Transfer news and rumours LIVE: Juventus end Pogba interest to leave way clear for Real Madrid

Paris Saint-Germain could sign Nicolas Pepe, according to the player's agent, though they may face strong competition for his signature. 

Pepe has also been linked with Liverpool, Lille president Gerard Lopez claiming talks have been held with the Champions League winners.

And Pepe's agent Samir Khiat says the player - valued at around €65 million (£58m/$73m) - is still considering his options.

Read the full story right here on Goal!

Napoli are nearing a deal to sign Fenerbache's Elif Elmas for a deal worth around €16 million (£14m/$18m), plus add-ons, reports Gianlucadimarzio.com.

Final details must still be worked out with Elmas' agent, but the agreement between the clubs looks to have been sealed after Napoli representatives headed to Turkey.

A deal could be finalised by Sunday.

The Colorado Rapids and Nana Boateng have agreed to a mutual termination, the MLS club have announced.

The Ghanian had played two seasons with the Rapids but had not featured in MLS in 2019, and requested the termination to deal with a family matter in Europe.

Porto have offered forward Moussa Marega to West Ham, as the Hammers look to add another option up top, report Sky Sports.

With Marko Arnautovic gone to China and Maxi Gomez choosing Valencia, West Ham are in need of another forward option.

They were in talks to sign Marega last year, with the forward having a €30m (£27m/$34m) release clause in his contract.

Inter have announced the signing of Nicolo Barella from Cagliari on an initial one-year loan, with an obligation to buy at the end of that period.

Barella will spend the 2019-20 season at San Siro before joining the Nerazzurri permanently on a five-year contract.

Inter are reported to have paid a €12 million loan fee for Barella, who will then cost €25m next year, with the deal including a potential €13m in add-ons, taking the transfer to a total value of €50m (£45m/$56m).

Read the full story right here on Goal!

Antoine Griezmann has said the time was right to join Barcelona after completing a long-awaited switch from Atletico Madrid.

The France forward has signed a five-year deal after Barca agreed to trigger his €120 million (£107m/$134m) release clause.

Griezmann was seemingly set to join Barca in the summer of 2018 only to confirm during a television documentary he was staying at Atletico and explained his change of heart in a video published to his new club's Twitter account.

Read the fulls tory right here on Goal!

Romelu Lukaku is growing increasingly resigned to remaining at Manchester United this season as Inter struggle to meet the Red Devils' valuation of him.

The Evening Standard report Lukaku was frustrated by Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio not making a formal offer to Ed Woodward when the pair met Thursday.

With United believing they can make a profit, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ready to keep him around rather than have to sign a replacement, Lukaku is likely to remain at Old Trafford.

Chelsea have cut eight players from their pre-season camp, with eyes toward loan moves for that group, reports Sky Sports.

Lewis Baker, Izzy Brown, Lucas Piazon, Trevoh Chalobah, Dujon Sterling, Ike Ugbo, Conor Gallagher and Marc Guehi all played for the Blues in their first pre-season friendly.

Six of the eight spent last year on loan and it's expected all will head out away from the club this season despite their transfer ban.

Juventus have completed the €26 million (£23m/$29m) signing of Genoadefender Cristian Romero and loaned the 21-year-old back to the Rossoblu.

A deal for Romero looked to be edging closer when Juve confirmed he was to have a medical on Tuesday, and he signed a five-year contract three days later.

The former Argentina Under-20 international only joined Genoa from boyhood club Belgrano last year for a reported €1.7m, but in his 27 Serie A appearances he sufficiently impressed to earn a big move.

Read the full story right here on Goal!

Callum Wilson has signed a new four-year contract to end speculation he could leave Bournemouth.

England striker Wilson had been linked with Chelsea and West Ham, but has now committed his future to the Cherries through to 2023.

And Wilson, who has scored 58 goals in 148 appearances since joining from Coventry City in 2014, feels there is more to come.

Read the full story right here on Goal!

