Tueday's transfer news: Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham rumours as clubs rush for late deals
The transfer window closes on Thursday evening and it is set to be a busy few days for the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and the rest of the Premier League as every club scrambles to bolster their squad before the deadline.
Manchester United have dominated the headlines in recent days and yesterday wrapped up a record deal for the England international Harry Maguire. The defender has been handed the No 5 shirt and could start for the club this weekend. But outgoings are still possible – with both Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku linked with a move away.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are still hunting for a defender after signing Nicolas Pepe in a club-record deal. And Spurs have a lot of business to complete with only one new player on their books for the coming season. Follow LIVE news and updates below:
Crystal Palace have signed former England and Chelsea centre back Gary Cahill on a free transfer ahead of the new season.
The 33-year-old was released by Chelsea at the end of last season after seven-and-a-half years at Stamford Bridge, where he won two Premier League titles, as well as the Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup.
The experienced defender, who has made 349 Premier League appearances and earned 61 caps for England, has signed a two-year deal with Palace and said he had no intention of hanging up his boots any time soon.
“I'm hungry to prolong my career as long as I possibly can. I feel like I'm in great shape and whoever I play for, I'd like to think that I give it 110% and leave everything out there,” Cahill said in a statement on Palace's website.
Wilfred Zaha expects to be at Everton by the end of this transfer window, sources close to the situation have told The Independent, as the Merseyside club attempts to work a deal with Crystal Palace FC.
It is understood the Selhurst Park hierarchy will accept a bid of £65m so long as the money is up front. Although no fee is yet agreed, sources maintain Everton are willing to submit such a bid but are still working on the structure of any such offer.
Manchester United are close to agreeing a deal with Tottenham;s Christian Eriksen, according to reports in Spain.
The 27-year-old only has one year remaining on his current contract and has made no secret of his desire to leave the club for a new challenge.
And, according to AS, United are ready to make a late bid for the Spurs playmaker, in the anticipation of the north London club signing Giovani Lo Celso from Real Betis.
Brighton & Hove Albion have finally managed to sign French striker Neal Maupay from Championship club Brentford on a four-year contract.
Brighton had wanted to sign Maupay two years ago but he chose to join Brentford from St Etienne, having started his career at Nice where he made his debut aged 16.
The former France under-21 international was joint-second top scorer in the Championship last season with 25 goals.
“Neal is a talented striker, with good strength and pace, and he is a goalscorer,” Brighton manager Graham Potter said on the club's website.
“He will add an extra dimension to our existing forward options, and we are delighted to have completed the transfer.
“His record in the Championship has been exceptional, with 41 goals across the last two seasons, and now his challenge is to transfer that to the Premier League.”
The Daily Mirror are reporting that Liverpool want to push for a late loan deal for Harry Wilson.
The 22-year-old Wales international excelled on loan at Derby last season and was brought back into the Liverpool first-team this summer.
But it is rumoured Liverpool are ‘in discussions’ with a number of Premier League clubs over Wilson, who is likely to find first-team opportunities at Anfield hard to come by this season.
Jan Vertonghen has reaffirmed his commitment to Tottenham but admits he does not know whether he will receive a new contract.
Vertonghen is one of a number of Tottenham players with deals set to expire at the end of the 2019/20 season after the club exercised an option to extend his current contract by a year.
The Belgian has not, however, yet received any new offer of a contract extension.
“I just want to focus on this year, I know I have got one year left so I know a lot of questions will be asked,” he said. “I have said it before, I am very happy at the club. The supporters have been great for me, the manager has improved me a lot and has a lot of confidence in me.
“I feel very, very good physically so I am not sure what is going to happen this year, I can only say I am happy where I am at and I feel the support from the manager, team-mates and the squad.”
Roy Hodgson wants Crystal Palace to make three new signings before the window closes at 5pm on Thursday.
With Wilfried Zaha still pushing for a move away from the club, the veteran manager is concerned about a lack of reinforcements. However, one arrival that does look set to sign on a season-long loan imminently is Real Betis' Victor Camarasa, who enjoyed a successful spell at Cardiff last season.
Tottenham have agreed a fee with Real Betis to sign Giovani Lo Celso for €60m.
The clubs have been locked in tough negotiations over the Argentine midfielder for some time now, but the Daily Record reports that a deal has finally been agreed.
Spurs will pay an initial €52million, with a further €8m in add-ons.
The move for the 23-year-old is likely to end Tottenham’s pursuit of Bruno Fernandes, who has been told by Sporting that he can leave if a club meet their €60m valuation for the midfielder.
The Daily Record adds that Sporting rejected a €45m offer and an improved €50m bid.
Laurent Koscielny has reportedly agreed personal terms with Bordeaux as the Frenchman continues to turn down reconciliation talks with Arsenal.
After refusing to go on the club's pre-season tour of the US, Koscielny has been in talks with a number of French sides, but Arsenal are still reluctant to let their club captain leave without receiving a fee in return.
Mario Balotelli is in talks with Brazilian club Flamengo.
