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          LIVE Transfer Talk: Man United eye move for Serbian midfielder Racic

          • ESPN
          Sep 16, 2020, 03:30 PM

          The coronavirus pandemic has made the transfer market uncertain -- and you can find out when the windows open and close here -- but here are the rumours floating around Europe's big leagues and beyond. Plus, check out all the latest major completed transfers across Europe.

          TOP STORY: Man United eye Serbian midfielder Racic

          Manchester United have already spent €45m on one midfielder this summer, Ajax's Donny van de Beek, but are now weighing up a move for Valencia's Uros Racic, according to The Sun.

          Racic, 22, arrived from Red Star in 2018 for around €2m but hasn't settled in Spain and spent time on loan at Famalicao in Portugal and Spanish outfit Tenerife.

          The Serbia U21 international has a €100m release clause in his contract but Valencia are struggling financially and reports suggest they could be open to offers around €30m.

          Central midfield doesn't seem an obvious place for United to be adding players right now, as they continue to make Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho a priority, but Racic would provide competition to compatriot Nemanja Matic as the 32-year-old nears the end of his career.

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          LIVE BLOG

          23.00 BST: That will do it for the latest edition of our LIVE Transfer Talk blog. We hoped you enjoyed following along with us and remind you to check back shortly for the latest transfer rumours, reports and completed deals. Goodnight!

          22.46 BST: Christian Pulisic at Chelsea, Weston McKennie at Juventus and now Sergino Dest to Barcelona?

          The Daily Telegraph's Mike McGrath claims that Barcelona are set to beat out Bayern Munich and Manchester City for the United States and Ajax right-back.

          The 19-year-old, who was born in the Netherlands but has an American father, has risen rapidly over the last year at Ajax, attracting interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs. McGrath claims that Dest is expected to complete a move to the Catalan club, who also boast another talented young American, Konrad de la Fuente, among their ranks.

          Signing Dest would allow Barcelona to sell current right-back Nelson Semedo, who has been linked with Man City, Bayern Munich and Wolves in recent weeks.

          22.02 BST: Birmingham City have their "new" No. 9, having signed Republic of Ireland international Scott Hogan for an undisclosed fee.

          A proven commodity at the Championship level, Hogan bagged seven goals in 17 games last season for Birmingham while on loan from city rivals Aston Villa. The 28-year-old, who has eight caps for Ireland, has appeared in the Championship for Brentford, Villa, Sheffield United, Stoke City and Birmingham, notably bagging 14 goals in 25 appearances for the Brentford back in 2016-17.

          21.29 BST: Tottenham outcast Danny Rose is closing in on a £5 million move to Genoa, according to the Daily Star.

          The left-back, 30, was on the fringes at Spurs after the arrival of Jose Mourinho and spent the second half of last season on loan at Newcastle. With the Euros pushed back to next summer, Rose will hope a good season in Italy can earn him an unlikely spot back in Gareth Southgate's England squad.

          Genoa would prefer a loan with Rose available for free next summer but the clubs are still discussing various options.

          20.42 BST: Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are readying a formal £36 million bid for Lyon midfield ace Houssem Aouar, according to French TV station Telefoot Chaine.

          The report adds that the 22-year-old Aouar is now at the top of Arsenal's shopping list -- even ahead of Atletico Madrid's Thomas Partey. With Lyon having failed to qualify for European football this season, Aouar, who scored nine and assisted 10 last season from midfield, is thought to be available for the right price.

          Earlier Wednesday, Arsenal raised £20 million in funds with the sale of backup goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to Aston Villa.

          20.04 BST: Roma are close to landing one of Serie A's top young defenders in Hellas Verona's Marash Kumbulla.

          Il Corriere dello Sport reveals Roma will bring in Kumbulla initially on loan, with the club having an obligation to buy the for around €30 million next summer. The report adds that the 20-year-old is currently in Rome completing his medical and will sign a five-year contract worth €1.5 million annually plus bonuses.

          19.16 BST: With Liverpool expected to contend for the Premier League title again, youngster Rhian Brewster figures to be loaned out in order to gain valuable experience.

          Sky Sports reports that both Sheffield United and Crystal Palace both in talks for the English starlet, who last season starred on loan with Swansea. Brewster, 20, has made four senior appearances for the Reds to date but previously was a central figure with Liverpool and England's underage teams.

          Brewster has said he wants to fight for a place at Anfield but it looks as if the former Under-17 World Cup winner will be going on loan at least for the first half of the season, anyways.

          18.31 BST: Danny Welbeck is fit again but where does his football future lie?

          Football Insider has learned that Turkish giants Fenerbahce and Besiktas are ready to battle over the former Man United and Arsenal man. Now 29, Welbeck, who has had his career hampered by injuries, was relegated last season with Watford.

