The January transfer window might seem like a distant memory, but that doesn't mean the rumour mill has shut down! Speculation over summer moves is heating up, so check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.
TOP STORY: Ronaldo willing to take pay cut to return to Man United?
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo is once again being linked with a return to his former club Manchester United, as Gazzetta dello Sport claims he is willing to take a pay cut in order to help the deal happen.
Ronaldo, 36, has a contract until June 2022 which earns him a reported €31 million-a-year but he is unhappy and keen to move on from Turin as the club have struggled in both the Serie A title race and the Champions League.
Juventus are in financial trouble, so are willing to sanction the Portugal international's exit, but only for a minimum fee of €29m to help them balance the books. The club would also reportedly consider including Ronaldo in a swap deal for United midfielder Paul Pogba, though that move is more complex.
Ronaldo is still one of the world's best players so isn't keen to drop his salary below €20m-a-year. He has been linked with a return to Real Madrid, where he won four Champions League trophies in a nine-year spell with the La Liga giants, but club president Florentino Perez told El Chiringuito recently: "Cristiano Ronaldo will not come back to Real Madrid. It does not makes sense, he has a contract with Juventus. I love him a lot, he has given us a lot."
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21.15 BST: Talleres winger Franco Fragapane has been linked with a move to Minnesota United for most of the past month, but Argentine outlet TyC Sports writes that the 28-year-old is now on the verge of making the move to fellow MLS side FC Cincinnati instead.
20.18 BST: Despite reportedly attracting interest from Brazilian giants Palmeiras, 23-year-old Colombia youth midfielder Eduard Atuesta is set to sign a new contract with LAFC, if he hasn't already, according to the Los Angeles Times.
19.21 BST: The Guardian reports that Manchester City, Manchester United, RB Leipzig, AS Monaco and PSV Eindhoven are all monitoring 17-year-old Aston Villa midfielder and England youth international Carney Chukwuemeka, who last year had been described as "probably the best 16-year-old in England."
18.24 BST: Sporting Kansas City rejected two January bids from Italian clubs for 18-year-old midfielder Gianluca Busio, according to MLSsoccer.com, but Fiorentina, Sassuolo and Parma as well as "one of the top clubs in the Netherlands" are still in talks with SKC over a potential deal for the United States youth international.
17.27 BST: Ligue 1 side Stade Rennes announced this morning that 27-year-old forward Adrien Hunou has joined MLS outfit Minnesota United, with the Loons now confirming the signing of the former France youth international.
16.32 BST: Manchester City defender Pedro Porro hasn't made much of an impact at the club since arriving for £10.8m from Girona in 2019, as he's been on loan at Real Valladolid and now Sporting CP.
But the 21-year-old has impressed for Sporting, so much so that Real Madrid are keen. And the Portuguese defender is also keen on them, according to his former youth coach Oscar de Paula.
"Pedro has already shown that he can perform at the highest level at any club that wants him and offers him the right context," he told AS. "I'm sure that wherever he goes, he will continue to make history. I think I remember that both he and his family supported Real Madrid, but I'm not 100% sure.
"As for players, he liked Cristiano Ronaldo a lot; he wore his Nike boots with the initials CR7 during his time with the Extremadura national team. I think he was his footballing role model.
"I think this [moving to Madrid] is a question for the man himself, he already belongs to Manchester City although Sporting are considering exercising their option to buy him; and I understand that for him it would be another dream come true if it were the case."
15.29 BST: Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has told ESPN Brasil that former manager Frank Lampard "wasn't ready" for the managerial job because he "skipped a few steps."
Lampard took charge at Stamford Bridge in 2019 to replace Maurizio Sarri and led the club to a top four finish and an FA Cup final during his debut campaign. It was viewed as a successful season after Chelsea had lost star player Eden Hazard to Real Madrid and were unable to sign players due to a FIFA transfer ban.
Chelsea spent £220m last summer but Lampard failed to get the best out of signings Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, which resulted in his sacking in January.
Jorginho only played the full 90 minutes on four occasions under Lampard this season and said the club's all-time record goalscorer needed more experience in management before taking over at Chelsea.
"Look, I'll be really sincere here on Lampard. I believe, given he was a legend at the club, he skipped some steps necessary for learning before moving to a big club," Jorginho told ESPN Brasil's Resenha. "He came to a club where he is a legend, without having experience at other clubs. I think he came too soon, skipped a few steps ahead and wasn't ready for a job at this level, to be honest."
15.18 BST: Manchester City have also confirmed that defender Gemma Bonner has left the club to join NWSL side Racing Louisville on a two-year deal with an option for a third year.
Bonner, 29, won the 2020 FA Cup with City and has been an England international since 2013.