Everton are nearing a deal to sign Manchester City midfielder/defender Fabian Delph for £8 million ($10m), according to the Telegraph.

Delph was deemed expendable after City secured the signing of Rodri from Atletico Madrid and Angelino from PSV.

Everton are unable to make big buys without making sales, but Delph comes with a cheap fee thanks to having only one year left on his contract. 

Valencia have confirmed the permanent signing of Russian winger Denis Cheryshev from Villarreal.

Cheryshev, who starred for Valencia on loan last term, has signed a three-year deal, which includes a buyout clause of €80 million (£72m/$90m).

The Copa del Rey winners have reportedly paid less than the €7m that is said to have been the initial asking price for an outright purchase.

Read the full story right here on Goal!

West Ham are demanding £10 million ($13m) Pedro Obiang as a pair of Serie A clubs circle for his signature, reports the Sun.

The midfielder was a regular in the squad last season but with returns of Jack Wilshire and Carlos Sanchez, his place is under threat.

Hammers also have further targets and could stand to raise more money, with both Bologna and Sassuolo interested in Obiang. 

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has said Real Madrid and his club must make “sacrifices” in order to complete a deal for James Rodriguez.

James has seen his future thrown into doubt, with his two-year loan spell at Bayern Munich over and Real Madrid not counting on him in their plans.

Napoli head coach Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly keen on the Colombia international, but there are still obstacles to a deal getting done.

Read the full story on Goal.

Borussia Dortmund defender Abdou Diallo will only be sold if he pushes to leave the club, reports Unibet. 

Diallo is rumoured to be seeking a way out of Dortmund, with his playing time in jeopardy following the summer arrival of Mats Hummels from Bayern Munich. 

But Dortmund are still not keen to sell, and will only let the 23-year-old leave should he seek an exit and a suitable fee is offered. 

Former England, Liverpool and Tottenham striker Peter Crouch has announced his retirement from football at the age of 38.

Crouch most recently played at Burnley, where he finished a career that started when he signed his first professional contract at Tottenham in 1998. 

Read the full story here.

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FC Cincinnati has announced that center back and captain Kendall Waston has agreed to a contract extension.

The 31-year-old Costa Rica international has made 13 appearances for FCC this season, scoring one goal.

“We are pleased that Kendall will remain an FC Cincinnati player for the foreseeable future,” general manager Gerard Nijkamp said in a club release.

“He is a true professional who leads by example on and off the pitch and is committed to what we are building at FC Cincinnati.”

Forrmer Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel has confirmed he has held talks with Rangers.

The 34-year-old is out of contract after leaving Fenerbahce and could be set to reunite with former team-mate Steven Gerrard at Ibrox. 

But Skrtel also said he has other offers, saying in quotes published in the Daily Record: "My agent made interviews with Basaksehir, Fenerbahce, Parma, Olympiacos and Glasgow Rangers. But I can’t say anything more for now."

Lyon playmaker Nabil Fekir has the interest of Real Betis as the club looks at possible replacements for Giovani Lo Celso, reports Marca.

Lo Celso is on Tottenham's wishlist and Betis believe Fekir could be had at a discounted price due to having only one year left on his deal.

A delegation has traveled to France to gauge Fekir's interest in the move, with the playmaker previously speaking of a desire to play in La Liga.

The Red Devils are under no pressure to sell the Belgian striker

Manchester United will demand around £90 million ($113m) from Inter for striker Romelu Lukaku, reports the Telegraph.

Inter have yet to make a formal offer, but were planning on a £9m loan fee with a mandatory purchase option of around £54m.

But United have no pressure to sell and United want more than the £75m they paid Everton, leaving Inter needing to raise funds, possibly by selling Mauro Icardi, in order to secure a deal.

Roma have agreed to the €10 million (£9m/$11m) sale of Gerson to Flamengo according to Gianlucadimarzio.com.

The 22-year-old had spent three years in Serie A after joining Roma from Fluminense for €16m, with his previous campaign with Fiorentina on loan.

