The summer transfer window is now open in Europe, and there’s plenty of gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: PSG back in mix for Kane
Paris Saint-Germain are considering an approach to sign Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, according to the Independent.
The 29-year-old, who has entered the final year of his contract this summer, has recently been on the radars of Manchester United and Bayern Munich, and with the England international now open to a move in Europe, PSG are set to resurface after previously holding interest in his services.
The Parc des Princes hierarchy are keen to land a star striker this summer and previously been linked with Napoli‘s Victor Osimhen. However, PSG are now confident that they can land Kane with the board prepared to match any offer that the Bundesliga champions put forward.
Sources told ESPN earlier this week that Bayern have already made two bids to Spurs for Kane — the second one worth €94 million ($103.19m).
Kane scored 30 goals in the Premier League last season, and remains 48 goals away from beating the all-time league record of 260 held by Alan Shearer.
It is reported that Kane’s preference would be a switch to Old Trafford, but with little progress made amid difficulty in negotiating a deal with Spurs owner Daniel Levy, the two giants of France and Germany look to be winning the race for his signature.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
– How Harry Kane handled ‘Hot Ones’ spicy wings test
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16.06 BST: It has taken longer than most fans would have liked, but midfielder Declan Rice has finally completed his transfer to Arsenal with confirmation that the £100m deal, which could increase by up to £5m in add-ons, has now officially been done.
The England international has become the second-most expensive signing by a British club (behind Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez at £106.8m) in the process, and he is now also the seventh-most expensive signing in football history, joining some notable names at the top of the list.
Indeed, before add-ons are taken into account, Rice is now one of the two most expensive central midfielders ever, which earns him a place in the all-time XI when assembled on a position-by-position basis.
The XI has a combined transfer value of £1.139 billion and is presented in a 4-2-3-1 formation consisting of a goalkeeper, a traditional back four, two central midfielders, two wide forwards and an attacking midfielder playing behind an out-and-out centre-forward.
– Rice joins soccer’s all-time most expensive XI
15.33 BST: United States right-back Sergino Dest said he intends to fight for his place at Barcelona after an ill-fated loan spell at AC Milan last season.
“I see myself staying,” Dest said Friday, ahead of Barcelona’s preseason tour in the U.S. “Obviously, I have to prove myself during the preseason. I’m fully focused on myself at the moment, so it’s up to me and I feel like I can and I will prove it. My mindset is to stay here and to have a really nice season.”
Dest didn’t delve deeply into a conversation he had with Barca manager Xavi Hernandez about his future, but said he came away from it wanting to stay at Spotify Camp Nou.
“He just told me, ‘I’ll give you a fair chance to prove yourself,'” Dest said. “So that’s what it is at the moment. He told me, ‘I think you have qualities, but it’s up to you, you have to show me,’ and I fully agree.
“So I think that’s all up to me. I think I have some qualities that can be good for the team, but I have to show it and be consistent.”
14.55 BST: He may be 33 years old, but Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson leaving the club would still be a loss to the club amid reports of interest from Saudi club Al Ettifaq.
1:44
Why Henderson leaving for Saudi Arabia would be big blow for Liverpool
Steve Nicol explains why he thinks losing Jordan Henderson to Al Ettifaq would be a real loss for Liverpool.
13.49 BST: Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper and club captain Hugo Lloris has not been included in the squad for the club’s preseason tour of Australia and Asia, Spurs have confirmed.
The 36-year-old has been allowed to remain at home to “explore prospective transfer opportunities,” the club said, while Harry Kane was among the group that set off for Perth on Friday.
Lloris has made 447 appearances for Spurs since joining them in 2012, during which time he captained the club to a Champions League final in 2019 having led France to World cup glory the previous year.
However, with one year left on his contract the Spurs signing Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli this summer, Lloris may well have played his last game in north London.
1:23
Laurens: Declan Rice takes Arsenal to the next level
Julien Laurens explains why Declan Rice was Mikel Arteta’s #1 transfer target this summer.
13.04 BST: Arsenal have smashed their transfer record to complete the signing of England midfielder Declan Rice from West Ham, the club announced on Saturday.
The Premier League runners-up last season agreed a fee for Rice worth £100m plus £5m in add-ons, sources told ESPN. The amount easily eclipses Arsenal’s previous record fee — the £72m paid to sign Nicolas Pepe from Lille in 2019.
When all is said and done, Rice, 24, may also become the most expensive British player in Premier League history, eclipsing the £100m Manchester City paid to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa two years ago.
Rice’s arrival follows the signing of attacking midfielder Kai Havertz from Chelsea and defender Jurrien Timber from Ajax as Arsenal continue to add strength to the squad that mounted an unexpected Premier League title challenge last season.
Arsenal eventually fell short to title eventual Treble winners City but came out on top in the race to sign Rice. City had an earlier offer of £80m plus £10m in add-ons rejected, sources told ESPN, but believed Arsenal’s bid exceeded their valuation.
A new chapter begins. pic.twitter.com/ha5Btd8I2h
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 15, 2023
12.37 BST: Marseille have made Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a target this summer, according to Relevo.
Aubameyang, 34, only moved to Stamford Bridge last year in a £12m move from Barcelona, but he scored just one goal and started just five games in the Premier League since then.
