<
>

LIVE Transfer Talk: Arsenal, Manchester United tracking Roma's Tammy Abraham

The summer transfer window is here, and there's plenty of gossip swirling about who's moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: Abraham targeted by Man United, Arsenal

Arsenal and Manchester United could be set to battle it out for the signature of England international Tammy Abraham this summer as they continue their search for a striker, reveals Corriere dello Sport.

The 24-year-old forward is reported to have caught the attention of a number of clubs last season, having enjoyed an impressive campaign at AS Roma with 17 goals in 37 Serie A appearances, but it is the Gunners and Erik ten Hag's United who are leading the race.

As Abraham joined the Giallorossi for around €40 million from Chelsea last season, the Blues will have the first option to sign Abraham should they wish to bring him back to Stamford Bridge for €80m. However, any move could prove difficult, with indications that Abraham is happy in Italy and has no plans to leave the Estadio Olimpico.

Abraham reportedly enjoyed working under Roma boss Jose Mourinho last season, as he helped secure the Europa Conference League title.

- ESPN+ guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more (U.S.)
- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- Don't have ESPN? Get instant access

LIVE BLOG

21.28 BST: Manchester United are set to move again for 22-year-old forward Evanilson after FC Porto rejected an offer of €65m, reports O Jogo. Porto want to keep the Brazilian, having already seen off interest from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brighton & Hove Albion by demanding a transfer fee of €80m, but it is suggested that the Red Devils could potentially change those plans.

20.55 BST: AC Milan are keeping an eye on River Plate midfielder Enzo Fernandez, reports Calciomercato, with the 21-year-old having made 15 goal contributions across all competitions this season. Lille's Renato Sanches is still Milan's priority in midfield, but Paris Saint-Germain have come in for the Portugal international, meaning they could be forced to look elsewhere. Milan will face competition from Benfica if they aim to bring in Fernandez, while River Plate don't want to see him leave but will be powerless if his €25m release clause is triggered.

20.22 BST: After securing promotion to the Premier League, Nottingham Forest are set to sign Union Berlin striker Taiwo Awoniyi for a club-record £17.5m transfer fee, reports the Telegraph. The Nigeria international scored 20 goals and assisted a further five in 43 matches across all competitions for Die Eisernen last season.

19.49 BST: More than five European clubs, including some from the Premier League, have contacted Manchester City in the hope of signing Julian Alvarez on loan following his transfer from River Plate only to be knocked back, reports Fabrizio Romano. City insist that the 22-year-old forward will stay with them this season, which is why they are willing to let Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling leave this summer.

19.16 BST: Napoli, Fiorentina, Monza and Besiktas are all interested in Hellas Verona midfielder Adrien Tameze, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The 28-year-old Frenchman impressed to help his side come ninth in Serie A and could now command a transfer fee between €7m and €10m, with the player wanting to move to a higher level and club unlikely to oppose a move if a suitable offer arrives.

18.59 BST: Ballon d'Or Feminin runner-up Jennifer Hermoso is close to signing with Club America Femenil, writes ESPN's Manu Martin, and could sign for the Mexico City club as early as this week. The Spain international forward is also reportedly being chased by an unnamed Liga MX Femenil rival, and Atletico Madrid are keen to bring the 32-year-old back for a third stint at the club.

18.43 BST: VfL Wolfsburg are looking for a midfielder to replace Xaver Schlager, who has signed for RB Leipzig, and Kicker reports that the Volkswagen-backed club are considering Florian Grillitsch of TSG Hoffenheim. However, there has been no progress in their attempts to sign the 26-year-old Austria international and free agent, who is demanding a robust financial package.

18.10 BST: Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly will not join Juventus as he doesn't want to be considered a traitor like Gonzalo Higuain was after his move to Turin, reports Calciomercato. The Senegal international would prefer to run down the final year of his contract and be able to negotiate a move to Barcelona, though he could still be persuaded to sign an extension to stay with Napoli. Even so, the Partenopei are looking to strengthen at centre-back with Fenerbahce's Min-Jae Kim and Brighton & Hove Albion's Leo Skiri Ostigard being considered, after the latter spent last season on loan with Genoa.

17.37 BST: Lens are demanding a transfer fee between €35m and €40m to sanction the departure of midfielder Seko Fofana, reports Foot Mercato, which adds that Newcastle United had been willing to pay that amount in January before turning their attention towards Bruno Guimaraes. Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille are both said to be interested in the 27-year-old Ivory Coast international, while enquiries have been made by various Premier League clubs.