"We are exceptionally proud to welcome Gemma to our club and city," said Racing's head coach, Christy Holly. "Gemma brings with her a wealth of experience and a hunger to further her career at the highest level. Not only does she match the caliber of player that we seek to recruit here, but she also aligns with our club's values."
"I am really excited to be joining Racing Louisville," Bonner added. "I'm hugely impressed by the vision that club has, the top-class professionalism and the personal attention to detail of the coaches. I am so excited about what I have seen of the city, the people, the investment in stadium and the whole setup, which has left me in no doubt that this is where I want to be playing. I just can't wait to get there."
15.05 BST: Manchester City have announced the signing of Fluminese forward Kayky.
Kayky, 17, will remain with Fluminese until the end of the Brazilian season. The clubs reportedly agreed a €10m fee plus add-ons and 20% of any future move back in February and have now confirmed the deal.
15.01 BST: Real Madrid are set to offer 29-year-old defender David Alaba, who is leaving Bayern Munich on a free transfer this summer, a five-year contract.
14.21 BST: Dortmund are set to beat Liverpool to the signing of Trabzonspor goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, says Fotospor (via Fanatik).
Cakir, 25, came through the Trabzonspor academy and Liverpool have been watching him with a view to landing a backup to first-choice Alisson Becker.
However, Dortmund have reportedly moved in with a €20m bid, though Trabzonspor are keen for something closer to €28m. Dortmund have Roman Burki and Marwin Hitz as options already but may be forced to re-evaluate if they miss out on the Champions League this season.
13.52 BST: Joan Laporta is working on a three-year contract to offer to Lionel Messi in an attempt to persuade him to stay at Barcelona, sources have confirmed to ESPN's Moises Llorens.
The new Barca president is aware the club can no longer afford to pay Messi what he currently earns -- an estimated €75m-a-year -- and is exploring different formulas to keep him at the club. Sources said that the idea is to offer a longer deal so that Messi is compensated over several years to make up for the immediate reduction to his salary.
Messi, whose contract expires at the end of June, has previously preferred the idea of renewing on a year-to-year based on his own feelings and the sporting project in place at Barca. Laporta cannot respect the terms of his current deal moving forward, though, so hopes to convince Messi with a two-year deal which includes the option for an additional year.
The Argentina international will turn 34 in June and he admitted in December that he would like to play in Major League Soccer before ending his career.
"I always had the dream of being able to enjoy and have the experience of living in the United States and experience what the league there is like," he told La Sexta.
Messi also said that, whatever he does in the future, he would like to return to Barcelona after retiring and he hasn't changed his mind in terms of his long-term plans since that interview. However, in the short-term, Laporta knows Messi's priority is to remain at the top of the game.
13.15 BST: Barcelona are in talks to bring youngster Kays Ruiz-Atil back to the club from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, sources have told ESPN's Moises Llorens.
Ruiz joined Barca's academy when he was seven in 2009 but was one of several players forced to leave in 2014 when FIFA sanctioned the Catalan club for breaches relating to the international transfers and registrations of players under the age of 18.
Ruiz returned to France with PSG but the 18-year-old is out of contract in June and Barca are negotiating a deal to re-sign him. Sources add that they are not the only club looking to take advantage of the French-Moroccan midfielder's contract situation, though, with a number of Europe's biggest clubs also interested.
Thomas Tuchel handed Ruiz his first-team debut at PSG earlier this season and he's since made seven appearances in Ligue 1. However, with his contract running down, he has not featured under new coach Mauricio Pochettino.
12.23 BST: Might ESPN have the keys to Tottenham's next manager?
11.46 BST: Ligue 1 club Bordeaux have been placed in administration after their American-based owners King Street said they no longer wished to support the club financially.
The former French champions have been struggling financially due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the premature end to the 2019-20 season also resulted in a loss of income when the league season was cancelled.
Bordeaux said club president Frederic Longuepee turned to the commercial court for security while "a lasting solution" is found.
The club's problems were compounded when Spanish media rights agency Mediapro, which had won TV rights for a record €780m ($936.23m) per season over the 2020-24 period, went bankrupt and missed payments last year.
11.17 BST: The fan attacks on Schalke 04 continue to shake the club after the Bundesliga side were relegated on Tuesday, with the team not having trained in two days and club officials unsure if all players will want to continue wearing the Royal Blues jersey this season.
"The fear in Buyo's eyes will stay with me," Schalke 04 squad manager and club legend Gerald Asamoah said on Thursday when speaking about the attack from fans against players who also went after assistant coach Mike "Buyo" Buskens.
On Wednesday morning, hours after getting relegated from the Bundesliga in a historically bad season with a 1-0 defeat at Arminia Bielefeld, the returning Schalke team was attacked by some of their own fans at their stadium.
Nearly two hours after midnight, the team buses had pulled into the stadium and were awaited by the fans, who had asked for a dialogue after the first relegation since 1988 had finally been confirmed with four Bundesliga matches left to be played. But instead of a conversation, the fans went wild and the situation got of control.
