Wednesday's transfer news: Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs Man City latest, gossip, done deals and more
A round-up of the latest news, gossip, rumours and done deals as attention turns to the summer transfer window
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Your support makes all the difference.Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and more look ready to make waves in the summer transfer window with just a few weeks before the serious business begins.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set to be busy as he sets about the biggest revamp at United in years. A new centre-back is high on his priority list with Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly, Inter's Milan Skriniar and Leicester's Harry Maguire all options. It won't just be incomings, however, with Paul Pogba a target for Real Madrid. 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. Champions Manchester City are always big players in the market and could go big with the prospect of a potential transfer ban looming. And departures could be as fascinating in the Premier League, with Alexis Sanchez's nightmare at Old Trafford likely to end with Inter Milan and Juventus fighting it out for his signature - if he drops his wage demands.
We will have all the latest throughout the day right here.
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Good morning and welcome to today's Independent transfer live blog.
The summer window is very nearly upon us with the Premier League’s biggest clubs set to spend, spend, spend as the sales re-open.
We'll bring you all the latest news plus all the done deals and the juiciest gossip throughout the day right here so don't touch that dial.
Without further ado, off we go.
Let's start with the big news that broke last night: Antoine Griezmann is leaving Atletico.
"To tell you I have taken the decision to leave," he said in a social media video. "To see other things, to have other challenges.
"The truth is it has been difficult to take this route, but it is what I feel I need and I would like to thank all of you for the love you have shown me during these five years."
He is Barcelona bound with the La Liga champions set to trigger his £104m release clause on July 1.
A big, big deal to kick off the summer.
Staying in Spain and Real Madrid have made their first move for Paul Pogba, as it is understood intermediaries are now discussing a potential deal for the Manchester United star.
United’s preference has always been to keep Pogba, but a number of factors - from lesser commercial value than anticipated to his influence on the dressing room - have made them more open to a potential sale.
The Old Trafford hierarchy would want well in excess of £150m, but that is just one of many factors set to make this one of the sagas of the summer.
Pogba wants to be made the highest-paid player in the world with a base salary of £500,000 per week, a figure that, as yet, Real are unwilling to match.
Watch this space.
To Chelsea where they have still not received a satisfactory offer from Real Madrid for Eden Hazard.
The Belgian admitted he informed the Stamford Bridge hierarchy he wants to leave a few weeks ago, and personal terms have been agreed.
While the 28-year-old's contract means Chelsea are now willing to sell, since there is only a year left before he can go on a free, the club are insistent they receive what they feel is the right price.
There was some exasperation at reports in France that a deal had been agreed. Chelsea want in excess of £100m.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has identified centre-half as a key area for improvement, amid what is planned to be an extensive overhaul of the Manchester United over the summer, with the club set to pursue long-standing and new targets like Harry Maguire.
Former manager Jose Mourinho had previously insisted the position had to be improved upon, only to clash with the hierarchy over the signings he wanted due to their age and price.
Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly has long been a desired target, but sources say the current asking price of over £90m is far too much.
That could well see them return to previous options like Leicester City's Maguire and Internazionale's Milan Skriniar.
There is some debate about Toby Alderweireld's suitability, given his age, at 30.
Tottenham have apparently been offered the chance to sign Gareth Bale on loan.
The Sun report that the Spanish giants have told Spurs they can have him for £10m for the season.
They would also want them to pay half of Bale's £600,000 per week salary.
However, the Mirror report that Bale has no intention on returning and would prefer to stay put in the Spanish capital.
Over to Manchester City where there are suggestions the champions could be about to spend big before any prospective Uefa sanctions do or don't come down.
The Daily Mail suggest that Pep Guardiola has a £200m wishlist including some of Europe's hottest properties.
Ajax's Matthijs De Ligt, Eintracht Frankfurt's Luka Jovic, Atletico Madrid's Rodri and Lyon's Houssem Aouar are all on apparently on the shopping list.
Staying with City and could Leroy Sane be on his way out?
The Daily Record report that Bayern Munich have contacted City over a possible move for the German international this summer.
Sane failed to force his way into Pep Guardiola's starting XI regularly for much of the season and Bayern appear to be ready to capitalise.
To Liverpool where a move for Timo Werner could still happen.
The RB Leipzig star has been widely tipped to join Bayern Munich this summer with a new deal at his current club out of the question.
But CEO Oliver Mintzlaff has opened the door to other possibilities, including Liverpool.
"We haven't talked to Bayern München about Timo Werner yet," he said. "It's important for us what Timo Werner wants. I think Timo wanted to see how the season would develop.
"We said at some point that it would be more important for us to qualify for the Champions League and get in the cup final than to talk about Timo Werner every day.
"Maybe he doesn't even want to go to Munich. Maybe he would rather join [Thomas] Tuchel in Paris, [Jürgen] Klopp at Liverpool or [Lucien] Favre at Dortmund."
Over to Chelsea and an update on Ruben Loftus-Cheek's future.
The Sun report that the England international has told the club that he has no interest in renewing terms with them unless he gets assurances he will be firmly part of the first-team picture.
His current deal runs out in 2021.
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