17.04 BST: Fresh off their promotion to the Bundesliga, Schalke have completed the signing of striker Sebastian Polter from Bochum, the clubs announced on Monday. The 31-year-old has signed a three-year contract for an undisclosed transfer fee.

16.30 BST: The Scotsman reports that Man City want to sign Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney.

Despite his injury issues, Tierney, 25, has impressed at Arsenal since moving from Celtic in 2019 and has seen Real Madrid and Barcelona linked with him.

City are in the market for a new left-back and could turn to the Scotland international if their first-choice option of Brighton's Marc Cucurella falls through.

15.50 BST: Tottenham look set to let Steven Bergwijn leave and could replace him with Ajax winger Antony, says The Sun.

Antony, 22, has been linked with Manchester United now that former manager Erik ten Hag is in charge there, but Tottenham are also interested in the Brazilian.

Spurs could negotiate a part-exchange deal with the Eredivisie champions that would see Bergwijn move in the other direction.

15.31 BST: The Daily Mirror says Man United and Arsenal are tracking Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez.

Martinez, 24, played under manager Erik ten Hag for three seasons at Ajax, so Man United are favourites to land the Argentine.

United have also shown an interest in his Ajax teammate Jurrien Timber.

Arsenal have already spent £77m on centre-backs in recent windows -- signing Brighton's Ben White (£50m) and Lille's Gabriel (£27m).

14.58 BST: Jorge Senorans reports on how Liverpool's €100m-man Darwin Nunez got here...

Nunez's first experience with big-time football came as a teenager running around the streets of El Pirata. One afternoon in 2013, as he played on a remote pitch in Artigas, legendary Uruguayan midfielder Jose "El Chueco" Perdomo, a former star player at Penarol, showed up and stood on the sidelines to watch.

As soon as the match ended, El Chueco headed straight for the parents of the skinny kid who had caught his attention. A few days later at the bus station, 14-year-old Darwin said a tearful goodbye to his parents, Silvia Ribeiro and Bibiano, as he headed off to Uruguay's capital.

Once in Montevideo, Darwin stayed at the Penarol academy; however, he was cut after the first few training sessions.

"I don't know what happened, but I didn't stay there," Nunez told me in an article for Uruguayan newspaper El Observador. "I went back to Artigas. I returned after a year, and [Juan] Ahuntchain was the coordinator. We talked, and he said I would be needed at Penarol. Then, I told my parents I was staying."

14.38 BST: Antonio Rudiger said it was "Real [Madrid] or nothing" when he decided to leave Chelsea for a new challenge this summer, despite interest from LaLiga rivals Barcelona.

Rudiger, 29, was presented at Madrid's training ground on Monday by president Florentino Perez, signing a four-year contract at the club before posing with his new No. 22 shirt and taking questions from the media.

ESPN reported in March that Rudiger's agent and stepbrother Sahr Senesie had met with Barca executives to discuss a possible transfer, before the player agreed a deal with Madrid a month later.

"Yes, there was interest from Barcelona," Rudiger said in a news conference on Monday. "But I told my brother it was Real or nothing."

14.00 BST: The Women's Super League (WSL) transfer window might have only officially opened on Friday but already there have been some big moves in and out of the league.

Such is the nature of women's football, massive sums of money aren't always on the table, with many players taking short-term contracts with clubs and then moving on when their deal ends. However, the money involved in transfers is trending upward.

Kathleen McNamee looks at some of the big ins and outs in the league so far.

13.26 BST: Atletico Mineiro manager Jorge Sampaoli has all but confirmed that 36-year-old defender Diego Godin will leave the club in the coming days.

The former Atletico Madrid star has struggled to adapt to life at the Brazilian club and Argentinian side Velez Sarsfield have emerged as the main candidate to secure his services.

13.04 BST: Toluca are in advanced negotiations to complete the signing of Tigres striker Carlos Gonzalez, according to ESPN Mexico.

The Mexican side have prioritised the signing of a new No. 9 nine and in recent weeks have been linked with Edinson Cavani, Luuk de Jong and Luis Suarez. However, after the negotiations failed to progress they have decided to turn their attention to Gonzalez, who scored seven goals last season.

12.44 BST: Barcelona will move for Sevilla defender Jules Kounde once they have brought in money from the sale of merchandising and/or television rights, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Sevilla want as much as €65m for the France defender, per the report, but Barca hope to bring the price down by including one or more players in a potential deal. There is also interest from Chelsea, among others, but Barca believe Kounde prefers a transfer to Camp Nou.

