LIVE Transfer Talk: Juve make move for Liverpool’s Firmino

The summer transfer window is here, and there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: Juventus make move for Liverpool’s Firmino

Juventus have offered Liverpool €23 million to sign striker Roberto Firmino, according to Tutto Juve.

Firmino, 30, is in the final year of his contract, though has expressed no desire to leave Anfield this summer and reportedly wants to pen new terms.

However, the forward will likely struggle for a place in Jurgen Klopp’s starting lineup this season, with new €100m signing Darwin Nunez set to lead the attack alongside Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz.

Nonetheless, the Brazil international has impressed in his last three starts in preseason, so Liverpool will need to decide what the future holds for him quickly.

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LIVE BLOG

21.37 BST: Valencia have contacted Juventus regarding a deal for midfielder Arthur, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. The 25-year-old was left out of the Bianconeri‘s preseason tour of the U.S. by Massimiliano Allegri and is seemingly surplus to requirements in Turin.

There are complications, however. Fabrizio Romano adds that the Brazil international’s significant wages could prove a stumbling block for Los Che, who finished last season ninth in LaLiga.

21.04 BST: Arsenal have reportedly lowered their demands for the transfer of goalkeeper Bernd Leno as negotiations progress with Fulham, according to the Evening Standard. The Gunners had been asking for a transfer fee of £10m for the 30-year-old goalkeeper, and having fallen down the pecking order in Mikel Arteta’s team — first behind Aaron Ramsdale, now United States No. 1 Matt Turner, too — the Germany international is keen for a move to Craven Cottage, which allows him to remain in London and continue playing in the Premier League.

20.31 BST: Southampton are aiming to hijack Bayer Leverkusen‘s deal for Manchester City winger Samuel Edozie from Manchester City, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Bundesliga outfit reportedly have already agreed a €6m fee for the 19-year-old England youth international, but the Saints have entered the race at this very late stage having already signed City academy graduates Gavin Bazunu and Romeo Lavia, and had a bid rejected for Liam Delap.

19.58 BST: West Ham United have agreed personal terms with Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca ahead of a the Italy international undergoing medical on Tuesday, reports Sky Sports. The 23-year-old is flying to London after agreeing to a five-year contract with an option to extend for a further year, after the Hammers agreed to pay the Neroverdi a £30.5m transfer fee with £5m in add-ons, for the striker who scored 16 goals in 36 league appearances last season.

19.25 BST: Fulham have agreed a deal with Shakhtar Donetsk attacker Manor Solomon that will see him move to Craven Cottage until June 2023, the Premier League club announced on Monday. Following the FIFA ruling allowing Ukraine-based players to suspend their contracts, the 23-year-old exercised that option and now moves to the Premier League for a year-long stay, after the Israel International scored six goals in 16 appearances before the Ukrainian Premier League was halted due to Russia‘s invasion of the country.

Welcome to Fulham, @Manorsolomon!#ManOfTheHour | #FFC

— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) July 25, 2022

18.52 BST: Tottenham Hotspur will compete with Juventus for the signature of AS Roma attacker Nicolo Zaniolo, according to Tuttosport. The 23-year-old has been pursued by the Italian giants for several months, but Spurs have just made contact for the versatile Italy international, with managing director Fabio Paratici leading discussions in Italy. The Bianconeri will reportedly propose a loan with an obligation to make the transfer permanent, while Jose Mourinho’s side want Zaniolo to commit to the Italian capital club beyond the expiration of his contract in 2024.

18.19 BST: New York City FC forward Valentin Castellanos has completed a season-long loan move to LaLiga side Girona, it was announced on Monday. Castellanos, who won the MLS Golden Boot last season, was rumored to be leaving NYCFC for much of the past 18 months. Brazilian side Palmeiras made offers for the forward but did not meet the MLS club’s $15m valuation, sources have told ESPN. Read the full story.

Benvingut @tatycaste11anos ?

— Girona FC (@GironaFC) July 25, 2022

17.46 BST: Chelsea forward Timo Werner could return to RB Leipzig after expressing concern over the lack of game time in west London, according to Sky Sport Deutschland. The 26-year-old Germany international has struggled since completing his £47.5m move to Stamford Bridge in 2020, scoring just 23 goals in 89 appearances, and his relationship with manager Thomas Tuchel has become strained following recent comments about a possible departure.

Although Werner reportedly eyes a return to Leipzig, no concrete negotiations have taken place. The striker has three years remaining on his contract, which sees him earn £272,000 per week as one of Chelsea’s highest earners.

17.29 BST: Manchester United have signed Spain forward Lucia Garcia from Athletic Club on a two-year deal, the Women’s Super League side announced on Monday. The 23-year-old scored 63 goals in 161 appearances in the past six years at the Spanish outfit and will bolster United’s attacking ranks after the arrival of former Tottenham Hotspur forward Rachel Williams earlier this month. Read the full story.

