<
        >

          Transfer Talk: Chelsea to offer Alvaro Morata plus £35m for Inter striker Mauro Icardi

          • ESPN staffMay 24, 2018, 07:27 PM ET

          The transfer window is open, and Transfer Talk has the latest rumours making the rounds. Follow live with our daily blog throughout the summer.

          TOP STORY: Chelsea propose striker swap with Inter

          Chelsea will propose a sensational striker swap deal to Inter Milan involving Alvaro Morata and Mauro Icardi, according to reports in Italy and Spain.

          The Blues would offer the Spanish forward plus £35 million to convince the Nerazzurri to sell their captain.

          The Argentinian was left out of Jorge Sampaoli's World Cup squad despite finishing the season as the top scorer in Serie A with 29 goals.

          Morata's debut season in the Premier League fizzled out with inconsistent form and a lingering back problem, leaving him with just 15 goals total. Sources in both Italy and Spain reported on the potential deal, with the Blues eager to rebuild after failing to qualify for the Champions League.

          LIVE BLOG

          23.00 BST: That will do it for our LIVE Transfer Talk today but check back in a few hours as we pull all the latest rumours, links and completed deals from around world football. Enjoy the Champions League final!

          22.55 BST: Tottenham have reportedly made Wilfried Zaha their No. 1 target and are stepping up their pursuit of the Ivory Coast international.

          The Guardian lists Anthony Martial as a fallback plan for Spurs but Zaha is reportedly top of Mauricio Pochettino's wishlist.

          The figure £100 million has been tossed around when discussing the Crystal Palace winger, who when healthy, is one of the more creative and trickier players in the Premier League.

          Last season, Zaha scored nine goals and produced three assists for the Eagles but that does not accurately portray how much pressure he puts on opposing defences.

          In fact, Zaha ranked first in the league in fouls suffered per game (2.62), second in successful 1v1s per game, (4.10) and 12th in chances created per game (1.79), showing just how much of a handful he can be.

          22.44 BST: -- DONE DEAL -- Southampton have inked Mark Hughes to a new three-year contract. Hughes, who took over at St Mary's in March, helped the Saints avoid relegation with a couple of massive late-season results.

          Judging by this production, Southampton seem pretty happy with the new deal.

          22.32 BST: Could Arsenal be closing in on signing a new winger? Swedish paper Expressen claim the club have opened up talks with RB Leipzig ace Emil Forsberg about a possible move to the Emirates.

          The Swedish international had only five goals and four assists in all competitions last season but the year prior set the Bundesliga alight with eight goals and a league-best 19 assists.

          Forsberg would have big Swedish boots to fill at Arsenal, as Anders Limpar and Freddie Ljungberg were two accomplished Swedes who enjoyed lengthy spells at the London club.

          22.05 BST: According to reports out of France, Marseille are the latest club to enquire about Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini.

          L'Equipe have reported that Marseille have held talks with Fellaini and his people about a potential move to the Europa League runner-ups.

          This move seems unlikely as Marseille's sports director Andoni Zubizarreta indicated that the club would have trouble meeting Fellaini's wage demands. Roma, AC Milan, Monaco and a couple of clubs in Turkey have all been linked with the 30-year-old Belgium international who has been at Old Trafford since 2013.

          21.40 BST: Brighton have made a move for Reading defender Liam Moore according to Sky Sports.

          The 25-year-old defender started all 46 games for Reading in the Championship last season and previously played briefly for Leicester City in the Premier League.

          21.04 BST: Man United have been closely linked with Toby Alderweireld and Fred in recent days but could a La Liga youngster be Jose Mourinho's first signing of the transfer window?

          Reports out of Spain suggest that United and Barcelona are going head-to-head for Real Betis central defender Fabian Ruiz and that Man United have already tabled a £26 million offer which would meet the Betis man's buy-out clause.

          Lionel Messi is also reportedly a big fan of Ruiz and is pushing Barcelona hard to beat United to signing the Under-21 Spain international.

          20.33 BST: PSG's Adrien Rabiot has been in the news this week for his reaction to being snubbed from the French World Cup squad but now there is a second reason.

          Italian outlet CalcioNapoli24 claim that Napoli, having recently hired former PSG boss Carlo Ancelotti, are interested in signing the 23-year-old midfielder.

          Rabiot has been linked with a move away from Parc des Princes, with Arsenal, Tottenham and Juventus all thought to be potential landing spots.

          It surely has been an eventful few weeks for the young Frenchman...

          20.08 BST: According to HITC, Hull City are one of three English clubs keen on signing Scunthorpe winger Hakeeb Adelakun.