In addition to the fee, Flamengo will also give Roma a percentage of any future resale.

Manchester United target Sean Longstaff has accepted it is unlikely he will make a move to Old Trafford this summer, reports the Daily Mail.

With Newcastle looking for around £50 million ($63m) for the midfielder, the Red Devils are ready to end their pursuit Longstaff.

Longstaff would like to talk to United but remains committed to Newcastle.

Milan have closed in on a deal with Empoli for Ismael Bennacer with only the final details to be arranged, reports Calciomercato.com.

Empoli, who were relegated from Serie A at the end of the season, have demanded €16 million (£14m/$18m) plus bonuses for Bennacer.

Milan technical director Paolo Maldini is expected to meet with Empoli today in order to discuss the structure of the payments.

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Sheffield United have confirmed they broke their transfer record to sign Callum Robinson from Preston North End.

Robinson joins on a four-year deal and while the Blades did not disclose the fee, reports have said it is around £6 million ($8m).

The 24-year-old Republic of Ireland international becomes the second player this summer Sheffield United have broken their transfer record for.

Juventus and Ajax have come to an agreement on a transfer fee for Matthijs de Ligt, according to De Telegraaf.

The Serie A champions had offered €50 million (£45m/$56m) based on an agreement the club had made with De Ligt's father, but Marc Overmars was not party to that deal and demanded more.

Juve have agreed to pay a larger fee, with reports suggesting the agreement is for €70m.

Sevilla have confirmed they have signed former Manchester City midfielder Fernando Reges from Galatasaray.

Reports say Sevilla have paid €4 million for Fernando to make him their eighth signing of the summer.

Fernando had one year left on his deal at Galatasaray, which he had signed after departing City two years ago.

Juventus have submitted a new bid for Ajax defender Matthijs De Ligt in hopes of closing a deal soon, according to Gianlucadimarzio.com.

Despite De Ligt and Juve having come to personal terms, the deal was held up as the Serie A champions had not met Ajax's asking price.

However, while Juve still have not come to an agreement with Ajax, the clubs are closer to a deal, and the next few hours could be key.

Atletico Madrid have released an official statement outlining their intention to open legal proceedings regarding Antoine Griezmann's €120m move to Barcelona.

Atleti believe negotiations - and an agreement - between the player and Barca took place when Griezmann's buyout clause was still set at €200m.

Read the full story on Goal right here

Find out more details about Antoine Griezmann's move to Barcelona from Atletico Madrid.

What length of contract has the France international signed? And what is the forward's release clause at Barcelona?

Read the full story on Griezmann's switch to Camp Nou on Goal here

Manchester United are still interested in signing Sean Longstaff, but are nowhere near matching Newcastle’s valuation of the midfielder, reports Sky Sports News.

Longstaff would be keen to discuss a move to Old Trafford and the Red Devils value the youngster at around £20 million ($25m).

However, while Newcastle don’t want to sell Longstaff, they would be looking for in the region of £50m ($63m) before considering letting him go this summer.

Aston Villa are hoping to complete a deal to sign Reims defender Bjorn Engels in a €10 million (£9m/$11m) transfer, reports Het Laatste Nieuws.

Engels joined Reims last summer on loan from Olympiacos before the move was made permanent, but he could now be heading to the Premier League.

Villa boss Dean Smith tried to sign the Belgian for Brentford last year and is now hopeful of finally landing his man this summer.

With Antoine Griezmann off to Barcelona, Atletico Madrid could turn to James Rodriguez as a potential replacement, according to El Larguero.

Rodriguez is back at Real Madrid after two years on loan at Bayern Munich, and he is wanted by his former coach Carlo Ancelotti at Napoli.

However, Napoli are keen for Madrid to lower their demands for the Colombian playmaker, who is now emerging as an option for Atletico.

France star signs five-year contract

Nantes have earmarked Nice coach Patrick Vieira as a potential replacement for Vahid Halilhodzic, claims Le 10 Sport.

