Transfer news LIVE: Bellingham to Real Madrid, Liverpool targets, PSG-Kane talks and Mbappe exit
The transfer window has officially opened and the rumour mill is in full swing with Kylian Mbappe, Declan Rice and Jadon Sancho among those in the headlines
The summer transfer window is officially open ahead of the 2023-24 Premier League season and there are already plenty of news and rumours ahead of what promises to be a busy few weeks for clubs, players and agents.
Having signed Alexis Mac Allister, Liverpool are keen to bring in at least two more top players, with Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram and Inter’s Nicolo Barella top of the shopping list, according to the Mirror. The same paper also reports that Paris Saint-Germain have opened preliminary talks with Tottenham’s Harry Kane.
PSG are likely to be the big focus of the window with Kylian Mbappe’s future up in the air. The France forward will be a target for Manchester United, according to the Metro, should Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim buy the club. Meanwhile 90min reports Declan Rice is moving closer to Arsenal, with the Gunners preparing a bid higher than £100m for the Hammers’ captain.
Follow all the latest transfer news and rumours below.
Brentford make club record transfer offer for up-and-coming attacker
Brennan Johnson of Nottingham City has caught the eye of Thomas Franck and Brentford leading them to offer a club record £30million for the Forest attacker according to reports from the Telegraph.
With Ivan Toney’s eight month ban coming into effect Brentford are in need of attacking options and see Johnson as part of the equation. The 22-year-old who was born in Nottingham had eleven goal contributions in this year Premier League campaign that saw Forest avoid relegation.
The offer appears to have been rejected by Forest, as they highly value their homegrown talent. Nevertheless, an offer of this magnitude shows the value Johnson holds on the present-day market and is sure to create a tough decision for Forest in the coming weeks.
James Milner joins new club after Liverpool exit
More on James Milner’s move to Brighton:
James Milner joins new club after Liverpool exit
The 37-year-old midfielder has agreed a one-year contract, with the option for a further 12 months
Inter looking to loan yet another Chelsea player
Kaldiou Koulibaly might just be the next Chelsea player to go on loan to Serie A’s Inter. Chelsea saw Koulibaly join just last summer for a €38.00m fee from Seria A side Napoli.
After a disappointing season for club and for player the Senagalese centre-back looks to possibly be on a move back to the Seria A where he found much success in his first stint.
Many Italian press report, inclduing Corriere dello Sport, have reported that Inter’s manager and legend Simone Inzaghi met with many club executives to plan Inter’s strategy for this summer. Interest in Chelsea’s Kalidou Koulibaly on a loan deal appeared to be a main part of the clubs summer plans.
Arsenal prepared to break record to sign Declan Rice
After months of speculation the English born Declan Rice appears to be headed to Arsenal for a potential record-breaking fee.
Coming off of a brilliant run in the UEFA Conference League that ended in Rice and the Hammers holding the trophy, West Ham chairman David Sullivan says he’s 99% sure their captain will leave them, according to the BBC.
Arsenal, who have a clear opening in the middle of the pitch with Granit Xhaka’s apparent departure, are firm in their pursuit of the best possible deal for the 24-year-old Rice.
The Gunners are prepared to break their current transfer record fee held by Nicolas Pépé in pursuit of the highly talented defensive midfielder who they would love for £90m according to reports from the Guardian. West Ham would love to get this number to the ten-figure mark but look for the clubs to provide add-ons to get the highly anticipated deal finished.
Richard Jolly on Jude Bellingham
It may be of scant consolation in the Ruhr Valley but Borussia Dortmund’s status as the footballing world’s preeminent feeder club seems cemented. A few days before Erling Haaland, their 2022 flagship sale, played in a Champions League final, there was confirmation that Jude Bellingham, his 2023 counterpart, is going to serial Champions League winners Real Madrid.
He was perhaps overshadowed by the Miami-bound Lionel Messi but it probably still represents the summer’s most momentous transfer. There have been times over the last two seasons when Real have seemed to be mounting a lone campaign to prevent the Premier League from dominating Europe; they eliminated three English opponents last season and two this before the emphatic 4-0 defeat to Manchester City. It doesn’t quite reverse the scoreline, but as City were also suitors for Bellingham, Real gained revenge of sorts. Perhaps they are never more potent in the transfer market than when hammered on the pitch: in 2009, after being thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool, they went out and bought Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Xabi Alonso and Kaka. Fourteen years and five Champions Leagues later, Benzema is finally leaving.