          The 21-year-old scored five goals and provided 14 assists in 49 games for Scunthorpe and is also being closely monitored by Nottingham Forest and Sunderland.

          19: 50 BST: Young Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt is quickly turning into one of the more coveted players in this summer's transfer window.

          According to Calciomercato.com, Juventus have entered the ring to fight for the young Dutch defender's services.

          The highly-rated 18-year-old is also being pursued by Man City, Barcelona and Tottenham and is represented by super agent Mino Raiola

          19.18 BST: Manchester United are set to be dealt a double blow in their transfer pursuit of Juventus duo Douglas Costa and Alex Sandro.

          With rumours heating up surrounding both players and Man United, Juventus CEO Beppe Marotta has chimed in on both players.

          In regards to Costa, Marotta was decisive saying "We will buy him back from Bayern Munich before June 30th". If Costa's buy clause is indeed activated like Marotta says it will be that would seem to rule out a move for the Brazilian.

          The Juve CEO was less assured regarding Sandro: "We will meet next week with his representative and I think there's a desire to extend the contract." Sandro has been rumoured with a move away from the Allianz Stadium for over a year now but these recent comments suggest that may not be set in stone just yet.

          18.51 BST:The other day we discussed Rio Ave midfielder "Pele's" Instagram which hinted at him signing with a new club.

          ✍🏿✍🏿

          A post shared by Pelé (@pele56) on

          The Portuguese's recent comments further the thought that he is on the move but to where? Pele told A Bola, via Sport Witness, the following:

          "I'm going to analyse the proposals with my family and choose the one that I want the most. As a child I wanted to play in the Premier League.

          "Plus my whole family lives in London and going for it would be the icing on the cake. I only see them in holiday periods. It would be a unique opportunity to be near them."

          It sounds like Pele is coming to England and Portuguese-influenced Wolves remain the hot favourites to sign the 26-year-old Guinea-Bissau international.

          18.30 BST: -- DONE DEAL -- Staying with Man United, Under-23 Red Devils captain Joe Riley has sealed a move to League One side Bradford City on a two-year contract.

          The right-back made two first-team appearances under Louis van Gaal back in 2015-16 and had been in the United system since the age of six.

          18.10 BST: Manchester United youngster Timothy Fosu-Mensah has called his loan experience at Crystal Palace "amazing" but says he is ready "to compete at Manchester United and try to play", in an interview for Palace's club website.

          The 20-year-old Dutchman played in 21 Premier League games for the Eagles but figures to face stiff competition at parent club Man United for a starting place. Fosu-Mensah is one for the future but don't be surprised if he is out on loan again next season.

          17.45 BST: After a thoroughly disappointing debut season at Milan, Croatia international Nikola Kalinic in insistent on staying at the San Siro.

          According to Calciomercato.com, the forward has already rejected moves to Bayer Leverkusen, Lokomotiv Moscow and Eintracht Frankfurt and remains adamant about proving himself at Milan.

          Kalinic scored just six goals in 41 games for Milan after arriving from Fiorentina.

          16.50 BST: Barcelona and France defender Samuel Umtiti has admitted that he has heard nothing regarding a new contract at the Catalan club.

          Umtiti has been linked with a move to both Manchester City and Manchester United in 2018.

          16.18 BST: One-time Tottenham target and fan Jann-Fiete Arp looks set to leave Hamburg after their relegation from the Bundesliga, but not to Spurs.

          The 18-year-old striker is the subject of interest from Bayern Munich, say Bild.

          16.12 BST: Fabinho was earlier linked with Atletico Madrid, but now it appears Manchester United have thrown their hat into the ring.

          16.00 BST: We have a done deal! Brighton have officially announced the signing of Florin Andone from Deportivo La Coruna...

          15.50 BST: From Gianluca Di Marzio, Argentina starlet Lautaro Martinez has arrived in Italy to finalise a contract with Inter.

          15.45 BST: Back over at Arsenal, the Guardian say they are in talks with Stephan Lichtsteiner over a free transfer from Juventus.

          The 34-year-old made over 200 appearances for the Old Lady, and is an international teammate of Granit Xhaka.

          15.35 BST: Ramiro Funes Mori could finally be leaving Everton, and reports in Mexico believe he could be about to team up with his twin brother Rogelio at Monterrey.

          While not a regular at Goodison Park, Funes Mori will certainly have left a lasting impression in English football if he were to leave, notably pointing to the Everton badge after being sent off at Anfield and giving us a great chant to the tune of 'Girl Don't Like Boys'.

          15.27 BST: Manchester United are lining up a £30 million for Valencia right-back Joao Cancelo, according to The Mirror.

          Cancelo spent the season on loan at Inter, who possess an option to make that deal permanent but it looks unlikely that they will do so.

