          Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs told kicker: "The clubs have turned De Bruyne's head," while coach Dieter Hecking has said he cannot understand why De Bruyne wants to join Manchester City. Stay tuned.

          LIVE BLOG

          21.19 BST: That's all from Transfer Talk for another day. Log back on to ESPN FC later, though, for the morning newspaper headlines.

          21.06 BST: DONE DEAL Monaco have signed Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Boschilia. The 19-year-old has signed a five-year contract to move from Sao Paulo. Read more.

          20.43 BST: DONE DEAL Seydou Doumbia is a CSKA Moscow player again, having signed on loan for the Russian club until January.

          20.38 BST: Looks like Tuesday will be the day that Xherdan Shaqiri will complete his move to Stoke.

          20.00 BST: West Brom vs. Manchester City is underway. Join Arch Bell in the FC Boot Room.

          Baggies captain -- and former Manchester United player -- Darren Fletcher is very focused!

          19.53 BST: Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is on the record as being keen to sign another striker and the latest to be linked with the White Hart Lane club is Basel's 18-year-old Breel Embolo.

          According to The Mirror, Spurs scouts were in attendance to see Embolo score twice at the weekend.

          19.49 BST: Barcelona manager Luis Enrique says he expects a solution soon regarding the future of Pedro.

          "I would like to have all of our players all season. We have already spoken too much about Pedro. We will have a solution soon. I haven't put or taken a football player on or off the market," Luis Enrique said ahead of the UEFA Super Cup in Georgia.

          Read more.

          19.32 BST: Italian transfer guru Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Seydou Doumbia is set to rejoin CSKA Moscow.

          Doumbia joined the Serie A side in January but failed to make much of an impact, scoring just two goals in 13 games.

          19.20 BST: Another bit of news involving Barcelona and a player who might head out on loan. Goal.com reports that they're weighing up a slew of loan offers for starlet Alen Halilovic, who was all set to join Sporting Gijon on a season-long move (the manager's good friends with Barca boss Luis Enrique, apparently) before big clubs chimed in.

          Barca are reportedly excited about the 19-year-old Croatian getting significant minutes elsewhere in order to make him ready for the Catalans' first-team squad, but where will he go?

          19.00 BST: Are Barcelona about to let a defender leave after just 63 minutes of competitive action?

          Reports from Spain via MundoDeportivo suggest that AS Roma have made inquiries over taking former Arsenal centre-back and club captain Thomas Vermaelen on a season-long loan from the Camp Nou.

          Barca are famously banned from registering new signings until January, which would make any departures surprising given the need for injury cover. But Vermaelen is trying to play his way back to fitness and some time in the Italian capital, where he could also deputise at left-back, might be an attractive option.

          For what it's worth, Sport reported that the Catalan giants are unwilling to entertain such a deal and have yet to acknowledge Roma's interest.

          18.45 BST: We had a whisper of this earlier but talks are seemingly heating up (ouch!) over the future of Jonathan de Guzman.

          Reports out of Italy from his representative, Fabio Parisi, indicate that the Dutch midfielder will be leaving Napoli and signing with Marseille very soon.

          Said Parisi to CalcioNapoli24: "It's true, we're negotiating with Marseille and he'll leave Napoli on a permanent basis. [Marseille President Vincent] Labrune wants him regardless of who is the new Coach."

          Parisi went on to say that the Ligue 1 side aren't the only ones interested in the 27-year-old, Canadian-born midfielder, who made 23 Serie A appearances for Napoli in 2014-15.

          18.20 BST: Bad news for Leicester City as one of their reported top targets is on the verge of signing elsewhere. Plenty of credible people are saying that Internacional and Chile midfielder Charles Aranguiz will join Bayer Leverkusen in due course.

          The indefatigable Aranguiz was one of the Copa America hosts' key players during this summer's tournament win and will be perfect for the Bundesliga side, who have sold Gonzalo Castro (to Borussia Dortmund) and Stefan Reinartz (to Eintracht Frankfurt) in the preseason.