Halilhodzic’s future at Nantes appears uncertain, with the club’s president Waldemar Kita a big fan of the credentials of Vieira.

If Kita decides to dispense with Halilhodzic, then Vieira is reportedly interested in the Nantes post given the uncertainty surround his own position at Nice.

Could Tottenham’s decision to outbid Arsenal for William Saliba have been influenced by Roma’s interest in signing Toby Alderweireld?

According to Sky in Italy, Roma official Franco Baldini will meet Spurs chairman Daniel Levy in London on Friday to discuss a deal for Alderweireld.

The Belgium international can leave Spurs for a fee of £25 million ($31m), providing the clause is triggered up to two weeks before the end of the transfer window, but Roma are hoping to lower that figure.

Saint-Etienne defender could now be on his way to Tottenham

Tottenham have offered in excess of €30 million (£27m/$34m) for William Saliba and are hoping to beat Arsenal to the signing of the Saint-Etienne defender, claims RMC Sport.

Arsenal had agreed a deal worth in the region of £26.5m ($33m) for Saliba earlier in the week, with a view to the teenager returning to Saint-Etienne on loan next season.

However, reports claim the two clubs have not settled on the payment of bonuses and that has allowed Spurs to make an offer to gazump their north London rivals.

Spurs officials are due to meet their Saint-Etienne counterparts on Saturday to try to finalise a deal, leaving Arsenal in a position where they need to react.

Real Madrid now clear favourites to sign Man Utd midfielder

Juventus have ended their interest in re-signing Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba this summer, claims the Mail Online.

Pogba is keen to leave United for a fresh challenge and Juve had shown an interest in bringing the France international back to Turin, but have now told his agent Mino Raiola they are moving on to other targets.

That decision leaves Real Madrid as the clear favourites to sign Pogba, if they can persuade United to sell, amid reports an offer of £150 million ($188m) would be required.

Valencia have completed the permanent signing of Denis Cheryshev from Villarreal following his loan spell last season.

Cheryshev has signed a three-year contract with Valencia and the Russia international’s release clause has been set at €80 million (£72m/$90m).

Watford are making progress in their bid to sign Rennes winger Ismaila Sarr for a club-record fee, according to L’Equipe.

Rennes have already turned down a €30 million (£27m/$34m) bid from Watford for Sarr, but the Senegal international is keen to move to Vicarage Road.

Talks are ongoing between the two clubs as Watford also look to agree the terms on a contract with Sarr and his representatives.

Tottenham have joined the race to sign Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips having already captured his team-mate Jack Clarke this summer, reports the Mirror.

Clarke has been allowed to return to Leeds on loan and Spurs are planning a second raid on Elland Road for Phillips, who is reportedly valued at £30 million ($38m).

Aston Villa have previously offered £11m ($14m) for Phillips, while Bournemouth, Newcastle and Wolves have all been linked with an interest in the midfielder.

A striker is clearly high on the priority list for West Ham, with Sky Sports News reporting talks are underway with Eintracht Frankfurt regarding Sebastien Haller.

After missing out on Maxi Gomez, and also being linked with Duvan Zapata, the Hammers are now eyeing up a deal for Haller.

Frankfurt reportedly want at least £40 million ($50m) before agreeing to sell Haller, having already sold Luka Jovic to Real Madrid this summer.

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has insisted nothing has been decided regarding the rumoured transfer of Manchester City winger Leroy Sane.

The Germany international has been the subject of intense speculation this summer, with his future in England under scrutiny amid reported interest from the Bundesliga champions.

Read the full story on Goal here

Sheffield United have agreed a fee with Preston to sign Republic of Ireland international striker Callum Robinson, reports Sky Sports News.

Reports had suggested that Norwich had made a £6 million offer for Robinson, but it appears he could now be on his way to a different promoted club.

Robinson impressed in the Championship last season and has been offered the opportunity to step up to the Premier League by the Blades.