          Southampton's Cedric Soares is also seen as possible competition for Antonio Valencia.

          15.18 BST: Staying in Portugal, Record also say that Arsenal are leading the way for Benfica's Serbian midfielder Andrija Zivkovic.

          The Telegraph too say that the Gunners are looking for midfield reinforcements, namely in Roma's Lorenzo Pellegrini and Sampdoria's Dennis Praet.

          15.05 BST: Conflicting reports coming out of Portugal regarding Manchester United target Anderson Talisca. O Jogo claim the Benfica forward knows of the interest from the Red Devils but that he has not received an offer, while Record reckon an offer will not even come.

          Talisca's been the repeated subject of transfer news in Portugal, and there is little to suggest that these rumours from the continent will go away soon.

          14.28 BST: Brighton are set to sign Deportivo La Coruna striker Florin Andone and the deal could be done by weekend, sources close to Brighton have told ESPN FC.

          14.19 BST: Done Deal! An outgoing at Manchester United ...

          14.08 BST: Mauricio Pochettino gave Tottenham a boost on Thursday when he signed a new deal and apparently that could trigger a raft of renewals. According to the Evening Standard, Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Hugo Lloris, Jan Vertonghen and Son Heung-Min are in line for new terms.

          13.56 BST: More from Spain now and despite their relegation from La Liga, Deportivo are hopeful of renewing Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde's loan. "Federico has told us in private conversations that he would want to stay on with us next season, and he has made similar comments in the press," sporting director Carmelo del Pozo said.

          13.43 BST: Betis coach Quique Setien says Barcelona midfielder Denis Suarez and Real Madrid's Dani Ceballos are his top targets. He told Onda Cera: "We hope we can be in a position to compete for these players, but it is very difficult for various factors, to get these signings right."

          13.15 BST: A little one, but we don't discriminate here at Transfer Talk. Done Deals, rumours, we're up for it all. So, with that in mind:

          Brighton have completed a deal for out-of-contract Yeovil youngster Joseph Tomlinson.

          13.08 BST: A big boost new Arsenal head coach Unai Emery: apparently he has more money than expected for new players this summer.

          12.55 BST: Bild in Germany say Hannover are poised to take Stoke's Kevin Wimmer on a season-long loan, with an option to buy.

          12.22 BST: Manchester United are determined to resist attempts by Tottenham to include Anthony Martial in any deal for Toby Alderweireld, sources have told ESPN FC.

          11.58 BST: Maurizio Sarri to Chelsea keeps gathering pace and according to The Evening Standard, he wants to take three Napoli players with him to Stamford Bridge he if does succeed Antonio Conte: right-back Elseid Hysaj, midfielder Piotr Zielinski and 32-year-old defender Raul Albiol.

          11.46 BST: Another forward to have struggled since moving to a new club, Barcelona's Paco Alcacer, is on Valencia and Real Betis' radar, according to Mundo Deportivo.

          11.38 BST: Jon Walters had a tough time at Burnley last season, enduring an injury-hit campaign following his move from Stoke. He made just one start following his £3m switch and could be on the move again. "I have spoken to the manager and I think I'm available to go if needs be," he said. Any takers?

          11.37 BST: Does this sound like the words of a man totally committed to staying at Bayern Munich? Take it away, Thiago Alcantara: "Let's see. I told you I renewed with Bayern last year, but it's very complicated. Football is very difficult."

          11.06 BST: Samuel Umtiti to Manchester United created a lot of buzz back in January but it appears that one can be scratched off the list. SPORT reckon after further negotiations, the centre-back will continue at the Camp Nou -- and Barca want to announce an extension before the World Cup.

          11.02 BST: Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal has a contract with the Bundesliga champions until 2019 but is reportedly keen to move back to Juventus, the club he left in 2015.

          10.46 BST: A clearout at Monaco? Vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has said Atletico Madrid are interested in Fabinho, and admitted other key players could also leave the club this summer.

          10.30 BST: Long been linked with the Premier League, could Isco's move to England finally come to fruition? Mundo Deportivo believe Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is trying to lure the Real Madrid man to the Etihad.

          10.02 BST: Take a look at what Fred has said about his future. Here's a teaser from the Manchester United target: "Talks have been at an advanced stage since January, if I am not mistaken."

          09.30 BST: This from our Manchester City correspondent, Jon Smith: Manchester City have had talks with representatives of Jorginho but his future is still to be decided and he could still remain at Napoli.

          09.23 BST: Get the latest insight on Manchester United's transfer dealings here. ESPN FC's senior football writer Mark Ogden discusses the likelihood that Toby Alderweireld, Fred and Alex Sandro move to Old Trafford this summer.