The Gabon international, who was born and raised in France, has plenty of experience of Ligue football having played for Dijon, Lille, Monaco and Saint-Etienne early in his career.
Aubameyang is one of several players that Chelsea are keen to move on this summer as new manager Mauricio Pochettino tries to trim down the club’s overloaded squad.
11.51 BST: Manchester City want to extend right-back Kyle Walker‘s contract by a year amid interest from Bayern Munich and Juventus, the Daily Mail reports.
Sources told ESPN’s Mark Ogden last month that Bayern were in talks with Walker, and that City were prepared to offload the Champions League-winning full-back.
However, City may yet keep the 33-year-old if he agrees to the contract extension they have offered him. City are reported to want a £20m transfer fee for the England international if he does decide to leave.
The Premier League champions are also set to lose Joao Cancelo and Aymeric Laporte this summer, and they could look to Bayern’s Benjamin Pavard as a summer signing if they need a defensive reinforcement.
11.13 BST: Former Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater has said he wants to return to the club following their relegation from the Premier League and help them regain promotion.
Drinkwater spent five years at Leicester City from 2012-17. During that time, he helped them go up to the top tier, win their fairy tale Premier League title in 2015-16 and reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League the following season.
The 33-year-old then joined Chelsea, but his move to Stamford Bridge failed and he had four spells out on loan before being released by the club last year. Now, after a year out of the game, he wants to return to the King Power Stadium.
“I’d 100% go back to Leicester, it’s a special place for me,” he told Sky Sports News. “To help them get back to the Premier League is something I’d love to do.
“It was hard to watch. You look at the squad and it’s full of talent.
“They should see this as a reset. They had such a successful period before relegation, winning the FA Cup and Community Shield. If you go back 10 years, we were in the Championship and then look at what the club did in the next six to seven years.
“They’re in such a better place now than when I joined, they can get back up easily.”
10.24 BST: West Ham United have announced that they have agreed a British-record transfer for their midfielder Declan Rice.
Sources told ESPN’s Rob Dawson in June that Arsenal had agreed a deal with West Ham worth £100m plus £5m in add-ons for Rice after Manchester City pulled out of the race to sign the England international. That fee eclipses the £100m City paid Aston Villa to sign Jack Grealish in 2021, the current record for a player moving between two British clubs.
West Ham did not mention Arsenal in their statement, nor did Rice in an open letter to the club’s fans which was also published on Saturday morning.
However, the 24-year-old is now set to be announced as Arsenal’s third major arrival this summer, following attacking midfielder Kai Havertz from Chelsea and defender Jurrien Timber from Ajax.
09.49 BST: Arsenal announced their second big signing of the summer on Friday when versatile defender Jurrien Timber joined from Ajax.
Netherlands international Timber had been linked with interest from other clubs including Manchester United last summer but, speaking after his move to the Emirates was announced, the 22-year-old explained why he had to join Arsenal.
0:45
Why it had to be Arsenal for Jurrien Timber
Jurrien Timber talks to ESPN about his move from Ajax to Arsenal.
09.00 BST: Ajax have announced that Serbian forward Dusan Tadic will leave the club immediately following his own request.
The 34-year-old arrived at Ajax from Southampton at the start of the 2018-19 season. He went on to win three league titles and lifted the Dutch Cup twice. He made a total of 241 appearances for the club and found the back of the net 105 times.
“The decision to leave the club has been a very hard one to make. However, I believe this is the right moment,” Tadic said in a statement on Friday evening. “I will forever be an Ajax player and hope to return to Amsterdam soon, in a different role as coach.”
Tadic did not specify his immediate plans after leaving the club.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)
– Personal terms have been agreed between Manchester City defender Kyle Walker and Bayern Munich, reports Sky Sports Deutschland. Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel is reported to be a fan of the 32-year-old, and he is now one step closer to signing him after a two-year deal with the option of a further season was agreed. The Premier League champions are said to be looking for a fee in the region of €15m.
– Barcelona winger Raphinha remains on the radar of Al Ahli, according to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs. While the 26-year-old has previously indicated his desire to remain with the Blaugrana, the Saudi Pro League side still intend to pursue a move for his signature. He enjoyed bright form in the La Liga title-winning campaign last season, contributing to 14 goals in 36 matches.
– Al Ahli are also preparing to make an offer worth €25m to sign Bayern Munich winger Sadio Mané, writes Ekrem Konur. The Saudi Pro League side have recently been reported with interest in the 31-year-old’s signature, with optimism that they could be able to persuade him to make the switch away from the Allianz Arena this summer.
– As talks continue between Internazionale and Manchester United over a move for André Onana, the Serie A club have identified Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou as a potential replacement, according to Foot Mercato. A fee of €15m could be enough to land the 32-year-old, with the LaLiga side looking to offload starters this summer to help ongoing financial difficulties.
– West Ham United have made an enquiry with Ajax Amsterdam for Mexico international midfielder Edson Álvarez, reports the Athletic. The 25-year-old, who has also been linked with Borussia Dortmund, is reported to be available for transfer this summer for a fee in the region of £40m, with the Hammers expected to submit an official proposal for him in the coming days.