10.54 BST: Real Madrid's own financial future may play some part in the whole Super League thing.
10.02 BST: Roma and Juventus are set to rival Tottenham for the signing of Southampton defender Jannik Vestergaard this summer, according to Tuttomercatoweb.
Vestergaard, 28, has been praised for his form alongside Jan Bednarek at the heart of the Southampton defence but could make the step up as Roma director Tiago Pinto is planning to talk to his agent next week about a move.
Tottenham have been previously linked, but the report also says that Juventus could enter the race as they rebuild their squad.
09.40 BST: Lionel Messi starred for Barcelona as they beat Getafe 5-2 last night, and manager Ronald Koeman was AGAIN asked about his No. 10's future.
"If I speak with Leo I can't say, because in the end the decision's in his hands," he said. "But yes, Leo's a great player, Leo never dips ... maybe his concentration but [you] don't notice in his performance, that's why he's the best. Once again, [he was] decisive today and hope he continues [at Barcelona] for more years."
09.12 BST: There's been no progress on a contract extension for Raphael Varane at Real Madrid, Diario AS reports, with the defender expecting a substantial pay rise amid interest from Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.
The 27-year-old's current deal expires in 2022 but, according to AS, the club "have other priorities" right now such as a new contract for Sergio Ramos or signing PSG forward Kylian Mbappe this summer.
The newspaper claims Varane "understands the situation" and "isn't in a hurry" but has "an important offer on the table" from PSG -- as well as the long-term interest of United -- as alternatives if he doesn't get an acceptable offer when the time for talks comes.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez said this week that the club was waiting to see how it ends the season financially before making any decisions on renewals and new signings.
08.54 BST: ICYMI - Zlatan Ibrahimovic has agreed to sign a contract extension with AC Milan which will see him play beyond his 40th birthday, the club has announced.
The striker extended his deal at the end of last season and has decided to continue his spell with the Serie A club until the end of the 2021-22 campaign.
The Sweden international previously spent two seasons with Milan from 2010-2012, where he won the league title.
08.30 BST: Argentine club Independiente have rejected an initial €6m offer from Brighton & Hove Albion for winger Alan Velasco, according to TyC.
Velasco, 18, has a contract with Independiente until June 2023, including a release clause set at $23m (€19m), and has attracted the attention of several European clubs.
A youth product of Independiente, Velasco made his first team debut in 2019 and has been in the first team since. Brighton are expected to make another bid to sign Velasco, who has featured for Argentina's youth teams, but Independiente want at least €12m for their starlet.
PAPER GOSSIP
- Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group may have plenty to deal with following the fallout of the proposed Super League, but it seems their eye has not completely gone off the transfer market. That comes with Football Insider reporting that they are keeping a close eye on 18-year-old Sparta Prague attacker Adam Hlozek ahead of a possible move.
- Juventus are interested in signing Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud, who will be a free agent when his contract comes to an end in July, reports Calciomercato. The Serie A giants have previously been interested in signing the Frenchman for free, but were stopped in their tracks by Chelsea's decision to extend his contract for a year last summer.
- Own Goal Nigeria have reported that Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking to FC Porto for their signings again, after previously moving for the likes of Ruben Neves and Fabio Silva. This time around, their focus is on 23-year-old left-back Zaidu Sanusi, who is said to be valued at around €20m.
- Calciomercato claims that Udinese will have a fight on their hands if they are to keep hold of midfielder Rodrigo De Paul for another season. Serie A rivals Internazionale and Napoli are at the front of the queue to sign the 26-year-old but may face further competition, though, as Juventus are also showing intrigue towards him -- though they have also reportedly looked into signing the likes of Sassuolo's Manuel Locatelli and Manchester United star Paul Pogba. Any move is unlikely to come cheap, as Udinese are looking to bring in at least €40m.
- West Bromwich Albion are hoping to get £10m if goalkeeper Sam Johnstone leaves in the summer, as has been reported by The Evening Standard. The 28-year-old, who made the most recent England squad, has received interest from Tottenham Hotspur, who could lose Hugo Lloris to Paris Saint-Germain. It is also stated that West Ham United are looking at Johnstone, despite Lukasz Fabianski signing a one-year contract extension.
- There has been plenty of talk around the future of Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic, with a number of clubs showing interest in the 21-year-old. Calciomercato have stated that AC Milan, AS Roma and Juventus are the clubs keen on the Serbia international, following that up with a valuation of €40m -- after he cost La Viola just €2m in 2018.
- Joe Willock has impressed during his loan spell from Arsenal to Newcastle United, scoring important goals against Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. This has led to talk that the Magpies want him to stay, and Football Insider have given them a boost, claiming that the 21-year-old midfielder has expressed a desire to return to St. James' Park permanently next season.