          09.17 BST: Whoaaaa. And whoaaaa again. "Madrid has received two offers for Marco Asensio for €150 million, but the club has rejected both of them," Horacio Gaggioli, the player's agent, told Spanish radio. So, who's putting up that sort of cash?

          09.06 BST: Interesting line, this. Gianluigi Buffon's agent Silvano Martina to Le Parisien: "We are happy that Gigi will be in Paris next season." Agent talk, or could things be moving along on this one?

          08.56 BST: As come-and-get-me pleas go, this is pretty good stuff from Tianjin Quanjian forward Pato. The Brazilian won the league with the Rossoneri during his six seasons at the club before moving to China and he wants to return. "I'm in love with Milan and the city, so I couldn't say no (to a return)," Pato told Gazzetta dello Sport.

          "I still have a year-and-a-half left on my contract, but never say never. If Gattuso calls me, I could recommend a striker to him ..."

          08.48 BST: We're 99 percent transfers in here, and one percent other stuff. C'mon ... who ya got?

          08.21 BST: Loris Karius may have won Jurgen Klopp's trust for now, but Liverpool are still said to be in the market for a goalkeeper. According to calciomercato, Gianluigi Donnarumma is an option but at present the Reds are put off by AC Milan's valuation.

          08.18 BST: Done Deal! Relegated Bundesliga side Cologne sign right-back Benno Schmitz, 23, on a four-year deal from RB Leipzig.

          08.08 BST: This is what Transfer Talk was made for. An internet sleuth has spotted that Fred has liked a comment on Instagram that says "Fred is Red." Is this a sign? What does it all mean?

          08.01 BST: Manchester United appear set to make Fred their first summer signing -- or do they? The Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder has been rather cryptic over his future: "Maybe after the World Cup I will make the choice," the midfielder said. "Now I am only thinking about the World Cup."

          A choice between who, exactly?

          08.00 BST: Welcome, one and all, to another LIVE edition of Transfer Talk. It's nearly the weekend, the Champions League final is on Saturday and there's plenty of delicious gossip about. Let's dig in, shall we?

          PAPER TALK (By Matt Stanger) Liverpool intent on landing Fekir for £60m

          Liverpool will intensify their interest in Lyon star Nabil Fekir after the Champions League final, a source told ESPN FC.

          The France international inspired Lyon to Champions League qualification this season with 23 goals and eight assists in all competitions.

          The Reds could use the 24-year-old as a replacement for Philippe Coutinho -- if not in the same role, then as a player who could make a difference in deciding big games.

          The Telegraph reports that Fekir would cost around £60m, which when added to the £75m fee paid for Virgil van Dijk would almost equal the £142m received for Coutinho from Barcelona in January.

          The addition of Fekir would bolster an already scintillating attack and allow Jurgen Klopp's side to better compete in Europe and in the Premier League. Attention next season will turn to winning that elusive 19th league title and showing consistency after producing a peak to match any side in Europe this term.

          Arsenal want Roma star

          Arsenal have joined the race to sign Lorenzo Pellegrini, with Unai Emery keen on the Roma star.

          Sky Sport Italia claims the Gunners will compete with Juventus for the 21-year-old, who will be available at just £26m due to a buyout clause. (The Giallorossi already have decided to target Bryan Cristante, who has thrived on loan at Atalanta, as a potential replacement.)

          Emery has highlighted the midfield as an area to strengthen at the Emirates and wants Arsenal to compete for Nice star Jean-Michael Seri as well, with the Ligue 1 club willing to let the Ivorian leave for around £35m.

          Spurs eye star trio after Pochettino commits to club

          Mauricio Pochettino appears to have got his way with Daniel Levy concerning investment at Tottenham after penning a new five-year deal, and now it will be up to the club to deliver in the market.

          The Mirror claims the immediate targets for Spurs will be Manchester United's out-of-favour Anthony Martial, Ajax centre-back Matthijs de Ligt (given Toby Alderweireld's uncertain future) and Fulham's super talent Ryan Sessegnon.

          Pochettino is also willing to clear out his squad by listening to offers for Danny Rose, Mousa Dembele and Fernando Llorente.

          Tap-ins

          -- Jose Mourinho will make a move for Mario Mandzukic, according to Sky Sport Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio. The Juventus star is high on Mourinho's list of potential strikers, while West Ham's Marko Arnautovic is another candidate.

          -- Inter Milan have identified Roma star Radja Nainggolan as their ideal midfield signing this summer. Di Marzio reports the Belgian is on Luciano Spalletti's wanted list, though Cagliari's Nicola Barella is also under consideration.