          17.57 BST: Could Dele Alli be on the way out at Tottenham?

          Jose Mourinho's decision to leave the England man out of Spurs' squad for their Europa League trip to Bulgaria will only add fire to recent speculation that Alli could be moved ahead of the Oct. 5 transfer deadline. PSG have long been admirers of Alli, while Inter's Antonio Conte is also a noted fan of the England international.

          With Spurs rumoured to be closing in on Gareth Bale, and Steven Bergwijn arriving last January, could Alli, who has had his ups and downs with Tottenham, suddenly be expendable?

          17.12 BST: Leicester City are in talks for a pair of highly-rated youngsters, according to the Daily Mail.

          First, the Foxes are in talks with Roma over a loan deal for Turkish winger Cengiz Under. In the proposed deal, Leicester would have an option to purchase the 23-year-old Turk, who was linked with a £50 million move to Man City a few years ago, for £24 million next summer.

          Leicester are also looking to sign a centre-back with Saint-Etienne teenager Wesley Fofana, reportedly their top target. Saint-Etienne are looking for £27 million for the 19-year-old but Leicester have yet to meet their valuation of the Frenchman.

          Busy times at the King Power!

          16.30 BST: Arsenal are closing on the signing of Dijon goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson, says Sky Sports.

          The Gunners' backup keeper Emiliano Martinez completed a £20m move to Aston Villa on Wednesday and they now need competition for Bernd Leno.

          Runarsson, 25, is an Iceland international and has emerged as Arsenal's top choice after Brentford refused to sell goalkeeper David Raya.

          15.49 BST: Club America coach Miguel Herrera has spoken about calls from some fans for him to leave the club (via Fox Sports).

          "I'm not asking for support, I have a solid career and I'll continue to have work," he said. "I'm very happy in America and I hope to continue for many years, but if tomorrow I have to leave because of results, another team will give me the chance to keep working and I will be grateful, above all to the people at America. I insist, if you are a real Americanista, you have to support the boys."

          15.23 BST: Who would you sign? Harry Kane or Robert Lewandowski?

          15.00 BST: Leeds United have announced the signing of winger Crysencio Summerville from Feyenoord.

          Summerville, 18, has penned a three-year contract at Elland Road, running until the summer of 2023.

          14.55 BST: Manchester United are tracking Atalanta winger Amad Traore, but not as an alternative to Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho, reports the MEN.

          Traore, 18, has played just 30 minutes in Serie A for Atalanta so far but clearly did enough to impress the United scouting team.

          In Atalanta's 7-1 thrashing of Udinese, Traore become the youngest player to score on his Serie A debut at 17 and 109 days. As a result, he was linked with moves to Manchester City, Arsenal and Juventus but Parma have since emerged as the most likely club to take him on loan.

          14.39 BST: Timo Werner believes he made the right decision to choose Chelsea over Liverpool as the two clubs prepare to face each other in the Premier League this weekend.

          The 24-year-old joined the Blues this summer in a deal worth £47.6m after months of speculation linking Werner with a move to Anfield, as well as plenty of interest from Manchester City and Manchester United.

          "When I decided to leave Leipzig, I talked to different clubs, of course. Next to Chelsea, there were some other clubs I talked to. But for me I don't want to talk so much about other clubs because at the end I decided for Chelsea. There are some other clubs like Liverpool, they have a great team and maybe I could fit good in some other team but in the end I decided for Chelsea because it was the best decision I could take, not only because of the style of football but also what they have shown me.

          "I think it was a hard decision but I am very, very excited and proud and happy that I decided like this. When I'm here now for maybe two months, it feels right. It feels very good. The team is brilliant. We have some very good but always calm players. It is fun to play here at Chelsea, to be part of the team. We can do very well with this team in the next few months and years."

          14.24 BST: Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa looks set to leave and Turkish giants Fenerbahce are keen, says AS.

          Costa, 31, returned to the club from Chelsea in the 2018 January transfer window but has scored just 10 goals in La Liga since then. The Spain international was linked with a move to Tottenham, and a reunion with former boss Jose Mourinho, but now Fenerbahce are making a move.

          Fenerbahce let striker Vedat Muriqi move to Lazio for around €18m and need a replacement.

          14.09 BST: Calciomercato reports that Roma winger Cengiz Under could leave the club this summer for €23m.

          The Turkey winger had been linked with Arsenal but now there is interest from Leicester and Newcastle at a slightly lower price.

          13.15 BST: Are Champions League holders Bayern Munich going to struggle next season?

          12.58 BST: Manchester City full-back Angelino has told Bild that he never considered not joining RB Leipzig again on loan, amid reported interest from Barcelona.

          "It's great that one of the biggest clubs in the world wanted me," he said. "But it was always clear in my head that I wanted to stay at RB and not join another club, no matter which."

          12.25 BST: Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has said he tried to sign Gareth Bale for Real Madrid but refused to comment on Spurs' pursuit of the winger.

