Tuesday's transfer news: Eden Hazard closes in on Real Madrid move while Paul Pogba saga set to run and run
All the news, gossip, rumours and done deals
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Your support makes all the difference.Eden Hazard is nearing his dream move from Chelsea to Real Madrid but the Blues are playing hardball and want £100m for the brilliant Belgian.
Madrid are set to be active this summer, with Paul Pogba looking likely to be the window's deal that runs and runs. The club are also interested in signing Tottenham's Christian Eriksen.
Both Manchester clubs are also set to strengthen, with City looking to splurge before any transfer ban comes into place, while United are eyeing a series of options at centre-half. Re-live the day's major news lines:
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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.
Eden Hazard's future looks set to be decided sooner rather than later.
L'Equipe report that a deal has finally been struck between Chelsea and Real Madrid for a figure in the region of £86m.
It is suggested that it will finally be announced following the Europa League final.
We shall see.
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.
Will they pull the trigger?
A Uefa investigation is set to recommend Manchester City be banned from the Champions League over the club’s financial conduct.
Uefa’s investigatory chamber has been looking into City’s accounts following leaks which were revealed in the press last year, amid accusations that the club, which is owned by Sheik Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, flouted the governing body’s Financial Fair Play rules (FFP). City have strongly denied any wrongdoing.
The investigation, led by the former Belgian prime minister Yves Leterme, is expected to conclude later this week or next week, and is set to advise a ban from the Champions League of at least one season, according to The New York Times.
Any attempt to ban City is likely to lead to a momentous and potentially landmark legal battle regarding Uefa’s FFP, the credibility of which has been regularly called into question.
Staying with Manchester City and there are suggestions they could be about to spend big before any 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.
Paris Saint-Germain could be set to raid Real Madrid for not one, not two but three players this summer.
Le Parisien report that the French champions want Gareth Bale, Isco and Toni Kroos.
The trio would come in at least £200m.
Manchester United have apparently made Kalidou Koulibaly their No 1 target this summer.
The Napoli centre-back is one of the hottest properties in Europe with a number of teams keen on his services, United included, according to the Mirror.
He could cost as much as £90m, however, which could prove a difficult hurdle in negotiations.
One to watch.
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.
Daniele De Rossi's 18-year Roma career will finish at the end of this season.
The club have announced that the final game of the season, at home to Parma, will be his last for the club he joined as a teenager in 2000.
De Rossi has made 615 appearances and scored 63 goals in all competitions.
"We will all shed tears when he pulls on the Giallorossi shirt for the last time against Parma but we respect his desire to prolong his playing career - even if, at almost 36, it will be away from Rome," said club president James Pallotta.
The 35-year-old is set for a switch to MLS.
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