          18.10 BST: Next up, some news out of AS Monaco, who have announced that Portugal midfielder/winger Bernardo Silva has signed a new contract. Good news for the Ligue 1 side, bad news for any teams who had been hoping to lure the 21-year-old away from the south of France.

          Get all the pertinent information in our news story here.

          17.50 BST: It might seem strange given the manner in which Everton drew 2-2 with Watford this weekend, but Chelsea are reportedly going to make a third bid for defender John Stones.

          The Daily Star reports that Jose Mourinho and Co. aren't giving up without a fight when it comes to the 21-year-old central defender, who is tipped by various pundits to be the next great English centre-back. (Stop laughing.) Bids of £20 million and £26 million have been rejected by Everton thus far; what will the next amount be?

          We can't wait to find out either.

          17.30 BST: The agent of Denis Cheryshev, who has been linked with Villarreal, is to meet with Real Madrid officials to discuss the player's future, reports AS.

          17.17 BST: Bernardo Silva has extended his contract with Monaco until 2020. "I am very happy to extend my contract with Monaco," he told the club's official website. "It is the club that has allowed me to show my worth and discover the Champions League. It's a very special day for me. I will give my all this season to help the team be as competitive as possible and achieve their goals."

          17.05 BST: We've got ourselves a done deal in France involving Saint-Etienne and PSG...

          16.43 BST: Xherdan Shaqiri has passed a medical and agreed personal terms on a £12 million move from Inter Milan to Stoke, sources have told ESPN FC. Full story.

          16.26 BST: Bernardo Silva has signed a new contract with Monaco, keeping him at the Ligue 1 club until 2020...

          16.15 BST: DONE DEAL West Bromwich Albion have broken their transfer record to sign Salomon Rondon from Zenit St Petersburg...

          16.07 BST: An update for you now on Joey Barton -- sources have told ESPN FC that he is indeed in talks with West Ham over a move to the club. The midfielder is expected to undergo a medical on Tuesday ahead of a proposed transfer to Upton Park. Read More.

          15.56 BST: Fabio Borini had looked all set to complete a switch from Liverpool to Fiorentina, however, it seems there are still a few details to iron out. La Nazione claims the Serie A club have issued Borini a 48-hour ultimatum to decide whether he will move to Florence with a deal still yet to be finalised.

          15.46 BST: Reports in Italy are claiming that Chelsea have completed a move for Augsburg left-back Baba Rahman...

          15.37 BST: Arsenal are set to send goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez out on a season-long loan to Wolves, reports the Express and Star. According to the newspaper, Wolves boss Kenny Jackett has a verbal agreement in place with the Gunners to bring the 22-year-old to Molineux.

          15.25 BST: DONE DEAL League One side Sheffield United have announced details of a new signing...

          15.20 BST: Simone Scuffet says he can imagine a future at Roma as he prepares for a season on loan at Como from Udinese. Read More.

          15.11 BST: DONE DEAL News of a departure at Hull City...

          14.58 BST: The Kevin De Bruyne news just keeps on coming... A source close to the Belgium international has told ESPN FC that he is open to the possibility of a move to Manchester City, amid speculation that the Premier League club have submitted a £47m bid to Wolfsburg for the player. Read More.

          14.29 BST: Jack Sullivan, son of West Ham co-owner David, has had more to say on the Hammers' transfer business. He suggests the club's chase for Atletico Madrid striker Raul Jimenez is over, but that they will turn their attention elsewhere.

          14.21 BST: So, Joey Barton is apparently having a medical at West Ham... Or perhaps not.

          14.12 BST: Manchester United fans might want to look away now... Sergio Ramos is set to sign a new deal with Real Madrid later this week, according to reports in Spain.

          14.04 BST: The latest update on Alessio Romagnoli for you now... The defender has been released from Italy under-21 duty to allow him to undergo a medical with AC Milan ahead of his move from Roma. Read More.