          Sources have told ESPN that Spurs are locked in talks with Real over a deal to bring the 31-year-old back to north London seven years after he moved to Spain in what was then a world record £85.3m fee.

          Speaking ahead of Tottenham's Europa League second qualifying round match with Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Mourinho said: "Gareth Bale is a Real Madrid player, I don't comment on players from other clubs. I tried to sign him for Real Madrid which was not possible. There is no secret on that. I think even Gareth knows that."

          12.00 BST: Villarreal have signed Watford's Pervis Estupinan for a reported fee of €15m.

          Estupinan, 22, has been tipped for big things in Europe and the Ecuadorian joins new Villarreal boss Unai Emery, having played for Osasuna on loan last season. He has reportedly signed a seven-year contract at the club.

          12.00 BST: Inter Milan have announced the signing of FC Luzern striker Darian Males.

          The 19-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the Nerazzurri and is set to be sent out on loan, reportedly to Genoa.

          11.51 BST: Fiorentina have re-signed midfielder Borja Valero on a free transfer after three years with Inter Milan.

          Valero, 35, began his career at Real Madrid and scored three goals in 25 games for Inter last season. He was a Fiorentina player from 2011-17 where he made over 200 appearances.

          11.37 BST: Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac is of interest to Bayer Leverkusen, AS Roma and former club Schalke, says Bild.

          Kolasinac, 27, has fallen behind Kieran Tierney in the pecking order at left-back and may choose to move on if his friend Mesut Ozil departs this summer.

          Leverkusen raised over €100m with the transfers of Kai Havertz and Kevin Volland to Chelsea and AS Monaco and Kolasinac could be available for around €10m.

          11.11 BST: Lyon winger Memphis Depay has been linked with a €25m move to Barcelona, but where would he fit in?

          10.42 BST: Ronald Koeman asked Barcelona to sign Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku when he took over at Camp Nou last month, according to Esport3.

          Barca are in the market for an attacker to replace Luis Suarez, who they have so far unsuccessfully tried to move on this summer. Lukaku's strike partner at Inter, Lautaro Martinez, is a long-term target but is deemed too expensive at over €100m.

          Lyon's Memphis Depay has emerged as another option. The Dutch forward could be available for around €25m as he has less than one year to run on his deal, although Barca must sell before they can buy.

          But sources have told ESPN that Koeman would like to add a classic target man to his squad to increase his options in attack. Lukaku, Esport 3 says, was the player he suggested but Barca, after looking into the possibility of signing the Belgium international, ruled out making a move.

          Lukaku, 27, joined Inter from Manchester United last summer for €74m. He scored 23 goals in 36 league games in his debut campaign in Italy.

          10.00 BST: Aston Villa have completed the signing of Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez for around £20m.

          "I always had that feeling that I would have my chance at Arsenal," Martinez said in an Instagram video yesterday. "Season after season I was always trying to come back to the club I love [from loan] to try and have my chance.

          "I waited, I worked past the frustration because football is not always easy, like everyone thinks. I'm proud to overcome my frustration and show the Arsenal fanbase what they missed 10 years ago, because I knew I could do the same thing years before. I truly believe that keepers go at different times and on different paths. For me, it was hard, but I knew there was light at the end of the tunnel."

          09.51 BST: Barcelona will try and sign United States international Sergino Dest on loan from Ajax if they can sell Nelson Semedo this summer, according to Mundo Deportivo.

          Dest, 19, was linked with Barca earlier in the summer but his agent, Joes Blakborn, told ESPN at the time that Bayern Munich were the only club to have displayed a serious interest in signing the right-back. However, Mundo claims that the U.S defender is very much on Barca's radar as they attempt to overhaul their squad following last month's 8-2 Champions League defeat to Bayern.

          Barca need to sell before they can buy and see Portugal international Semedo as one of the few players who could bring in a sizeable fee. If they can move him on, the idea is to bring in a cheaper option to compete with Sergi Roberto for the right-back position.

          The offer for Dest would reportedly be on an initial one-year loan with an option to buy next summer, so the incoming president could make the final call on the deal.

          09.28 BST: Gareth Bale needs to get out of Real Madrid if he wants to play. Is a return to Tottenham a good idea?

          09.10 BST: Eibar have announced the loan signing of Newcastle United striker Yoshinori Muto.

          08.49 BST: Jose Mourinho has sanctioned Tottenham's attempt to re-sign Gareth Bale, despite being warned by former Real Madrid associates that the 31-year-old will struggle to meet expectations in the Premier League, sources have told ESPN's Mark Ogden.

          As reported by ESPN on Tuesday, Spurs have moved ahead of Manchester United in the race to sign Bale, who has been told he can leave Real, either on loan or for a £18m transfer, after falling out of favour with coach Zinedine Zidane.

