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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Jack Rathborn

Thursday's transfer news: Arsenal, Man United, Liverpool gossip plus Neymar latest as Barcelona and Real Madrid circle

Premier Leagueclubs will be nervously waiting for the windows in Ligue 1BundesligaSerie A and La Liga to shut. 

Paul Pogba at Manchester United, or Mesut Ozil at Arsenal, plus Tottenham could yet sell Christian Eriksen and Serge Aurier.

Don't forget Neymar, with Barcelona and Real Madrid lurking, plus Mauro Icardi still unwanted at Inter Milan, but without much desire to join Napoli and his club only interested in dealing with Juventus if they send Paulo Dybala the other way.

Manchester United have identified Jadon Sancho as their next major target. 
 
That's according to the Sun, who insist a £100m bid will come Borussia Dortmund's in January. 
 
That appears highly optimistic and well short of any offer that could convince the Germans to sell the England international.
Mauro Icardi's future remains unclear. 
 
Inter Milan have a buyer: Napoli. With Carlo Ancelotti's side bidding £59m, claim La Repubblica. 
 
But Icardi is reluctant and Corriere claim he is a "prisoner", and only wants Juventus. 
 
Juventus director Fabio Paratici has a plan to get Mauro Icardi to Turin. 
 
The Old Lady must make a space available for the Inter Milan striker. 
 
Tuttosport believe Mario Mandzukic will be sent to Barcelona, allowing them the flexibility to make a move for the Argentine striker. 
Real Madrid have made an attractive offer to Paris Saint-Germain for Neymar. 
 
It involves an almost unprecedented haul: €100m (£91m) plus three players. 
 
L'Equipe claim Madrid will send Gareth Bale, Keylor Navas and James Rodriguez to the French capital. 
Espanyol have signed Sebastien Corchia on loan from Sevilla. 
 
He is the Catalan club's sixth signing and they also have a purchase option for the French right-back. 
 

Lionel Messi is set to return for Barcelona against Real Betis on Sunday after recovering from a leg injury. 

The Argentina playmaker has been out since August 5 with the opening weekend 1-0 loss to Athletic Bilbao heightening the Ernesto Valverde’s need for his talisman to return. 

Injuries to Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele mean Messi’s return is even more pivotal, with the Blaugrana looking into the possibility of bringing Neymar back to the Nou Camp, despite loaning out Philippe Coutinho. 

 
Barcelona's latest Neymar offer is a loan with a £137m (€150m) buy option. 
 
It has been rejected immediately, claim Marca. 
 
PSG want £229m (€250m) for the Brazilian superstar, a marginal profit on their enormous investment two years ago. 
 
Fiorentina could sell Federico Chiesa to Juventus should they find a replacement, according to Sky Sport Italia and Gazzetta dello Sport. 
 
Matteo Politano, Domenico Berardi and Rodrigo De Paul are options. 
 
But a deal seems unlikely given the club's new owners would likely put off the fans if they sold their star man and local prodigy. 
 
Keylor Navas has asked to leave Real Madrid after accepting Thibaut Courtois will now be Zinedine Zidane's No 1. 
 
Marca claim the Costa Rican will not come cheap though. 
 
With Andriy Lunin on loan at Real Valladolid, any replacement will be a veteran to ensure the Ukrainian shot-stopper's path back to the Bernabeu is not blocked. 
 
 
Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are all keen on Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz. 
 
Sport1 in Germany believe the 20-year-old will receive a host of options should he decide to leave. 
 
With the Bundesliga club valuing their player at £91m. 
 
David De Gea will put pen to paper on a £350,000 per week deal at Manchester United. 
 
De Gea has lost his starting role with Spain to Chelsea's Kepa Arrizabalaga. 
 
But United are keen to ward off interest from PSG and Juventus to keep their star shot-stopper long term. 
 
 
 
Liverpool could yet sell Dejan Lovren, despite his Roma move collapsing due to the Croatian's demands over bonuses. 
 
Bayer Leverkusen are now keen, report Bild. 
 
Jurgen Klopp is not keen on the Croatian anymore, despite a lack of depth at the position, with the Bundesliga deadline on September 2. 
 
Tottenham could sell Victor Wanyama to Club Brugge for £11m. 
 
The Kenyan midfielder is surplus to requirements now under Mauricio Pochettino, report the Telegraph. 
 
And £11m could prove value for Spurs, given the 28-year-old's injury record and just two years remaining on his deal. 
 
 
Fraser Forster looks set to head back to Celtic, with Sun reporting the Southampton shot-stopper is heading for a medical. 
 
Forster left the Hoops for Saints in 2014 but has found himself down the pecking order now under Ralph Hasenthuttl. 
 
With Angus Gunn and Alex McCarthy ahead of him, Forster could now return under Neil Lennon to compete with Craig Gordon. 
 
Crystal Palace will hand contract extensions to Christian Benteke and James Tomkins. 
 
The Mail report the Eagles are now finalising new deals to keep the duo at Selhurt Park long term. 
 
The Eagles will have to match or better Benteke's £120,000 per week wages to avoid losing him on a free next summer. 
 
While Tomkins' current £70,000 per week deal expires in 2021. 
Bayern Munich's Renato Sanches could join Lille before the end of the transfer window. 
 
The Portuguese midfielder has struggled since his move to Bavaria. 
 
And now Lille could swoop, but Bayern want €30m, claim RMC. 
 
Nice have agreed a deal with Spartak Moscow for the sale of Adrien Tameze. 
 
Nice-Matin report the midfielder will cost the Russians €10m with a further €2m coming in add-ons. 
 
They add the deal is subject to Patrick Vieira sanctioning the deal. 
 
 
Aston Villa have announced Ahmed Elmohamady has penned a new one-year contract extension with the club. 
 
 
 

Mason Mount has shone a light on one way to make it at Chelsea

The 20-year-old midfielder has impressed Frank Lampard, both this season and before on loan at Derby County. 

A host of youngsters will now make what could be their first steps towards making it with the Blues on loan. 

We’ve rated their chances, including some players yet to go on loan and awaiting the right opportunity or recovering from injury. Extra weight has been given to those players with lengthy contracts with the club, while those set to become free agents next summer have had their chances cut. 

Who will follow Mount, Tammy Abraham and Callum Hudson-Odoi and be handed a first team appearance in the future? 

 
AS Monaco have clinched the signing of Islam Slimani on loan from Leicester with an option to buy. 
 
The 31-year-old striker links up again with Leonardo Jardim, with the pair working together at Sporting. 
 
The Ligue 1 side have an option to buy. 
 

Transfer deadlines:

Italy’s Serie A is the next big transfer deadline. The Italian window shuts on 23 August.

The transfer window in La Liga, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 meanwhile shuts on 2 September.

For a comprehensive review of the English transfer window: click here.

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