Tuesday's transfer news: Manchester United told how much to pay for Wan-Bissaka as Romelu Lukaku is told to leave
Follow the latest updates live as we bring you the best of Tuesday’s transfer news, rumours and done deals. Will any big transfers be completed today?
There have already been some big deals this transfer window. Manchester United wasted no time in snapping up Daniel James from Swansea City for £18m, while Eden Hazard finally completed his protracted move from Chelsea to Real Madrid, for a fee which could ultimately exceed £100m.
A number of big deals are meanwhile still in the pipeline. Both Paul Pogba and Christian Eriksen have indicated that they want ‘new challenges’, while Matthijs de Ligt is a top target for just about every European super club. Where will he end up? Follow all of the latest below:
Welcome to The Independent's live coverage of today's latest transfer news, gossip, rumours and done deals, where we'll keep you up-to-date with all the goings on in the summer window.
The likes of Eden Hazard and Daniel James may have already sealed their big-money moves, but there's plenty left to look out for with big developments surrounding Paul Pogba, Neymar and Anthony Martial, while the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool are yet to make their first move in the market - not to mention the financial powerhouse that is Manchester City.
We start with some breaking news for you that's coming out of south-west London and the bizarre goings on at Charlton Athletic.
The club issued a baffling statement yesterday to suggest that talks over a contract extension with manager Lee Bowyer were dead, and that they had put into place plans for his departure despite leading the club to promotion just three weeks ago.
Well hold on just a minute. Reports are emerging that talks between Bowyer and the club's controversial owner, Roland Duchatalet, took place last night, and that Bowyer has now AGREED to a one-year contract extension that will see him lead the Addicks into the Championship.
In a Charlton Athletic statement that confirmed Bowyer has signed a one-year deal, he said:
“We went on a real journey last season. The club came together - the players, the staff, the fans and we achieved something special. The journey hasn’t finished yet and I’m delighted this has all been agreed.
“This has been a long process and I never wanted to leave, I love this club. I’d like to thank the owner for giving me the initial opportunity and now for continuing to believe in me.
“We have a fantastic fanbase here and my focus continues to be getting our squad in the best possible shape for the Championship next season.”
Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has had his say on the future of Romelu Lukaku, and the Spaniard has surprisingly called on the striker to consider a Manchester United exit this summer for the good of his career,
Lukaku is wanted by Inter Milan's new manager Antonio Conte, among other clubs, and United are understood to have told him he is free to leave IF they receive a good offer for him.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen on something of a squad revamp over the next year and selling Lukaku for more than the £75m they paid for him would help to fund that regeneration.
Martinez believes that a fresh start for Lukaku - who joined United from Everton in 2017 - could suit everyone involved, not to mention the Belgium national team.
To this morning's news surrounding Paul Pogba, which to many of you will come as no surprise.
The France midfielder's revelation at the weekend that he wants a "new challenge" after three years back at Old Trafford was seen as an admission that he wants to leave the club, with former club Juventus the most likeliest destination - though Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain remain interested parties.
But it was also suspiciously pointed out that he could be trying to force the club into offering him a new deal - and hey presto - here it is.
The Daily Mail reports that United are considering making an astronomical offer to Pogba that would see him paid £500,000-a-week, making him the highest-paid player in the Premier League and once of the richest footballers in the world along with the likes of Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar.
Some breaking news that isn't exactly transfer-related, but could end up having a huge impact on the state of football in the immediate future, as former Uefa president Michel Platini has been arrested over an investigation into awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
With three years to go until the tournament is due to take place, what impact could this have on the biggest football tournament in the world?
One player constantly linked with Manchester United over the last two years has been Gareth Bale, but the Premier League club look to have turned their back in the Welshman this summer as they target younger alternatives.
Bale is not wanted by Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, but the lack of potential interested parties is causing a problem in moving him on from the Bernabeu, especially given that Bale is happy to sit there and play out his contract.
Now, another club looks to have shut the door on an exit as ESPN report that Bayern Munich have not made any approach for the 29-year-old, which has come from the Wales international's agent himself.
Billionaire Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is stepping up his efforts to bring Frank Lampard back to Stamford Bridge in a managerial capacity, according to Sportsmail.
The Russian is preparing for face-to-face talks with the former midfielder, who guided Derby County to the play-off final in his debut managerial season. A three-year deal will reportedly be under discussion.
Derby are believed to be holding out for £4 million in compensation, which would represent the bulk of the fee that Chelsea received from Juventus for the departure of Maurizio Sarri.
David Lynch of The Evening Standard reports that Liverpool's 21-year-old winger Sheyi Ojo is set to move on loan to Rangers.
Ibrox has proved a popular location for Liverpool loanees since Steven Gerrard took charge, with Ryan Kent and Ovie Ejaria already having made the loan move north last season.
Ojo is reportedly already in Glasgow to finalise the move. The England youth international spent last season with Stade de Reims.
Barcelona and Brazil man Philippe Coutinho is wanted by PSG, per Spanish publication AS.