Barca are currently hamstrung in the transfer market due to their financial situation but hope that last week's general assembly will enable them to make signings this summer.

Members voted in favour of the club selling a 49.9% stake in their merchandising rights and 25% of their future income from LaLiga television rights for the next 25 years. The club hope to raise €700m from the deals.

Coach Xavi Hernandez has reportedly made Kounde one of his top targets as he attempts to rebuild the squad following a trophy-less season. Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski, Man City's Bernardo Silva and Leeds' Raphinha have all been linked, too.

12.11 BST: Barcelona and Leeds United will meet again this week to pick up negotiations over the transfer of Brazil winger Raphinha, per Diario Sport.

Barca coach Xavi has identified Raphinha as his top target to replace Ousmane Dembele on the wing next season, with the France forward expected to depart when his contract expires on June 30.

Leeds, according to the report, have so far demanded as much as €60m to sign Raphinha, although Barca are hopeful of bringing the cost of any potential deal down.

Sporting director Mateu Alemany will supposedly travel to England for talks with the Leeds hierarchy, with the player's agent, ex-Portugal international Deco, said to be pushing for his client to move to Camp Nou.

12.00 BST: West Ham have completed the signing of Morocco international Nayef Aguerd on a five-year deal.

11.38 BST: Raheem Sterling is interested in moving to Chelsea after new owner Todd Boehly made the forward his top summer transfer target, sources have told ESPN.

Sterling has entered the final year of his contract at Manchester City and is keeping his options open ahead of making a decision about his next move.

Sources have told ESPN that Chelsea have emerged as serious contenders to sign the 27-year-old, who has already been impressed by the ambition shown by Boehly after his takeover at Stamford Bridge.

City would prefer to receive a fee for Sterling this summer rather than allowing him to leave for free in 12 months and value the former Liverpool winger at between £50m-£60m. Sterling, who is keen to test himself in another of Europe's top five leagues, is also attracting interest from Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

11.29 BST: Barcelona president Joan Laporta joked with Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola about the club's interest in Bernardo Silva at the launch of a charity match between the two sides.

City will travel to Camp Nou on Aug. 24 to raise money for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which former Barca goalkeeper Juan Carlos Unzue was diagnosed with in 2020.

"We will bring all the artillery over for the game," Guardiola said, before he was interrupted by Laporta.

"And Bernardo Silva?" the Barca chief quipped.

Guardiola, with a laugh, responded: "Bernardo and 10 more."

After the presentation, Guardiola added that he believes the midfielder will remain with the English champions.

"I think he will continue with [City]," he said. "But I have always said I don't want players that don't want to be with us. But Bernardo is important and I think he will stay. As a club, the aim is for him to stay."

Reports in the Catalan press in recent weeks claim Barca coach Xavi Hernandez has asked the club to try and sign the Portugal midfielder, who wanted to leave City last summer.

Barca hope the possible sale of merchandising and television rights in the coming days, plus the potential departure of midfielder Frenkie de Jong, will enable them to move for Silva.

11.15 BST: Women's Super League side Tottenham have completed the signing of midfielder Drew Spence from Chelsea.

Spence, 29, has signed a contract until 2024 with the option to extend for another year.

The Jamaica international had been at Chelsea her entire career, making her senior debut in 2009 and scoring 50 goals in 238 appearances over 14 years of service, making her the club's longest-serving player.

11.04 BST: Arsenal are closing on a €40m move for FC Porto midfielder Fabio Vieira.

play
1:44
Leboeuf: Lewandowski would be the perfect signing for Chelsea

Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf feels Robert Lewandowski would fit in perfectly at the Blues should Romelu Lukaku return to Inter Milan.

10.38 BST: Valladolid owner Ronaldo Nazario want to bring both Dani Alves and Marcelo to his side ahead of the new campaign, according to UOL.

Alves, 39, and Marcelo, 34, were both released by Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively this summer and are free agents.

Valladolid are looking for reinforcement after securing the promotion to LaLiga and believe that the veteran Brazilian full-backs could help them stay up.

10.19 BST: Former Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva is set to return to Brazilian football and sign for Gremio as a free agent, sources have told ESPN Brazil.

The 35-year-old midfielder joined the Serie A side in 2017 following a successful spell at Anfield and is now ready to go back to his homeland after 15 years in Europe.

