<
>

LIVE Transfer Talk: Man United eye Khedira on a free transfer

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 Khedira on a free transfer

Sami Khedira's contract looks set to be terminated at Juventus and Manchester United are interested in signing him, according to The Sun.

Khedira, 33, joined on a free transfer in 2015 after leaving Real Madrid but made just 18 appearances for the Bianconeri last term after struggling with injury.

After the signings of Weston McKennie from Schalke and Arthur from Barcelona, the German is set to drop down the pecking order in Turin and the club could save a reported €6m in salary per season by letting him go.

United are keen to bolster their midfield and have been linked with a number of players, including Valencia's Uros Racic.

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!

22.34 BST: With Gonzalo Higuain headed to South Beach, Juventus were always going to sign a replacement striker.

Goal is reporting that that man will be Roma's Edin Dzeko, with the 34-year-old set to sign a two-year deal with the Old Lady. The report adds that Juve will pay Roma €16 million for the Bosnian and then pay Dzeko around €7.5M in salary per season.

Since arriving in the Italian capital in 2015, Dzeko has scored 106 goals in 122 games for the Giallorossi, including 19 in 43 games last campaign. Juve had also been linked with Luis Suarez, Alvaro Morato, Edinson Cavani and Arkadiusz Milik at different times during this transfer window.

21.52 BST: QPR recently lost their top attacking source in Eberechi Eze but they may be close to finding a replacement.

Rangers have entered a second bid for Charlton frontman Macauley Bonne, who was relegated from the Championship last season with Charlton, talkSport understands. The 24-year-old, who plays internationally for Zimbabwe, scored 11 goals in his first season in the second tier, an impressive hail after jumping all the way up from the National League.

QPR could use some more goals in their team and Bonne has a knack for deliver those, having scored 56 league goals between Leyton Orient and Charlton over the past three seasons.

21.25 BST: What's next for Tottenham's Ryan Sessegnon?

The former Fulham wonder boy has yet to settle since moving across London, having played just 12 times last season Jose Mourinho initially indicated Sessegnon, 20, would stay and be a part of the club's plans this season but with Sergio Reguilon set to arrive from Real Madrid, there is talk the youngster could now be loaned out.

Football Insider has learned that Tottenham are now willing to loan out the left-back/left-winger, representing a major U-turn of the club's stance earlier this summer. Will Sessegnon stay or go? We might not know that answer until October 5th.

20.56 BST: West Brom have made a major acquisition, announcing they have agreed a deal for Chelsea starlet Conor Gallagher on loan.

The 20-year-old is one of England's highest rated young prospects and is fresh off an impressive loan spell in the Championship. A box-to-box midfielder by trade, Gallagher, 20, has starred for various England underage teams and last season racked up six goals and 11 assists last season on loan split between Charlton and Swansea.

WBA beat off a host of other Premier League clubs for Gallagher's services, including Crystal Palace, Newcastle and Leeds United.

20.02 BST: Staying in MLS for a moment... the Seattle Sounders have brought back fan-favourite Brad Smith on a permanent deal.

The ex-Liverpool left-back, who spent the 2018-19 season with the Sounders on loan from Bournemouth, was a big hit in MLS, registering six assists and helping the Sounders win MLS Cup. The Australia international, 26, had been a free agent after spending last season on loan with Cardiff City in the Championship.

19.09 BST: MLS expansion side FC Cincinnati are monitoring Chilean centre-back Juan Fuentes, according to reports in South America.

The 25-year-old, who plays in Argentina with Estudiantes, is said to be nearing a move to MLS, with Cinci a "probability." A former Chile Under-20 international, Fuentes previously played six seasons for Chilean side O'Higgins.

18.28 BST: Bayer Leverkusen have emerged as favoruites for an out-of-favour Arsenal defender.

Sky Sports Germany suggests that the German side are leading the race for Sead Kolasinac, who reportedly wants to return to Germany for family reasons. The German-born, Bosnia and Herzegovina international, who previously played in Germany with Schalke, is apparently available for £10 and also on the radar of Schalke and Roma, according to Bild.