Say hola to our newest Red! ??

?? @Luciadelapola17#MUWomen pic.twitter.com/hKLEkofrWZ

— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) July 25, 2022

17.13 BST: Nottingham Forest have agreed a deal for VfB Stuttgart midfielder Orel Mangala, reports the Athletic. The newly promoted Premier League side will pay a transfer fee of around €15m for the 24-year-old, who made 28 Bundesliga appearances last season, and the Belgium international is set to become Steve Cooper’s 11th signing of this summer transfer window. As if the Midlands club weren’t busy enough, they also lead Everton and Fulham in the race to sign Burnley forward Maxwel Cornet.

16.40 BST: After a pair of underwhelming loan spells in the Premier League with Fulham and Leicester City, RB Leipzig winger Ademola Lookman could soon be on his way to Italy with Atalanta, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. The 24-year-old Nigeria international has typically lined up on the left side of the attack, but can also play as a second striker or on the right, and that versatility is appealing to La Dea coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

16.07 BST: Chelsea are close to walking away from negotiations to bring Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde to Stamford Bridge, according to the Guardian. As of late last week, talks were at an advanced stage and the 23-year-old France international appeared to be on the verge of a move to west London, but things have since stalled out, as Barcelona maneuver to sign Kounde from the Andalusian club, and for a lower fee than the £55m Chelsea have offered.

15.34 BST: Would Cristiano Ronaldo really move to Atletico Madrid?

14.37 BST: Udinese right-back Nahuel Molina has landed in Madrid to complete his transfer to Atletico Madrid.

Molina, 24, told reporters at the Barjas airport: “I’m very happy. Now I have to undergo my medical to become an Atletico player… After that I’ll be able to speak to you all.”

14.25 BST: FC Salzburg striker Benjamin Sesko is on the radar of Manchester United, says Fabrizio Romano.

The 19-year-old Slovenia international has been linked with Newcastle, but Salzburg hilariously tweeted their desire for a transfer fee if United do make a move.

Just €300m plus United midfielder Bruno Fernandes …

13.50 BST: Bayern Munich are moving on from Robert Lewandowski with the signing of Rennes’ striker Mathys Tel.

Tel, 17, is undergoing a medical at Bayern today, says Bild, and the two clubs have agreed a fee of around €30m.

The Frenchman broke into the Rennes first team last season but will have some big boots to fill at Bayern if he’s deemed the replacement for Lewandowski.

13.06 BST: Chelsea need new signings, and quickly, to avoid going backwards this season, writes Mark Ogden.

Chelsea have done well to sign Sterling (27) from Manchester City and Koulibaly (31) from Napoli, but they are both signings for the here and now, rather than for the future. And with Lukaku returning to Inter Milan on loan, and Rudiger (Real Madrid) and Christensen (Barcelona) leaving as free agents, Sterling and Koulibaly are arguably plugging gaps created by departures as opposed to adding to existing strength and quality. This was a summer when Chelsea needed to build and re-focus rather than plug gaps.

Winning the FIFA Club World Cup and reaching the finals of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup — both lost on penalties to Liverpool — might paint a picture of a successful season for Chelsea, but Tuchel will know that his team suffered an alarming loss of form in the final weeks of last term, winning just three of their last 10 games in all competitions.

For the former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain coach, the uncertainty off the pitch was mirrored by a loss of direction on it and preseason has done nothing to reassure him that things are changing in both areas.

12.42 BST: Manchester United want to sign Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic if they fail to land Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, says Calciomercato.

United need a midfielder and have agreed a total €85m fee for De Jong, though the player has reservations about joining a club not in the Champions League.

Milinkovic-Savic, 27, has been regularly linked with a big move since arriving in Rome in 2015, but his contract runs out in 2024 and he could move on for around €70m this summer.

12.00 BST: Should Sevilla’s Jules Kounde choose Barcelona or Chelsea?

11.22 BST: Real Madrid were interested in signing Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City this summer before he joined Arsenal for £45m, Cadena SER reports, but the forward’s Brazilian passport put the brakes on a deal, with Madrid’s three non-EU player squad spots currently occupied by Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Eder Militao.

Jesus, 25, has made an immediate impact at Arsenal, scoring four goals so far in preseason.

According to Cadena SER’s El Larguero show, Madrid were keen on bringing in “a player like Gabriel Jesus who knows how to be a substitute, come on and score goals,” with the club and manager Carlo Ancelotti both in favour of his signing, before accepting that his nationality made the move impossible.

11.02 BST: Former Real Madrid midfielder Jose Callejon has joined Granada.

Callejon, 35, left Madrid in 2013 for Napoli and spent the last two years with Fiorentina.

