Transfer news: Manchester United block Arsenal move for Phil Jones, West Ham in talks to sign Chelsea's Loic Remy
The biggest transfer news and speculation on Thursday 25 August
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Your support makes all the difference.Manchester United will not let Phil Jones leave the club this summer after he was linked with a move to Arsenal, with Jose Mourinho determined not to do any transfer business with old rival Arsene Wenger.
The Evening Standard reports that 24-year-old Jones is being considered by the Gunners as they continue their hunt for a new centre-back, with talks for Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi reaching a stalemate after Valencia insisted they do not want to sell him.
Arsenal do have other options to target, though one of those is believed to Jones and should Arsenal follow up interest in the England international, it is likely to be met with an immediate rejection. Wenger is reported to believe that Southampton’s Jose Fonte will join United by next Wednesday’s transfer deadline, paving the way for Jones to leave the club.
However, Mourinho’s fractious relationship with Wenger will lead to the Portuguese personally rejecting any offer from the north London club, and Jones has also been told that he is part of Mourinho’s plans even though he signed £30m Eric Bailly from Villarreal during the summer.
It has also been revealed how United missed out on Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane during the summer, with Mourinho calling the France international to try and lure him to Old Trafford. Mourinho has a close relationship with Varane after managing him at Real and hailing the 23-year-old as the best defender in the world, but he has confirmed that he will remain at Real for at least another season.
According to Spanish radio station Cope, Mourinho attempted to talk Varane into pushing for a summer exit, but the defender discussed his future with current manager Zinedine Zidane and decided that he should remain a Real player for the foreseeable future, and it is not known if Mourinho made the call before or after he had secured the signing of Bailly.
West Ham continue to search for a new striker after Slaven Bilic confirmed on Wednesday that the club are looking at both Wilfried Bony and Simone Zaza as potential signings, but Sky Sports reports today that the Hammers are also in talks with Chelsea over a loan deal for Loic Remy. The former Queens Park Rangers striker has been frozen out at Stamford Bridge following the arrival of Michy Batshuayi and the return to form of Diego Costa, and a move away from the club looks likely to be his best chance of securing first-team football.
Tottenham look set to sell midfielder Nabil Bentaleb after a deal was agreed with Schalke to sign the 21-year-old, according to the Evening Standard. Bentaleb has struggled to break into the first team under Mauricio Pochettino, and a move abroad looks the most likely options with little interest coming from the Premier League.
According to the Daily Mail, Spurs will look to reinvest the money to try and sign Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu, with the Turkey international also attracting attention from Spanish side Atletico Madrid.
Calhanoglu, regarded as a set-piece specialist, has scored 21 goals in two seasons at the BayArena and would aid Spurs striker Harry Kane in providing goals, should he arrive at White Hart Lane in the next week.
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