Defender keen to return to France

Arsenal want a transfer fee of €10 million (£9m/$11m) before agreeing to let Laurent Koscielny leave the club during the transfer window, reports the Evening Standard.

Koscielny has refused to travel on Arsenal’s pre-season tour to the United States and is keen to return to France.

Bordeaux, Lyon and Rennes are all interested in the 33-year-old, but Arsenal are not currently prepared to let him go unless their valuation is met.

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Atletico Madrid release clause set to be paid on Friday

Antoine Griezmann is expected to undergo a medical and sign his contract with Barcelona on Monday, according to Sport.

Barcelona are expected to pay the €120 million (£108m/$135m) release clause in Griezmann’s Atletico Madrid contract on Friday, but will not finalise the transfer until after the weekend.

The France international is due to travel to Barcelona from Ibiza on Sunday before having a medical, with the forward then holding a press conference alongside club president Josep Maria Bartomeu at Camp Nou.

Aston Villa’s bid for new signings shows no signs of slowing down after they made a ‘cheeky’ bid for Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton, reports Sky Sports News.

Dean Smith is looking to add a goalkeeper to his squad ahead of the club’s return to the Premier League, but saw the offer for Heaton turned down.

Villa are not prepared to pay over the odds for Heaton and also have another goalkeeper target on their wanted list.

Everton are understood to be interested in landing Lille winger Nicolas Pepe this summer, but the Liverpool Echo suggest the Toffees could be priced out of any potential deal.

The 24-year-old netted 22 goals and notched 11 assists in Ligue 1 last season - figures that have atracted widespread interest from across Europe for the Ivory Coast international, who is valaued at around £60m.

Lazio have confirmed the capture of SPAL full-back Manuel Lazzari, who becomes the club's third signing of the summer alongside Denis Vavro and Bobby Adekanye.

The club made the annoucement via their official website. Lazzari, 25, who can also play on the right-side of midfield, made his debut for Italy in September last year.

Fulham are reportedly set to sign Wolves winger Ivan Cavaleiro on a season-long loan, with a view to landing the player permanently.

According to Daily Telegraph reporter John Percy, the 25-year-old Portugal international was a target for the west Londoners last year, and any agreement will include an option to buy once his loan period has ended.

Arsenal utility man Ben Sheaf has signed a six-month loan deal with League One club Doncaster Rovers, reports The Star.

The 21-year-old midfielder, who is also at home at right back or in central defence, has made two senior appearances for Arsenal from the bench, and spent the second-half of the 2017-18 campaign on loan at Stevenage.

Legendary Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has revealed he turned down approaches from both Manchester United and Manchester City this summer before making an emotional return to Serie A champions Juventus.

The 41-year-old was wary of the potential of another bit-part season had he moved to the Premier League after making just 25 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain last season.

The Daily Mail claim Buffon could have doubled his wages had he opted to switch to either of the Manchester clubs, but the stopper, who has a record 176 caps for Italy to his name, was not prepared to play understudy to Ederson or David de Gea.

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Napoli are now considering a move for Lille forward Nicolas Pepe in their ongoing search for attacking reinforcements, reports the Corriere dello Sport.

Pepe has been linked with a string of major clubs across Europe following an impressive past season, with the likes of Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Everton reportedly interested.

But, after missing out on Rodrigo and Mauro Icardi, Napoli are now turning their attention to Ivory Coast international Pepe.

Here’s more on the news that Kashima Antlers have agreed a deal for Hiroki Abe to join Barcelona.

The 20-year-old Japan international has been explaining why now is the right time for him to leave the Antlers to join the Liga champions.

Read the full story on Goal here

West Ham have made Sampdoria striker Duvan Zapata their new No. 1 target and are planning a £40 million approach for the Colombia international, claims The Sun.

Zapata impressed on loan at Atalanta last season and West Ham previously tried to sign the 28-year-old six years ago.

After missing out to Valencia for Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez, the Hammers have turned to Zapata to boost their attack following Marko Arnautovic’s move to China.