10.55 BST: Real Madrid forward Borja Mayoral is “very close” to joining Getafe, Marca reports, as the LaLiga champions look to trim their squad ahead of the new season.

Madrid academy product Mayoral, 25, spent the second half of last season on loan at Getafe, scoring six goals in 18 appearances to help them secure their survival in the First Division.

Getafe would pay a fee of around €10m to sign Mayoral, according to Marca, with the final details of a five-year contract now being worked on.

10.17 BST: Atletico Madrid believe a deal to bring Cristiano Ronaldo to the club is “inviable” according to Marca, while sources close to the player insist that “nothing can be ruled out.”

The newspaper lists the factors influencing a potential move, saying that Atletico currently have no room within their LaLiga salary cap and would need to organise departures for at least two players including Alvaro Morata, who has been linked with a return to Juventus.

Even so, Ronaldo would have to take a pay cut on what he earns at Manchester United to make the deal possible, Marca reports, and in any case the 37-year-old would be concerned about how fans at both former club Real Madrid and Atletico would react to his arrival.

09.44 BST: Manchester United defender Brandon Williams is being targeted by Brighton, says The Daily Mirror.

Williams, 21, spent last season on loan at Norwich and doesn’t seem to have a future at United.

Brighton will be keen on the full-back if Manchester City land left-back Marc Cucurella for around £50m.

09.07 BST: Former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas is set to join Serie B club Como, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Fabregas, 35, is a free agent following the expiry of his Monaco contract, after a season in which he played only six times.

Como last played in Serie A in 2002-03 and finished 13th in Serie B last year.

08.30 BST: Barcelona president Joan Laporta has told ESPN that Lionel Messi‘s “chapter” at the club is “not over” and considers it his responsibility to ensure the forward has a “more beautiful ending” at the Camp Nou.

Messi ended his 21-year spell at Barca when the club could not afford to renew his contract last summer, with the forward subsequently joining Paris Saint-Germain, which he helped to the Ligue 1 title.

“Messi was everything,” Laporta said exclusively to ESPN. “To Barca, he’s been possibly its greatest player, the most efficient. To me he’s only comparable to Johan Cruyff. But it had to happen one day. We had to make a decision as a consequence of what we inherited. The institution is in charge of players, coaches.

“I would hope that the Messi chapter isn’t over. I think it’s our responsibility to try to … find a moment to fix that chapter, which is still open and hasn’t closed, so it turns out like it should have, and that it has a more beautiful ending.”

PAPER GOSSIP (by Abbie Ingham)

– Harry Maguire has rejected a move from Manchester United to Barcelona as part of swap deal for Frenkie de Jong, reports the Mirror. The 29-year-old centre-back and club captain reportedly refused to depart Old Trafford this summer, deciding to fight for a starting place next season following his loss of form. This decision was reportedly influenced by new manager Erik ten Hag, who regards Maguire as a key figure in the dressing room.

– Barcelona have beaten Chelsea to the transfer of Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, according to Sport. The Catalan side are ready to sign 23-year-old to a four-year deal and pay Sevilla €50m, with €10m in add-ons. The France international looked destined to join Chelsea earlier this week, with the London side tabling a higher offer of €65m. However, Barcelona are willing to pay the entire fee up front, whilst the Blues offered to pay in installments.

– Chelsea are eyeing a transfer swoop for Manchester United transfer target Denzel Dumfries, reports Gazzetta dello Sport. The two Premier League sides would reportedly have to pay Internazionale a fee of €40m or higher for the 26-year-old Netherlands wing-back, as the Nerazzurri look to balance their wage bill. Inter initially looked to achieve this through the transfer of Milan Skriniar, but his exit has stalled with Paris Saint-Germain reportedly unwilling to match the 27-year-old’s €80m price tag. Chelsea could reignite their interest in Dumfries, as they previously enquired about him during negotiations for Romelu Lukaku.

– Eintracht Frankfurt‘s Filip Kostic is considering a West Ham United switch, according to Bild. The 29-year-old, who registered 15 assists and seven goals in 42 appearances last season, is yet to respond to the Bundesliga side’s offer of a three-year contract extension. The Serbia international is reportedly interested in a move to the Premier League, however, the midfielder would have to leave Champions League football behind as West Ham are only competing in the Europa Conference League.

– PSG are looking to complete two transfers by next week, according to L’Equipe. The Ligue 1 side are already close to completing a five-year deal for RB Leipzig‘s Nordi Mukiele, with the 24-year-old defender reportedly coming to an agreement on personal terms. The Parisians are also in advanced talks for Lille star Renato Sanches, but negotiations for the 24-year-old midfielder are reportedly evolving too slowly for PSG sporting director Luis Campos, who wants the two transfer targets to join preseason training.