Read more:
How Jude Bellingham can become the anti-Haaland for Real Madrid
The England midfielder adds to Real’s riches in midfield and demonstrates how Premier League cannot deny the allure of Spain’s mega clubs
Hammers searching for potential Declan Rice replacement
West Ham is on the search for a potential Declan Rice replacements as the club braces for his departure.
Yunus Musah, who starred for the United States in this latest World Cup, has caught the clubs eye. Musah who currently plays for Valencia in La Liga, is believed to command a fee in the range of £21million, according to the Daily Mail.
The American international, Musah, who has 25 senior caps for the United States, is no stranger to the Premier League, having been a part of Arsenal’s youth academy and U18’s.
With a substantial transfer fee set to come in for Rice, look for the Hammers to make serius investments in the club, one of which very well might be 20-year old American, Yunus Musah.
Jude Bellingham is a Real Madrid player – official
Jude Bellingham, England’s young star, has officially made the move to Madrid penning a six-year-deal that will see the Birmingham native lighting up the Bernabeau for years to come.
Madrid announced the transfer today and will be shelling over £88m to the Dortmund club that is coming off of a disappointing second place finish to champions Bayern Munich.
The 19-year-old will be presented tommorrow at the Bernabeau and hopes to bring the La Liga trophy back to Los Blancos.
James Milner transfer made official as he moves on to Brighton
James Milner who has spent his last eight seasons at Anfield will be moving south to play for Brighton.
The long discussed transfer of Milner was completed on a free with the Seagulls offerring Milner a one-year contract with an option to extend a year according to the Mirror.
Milner will enter a deep squad that has just lost World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister providng minutes to fill for the 37-year-old central midfielder. Brighton’s other young star midfielder Moises Caicedo is also braced for a move away from Brighton adding even more value to the Milner signing.
Brighton and talented manager Roberto De Zerbi look to utilize Milner to build opon a succesful 2022-2023 campaign that saw them qualify for the Europa League and finish a club best sixth in the Premier League.
Qatari buyout could pave way for Man Utd to sign Kylian Mbappe
Manchester United look to possibly be in line for their biggest transfer since Paul Pogba in 2016. Kylian Mbappe, a fellow Frenchman, has been rumoured to the Red Devils, according to Spanish outlet El Pais.
The 24-year-old Mbappe appears set on leaving the Ligue UN for the first time with Manchester United and the English Premier League emerging as a top option. With recent news that Mbappe won’t resign with PSG beyond the 2023-2024 season the Qatari owned PSG are determined not to let the hyper-valuable Mbappe leave on a free that following summer.
PSG’s owner, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, is believed to be highly interested in selling Mbappe to United on the condition that compatriot Sheikh Jassim completes the purchase of the Manchester club. Jassim appears to be in a two-headed race for ownership with British CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe still vying for ownership.
While no official news has been released by the club many believe Jassim will complete the takeover creating a clear path for Mbappe to join Manchester United.
Coming off a successful first campaign under Dutch manager Erik Ten Hag, which included the clubs first trophy since the 2016-2017 Europa League, Mbappe would look to take the club further up the premier league table and deeper in the Champions League.
PSG hold preliminary talks with Harry Kane’s representatives
Paris Saint-Germain have opened preliminary talks with Tottenham’s Harry Kane. That’s what the Mirror is reporting:
The 29-year-old’s entourage met with PSG transfer chief Luis Campos last month ... to hold an informal conversation over his future. There is a strong relationship between PSG chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi and his Spurs counterpart [Daniel] Levy. The two met in London earlier this year to discuss potential investment into the North London club, but the two are respectful of each other’s positions.
Kylian Mbappe’s potential availability could limit Kane’s options this summer, with either Manchester United or Real Madrid – likely to prioritise to Mbappe over the England captain.
That would strengthen Spurs’ chances of keeping him for Ange Postecoglou’s first year in charge, but the real challenge would then be convincing Kane to extend his contract beyond its end next summer.
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