10.06 BST: AC Milan have made an approach to sign Marcelo after he left Real Madrid, but the 34-year-old left-back is still considering his options, according to Diario AS.

The newspaper reports that the Serie A club are willing to pay Marcelo -- who became the most decorated player in Madrid's history last season with 25 trophies, before his contract expired this month -- €3m a year after tax.

That's half of what he was earning when his 15-year stint at the Bernabeu came to an end, and the Brazilian defender is now looking at alternatives, including Marseille, while Milan decide whether to increase their offer.

09.44 BST: Besiktas are the latest club to express an interest in Real Madrid forward Luka Jovic, Diario AS reports, although the Serbia international would prefer a move to Serie A, with Fiorentina his priority as a destination.

Jovic, 24, has failed to fit in at Madrid since signing from Eintracht Frankfurt for €60m in 2019, scoring just three goals in LaLiga, but still has three years left on his contract at the Bernabeu.

According to AS, Besiktas are looking at deals for forwards Alexander Sorloth -- who spent last season on loan at Real Sociedad from RB Leipzig -- or Wout Weghorst of Burnley, and would view taking Jovic on loan as an alternative.

09.16 BST: Liverpool want to sign Inter Milan midfielder Nico Barella and are reportedly willing to use Naby Keita as part of the deal, claims Calciomercato.

Barella, 25, is considered one of the top young midfielders in Europe and Inter aren't keen to let the Italy international leave.

However, the club's financial situation could require them to move on some big stars and adding Keita to the mix could bring the Nerazzurri's asking price down.

08.46 BST: ICYMI - OL Reign have announced the signing of Olympic gold medal winner Jordyn Huitema from Paris Saint-German on a one-year deal.

Huitema, 21, announced on Thursday that she was leaving PSG after three seasons and it had been widely reported that she would go to the National Women's Soccer League.

The forward's contract also includes an option to extend her deal through the 2024 NWSL season.

"I'm really looking forward to this new chapter and opportunity with OL Reign. This team is filled with some of the most talented players from around the world and I'm honored to be a part of it," Huitema said in a statement. "I'm eager to get started and can't wait to contribute to the team's success."

08.30 BST: ICYMI - Bayern Munich have reached an agreement to sign Sadio Mane from Liverpool and end his six-year spell at Anfield, sources have told ESPN.

The Senegal international's future at Liverpool had been in serious doubt since forward Darwin Nunez joined the Premier League side from Benfica in a club-record deal worth up to €100m.

A person familiar with the situation said on Friday that Liverpool have agreed a fee with the Bundesliga champions in a total package worth €41m.

play
1:48
Why Frenkie de Jong is a good fit for Manchester United

Julien Laurens and Gemma Soler explain why Frenkie de Jong moving to Manchester United makes a lot of sense.

PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)

- Manchester United are preparing to make a new proposal to Barcelona next week, as they look to secure a deal for Frenkie de Jong, according to Fabrizio Romano. United boss Ten Hag has reportedly made the 25-year-old midfielder a key target this summer, and the Blaugrana could be prepared to move him on for around €85m as they look to raise funds to make reinforcements in other areas of the team.

- Celtic and Udinese are set to battle it out for Metz star Amadou Mbengue, writes Foot Mercato. The 20-year-old midfielder attracted plenty of interest in January from the Bundesliga, but it now looks as though more clubs across Europe will join the race for his signature. Mbengue is set to become a free agent on June 30, having yet to agree new terms with Les Grenats.

- Mario Gotze looks set to return to the Bundesliga, with reports suggesting he is edging closer to a move to Eintracht Frankfurt, according to Sport1. Talks are reported to be scheduled for next week, with the 30-year-old PSV Eindhoven forward reportedly choosing the Europa League champions as his next destination. Gotze also is on the radar of Benfica.

- Liverpool are interested in signing Marco Asensio, according to Sport. Despite recent reports suggesting that the Reds had concluded their transfer business this summer, the report indicates that Jurgen Klopp has identified Asensio as a target. The 26-year-old attacking midfielder made 31 appearances for Real Madrid in LaLiga last season, scoring 10 goals.

- River Plate will restart talks with Atletico Junior as they look to complete a move for Miguel Borja, according to Pipe Sierra. It is reported that the Colombian club could be persuaded to allow the 29-year-old forward to leave for the right fee, with River preparing to make an offer in the next week. The Colombia international scored eight goals in 11 games in the Liga Dimayor regular season, and he has since scored twice in six matches during the playoffs.