          13.55 BST: Free agent Joey Barton is closing in on a move to West Ham, reports the Daily Mail...

          13.30 BST: West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Pulis has had more to say on the future of Saido Berahino, this time stating his confidence of keeping hold of the reported Tottenham target. "At the moment, Saido is with us. We are very pleased he is with us and we are hoping he will stay with us," Pulis is quoted as saying by The Sun. "He is a good player and we want him to stay at the football club."

          13.18 BST: Juventus are hopeful of adding two more players to their squad, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The Italian champions are reportedly on the verge of signing Atletico Madrid left-back Guilherme Siqueira, while they could also be set to make one final offer for Schalke's Julian Draxler.

          13.00 BST: West Ham midfielder Reece Oxford is the talk of the town at the moment following his fine performance at Arsenal on Sunday, aged just 16 years old. Tottenham, however, may have been at pains to watch his display, having previously turned down the chance to sign the youngster. "I was at Tottenham for a while, but they did not want me, and I went to West Ham, which was the best option for me," Oxford is quoted as saying by the Guardian.

          12.51 BST: Hamburg have declared their interest in signing Barcelona youngster Alen Halilovic on loan, with sporting director Peter Knabel telling kicker that "he's on our radar," and the club stating on their official Twitter account that their "interest in the player can't be denied."

          Kicker, however, says there are now doubts as to whether the Bundesliga club can even afford the Croatian. Read More.

          12.40 BST: What's this? Why another update on Kevin De Bruyne, of course. The Belgium international's agent has spoken out on reports that Manchester City have made an offer for his client... "We are waiting to discover whether any agreement has been reached between the clubs," he is quoted as saying by Sky Sports. "That is for the clubs to decide, and not for us. There is no medical planned at this stage, and he is happy at Wolfsburg." Watch this space.

          12.29 BST: Leicester defender Liam Moore is set to be sent out on loan, sources have told ESPN FC, after not being named in the Foxes' match-day squad for Saturday's Premier League clash against Sunderland.

          12.22 BST: Manchester United fans won't like this one at all... Manchester City are, according to Mundo Deportivo, ready to beat their rivals to the signature of Pedro Rodriguez and have apparently already been in contact with the Barcelona man and his agent about a potential transfer. Prepare yourselves for a Manchester tug of war.

          12.10 BST: Despite having said only just over a week ago that Paris Saint-Germain want to sell him, Gregory van der Wiel could still yet stay at the club and even sign a new contract with the French champions, Foot Mercato claims.

          12.00 BST: Speculation regarding Xherdan Shaqiri's move to Stoke being back on intensified on Sunday when the Switzerland international was seen attending the club's defeat to Liverpool. Well, according to the Daily Telegraph, the Potters are set to complete a £12m move for the Inter Milan player in the next 48 hours after he passed a medical at their training ground and agreed a long-term deal.

          11.47 BST: Panama international Armando Cooper has been released from his contract at St Pauli after failing to make contact with the German second-tier side for several weeks. The 27-year-old holding midfielder only joined the club in January.

          11.35 BST: Martin Odegaard says he does not know whether he will be staying at Real Madrid or sent out on loan elsewhere this season. "First we have to come to the end of preseason and then we'll see," Odegaard is quoted as saying by AS. "I'm very happy in Madrid and that is all I can say at the moment." Read More.

          11.20 BST: Marseille are looking into the possibility of signing Jonathan de Guzman from Napoli, Foot Mercato reports. The Netherlands international has only been used sparingly since his move to the Serie A club from Swansea last summer.

          10.47 BST: Up next, it's the latest instalment from the ESPN FC TV team -- here they discuss, among other things, the possibility of Hugo Lloris moving to Manchester United...

          10.42 BST: Atletico Madrid are weighing up making a €10m bid for Lorient full-back Raphael Guerreiro, according to foot365. The Spanish side, however, may face competition from Paris Saint-Germain for the 21-year-old Portugal international.

          10.31 BST: Swansea are considering re-signing goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel after releasing him in the summer, sources have told ESPN FC. The 36-year-old, who spent four years at the Swans, is currently a free agent.

