Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and more are setting themselves up for business with the summer transfer window officially open.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is ready for the biggest revamp of the United squad in years. A new centre-back is high on his priority list with Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly and Leicester's Harry Maguire both options. It won't just be incomings, however, with Paul Pogba a high-profile target for Real Madrid and Alexis Sanchez on his way out with Inter Milan and Juventus fighting it out for his signature - if he drops his wage demands. Liverpool could be active too as they look to go one better after failing to win the Premier League title by just a single point. Champions Manchester City are always big players in the market and could go big with the prospect of a potential transfer ban looming.
Check out all of Thursday’s transfer stories below.
Good morning and welcome to today's Independent transfer live blog.
The summer window is very nearly upon us with the Premier League’s biggest clubs set to spend, spend, spend as the sales re-open.
We'll bring you all the latest news plus all the done deals and the juiciest gossip throughout the day right here so don't touch that dial.
Without further ado, off we go.
Let's start with Crystal Palace, shall we?
Wilfried Zaha has told the club that he wants to leave this summer, according to the Daily Mail.
Arsenal and Chelsea are long-term admirers but Palace's £80m valuation could put both off.
A move abroad shouldn't be ruled out with Borussia Dortmund keen back in January.
Manchester United have switched their attentions in attack and are now closing in on Swansea's Daniel James as one of their first signings of the summer.
That's according to the Evening Standard.
Top target Jadon Sancho is set to stay in Germany following United's failure to secure Champions League football.
And Welsh international James has emerged as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's top alternative.
He'll cost in the region of £15m.
Staying at United where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has identified centre-half as a key area for improvement with the club set to pursue long-standing and new targets like Harry Maguire.
Former manager Jose Mourinho had previously insisted the position had to be improved upon, only to clash with the hierarchy over the signings he wanted due to their age and price.
Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly has long been a desired target, but sources say the current asking price of over £90m is far too much.
That could well see them return to previous options like Leicester City's Maguire and Internazionale's Milan Skriniar.
There is some debate about Toby Alderweireld's suitability, given his age, at 30.
Barcelona expect Chelsea to bid for Philippe Coutinho this summer, according to Goal.
The former Liverpool midfielder has failed to make the impact he would've liked at the Nou Camp following his £142m move last January.
Barca would sell for the right price, but any transfer to Stamford Bridge would of course be contingent on any transfer ban being lifted.
We shall see.
Staying at Chelsea and they don't plan to extend Gonzalo Higuain's loan beyond this season.
The Daily Mail report that the Argentine's final game will be next week's Europa League final, regardless of any potential transfer ban.
The Blues still have Olivier Giroud, Michy Batshuayi, Tammy Abraham and Alvaro Morata on their books of course.
Manchester City could be about to spend big before any Uefa sanctions do or don't come down.
The Daily Mail suggest that Pep Guardiola has a £200m wishlist including some of Europe's hottest properties.
Ajax's Matthijs De Ligt, Eintracht Frankfurt's Luka Jovic, Atletico Madrid's Rodri and Lyon's Houssem Aouar are all on apparently on the shopping list.
Inter Milan now face competition from Juventus for the signature of Alexis Sanchez, as it now seems likelier his Manchester United nightmare will end this summer.
There have now been concrete meetings between intermediaries and both clubs.
The Old Trafford club desperately want to offload the Chilean flop this summer, but have found his huge wages an obstacle.
Inter and now Juventus are willing to look at a deal, but only so long as he drops his financial demands, or United subsidise his wages.
While that remains a hugely complicated prospect, it is understood there was progress in some of the meetings.
Inter are also interested in United's Romelu Lukaku in what is likely to be a busy summer for the Serie A club.
To Newcastle and the future of Salomon Rondon.
West Brom's play-off semi-final loss will have significant ramifications for Newcastle's summer business with the Mirror reporting the Baggies' failure to get promotion will see a clause inserted into the Venzuelan's contract.
As a result the Magpies could make a move to reunite with the striker for £16.5m.
Manchester United have unveiled their new kit and Paul Pogba is front and centre.
What does it mean? Will he stay? Will he still go? Why are we here? What is the meaning of life?
Who knows but you can check out the brand-new kit here.
Tottenham have apparently been offered the chance to sign Gareth Bale on loan.
The Sun report that the Spanish giants have told Spurs they can have him for £10m for the season.
They would also want them to pay half of Bale's £600,000 per week salary.
The Mirror report that Bale is happy to stay put in the Spanish capital, however.
Some breaking - and potentially massive - news from Manchester City.
Back to Manchester United where they are firmly in the market for defenders.
A centre-back is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's priority with Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly, Leicester City's Harry Maguire and Inter Milan's Milan Skriniar all targets.
But full-backs are also apparently on the agenda with a pair from Crystal Palace of particular interest.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Patrick van Aanholt are those in question, according to The Sun.
Paris Saint-Germain could be set to raid Real Madrid for not one, not two but three players this summer.
Le Parisien report that the French champions want Gareth Bale, Isco and Toni Kroos.
The trio would come in at least £200m.
Chris Hughton could be back in management very soon indeed.
Hughton was sacked from his role as Brighton manager earlier this week following the conclusion of the Premier League season.
But West Brom, who lost in the Championship play-offs on Tuesday evening, are set to hold talks with him this week over their vacant managerial position according to the Telegraph.
To Liverpool where a move for Timo Werner could still happen.
The RB Leipzig star has been widely tipped to join Bayern Munich this summer with a new deal at his current club out of the question.
But CEO Oliver Mintzlaff has opened the door to other possibilities, including Liverpool.
"We haven't talked to Bayern München about Timo Werner yet," he said. "It's important for us what Timo Werner wants. I think Timo wanted to see how the season would develop.
"We said at some point that it would be more important for us to qualify for the Champions League and get in the cup final than to talk about Timo Werner every day.
"Maybe he doesn't even want to go to Munich. Maybe he would rather join [Thomas] Tuchel in Paris, [Jürgen] Klopp at Liverpool or [Lucien] Favre at Dortmund."
Over to Chelsea and an update on Ruben Loftus-Cheek's future.
The Sun report that the England international, who was injured overnight in the friendly in Boston, has told the club that he has no interest in renewing terms with them unless he gets assurances he will be firmly part of the first-team picture.
His current deal runs out in 2021.
Leicester City are desperate to keep Youri Tielemans but fear he could already be on his way out.
The Belgian international impressed on loan from Monaco with Brendan Rodgers keen to make the move a permanent one.
But the rumoured price tag of £40m as well as interest from across Europe could scupper their chances.
Tottenham are closing in on the signing of Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham.
That's according to the Daily Mail.
They say that the club are keen to match Mauricio Pochettino's ambition and will do so by getting to the front of the queue for the 18-year-old.
Fulham want £40m with Spurs more keen to do a deal around £25m.
Manchester City have seen an opening offer for Tanguy Ndombele rejected by Lyon. That's according to Le10 Sport.
The midfielder has shone in Ligue 1 and is one of a number of targets for City this summer.
The champions are looking for a long-term replacement for Fernandinho at the base of their midfield and the 22-year-old, who is also wanted by PSG, Juve and Inter, fits the bill.
He'll cost more than £43m though, it appears.
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