Transfer news live: Alvaro Morata agent talks up Manchester United as summer deal draws close
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Your support makes all the difference.It's transfer season once again!
Manchester United have money to spend too - and have already signed Victor Lindelof - but may be forced to shell out as much as £70m for both Alvaro Morata and Andrea Belotti as they chase a new No.9 while Chelsea's main man, Diego Costa, looks to be on his way after being told he is surplus to requirements by manager Antonio Conte.
Manchester City already have two players with Monaco's Bernardo Silva and Benfica goalkeeper Ederson in through the door, while Arsenal have snapped up Schalke's Sead Kolasinac on a free.
Liverpool are closing in on a deal for Mohamed Salah as they continue to negotiate with Roma over a fee but won't be adding Virgil van Dijk after being forced to apologise to Southampton for an illegal approach.
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Liverpool step up interest in the Ox
Some transfer news from the English press now, where the Express report that Liverpool are closing in on a £40m deal for Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
The England international is open to the idea of leaving the Emirates Stadium and Liverpool are reportedly preparing to offer him a huge £100k-a-week contract in order to persuade him to join.
The club supposedly see Oxlade-Chamberlain as a far more realistic signing than RB Leipzig’s Naby Keïta, who will likely cost in excess of £50m.
Arsenal do not want to sell Oxlade-Chamberlain but are unlikely to stand in his way if he hands in a formal transfer request.
Salah expected on Merseyside sooner rather than later
Liverpool are likely to sign Mohamed Salah sooner rather than later with Roma needing to sell him by the end of the month in order to comply with Fifa Financial Fair-Play regulations.
Roma are under financial strain from Fifa and, bound by FFP rules, they must balance their books by the end of June, according to Corriere dello Sport. The sale of Salah to the Reds would do just that, with the Italian club already having lined up a replacement for the 24-year-old in Swedish teenager Teddy Bergqvist from Malmo.
Read more here:
West Ham is where the Hart is?
Could Joe Hart be on his way to West Ham? The England number one had this to say after this weekend's draw with Scotland:
"I certainly don't think they are going to try and price me out of a move. I think there's enough respect between the player and club.
"We're going to work together, there's no point in working against each other. There is no animosity between the two. They are going in their direction and I need to go in mine."
And now Sky Sports are reporting that West Ham are preparing a loan move for the goalkeeper. Although whether Manchester City will be happy to allow the player to leave on a second short-term deal remains to be seen.
Marco Verratti could leave Paris Saint-Germain ahead of the new season, and if he does, it will be the most important transfer of the summer.
Here's Sport Editor Ed Malyon with more:
Liverpool see bid rejected
Latest from Italy: Corriere dello Sport report that Liverpool have seen an introductory offer of £24m for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic rejected by Lazio.
Lazio are instead demanding closer to £62m for the Serbian international, who scored four times in 34 Serie A matches last season.
The 22-year-old operates in centre-midfield – a position Liverpool are desperate to reinforce ahead of the 2017/18 campaign.
But they’re unlikely to come close to trebling their offer for the player.
#BigMoveAlert
Moussa Dembele has worried Celtic supporters with a social media post including the hashtag ‘Big Move Alert’.
On Monday afternoon, Dembele shared a blank photograph on Snapchat, writing on top: "FanLuv, big announcement alert soon! Stay tuned! #BigMoveAlert #Dembelition #InVIncibleOnTheWay.”
He then followed that up with a picture of him sitting in a plane seat with the caption “On my way to…”
Dembele is under contract with Celtic until 2020 but his impressive performances have caught the eye of a number of Europe’s top clubs.
The French youngster scored 32 goals in 48 appearances for the Bhoys and was also named the France Under-21 Player of the Year.
Benfica confirm Lindelof has been sold
More on his move to Manchester United via our Sports Reporter Mark Critchley:
Revealed: Tottenham better than Barcelona
(Kind of.)
The CIES Football Observatory has valued Tottenham Hotspur and England stars Harry Kane and Dele Alli at £135.5m and £136.9m respectively, above Lionel Messi (£133.9m), Antoine Griezmann (£132.6m) and Luis Suarez (£124.2m).
In fact, only Neymar (£185.9m) is valued higher than the Tottenham duo.
And as for Cristiano Ronaldo? He's valued at a lowly £99.2m. Peanuts.
Spurs to pip Liverpool to Fulham starlet
Ryan Sessegnon has been labelled "100 per cent" a Premier League player by his teammate Ragnar Sigurdsson.
Sessegnon is expected to join Tottenham this summer after Liverpool were forced to pull out of a move for similar reasons to why they pulled out of signing Virgil van Dijk from Southampton.
Read all the details here:
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