17.53 BST: West Brom are preparing a late swoop for Aston Villa striker Mbwana Samatta, according to a the Sun.

The report states that Slaven Bilic wants to take the Tanzania international on loan, with Samatta available now that Villa have added Ollie Watkins. Samatta, 27, scored just two goals in 16 appearances last season for Villa after arriving for a reported £8.5 million. The striker, who is also linked with Turkish giants Fenerbahce, was prolific in Belgium before arriving in Birmingham, scoring 32 goals in 51 games with Genk in 2018-19.

West Brom currently have Callum Robinson, Charlie Austin, Hal Robson-Kanu and Kenneth Zohore as strikers on their books.

17.07 BST: Arsenal have done some good business this summer -- Willian on a free, new contracts for Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, signing Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille and selling Emi Martinez for £20 million -- but what are they at now?

With Arsenal closing in on Dijon and Iceland goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson, the Telegraph's Sam Dean reports that the Gunners have just had a £10 million bid rejected for Brentford No. 1 David Raya. With Bernd Leno already entrenched as Arsenal's No. 1, why in the world would Arsenal be chasing two goalkeepers?

This is a weird one but then again this is Arsenal...

16.30 BST: Portuguese newspaper Record says that Liverpool could consider bringing Rafael Camacho back from Sporting.

Camacho, 20, has impressed after moving to Sporting for around €9m in June 2019. But they are short of funds and need to raise money quickly, meaning the forward has reportedly been made available for around €6m.

The player began his youth career at Sporting before moving to Manchester City, then Liverpool in 2016. Now he's back at Sporting, a return to Liverpool would be a strange career move given the talent they have but they do have an option to re-sign him in his contract.

15.53 BST: Chelsea have brought plenty of players in, but still need to ship some out.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Genoa want to loan full-back Davide Zappacosta, while midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko is still the main target for AC Milan.

Sources told ESPN's James Olley in August that Chelsea are willing to sell Bakayoko to Milan but are aiming to recoup almost all of the £40m they spent to sign the Frenchman in 2017.

15.40 BST: Mario Gotze is a free agent after leaving Borussia Dortmund this summer and Bild reports that his former club Bayern Munich discussed bringing him back. However, the management decided against a move.

15.30 BST: Houssem Aouar remains Arsenal's No.1 target for the rest of the transfer window, with first-team manager Mikel Arteta eager to build his side around the Lyon midfielder, sources told ESPN's Julien Laurens.

14.51 BST: Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic is considering leaving the club on loan, says Marca.

Jovic, 22, played in 27 matches for Real Madrid last season but only scored only two goals throughout the campaign, having moved from Eintracht Frankfurt for €60m.

AC Milan and Hertha Berlin have shown interest in signing him, but the report also states that "even if a deal is struck to loan Jovic out in the remaining weeks of the summer transfer window, it wouldn't change Florentino Perez's plans not to sign any players in this window."

14.32 BST: Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has flown to Italy to take an exam that would see him granted Italian citizenship, multiple sources have told ESPN.

The forward left Barcelona's El Prat airport on Thursday lunchtime, headed for Perugia.

Suarez -- who has been linked with a move to Juventus -- has known for some weeks that he is not in the plans of new Barca coach Ronald Koeman. He has been insisting that Barcelona pay him the remaining year of his contract with the club in full before moving on, which they have so far refused to do.

14.10 BST: Tottenham Hotspur want to sign Southampton striker Danny Ings, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Ings, 28, scored 25 goals in 38 appearances (including 22 in the Premier League) last season and Spurs are keen to bring in competition for Harry Kane up front. But the Saints clearly aren't keen to let their star man leave.

13.56 BST: Portuguese newspaper A Bola says that Liverpool and Arsenal are keen on signing Sporting defender Nuno Mendes.

Mendes, 18, has broken into the first-team this season and the left-back has been monitored by some of Europe's top clubs. He reportedly has a release clause of €50m, should any interested parties come forward, but it's unlikely that anyone will pay that much for him.

13.40 BST: Chelsea midfielder Kai Havertz has said he isn't burdened by the £62m (rising to £71m with add-ons) fee that the club paid Bayer Leverkusen to sign him.

"In football today it's normal to pay these prices," said the 21-year-old. "I will not put a lot of pressure on myself because I think I'm not doing the worst things in the past -- that's why the price tag was high ...

"It's a very big step to come from the Bundesliga to the Premier League. It's the best league in the world. I will need some time to adapt, but I'm looking forward to it."

13.26 BST: Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has confirmed that Liverpool are set to seal a deal worth an initial £20m for midfielder Thiago Alcantara.