          10.27 BST: Papiss Cisse has insisted he is committed to staying at Newcastle, despite reports linking him with a move to Turkey and China. "I have a contract at Newcastle United, I need to be professional every time I play," he told The Chronicle. "I don't have a team to leave to, I am a Newcastle player."

          10.17 BST: We have yet another Kevin De Bruyne update for you... The Guardian is claiming that Manchester City have made an offer of £47m for the midfielder, rather than the £46m a number of other British newspapers reported this morning. It's the little details that count.

          10.04 BST: Javier Hernandez is a man in demand at the moment it seems... First we had talk of West Ham lining up a fresh bid for the Manchester United man, and now the Evening Standard states that Tottenham are confident of finalising a deal before the transfer window closes. The newspaper reports Spurs favour a loan move, although United would prefer to sell to a Premier League rival.

          09.52 BST: With Alessio Romagnoli reportedly on the verge of joining AC Milan, Roma apparently want to replace the defender with Inter Milan's Andrea Ranocchia. Corriere dello Sport claims the Giallorossi will have to splash out between €12-15m on the player, although Gazzetta dello Sport believes they will initially sign him on loan.

          09.40 BST: Mathieu Valbuena could be about to bring his spell in Russia to an end and return to France, with RMC reporting that he may complete his move from Dinamo Moscow to Lyon on Monday after the two clubs agreed a €5m fee for the midfielder.

          09.30 BST: Joe Gomez put in a decent shift at left-back on his Liverpool debut at Stoke on Sunday -- so much so that Brendan Rodgers now seems prepared to let Jose Enrique go. According to the Daily Telegraph, Enrique is set to join West Bromwich Albion on loan, with a deal likely to be completed this week.

          09.19 BST: Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller remains hopeful that the Bundesliga club can tie up a deal for Internacional's Charles Aranguiz. "We'll go to our limits and try to find a solution with Internacional," Voller said in Bild. "We spotted the player in January and will continue to fight for him. I still hold the strong belief that Aranguiz will play for us next season."

          09.09 BST: Over in France, RMC claims that St Etienne are expected to complete the signing of Jean-Christophe Bahebeck from Paris Saint-Germain on loan on Monday. The 22-year-old will also apparently be joined by Nice forward Neal Maupay, for whom Les Verts will pay a fee of €500,000.

          08.56 BST: Speculation has been building that Manchester United are closing in on a deal to capture Barcelona's Pedro Rodriguez... Well, AS is reporting that due to Neymar currently suffering from mumps, the European champions are now reluctant to let the Spain international go.

          08.40 BST: Arsene Wenger could be set to turn to Real Madrid midfielder Lucas Silva to help steady the Arsenal ship following Sunday's shock defeat to West Ham. AS claims that the Gunners are hopeful of securing a player they have had an eye on long before he joined Madrid in January.

          08.28 BST: Manchester United, according to The Sun, are on the verge of completing a deal to sign Lucas Biglia from Lazio for £17.5m. The newspaper reports that Louis van Gaal is keen to get the deal done before United's Champions League playoff first leg against Club Brugge next week.

          08.16 BST: West Ham enjoyed a day to remember with their win against Arsenal on Sunday, but Slaven Bilic does not appear to be resting on his laurels. If the Daily Star is to be believed, the Hammers are lining up a fresh bid of £12m for Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez after seeing an earlier offer of £8.5m rejected.

          07.46 BST: More from Corriere dello Sport: Juventus are looking at Mario Gotze and Ilkay Gundogan. As noted below, Gotze apparently wants to fight for his place at Bayern, but stranger things have happened. Gundogan, though, just renewed his contract at Borussia Dortmund and looks very likely to spend at least another year at the Westfalenstadion.

          07.29 BST: As mentioned in the tap-ins section below, AC Milan are getting very close to signing Alessio Romagnoli from Roma, Corriere dello Sport's front page reports.

