Catch up on Wednesday's latest updates, including transfer news, rumours, gossip and done deals.
Paul Pogba is at the eye of another saga today after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer blamed the player’s agent, Mino Raiola, for stoking uncertainy over the Frenchman’s future and insisted Manchester United “don’t need to sell”. The squad are currently on pre-season tour in Australia, however, Inter Milan officials are expected to make the trip to United’s London office this week to hash out a deal for wantaway striker Romelu Lukaku.
Meanwhile, Fenerbahce may relieve Arsenal of Mesut Ozil’s burdensome wage bracket with the Turkish side keen to take the playmaker on loan this season. Liverpool are preparing a £67m bid for Real Madrid star Marcos Asensio while PSG have publicly stated their willingness to allow Neymar to leave if a club can meet their £150m asking price. Follow all the day’s latest news here:
Thank you for joining us at The Independent. We'll be bringing you the latest transfer news, rumours, gossip and done deals throughout the day and so let's begin with the biggest story thus far.
This morning, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has spoken to the media for the first time ahead of the new season and has insisted that it is Paul Pogba's agent who is attempting to engineer a move and that the player is not unsettled. He also adds that United have no need to sell.
Fenerbahce are considering making a loan move for Arsenal's Mesut Ozil, according to Sky Sports.
The German's £350,000-per-week wages have limited the Gunners' ability in the transfer market and Unai Emery has previously been open to showing Ozil the exit door.
Whether the Turkish club are able to stump up the cash or whether Ozil himself is willing to make a move remains to be seen.
Liverpool are preparing a £67m bid for Real Madrid's Marcos Asensio, according to TalkSport.
The catch, though, is that Madrid still hope to bring Sadio Mane in the other direction, despite already recruiting Eden Hazard in that position this summer.
Xabi Alonso has started his managerial career at boyhood club Real Sociedad where he will take over the B team.
West Ham United have been offered Florian Thauvin by Marseille in exchange for €40m and Javier Hernández.
Hernandez is looking to leave the club, however, the Hammers are in desperate need of striking reinforcements after Marko Arnautovic forced his way out of the club.
Thauvin has scored 37 goals in 67 Ligue 1 games for Marseille since leaving Newcastle.
Arsenal target Dennis Praet is on the verge of completing a move to Valencia.
The Sampdoria midfielder is valued at £12m, while defender Jeison Murillo is set to move in the opposite direction.
West Ham have the opportunity to sign Mario Balotelli on a free transfer, according to the Daily Mail.
The former Man City and Liverpool striker spent the second half of last season at Marseille, where he scored 8 goals in 12 games.
Inter Milan are set to speak with Manchester United representatives in the coming days as the two clubs attempt to hash out a deal.
Lukaku has made no secret of his desire to leave the club, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is attempting to urge the player to remain at United for one last season, according to Sun Sport.
Zinedine Zidane's son, Luca, has been loaned out from Real Madrid ahead of the coming season.
Luca Zidane, 21, would have been unlikely to achieve much game time in goal at the Bernabeu, with Keylor Navas and Thibaut Courtois on Los Blancos' roster.
The Real manager's son will spend next season at second division Spanish team Racing Santander.
There may have been a roadblock in Barcelona's attempts to sign Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid, according to Spanish media outlet AS.
It was expected that the La Liga champions would trigger the Frenchman's €120m release clause by today, but Barca's lack of liquidity and faltering negotiations with the relevant banks are holding up the deal.
The Catalan club apparently hoped that Atleti would allow them to defer payment of the release clause, an idea that the Madrid side immediately dismissed.
Arsenal could be lining up a bid for Barcelona forward Malcom, having given up on signing Wilfred Zaha.
The Gunners' £40m bid for Zaha was rejected by Crystal Palace, leading Unai Emery to identify Everton target Malcom as a plan B, The Sun have reported.
PSG sporting director Leonardo has admitted he cannot promise that Kylian Mbappe will renew his contract at the club.
The Brazilian said this week: "I never make promises, for two reasons. Firstly, I do not do everything at this club. Secondly, I do not want to pluck promises out of thin air without being certain that I can deliver them."
Mbappe, 20, confessed earlier this year that he could be interested in a new challenge.
Sheffield Wednesday boss Steve Bruce has responded to reports linking him with the vacant Newcastle United managerial job.
Speaking with the Sheffield Star, the 58-year-old said: "It's news to me. John Terry was the favourite yesterday, it was Mikel Arteta the day before, so who knows?
"As far as I am concerned, I am here, I am going home tomorrow and looking forward to walking the dog."
Having seemingly missed out on 19-year-old Dutch prodigy Matthijs de Ligt, Barcelona are said to be considering a move for Victor Lindelof.
Mundo Deportivo have reported that the La Liga winners are interested in opening talks with Manchester United this week, with a view to securing the Sweden centre-back, who arrived at Old Trafford for €35m in 2017.
Nottingham Forest have signed winger Albert Adomah on a two-year deal, following the 31-year-old's release by Aston Villa at the end of last season.
The news earlier today was that Marseille had offered West Ham €40m plus Florian Thauvin in exchange for striker Javier Hernandez, but it seems as though the Mexico international is staying put.
The Hammers just announced that Chicharito will swap his No 17 shirt for No 9, likely signalling that he will remain in east London.
Tottenham are in talks with Real Madrid over the possibility of bringing Dani Ceballos to north London, Sky are reporting.
The Spanish midfielder has four years remaining on his contract with the La Liga club, and would prefer a loan move as opposed to a permanent exit.
Young Arsenal midfielder Krystian Bielik has a number of admirers in the Championship, according to Telegraph Sport.
The 21-year-old can count Derby, West Brom, Middlesbrough and Brentford among his suitors, following an impressive season on loan at Charlton.
The Pole has two years left on his contract at the Emirates, and it is uncertain whether the Gunners would loan Bielik out again or sell him permanently, but the club reportedly do not see him as a first team player yet.
Fenerbahce have admitted that they will not be able to afford Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil, who was reported to be the Turkish side's top target this summer.
Referring to the German international's Turkish ancestry, a statement on the club's website read: "Mesut Ozil, with his career and standing, successfully represents our country abroad and is an important value known with the identity of Fenerbahce.
"However, Fenerbahce does not have a proposal for Mesut Ozil. Under the current economic conditions, such a step is not possible for both parties.
"Our president, Ali Koc, made statements on the subject [...] on June 20 and emphasised that this could not be realised in the short term."
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