"I can confirm that FC Bayern and Liverpool have reached a final agreement," he said on Thursday. "It was Thiago's big wish to try something new towards the end of his career."

Bayern coach Hansi Flick added: "I can only congratulate [Liverpool boss Jurgen] Klopp. He not only gets a top player, but also a great person. Today, we are all very sad and it was emotional."

But what will be bring to Liverpool?

13.00 BST: Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has questioned the club's transfer business and said it is frustrating to see rivals getting business done while there is little happening at Old Trafford.

Liverpool will beat United to the signing of Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich, and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has also been frustrated in pursuit of Borussia Dortmund forward Jadon Sancho.

"The difference in the way Chelsea have done their business compared to say my team Man United, there is no noise, there's nothing going on," Ferdinand said. "All you're seeing [from Chelsea] is bang! Deal. Little bit of talk, bang! Deal. Get it done. That is what's frustrating for me and all the Man United fans.

"Sancho was talked about months ago. Still not done, it's so frustrating."

12.47 BST: Bayern Munich are the front-runners to sign Ajax's Sergino Dest as Thiago Alcantara looks set to join Liverpool, sources have told ESPN's Tom Hamilton.

Sources said the money generated from that transfer has fast-tracked their interest in Dest if a suitable transfer fee can by agreed between the clubs.

Dest, 19, is regarded as one of the world's best young right-backs and has been on the radar of a number of top clubs this summer.

He is also of interest to Barcelona's radar but sources have told ESPN they need to sell before they can bring any more players in with the club trying to shift Nelson Semedo.

12.20 BST: However, Barcelona are having trouble moving players off their wage bill before they can add new ones.

11.53 BST: Looks like Barcelona's future is in safe hands...

Ronald Koeman says he was especially impressed with United States youth international Konrad de la Fuente as Barca continued their preparations for the new season by beating Girona 3-1 on Wednesday.

"We know we have really good young players here," Koeman told a news conference after the match. "The important thing is being involved in training at a good level and then taking that into these friendly games. If I had to highlight one of the youngsters, I would say Konrad, I am really happy with him. But we also have Pedri, Riqui. We have great a future ahead of us."

11.12 BST: RB Leipzig are looking to complete the €24m signing of Alexander Sorloth from Crystal Palace before their Bundesliga season opener against Mainz on Sunday, according to Bild.

Sorloth, 24, joined Trabzonspor on loan in 2019 and scored 33 goals in 49 games for the Turkish side. But after being linked with a move to Tottenham, the Norway international will replace Timo Werner, who joined Chelsea earlier this summer.

10.40 BST: Well Thiago to Liverpool escalated quickly...

The 29-year-old, whose contract with the Champions League winners was due to expire next summer, has agreed a four-year deal at Anfield, where he will wear the No. 6 shirt for Jurgen Klopp's team.

Sources have told ESPN that the fee for Thiago could rise to £25m, based on Liverpool winning the Premier League or Champions League during his time at Anfield. The Spain international will complete a move to Merseyside once he has successfully completed a medical.

10.25 BST: Real Madrid's Sergio Reguilon is having a medical at Tottenham ahead of a €30m deal, which should be announced tomorrow. But is he the right player for Jose Mourinho?

10.08 BST: ESPN correspondent Rob Dawson gives us his thoughts on how Manchester United's summer has gone.

The swift, smooth arrival of Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek for £40 million from Ajax represents a good deal in a difficult market; executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and chief negotiator Matt Judge deserve credit for getting it done. But ahead of a crucial campaign, there is a familiar frustration running through the club -- transfer negotiations dragging on, fringe players hanging around and the clock ticking down towards the deadline on Oct. 5.

09.45 BST: Liverpool are ready to fend off rival interest from Manchester United by stepping up their efforts to sign Bayern Munich's Thiago Alcantara after contacting the Champions League winners over a move for the midfielder, sources have told ESPN's Mark Ogden.

Jurgen Klopp has been determined to add the former Barcelona player to his squad this summer, but financial restrictions at the club in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic had left the Liverpool hierarchy reluctant to sanction an expensive move for a 29-year-old.

Klopp had been told that a first-team player would have to leave the Premier League champions in order to create space on the wage bill for Thiago.

But sources have told ESPN that Klopp has now been given the green light to make a move for Thiago without the need to sell a squad player first.

