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, goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Chelsea could make fresh move for Gordon
Chelsea are discussing a second approach for Anthony Gordon after they had an initial transfer offer worth £40 million turned down by Everton, reports Sky Sports.
The 21-year-old winger was given the No. 10 jersey by his club this summer, and has been forced into a striker’s role early this season due to injuries to other players. He played a leading role in helping Everton to avoid relegation last season, and has become a fans’ favourite having come through the club’s academy.
Frank Lampard’s side stood firm against enquiries from Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United earlier this summer, but there is now a new battle to keep him at Goodison Park.
The report suggests that the Toffees will want at least £50m to consider a deal, and Newcastle United could be prepared to re-join the race if Chelsea have an offer accepted.
Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel is prepared to offer players as part of an exchange deal, though early indications are that Everton would not be interested in reuniting with Ross Barkley.
Gordon scored four goals from 35 appearances in the Premier League last season.
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LIVE BLOG
11.38 BST: Barcelona remain active in the transfer window despite the problems they encountered registering their new signings for Saturday’s league opener against Rayo Vallecano, sources have told ESPN’s Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.
Barca managed to register four of their new signings just in time for that game, but Jules Kounde has not yet been inscribed with LaLiga. To do so, the Catalan club must first make more space within their league-imposed spending cap.
Therefore, they continue to work on moving on several players. Alex Collado is set to join Elche on loan, while Martin Braithwaite and Samuel Umtiti have also been told they can leave the club.
Elsewhere, Memphis Depay is in talks Juventus and Chelsea are keen on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, while the club remain open to offers for Sergino Dest and Frenkie de Jong, although both players have stressed a desire to stay.
Barca, who can now spend at a ratio of 1:1 again (meaning they can re-invest everything they make in fees or save in wages), hope to raise enough cash to not only register Kounde, but to make as many as three more signings.
The club want to close a deal for Chelsea left-back Marcos Alonso this week, maintain an interest in Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and also want to bring in a right-back before the window closes later this month.
10.59 BST: Manchester United have denied reports claiming that the club is likely to terminate Cristiano Ronaldo‘s contract, sources have told ESPN’s Rob Dawson.
The Portugal international has been heavily linked with a move away from Old Trafford this summer but the club remain adamant that he will not leave.
Speaking at a news conference on Friday, ahead of Saturday’s 4-0 loss at Brentford, Ten Hag said it was an “assumption” the 37-year-old wants a move and hinted that privately he has said he wants to stay.
“That is your assumption [that Ronaldo wants to leave] — that is not what he is telling me,” said Ten Hag.
“I deal with the players we have and we plan with him for this season and we are happy with him and we have to fit him into the team so he has to come at the right fitness levels so that he can do the job that we expect him to do.
“In every press conference we already confirmed that he is in our plans. We plan with him so we also plan around him.”
10.17 BST: Marco Asensio is facing a dilemma at Real Madrid, Marca reports, with “no minutes, no renewal offer and no clear exit” from the club.
Asensio, 26, scored 10 goals in 31 LaLiga appearances last season, but hasn’t featured at all in Madrid’s first two games this campaign — their 2-0 UEFA Super Cup win over Eintracht Frankfurt and a 2-1 league victory at Almeria.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti didn’t rule anything out speaking post-match on Sunday, saying “we’ll have to wait until (August) 31 to see what happens and what he decides.”
According to Marca, Asensio’s problem is that he expected to receive “more attractive offers in a sporting and financial sense” after switching to be represented by agent Jorge Mendes, but they haven’t yet arrived.
09.31 BST: Italian left-back Destiny Udogie is expected to undergo a medical in London today to complete his transfer to Tottenham Hotspur from Udinese.
Udogie, 19, will join Spurs in an €18m transfer, plus €7m in add-ons from Udinese. Once he signs with Spurs, Udogie will return to Udinese where he will play on loan for the 2022-23 campaign.
Udinese signed the Italy U21 starlet on a permanent transfer from Hellas Verona earlier this summer for a reported €4m after spending last season on loan with the Friuli outfit.
“I haven’t spoken to him yet,” Udogie told reporters at the airport when asked about Spurs coach Antonio Conte. “The national team is an aim of mine and I hope to get there as soon as possible.”
On remaining at Udinese this season, Udogie — who is under contract with Udinese until June 2026 — said: “I just want to grow as much as possible and continue to give the team my best.”
08.43 BST: Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Tiemoue Bakayoko from Chelsea, reports Calciomercato.
Forest have been the most active club in the transfer market this summer having been promoted back to the top flight, and they see the midfielder as an important addition.
Bakayoko is halfway through a two-season loan at Serie A club AC Milan, but it hasn’t gone to plan with just 18 appearances last season. He isn’t seen as part of the club’s plans for this campaign, but they also have an obligation to make the loan a permanent deal at the end of the season.
It means Milan have been looking for solutions, and Forest could be it if there can be agreement on his reported £93,000-a-week wages.
Bakayoko joined Chelsea from AS Monaco in 2017 but has played just 43 games for the club. He is in his second loan spell at Milan, and has also had temporary stints back at Monaco and with Napoli.
08.00 BST: Chelsea are ready to step up their interest in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of the transfer deadline, reports The Daily Mail.
Aubameyang, 33, has been identified as a player who could help solve Chelsea’s goal-scoring problems. He only joined Barca in February after his Arsenal contract was cancelled by mutual consent, and since scored 11 goals in 13 starts.
Barca have strengthened their forward line this summer with Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, while Ousmane Dembele has signed a new contract. The Gabon international was only used as a late substitute in Barca’s goalless draw at home to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, and could find minutes hard to come by.
Mundo Deportivo reports that Aubameyang is happy at Camp Nou, but moving him on would help Barca financially — especially if they were to get around €25m.
PAPER GOSSIP
– Leeds United are looking at signing winger Wilfried Gnonto, reveals Gianluca Di Marzio. Jesse Marsch’s side are currently looking for a replacement for Raphinha after he joined Barcelona, and it is reported that a fee in the region of €5m would be enough to persuade Zurich to part ways with him. The 18-year-old contributed to 11 goals in 33 appearances last season in the Swiss league, and he has also represented the Italy national side.
– Abdul Mumin is on the radar of both AFC Bournemouth and Fulham, writes Ekrem Konur. Both Premier League sides are looking to enhance their centre-back options before the transfer window closes, and it looks as though they have identified the 24-year-old Vitoria star as a potential solution. The Portuguese side would be prepared to accept a transfer offer worth €5m.
– Jakub Kiwior could be set to leave Spezia this summer, with AC Milan and West Ham United understood to be racing for his signature. That’s according to Calciomercato, which reports that while the Hammers submitted a €10m proposal, the Serie A club are confident that they can receive a higher figure for the 22-year-old Poland international defender.
– Everton are interested in landing Armando Broja, according to CBS. The Toffees have identified the 20-year-old striker as a potential solution with Dominic Calvert-Lewin injured, but Chelsea are reluctant to allow him to leave Stamford Bridge on a permanent deal this summer. Broja came on as a substitute during the Blues’ 2-2 draw with Tottenham on Sunday.
– There’s been plenty of interest in Internazionale centre-back Milan Skriniar, but the Nerazzurri are keen to keep him at the San Siro, reports Gazzetta dello Sport. The 27-year-old centre-back has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, but manager Simone Inzaghi wants to ensure that he remains in Italy beyond this summer. Skriniar played 87 minutes on Saturday as Inter defeated Lecce 2-1 in their Serie A opener.