The Italian’s contract with Marseille expired this summer, leaving the 28-year-old as a free agent.
And Flamengo’s president has said the club are working hard to bring the former Manchester City and Liverpool striker to the club.
“It is not news to anyone that when [manager Jorge] Jesus arrived he requested that we add another player,” Landim told Ferj per Globo Esporte.
“In this case, Balotelli is a great player. Now there's a lot of water to roll under that bridge.
“It is fact: he is free in the market, but there's nothing else besides what I'm saying. There was contact and he showed interest in playing here and the conversation has not evolved since then.”
Arsenal have made an enquiry over RB Leipzig's Dayot Upamecano.
Bild report that Unai Emery has long been an admirer of the France U21 international, however, Arsenal have baulked at Leipzig's £70m asking price.
The centre-back is one of Europe's most highly coveted young players and Leipzig are notoriously tough negotiators meaning the Gunners may instead be forced to turn to Juventus' Daniele Rugani.
The Italian champion's sporting director is believed to be in London for talks today while completing a fee plus swap deal with Manchester City involving Joao Cancelo and Danilo.
Harry Maguire will come under the microscope like never before after his £80m move to Manchester United made him the world's most expensive defender and Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk says he must focus on his game and tune out the noise if he is to handle the pressure.
Van Dijk preceded Maguire as the most expensive defender in world football when he joined Liverpool for £75m in 2018 before United eclipsed that mark for the former Leicester City centre back on Monday.
Dutch international Van Dijk has said the price tag was not something Maguire had any influence over but there would be no escaping the attention it would bring.
"The price comes with pressure but it doesn't change too much because you always have pressure at big clubs like Man United," he said.
"It's not easy to completely shut off all the pressure."
Ander Herrera has revealed that he would have found it impossible to play for another English club after his five seasons at Old Trafford.
The Spanish midfielder left Manchester United this summer to join reigning Ligue 1 champions PSG.
“First of all, [I joined PSG] for the project. The club has a classy and glamorous side that I like a lot. Then, because I wanted to continue to play for a big club,” he said.
“And, honestly, I could not see myself playing in another English club. When you have played for Manchester United, it is difficult to go elsewhere.
“I was happy to play for Athletic Bilbao, another club that is dear to me, and for Manchester United, the biggest club in the United Kingdom, where I felt loved. Today, I am happy to be at PSG, the biggest club in France.
“I have always given everything to the clubs I have represented and I represent. But I cannot lie to you: the club of my heart is still Real Zaragoza, who I have supported as a child and where I started my career.”
It is the late spring of 2011. A teenage Paul Pogba is out on the right wing at Bramall Lane, spinning a devilish, low cross into the six-yard box. Jesse Lingard’s poke at the ball deflects off Sheffield United’s goalkeeper, yet still rises up towards goal. The covering defender is underneath it but comically heads against his own crossbar and – somehow, according to the assistant referee – over the goal-line.
That covering defender was Harry Maguire. Sheffield United would draw that first leg of the FA Youth Cup final 2-2 despite Manchester United’s contentious opener, only to go down 4-1 at Old Trafford the following week. Maguire was admitted to hospital that night suffering from a concussion. Meanwhile, several of his team-mates ended the evening in tears, realising what could well be the peak of their young careers had ended in defeat.
It was never likely to be the end of the story for Maguire, the most eye-catching and imposing member of that squad, though few ever expected him to be reacquainted with Pogba and Lingard eight years later as the most expensive defender in world football. United’s £80m signing of a player, who was available to them two years earlier for a fraction of that price, was finally confirmed on Monday.
Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny is set to join Ligue 1 side Bordeaux in a deal worth a reported £5million.
The Gunners captain will have a medical at the French club before the deal is confirmed.
The club and Koscielny were thought to be in talks over a new contract but it is understood the defender was keen to return to France.
This summer Koscielny refused to go on the club's pre-season tour to the United States and put in a request to have his contract terminated to allow him to join another club, which was rejected by the Gunners.
The Frenchman joined Arsenal in 2010 from Lorient and went on to make 353 appearances, and was awarded the captaincy in the 2016-17 season.
With the departure of Koscielny, Arsenal will be in the market for a defender and have been linked with Juventus defender Daniele Rugani and RB Leipzig's Dayot Upamecano.
Bruno Fernandes issued a heartfelt apology after captaining his Sporting side in a dismal 5-0 defeat to rivals Benfica in the Portuguese Super Cup Final in what could be his final game for the club.
Fernandes has been persistently linked to Manchester United and Tottenham throughout the summer with his agent meeting with representatives of both clubs as the midfielder looks to finalise a move to England.
United cooled their interest in the 24-year-old when talks with Juventus’ Paulo Dybala materialised, however, after those negotiations collapsed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side may reignite their pursuit.
The summer transfer window closes at 5pm on Wednesday 8 August for all Premier League and Championship clubs, with teams in League One, League Two and across Europe able to sign new players until 11pm on Monday 2 September.
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