09.15 BST: Burnley have turned down a £31m offer from West Ham for James Tarkowski, says Sky Sports.

The report says "Around £25m was offered up front 00 an improvement on the second bid, which included around £10m in add-ons.

"Burnley have told West Ham their bid is still significantly lower than their valuation for the player, who has a £50m release clause in his present contract."

08.30 BST: Spanish left-back Sergio Reguilon will join Tottenham from Real Madrid in a €30m transfer, according Onda Cero.

A deal is imminent with Reguilon having already undergone a medical ahead of signing a five-year contract with Spurs. Real Madrid will have an option to buy back the player in the next two seasons for €40m, while sources told ESPN that Manchester United were interested.

Reguilon, 23, is tied to Los Blancos until June 2023. He spent last season on loan at Sevilla, making 31 league appearances, and helped the Andalusian club win the Europa League.

PAPER TALK (by Shaun Reynolds)

Bale's Spurs return from Real finalised

Gareth Bale will return to Tottenham Hotspur after the north London club secured a season-long loan deal for the Real Madrid star worth £13 million, according to the Daily Mail.

As reported by ESPN on Tuesday, Tottenham moved ahead of Manchester United in the race to secure Bale's services for the 2020-21 Premier League campaign. The Mail's report now claims that Tottenham have agreed to cover half of the Welshman's whopping £500,000-a-week salary.

Bale's agent told the BBC that talks are "slowly progressing," but added that "Gareth is closer to leaving Madrid than at any time in the last seven years.

"We are still negotiating. We shall see how it goes."

It would seem Manchester United's pursuit of highly-rated Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho has aided Spurs' efforts to return Bale to his former club. The report claims that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer never made a move for Bale because of his stance regarding Sancho.

Therefore, Jose Mourinho appears to have wasted little time in signing Bale after Spurs chairman Daniel Levy reached an agreement with the La Liga giants.

Leicester closing on Under deal

Leicester City will succeed in their efforts to sign winger Cengiz Under away from AS Roma before the window closes, according to The Leicester Mercury.

The speedy Turkey international was the subject of interest from both Manchester City and Arsenal in the not-so-distant past, but a move away from Roma and Serie A never materialised.

The 23-year-old has struggled with injuries and a revolving door of managers in Rome, but when fit his combination of direct play and pinpoint crossing were likely two of the traits that caught the eye of City boss Pep Guardiola.

With Roma in need of funds, Leicester have seen an opportunity to add Under to an already talented squad, with the report suggesting a loan with an option to buy the most likely scenario to bring him to the Premier League.

Man City to focus on La Liga duo over Koulibaly

Napoli's valuation of Manchester City target Kalidou Koulibaly has led Pep Guardiola to consider alternative players to fill his defensive void, says the Guardian.

Koulibaly has been on City's radar for some time and a €60m offer for the 29-year-old was rejected earlier this month. It has since been reported that Napoli will accept an offer in the region of €80m -- a fee considered too high by Guardiola.

Consequently, Sevilla FC's Diego Carlos and Atletico Madrid's Jose Gimenez have caught Guardiola's attention. The Guardian's report states that should Napoli fail to lower their demand for Koulibaly, then City will instead bid for either Carlos or Gimenez.

There is one snag though, both players come with hefty release clauses. Gimenez's is said to be £109.8m while Carlos' is reported as £68.7m.

Tap-Ins

- Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp wants to add two more players to his squad before the transfer window closes on October 5. The claim comes from The Athletic, who today reported that Klopp has asked for one or two more signings to be completed despite financial restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. Among Klopp's targets are Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara and Watford striker Ismaila Sarr.

- Manchester United and Leicester City have halted their efforts to sign AFC Bournemouth midfielder David Brooks after learning of Cherries' pricey valuation. Bournemouth are understandably keen to sell the 23-year-old following the club's relegation from the Premier League last season. According to the Sun, the £50m valuation of Brooks appears to have put off both United and the Foxes for now.

- Scottish Premier League champions Celtic are on the verge of capturing Charlton Athletic defender Alfie Doughty for £800,000, according to Football Insider. Determination appears to be paying off for the Hoops after two previous bids for the 20-year-old left back were rejected. But Celtic's latest offer will be too good to refuse for League One outfit Charlton, who were relegated from the Championship last term.