          United have expressed an interest in the Wales international, but any move for Bale depends on the outcome of their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho, which remains at an impasse.

          With Spurs being able to offer Bale the certainty of a move and the chance to play first-team football, the player now favours a return to the club he left for Real in an £85.3m deal in August 2013 and talks began earlier this week to strike a deal.

          08.29 BST: It's a good time to be an Arsenal fan with the team top of the Premier League (albeit just one game into the season) and star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang now officially on board for the foreseeable future.

          After months of wrangling, Aubameyang has agreed a new three-year contract that will reportedly make him the highest paid player at the Emirates and keep him there beyond his 34th birthday.

          With 72 goals in 111 games for the club already, Arsenal were obviously more than happy to crow about it.

          08.00 BST: Tottenham Hotspur are in pole position to beat Manchester United in signing Real Madrid full-back Sergio Reguilon, multiple sources have told ESPN.

          Real and Spurs have agreed a fee of around €30m and the defender will sign a five-year contract, although the final details of the move are now being worked out.

          How VAR decisions affected every Premier League club in 2020-21 Real Madrid -- who were impressed with Reguilon's progress on loan at Sevilla FC last season -- have insisted on the inclusion of a buy-back option.

          The 23-year-old would prefer a move to Old Trafford but United have yet to agree to Real's demands for the buy-back clause, something Spurs have accepted as part of negotiations with the Spanish giants.

          PAPER TALK (by Shaun Reynolds)

          Bayern ready to move for Hudson-Odoi again?

          Bayern Munich nearly recruited Chelsea academy prodigy Callum Hudson-Odoi in January 2019, with the England youngster going so far as reportedly putting in a transfer request before ultimately penning a new five-year contract at Stamford Bridge nine months later. Nearly two years on, the eight-time defending German champions are preparing to take another run for the 19-year-old.

          The Mail reports that after a summer spending spree that's seen Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech join an attacking corps that already included Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount, Hudson-Odoi might feel opportunities are too limited in west London as he prioritises playing time ahead of next summer's European Championship. And Bayern are growing increasingly hopeful that Chelsea could entertain offers for the winger with their newfound depth in attack.

          The report suggests that there is hope that a deal could be concluded before the transfer window closes on Oct. 5, with Juventus also said to be monitoring the situation.

          Chelsea fought tooth and nail to keep the prized academy product two years ago. Will they be as committed to keeping one of their own with such a glut of coveted young attackers in their ranks? Bayern will be hopeful those in the Blues' boardroom are asking themselves the same question.

          Spurs ready to offer Dele in Bale bid

          The shock transfer news of Tuesday was that of Tottenham Hotspur's move to bring Gareth Bale back to the Premier League, as reported by ESPN's Mark Ogden and Alex Kirkland. But it gets better.

          According to the Daily Telegraph, so desperate are Spurs to bring their former talisman back to north London that they're willing to offer Real Madrid Dele Alli to get the deal done. As anyone who's already watched "All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur" will know, manager Jose Mourinho is a great admirer of Dele, so to be willing to part with the 24-year-old to secure Bale's signature is an enormous statement.

          It emerged Tuesday that any such deal for Bale would see Los Blancos pay a portion of Bale's wages, and the Telegraph writes that the figure is 50% of the 31-year-old's £600,000-a-week pay packet.

          Manchester United are also in frame to make a move for Wales international Bale, but as of now a return to Spurs is the more likely option.

          Juve growing pessimistic of Suarez deal

          While Juventus reportedly have already agreed personal terms with Barcelona striker Luis Suarez on a three-year contract, Goal reports that the Bianconeri are becoming pessimistic that they'll be able to seal the deal for the Uruguay international.

          The roadblock here is that Juve already have a full allotment of foreign players, and the club were hopeful that Suarez, whose wife is from Italy, would be able to secure an Italian passport to comply with Serie A regulations. However, those hopes are now fading as the 2020-21 season kicks off this weekend.

          As such, the Old Lady is now looking for alternative options, with AS Roma captain Edin Dzeko being chief among them, with the capital club closing in on a move for Napoli front man Arkadiusz Milik.

          Tap-ins

          - Leeds United haven't given up hope on signing Udinese playmaker Rodrigo De Paul, according to Football Insider. The website reports that Leeds are ready to table a loan-to-buy offer for the 26-year-old, who could join them permanently should Marcelo Bielsa meet Udinese's £37m price tag.

          - The Mirror writes that Everton are preparing to offload a glut of players to help balance their books following another summer of investment, with Theo Walcott, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Bernard, Moise Kean and Alex Iwobi among 10 players the Merseyside club will look to shift permanently.

          - Sheffield United's initial £3m plus add-ons bid for Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun has been laughed off, with the Gunners demanding at least five times the sum of Blades' offer, according to the Daily Mail.