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          LIVE Transfer Talk: Inter Miami close in on Jordi Alba

          • ESPN
          Jul 6, 2023, 08:33 PM

          The summer transfer window is now open in Europe, and there's plenty of gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!

          TOP STORY: Alba to join Messi, Busquets in Miami?

          Inter Miami's pursuit of Jordi Alba appears to be gaining momentum, according to The Athletic.

          The 34-year-old left-back is a free agent after leaving Barcelona this month, and the MLS club are now reportedly growing confident that a deal will be reached.

          In 11 years and 459 appearances at the Spotify Camp Nou, the veteran full-back won 16 major honours, including five LaLiga titles, five Copa del Reys and the UEFA Champions League.

          The Spain international would reunite with former teammates Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets, with Inter Miami's managing owner, Jorge Mas, revealing that the Herons were in negotiations with Alba last week.

          Should Alba join the club, despite being linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, he would not count toward the club's three designated player slots.

          Inter Miami are bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, with 17 points from 20 matches, and nine points adrift from the playoff places, with 14 games to go.

          - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga & more (U.S.)
          - Read on ESPN+: Explaining the language of the transfer window

          LIVE BLOG

          21.33 BST: Atletico Madrid striker Alvaro Morata is closing in on a move to AC Milan, reports Gazzetta dello Sport. The 30-year-old Spain international recently signed a new contract through 2025-26, but he's keen to return to Italy -- where he played for Juventus from 2014-16 and 2020-22 -- and would be willing to accept a pay cut of €5m a season to make it happen.

          Morata, who scored 13 goals in 36 LaLiga appearances last season, has a release clause of around €12m. The Rossoneri are expected to offer a four-year contract, with Juve and Saudi Pro League club Al Ettifaq also interested in his signature.

          21.00 BST: Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi has joined Inter Milan on loan with an obligation to make the move permanent, the Serie A sides announced on Thursday. AC Milan, Juventus and Roma reportedly also had been keen on securing the signature of the 23-year-old Italy international.

          20.43 BST: AC Milan have signed midfielder Luka Romero on a free transfer, the Serie A side announced on Thursday. The 18-year-old Argentina youth international has signed a four-year contract at the San Siro after leaving Lazio as a free agent this month.

          20.27 BST: FC Porto are interested in a loan move for Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, but he is expected to stay with Mauricio Pochettino's squad for preseason, according to the Evening Standard. The 19-year-old Brazil international signed for the Blues in January from Vasco da Gama, where he remained on loan last season, and with the departures of N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic he may now have a role to play at Stamford Bridge.

          19.54 BST: Juventus centre-back Leonardo Bonucci has held talks with Newcastle United over a potential move to St. James' Park, according to Calciomercato. The 36-year-old Italy international, who has one year remaining on his contract with the Bianconeri, has previously announced his plans to retire next summer, with more than 500 appearances during his two stints with the Turin giants.

          19.37 BST: Manchester United on Thursday increased their offer for Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana to €50m total (€45m plus another €5m in add-ons), and there is now growing confidence at Old Trafford that a deal can be agreed, sources have told ESPN's Rob Dawson. The Nerazzurri are demanding a transfer fee of €60m for the 27-year-old Cameroon international. Read the full story.

          19.21 BST: Newcastle United are leading the race to sign Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes, reports the Guardian. The 25-year-old once-capped England international is expected to depart King Power Stadium this summer following their relegation from the Premier League, and has also attracted interest from Aston Villa, Tottenham and West Ham.

          While the Foxes had previously demanded a £50m transfer fee, their second-division status may force them to consider a lower fee. The Magpies view Barnes as a potential replacement for Allan Saint-Maximin on the left flank, with a move to the Saudi Pro League a possibility for the 26-year-old winger.

          18.48 BST: Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg is eyeing a move to Atletico Madrid, according to the Daily Mail. Despite Spurs' initial reluctance to engage in negotiations for the 27-year-old Denmark international, talks between the two sides are progressing. Bayern Munich are also interested in the player who spent four years affiliated with the Bavarian club, but Hojbjerg has expressed a desire to move to the Spanish capital instead.

          18.32 BST: Bayer Leverkusen have signed Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka from Arsenal on a five-year deal, the Bundesliga club announced on Thursday. Financial details were not disclosed but British media reported the German club paid a €25m transfer fee to sign the 30-year-old. Read the full story.

          18.15 BST: Inter Milan are exploring a deal for Spezia right-back Emil Holm, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. The Nerazzurri are meeting with the agent of the 23-year-old Sweden international to negotiate a move, with the recently relegated side asking for a transfer fee of around €15m.