Man City midfielder set to become promoted club's latest signing

Aston Villa are closing in on a £15 million deal to sign Manchester City midfielder Douglas Luiz, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Douglas has yet to make a first-team appearance for City after the Brazilian was refused a work permit and has spent the past two seasons on loan at Girona.

However, Villa are confident they can secure a work permit for the 21-year-old as they look to continue their summer spending spree since winning promotion back to the Premier League.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed he is not planning for a busy summer transfer window.

Klopp has invested heavily and astutely in his squad over the past 18 months in bringing in the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Fabinho, and he will also welcome Rhian Brewster and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain back into the first-team squad this season following long-term injuries.

That has left Klopp feeling he does not need to make any major adjustments to his squad for the coming campaign.

Read the full story here on Goal

Lautaro Martinez's agent confirmed that Barcelona are interested in signing the Inter forward.

Alberto Yaque confirmed that there have been no concrete talks, but that there is interest amid reports of a a €112 million (£100m/$126m) move to Barca.

Read the full story on Goal!

Manchester United are preparing an €80 million(£71.6 million/$90 million) bid for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.

The Red Devils could lose Paul Pogba this summer, as the Frenchman has been linked with a move to Real Madrid and Juventus.

Lazio star Milinkovic-Savic could be a replacement while the club has also been linked with  Sean Longstaff and Mario Lemina.

Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio confirmed the Serie A club have made an "official approach" to Manchester United for Romelu Lukaku, but no move is settled just yet.

The Italian side has been heavily linked with the Man Utd forward, who looks set to leave Old Trafford this summer after falling behind Marcus Rashford.

Read the full story on Goal!

Barcelona legend Xavi says he thinks it will be "very difficult" for his former side to sign Neymar this summer.

The Brazil star has been linked with a move back to his former club, but his former team-mate isn't fully sure that's possible.

Read what Xavi had to say on Goal!

Boca Juniors have completed the signing of Jan Carlos Hurtado, the club announced.

Hurtado moves to the Argentinian side from Gimnasia y Esgrima having recently earned his first international cap for Venezuela.

The 19-year-old forward made his international debut in March against Argentina, having previously been a part of Venzuela's runners-up side at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Roma are close to reaching an agreement with Atalanta for Gianluca Mancini to bring in the Italian on a loan with obligation to buy, as reported by Gianluca Di Marzio. 

A €20m deal for the 23-year-old could be closed by the end of Friday after he scored six goals in 35 games from central defence in his club's successful bid to qualify for the Champions League. 

Derby County have completed the loan signing of Everton’s Kieran Dowell, according to a statement from the club.

The in-demand attacking midfielder has joined the Rams on a season-long loan deal from the Premier League outfit.

Dowell, who is an England Under-21 international, completed the formalities of his switch on Thursday and has teamed up with Derby’s players at their training camp in Florida. 

Manchester United have been quoted a staggering £50 million ($62m) for Sean Longstaff by Newcastle United, as reported by the Telegraph.

The 21-year-old has emerged as a leading midfield target for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, despite having only made nine Premier League appearances for Newcastle.

Ed Woodward, United’s executive vice-chairman, contacted Lee Charnley, the Newcastle managing director, on Saturday to enquire about Longstaff only to be told he will cost £50m.  

Paris Saint-Germain have relaunched their bid to sign Idrissa Gueye from Everton this summer, according to L'Equipe.

The French publication reveal that negotiations have opened between the two clubs and an opening bid of £27m has been made by the Ligue 1 champions. 

Everton managed to keep hold of Gueye during the winter window despite the Senegalese's wishes to move to Paris.

Midfielder is one of several Madrid stars up for sale

Both Tottenham and Arsenal's hopes of signing Real Madrid midfielder have received a boost after the Spaniard was left out of the Real Madrid International Champions Cup squad, as reported by Football London. 

The 22-year-old's stock rose as he impressed in the European U21 Championships, scoring two goals and providing two assists on the team's way to lifting the title.