He is currently competing in the Copa America, and any deal would not be finalised until the conclusion of the competition, but his camp have reportedly already been contacted by PSG officials. Coutinho would be eager to end his troubled stint in Barcelona and link up with a number of his compatriots in the French capital.
While interest from Manchester United has also been alleged, Sky Sports report that the former Liverpool man would not make the move to Old Trafford out of respect for his old club.
The Mail reports that John Terry might follow in the footsteps of his former teammate by taking over the Derby County hot-seat, should Lampard return to Stamford Bridge in a managerial capacity.
Terry, currently a coach at Aston Villa, has impressed since hanging up his boots, and is cited as a positive influence on multiple young players at Villa Park. The appointment would raise the prospect of maintaining the links with Chelsea established by Lampard, who was able to procure the loan signing of Mason Mount last campaign.
Lampard is widely-believed to be leaving Pride Park, with his uncle Harry Redknapp talking up the possibility of a move to Chelsea in an interview with the BBC.
"In my personal opinion, he'll be the manager of Chelsea. It looks to me like it's going to happen"
West Ham have surged to the front of the queue for Eibar midfielder Joan Jordan, according to Marca.
The London club have indicated a willingness to pay the 15-million euro release clause, something which Sevilla are not currently prepared to do. The Hammers have already made one midfield addition from La Liga this summer, bringing in Pablo Fornals from Villarreal.
Any possible deal is still dependent on Jordan's desire to make the switch to Pellegrini's team; he is currently believed to favour a move to Sevilla, but Eibar are unwilling to accept any bid below the release clause.
The Daily Star reports that highly-rated Luton Town defender James Justin is set for a move to the Premier League, with Aston Villa and Leicester City competing for his signature.
Any deal for the Englishman would be worth £10 million, with Luton determined to command a large fee for a player who was instrumental in their League One triumph.
Aston Villa are currently in pole position, given that Dean Smith can offer immediate first-team football whereas Leicester view Justin as a cover option.
West Ham United will only sell Issa Diop to Manchester United if Anthony Martial comes in the other direction, reports Miguel Delaney.
The 22-year-old defender is highly rated at Old Trafford, but any cash-only bid would have to be in excess of £60 million to tempt West Ham into a sale. They are more receptive to a deal which would see compatriot Anthony Martial move the other way, although the prevailing view within the Manchester United hierarchy appears to be in favour of persisting with the winger.
Talks over any potential deal remain at a preliminary stage.
Netherlands international Terrence Kongolo may yet be handed a Premier League lifeline despite relegation with Huddersfield Town, according to The Mail.
Newly-promoted Aston Villa are interested in recruiting him for their first campaign back in the top flight, enquiring over the former Monaco man. Huddersfield had the second-worst defensive record in the league last season, and were relegated on just sixteen points.
Dean Smith is looking to buy strongly this summer in an attempt to avoid suffering a similar fate to The Terriers.
Sky Sports reports that Chelsea youngster Martell Taylor-Crossdale is set to reject any advances to renew with the London club, instead lining up a free transfer to Hoffenheim.
The German club have shown themselves to be a suitable location for young English talent, with Arsenal loanee Reiss Nelson enjoying a productive campaign there last season. Taylor-Crossdale, 19, is an England u20 international.
He was also part of the u18 side that triumphed in the Toulon Tournament in 2018.
Jurgen Klopp may be tempted into making a move for Barcelona starlet Ousmane Dembele, according to Teamtalk.
Liverpool did not have plans for major outlays in this window, but are prepared to react to the availability of top targets. The French winger is such a target, and Barcelona have signalled a willingness to sell if they can recoup the fee of just over £90 million that they paid two years ago.
Representatives of the player are believed to have informed Liverpool of this tentative availability, and indicated that Dembele would favour a move to Liverpool if he were to leave Camp Nou.
Everton will announce a new one-year contract for veteran full-back Leighton Baines in the coming days, per The Liverpool Echo.
There had been some uncertainty over the 34-year-old's future, who was in a similar position to departing club captain Phil Jagielka, but an offer is now on the table and Baines is believed to have accepted it.
Marco Silva is keen to keep the English defender as an understudy to Lucas Digne, who has firmly established himself as first choice since arriving from Barcelona.
Gareth Bale's agent has poured cold water on stories suggesting that Bayern Munich have made contact with Real Madrid over a loan deal for the Welshman, according to ESPN.
Bale is widely believed to be out of favour with manager Zinedine Zidane, but potential suitors are limited by his high wages. It had been thought that Bayern may be willing to commit such money following the departures of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, but his agent has supposedly branded such reports "rubbish".
As it stands it appears that Bale is prepared to see out the remaining three years on his bumper contract in the Spanish capital.
Arsenal are meanwhile set to push on with their first signing of the summer with a bid for Bournemouth’s Ryan Fraser set to be lodged. A new centre-back is high on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s priority list at United with Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Leicester’s Harry Maguire both options. Crystal Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka is another on the Norwegian’s radar.
It won’t just be incomings at Old Trafford, however, with 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. And 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.
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