          17.42 BST: Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has completed his medical and is set to be announced as a new Bayer Leverkusen player, Sky Sport Deutschland's Florian Plettenberg reports. The 30-year-old Switzerland international will join the German club on a five-year contract after the Gunners received a €25m transfer fee.

          17.09 BST: Atletico Madrid have confirmed the signing of Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta on a free transfer. The 33-year-old Spain international spent 11 years with the Blues, making 508 appearances for the west London club, and now returns to LaLiga for the first time since leaving Osasuna for Marseille in 2010.

          16.36 BST: AC Milan, Inter Milan, RB Leipzig, AS Monaco and Marseille all are interested in Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun, according to the Daily Mail. The 22-year-old U.S. international scored 22 goals in 39 appearances with Stade de Reims, where he spent last season on loan, and the Gunners are looking to leverage that success to secure a £50m transfer fee for a player with two years remaining on his contract and an uncertain future in north London.

          16.03 BST: Bernardo Silva is being offered three times his Manchester City salary to move to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, sources have told ESPN's Rob Dawson. Silva earns around £150,000 a week at the Etihad Stadium but he is being tempted to move to Saudi Arabia with a deal worth closer to £500,000 a week. Read the full story.

          15.30 BST: Chelsea have said goodbye to Cesar Azpilicueta as the defender prepares to sign for Atletico Madrid on a free transfer.

          Azpilicueta, 33, only penned a new one-year deal with the west London club earlier this year, but they have now released him so he can return to Spain without a transfer fee.

          A statement issued by Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali said: "Cesar leaves an everlasting mark at Chelsea, as a warrior, as a champion, and as loyal Chelsea legend. He has set the standards at the club for more than a decade and demonstrated to everyone what is required day in, day out to achieve success."

          14.57 BST: Real Madrid have signed 18-year-old midfielder Arda Guler from Fenerbahce, the club announced on Thursday.

          Guler had a €17.5 million ($18.4m) release clause and Los Blancos have beaten off competition from rivals Barcelona to sign the teenager. He has put pen to paper on a six-year deal at the Bernabeu and will be presented by the club on Friday afternoon.

          ESPN reported earlier this week that Barcelona had tried to beat Madrid to Arda's signature and had sent sporting director Deco to Istanbul to negotiate a transfer, causing Madrid to up their offer and land the highly rated prospect.

          Guler made 35 appearances for Fenerbahce last season, scoring six goals and providing seven assists.

          14.21 BST: Barcelona will meet with Oriol Romeu's agent as they step up their interest in the Girona midfielder, sources have told ESPN's Sam Marsden Moises Llorens.

          Romeu, 31, came through Barca's academy before moving to Chelsea in 2011 and has been singled out as a low-cost option to replace the outgoing Sergio Busquets.

          Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi and Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich were coach Xavi Hernandez's first-choice targets but the Catalan club's financial situation has forced them to look elsewhere.

          "We need to strengthen [at the base] of the midfield but we are in a tricky situation [financially]," Xavi said at the launch of his soccer school on Thursday. "We don't have the privilege of being able to sign who we want, so we have to adapt."

          13.44 BST: Paris Saint-Germain have completed their second signing of the day, with midfielder Marco Asensio following the earlier capture of Milan Skriniar. Both players arrive on free transfers, from Inter Milan and Real Madrid respectively.

          PSG are looking for a fresh start after Lionel Messi left the club to join Inter Miami CF while Kylian Mbappe is involved in a contract dispute.

          Asensio spent nine years with Real Madrid and his contract at the club expired this summer. Sources had told ESPN that Madrid made an attempt to renew his contract, but the 27-year-old decided to leave in search of more regular first-team football.

          Aston Villa, Juventus and AC Milan had also shown interest in Asensio, sources told ESPN, but the good relationship between Jorge Mendes, Asensio's agent, and Luis Campos, PSG's sporting director, was key in the negotiations.

          13.10 BST: Manchester City women have completed the signing of Netherlands international Jill Roord from VfL Wolfsburg on a three-year deal.

          12.41 BST: Gabriel Jesus said he decided to leave Manchester City when head coach Pep Guardiola made him cry after leaving him out of the starting lineup in a Champions League game.

          The Brazil international worked under Guardiola for five years at the Etihad stadium before joining Arsenal last summer, a move he said made him feel "free."

          "There was a Champions League game, PSG, at home, in which he put [Oleksandr] Zinchenko as a false 9. Crazy thing," Jesus said. "The day before, he didn't even use him [Zinchenko] in training, he had put me in as a striker... Zinchenko even joked with me: 'that day I felt bad for you.'

