Friday's transfer news: Man United lead Bruno Fernandes chase over Spurs, Liverpool eye £45m Junior Firpo bid
The transfer window is hotting up
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Your support makes all the difference.The transfer window is hotting up with clubs up and down the country set to spend big.
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:
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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.
Arsenal target Yannick Carrasco has been suspended by his Chinese club after returning late from international duty with Belgium
"Yannick Carrasco of the Dalian Football Club was absent from the away game against Hebei China Fortune and missed training," read a club statement.
"The club now imposes the following penalties on him: Order Carrasco to apologise to the team within three days and stop training.
"The club has always attached importance to the team's discipline construction, and no individual is above the collective. The club treats everyone equally."
Real Madrid fell short in their bid to beat Atletico to sign Joao Felix from Benfica
Zinedine Zidane could have been fielding the Portuguese starlet, rather than preparing to face him next season.
With Atletico set to trigger the €120m (£107m) release clause, but Marca believe Real already bid that same amount.
The only issue was €50m (£44.7m) came in add-ons and bonuses, which was not to the liking of the Portuguese club, leaving Atletico in the clear.
Manchester United have moved ahead of Tottenham in the race for Sporting midfielder Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese international looks certain to leave the club this summer after a record-breaking season with some of Europe's top clubs lining up to sign him.
At the front of that queue appear to be United who are willing to pay whatever it takes to get the 24-year-old on board.
A Bola report that Tottenham's move for Fernandes hinges on Christian Eriksen leaving first which leaves United as clear frontrunners.
Fernandes' agent is understood to have met with United and that a formal offer to his client and Sporting is expected imminently.
Read more:
Arsenal‘s transfer activity has turned its crosshairs firmly on centre-backs with Unai Emery eying up French World Cup-winning centre-backs Samuel Umtiti and Presnel Kimpembe as potential candidates to reinforce his leaky defence.
Emery worked with Kimpembe at PSG and is very keen to reunite with the 23-year-old, according to Le 10 Sport. PSG are hoping to secure the signature of Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt which would make room for Kimpembe’s departure after a turbulent season with the French champions. However, PSG would demand a price in the region of £35m, which would virtually wipe out the entirety of Arsenal’s summer transfer budget.
Umtiti has long been eyed by the Gunners, but the 25-year-old’s price tag would outmatch that of Kimpembe’s meaning any move is unlikely, despite Barcelona’s willingness to sell the defender if their asking price is met.
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Leonardo has not long been back in Paris at PSG but he has now compiled his summer shopping list.
Talk of a summer exit for Neymar dominates, but PSG look set to back Thomas Tuchel.
Gazzetta dello Sport report the French champions Gianluigi Donnarumma, Lorenzo Insigne, Nicolo Barella and Miralem Pjanic.
Further targets are Douglas Costa, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Sandro Tonali.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has criticised Maurizio Sarri after the former Chelsea boss joined their bitter rivals Juventus.
"I am not surprised about Sarri's move to Juventus," De Laurentiis admitted.
"Football is no longer a world of icons and loyalty.
"He didn't win anything here and maybe he will not win anything in Turin."
Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny has been offered a two-year deal by Lyon.
Foot Mercato in France claim the French defender is considering the offer.
Koscielny struggled with injuries once again last season, but did feature prominently in the final weeks of the season.
But with one year left on his contract and no extension in sight, the 33-year-old could return to Ligue 1.
Stewart Downing has joined Blackburn Rovers on a one-year deal
The 34-year-old joins on a free transfer from Middlesbrough.
Downing made 40 appearances last season, scoring two goals and assisting one.
Philippe Coutinho prefers a move to PSG over Manchester United
The Barcelona star has struggled to justify his £136m price tag at the Nou Camp, and a summer move is in the works.
Mundo Deportivo believe the Brazilian would opt for a move to the French capital, rather than join the bitter rivals of former club Liverpool.
The Brazilian contingent under Thomas Tuchel, including Marquinhos, Dani Alves and Neymar is what appeals to Coutinho.
Manchester United hope to complete a move for Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the next 48 hours
Crystal Palace could finally agree to sell the England Under-21 right-back for a sum of £60m, claim the Standard.
England manager Aidy Boothroyd has admitted The FA would be willing to accommodate the player and the clubs should a deal be agreed in order to complete a medical.
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