          07.18 BST: There's a dubious recycled rumour doing the rounds, transferred from country to country, suggesting Arsenal are about to make a move for Mario Gotze. Besides the fact a player of his type is probably not Arsene Wenger's greatest concern right now, the reliable German publication kicker says the Germany international -- a confirmed Juventus target -- wants to stay at Bayern Munich and fight for his place.

          PAPER ROUND

          Manchester United revive Kane interest

          It's of the transfer stories that just won't go away -- Louis van Gaal has accused the media of overhyping Manchester United's need for a striker, and the Mirror has duly obliged by suggesting that the Red Devils have made "discreet enquiries" about Tottenham star Harry Kane.

          The paper reports that Van Gaal is desperate for a marquee signing this summer with United keeping tabs on England forward Kane, and would launch a bid if Spurs were found to be receptive to a move. The White Hart Lane side are said to be against selling their talisman in principle, but may listen if "big money interest" is shown in the 22-year-old.

          Stones put to the test

          In our modern society, people have the option to put off difficult decisions until they can be wished away, drunken away or simply forgotten, so spare a thought for John Stones.

          The 21-year-old is at a crossroads in his life given the relentless speculation linking him with Chelsea, Manchester United and Man City, and the Premier League champions are launching a third bid of £30m according to various British outlets.

          Phil Jagielka believes Stones' next choice will prove what type of person he is, saying: "It's not an easy scenario, it is difficult for John.

          "He is dealing with it really well. I have told him to just keep doing what he does because there is a reason why people want to sign him.

          "It is a little bit of test for him now. It is a test of character and we all know he has a good character."

          Van Gaal may sign defender

          Most Man United fans would surely have listed a new centre-back as the club's No. 1 priority before the start of the summer transfer window, but circumstances have dictated that Daley Blind and Chris Smalling are now Van Gaal's first-choice pairing at the back.

          But fear not, United faithful, as the Dutch coach says that he may still sign a new defensive recruit if he is "much better" than right-sided centre-backs Phil Jones, Paddy McNair and Smalling -- it's probably polite to hold your tongues at this point.

          The Mirror quotes Van Gaal as saying: "We go for the best players and it has to be possible," which seems to suggest a faint hope remains of signing Sergio Ramos from Real Madrid.

          Speaking of Madrid ... the Daily Mail reports that Los Blancos target David De Gea still wants to be considered for selection by Van Gaal despite the Dutch coach dropping him for Saturday's win over Spurs. The goalkeeper may be fighting a losing battle with that wish.

          In yet more United news, the Daily Star reports that West Ham are ready to meet Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez's £12m asking price to build on their impressive opening day win at Arsenal -- not a bad advert for life with the Hammers.

          Pulis coy over Berahino

          Saido Berahino should be a prime target for the Premier League's Champions League contenders considering he's 22, on the cusp of the England team and available at an affordable price, though nobody has taken the plunge yet.

          West Brom boss Tony Pulis wants to keep Berahino at The Hawthorns, but has not ruled out selling the £25m-rated forward if the likes of Tottenham or Manchester City come calling, telling reporters: "Never say never in football because you just don't know what's around the corner."

          The Baggies are reportedly closing on Zenit star Salomon Rondon for around £15m, so may in fact welcome a big bid for Berahino given that the youngster only has two years left on his contract.

          TAP-INS

          - Giovani dos Santos impressed on his MLS debut by grabbing a goal and an assist to lead the LA Galaxy to a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders on Sunday.

          Good luck to Gio on his first league game... Since Landon finished the Galaxy needed a great number 10... They have their man ️ good luck my friend @lagalaxy

          A photo posted by David Beckham (@davidbeckham) on

          David Beckham wished the Mexico international good luck before the game, and the former Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan and PSG midfielder had the desired effect with his words of wisdom.

          - AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani says Alessio Romagnoli's move from Roma is "99.8 percent done," in what is a huge boost to a Rossoneri defence that has failed to impress in preseason.

          The 20-year-old is set to sign for Milan for around €30m, and it seems he genuinely is the oyster that Milan coach Sinisa Mihajlovic pretended was a strawberry all along. Click here to find out how that makes sense.