          "Two hours before the game, there's a team talk, the team eats, rests for 30 minutes and goes to the game. He told us the team... I didn't even eat. I went straight to the room, crying, I called my mother to talk: 'I want to leave.' I'm going home, because he put him [Zinchenko] on, and he didn't put me on. He put a left-back there. I went crazy."

          12.05 BST: Davide Frattesi is on the verge of joining Inter Milan on loan from Sassuolo.

          According to news agency Ansa, the 23-year-old has undergone a medical in Milan ahead of his move to the Nerazzurri. The deal, which includes an obligation for Inter to sign Frattesi on a permanent transfer, will cost around €33m.

          11.33 BST: Alexis Sanchez is the latest player to be linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, reports L'Equipe.

          The 34-year-old is out of contract at Marseille, and it set to reject the chance to stay at the Ligue 1 with the contract on the table offering a reduced salary.

          The report says that the former Arsenal, Manchester United and Inter Milan forward has already moved out of his house in the city.

          11.00 BST: Sky Sport Italia reports that Napoli are hoping to tie star striker Victor Osimhen to a new contract which includes a huge release clause.

          Osimhen, 24, is one of the most-wanted forwards in Europe, having helped Napoli to the Serie A title last season. He has been linked with a series of clubs, including Chelsea and Manchester United.

          The Nigeria international is, however, expected to stay in Naples for one more season and will be rewarded with improved terms. Napoli will protect themselves with a release clause of €200m.

          10.33 BST: Paris Saint-Germain have announced the signing of centre-back Milan Skriniar on a five-year contract. The 28-year-old left Inter Milan at the end of last month when his contract expired.

          "I am very happy to be part of this wonderful club", the Slovakia international said. "PSG is one of the best clubs in the world, with world-class players and fantastic fans."

          10.00 BST: Manchester United's Scott McTominay is among the candidates that Roma are looking at to strengthen their midfield, Sky Sport Italia reports. The Giallorossi are looking to bring in an experienced player, and the Scotland international fits the profile.

          Bayern Munich's Marcel Sabitzer and Paris Saint-Germain's Renato Sanches are the other names Roma are monitoring closely.

          McTominay, 26, is under contract with the Red Devils until June 2025 and made 39 appearances across all competitions for United last season.

          09.16 BST: West Ham are negotiating with Juventus over the transfer of Swiss midfielder Denis Zakaria. According to Sky Sport Italia, the Hammers have made an €18m bid to sign Zakaria.

          The offer is considered low as Juve want at least €25m to let the player leave on a permanent transfer. Juve are nevertheless optimistic that a deal could be reached next week.

          Zakaria, 26, spent last season on loan at Chelsea and has a contract until June 2026.

          08.30 BST: Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe must sign a new contract if he wants to stay at the club, as the French champions will not let him leave for free next year, club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has said.

          Mbappe sent a letter to PSG last month stating that he had no intention of extending his contract, which expires in 2024. But he later clarified that he had not asked the French club to allow him to move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, who have in the past tried and failed to land the World Cup-winning forward.

          PSG face the dilemma of allowing Mbappe to run down the final year of his contract and being unable to recoup any of the €180m ($195.7m) they spent in 2017 to sign him from AS Monaco.

          PAPER GOSSIP

          - Tottenham Hotspur have presented Harry Kane with a £200,000-a-week contract in a bid to keep him at the club next season, the Guardian reports. The position of the club's chairman, Daniel Levy, remains that the 29-year-old striker will extend his contract with Spurs under new manager Ange Postecoglou. However, it is reported that the England international has no intention of extending his deal while the transfer window is still open and has been heavily linked with a move to Thomas Tuchel's Bayern Munich.

          - Arsenal have reached an agreement in principle for Jurrien Timber, Sky Sports reports. The 22-year-old defender is set to join the Gunners from Ajax for £38.5m, an initial £34.2m with a further £4.3m payable in performance-related add-ons. The Netherlands international, who has made 160 appearances for the Eredivisie club since coming through the academy, is expected to have a medical in north London in the coming days.

          - Al Ettifaq have made an official offer for Atletico Madrid's Alvaro Morata, according to Relevo. The Saudi Arabian club, who have appointed Steven Gerrard as their new manager, have offered €40m plus €10m in add-ons for the 30-year-old striker.

          - West Ham United and Galatasaray are interested in Arsenal's Nuno Tavares, according to TuttoMercatoWeb. However, the 23-year-old left-back, who spent last season on loan at Marseille, will turn down those advances and hold out for a move to a higher-profile club. The Gunners are said to want £21m to part ways with the Portugal under-21 international, who joined them from Benfica in 2021.