Transfer news LIVE: Liverpool have second Lavia bid rejected, Hojlund jets in for Manchester United medical, Bayern Munich confident of Kane deal, Ward-Prowse update

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• Manchester United have received a formal approach from Real Sociedad over Donny van de Beek.

  Van de Beek has hugely struggled to settle in at Old Trafford since joining the Red Devils from Ajax in the summer of 2020.

  He’s been unable to rediscover his form under Erik ten Hag and Man United are open to letting the Dutch midfielder leave.

  Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano says the LaLiga side and Man United are now discussing the terms of the deal.

  

• One of football’s greats, Gianluigi Buffon, is set to retire from the game.

  The Italian goalkeeper looks set to hang up his gloves at the age of 45, bringing an end to a legendary 28-year playing career, reports Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

  Buffon, who is best known for his time at Juventus, is contracted at current club Parma until June 2024 but will meet with the club’s hierarchy to terminate the deal.

  It’s understood he could then take up a role with the Italy national team.

  Buffon has enjoyed a truly stellar playing career, winning ten Serie A titles, six Coppa Italias, a Ligue 1 crown as well as the World Cup with Italy.

  

• Brentford goalkeeper has agreed in principle personal terms to join Arsenal, says Fabrizio Romano.

  The transfer expert adds that Raya has informed his club of his desire to join the Gunners and talks between the two Premier League clubs are expected to accelerate.

  Spaniard Raya joined Brentford from Blackburn in 2019 and will compete with Aaron Ramsdale for the no.1 spot between the sticks should he join Arsenal.

  

• West Ham believe James Ward-Prowse wants to join them, talkSPORT understands.

  The Hammers have had at least one bid rejected and are reluctant to pay more than £25million for Southampton captain Ward-Prowse.

  It’s understood Saints want £40m for the England international.

  

• Sadio Mane has completed his move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.

  The former Liverpool forward joins Al Nassr after spending just a year at Bayern Munich which saw him fall out with former boss Julian Nagelsman and get into a dressing room bust-up with teammate Leroy Sane.

  Senegal star Mane teams up with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr, who finished second behind Al Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League last season.

• Sheffield United’s preparations for their Premier League return have been hit by the sale of star striker Iliman Ndiaye to Marseille.

  The Blades thought they had got their prized asset to sign a new deal, with the 23-year-old even going as far as recording an announcement video on their pre-season tour to Portugal.

  But he performed a late U-turn, leaving the club with little choice but to sell with under 12 months left on his existing contract.

  Marseille have been pursuing Ndiaye, who was part of the youth set-up at the Ligue 1 club, for most of the summer and have got their man. He travelled for a medical on Monday before completing his move for an undisclosed fee, understood by the PA news agency to be north of £20million.

  It constitutes a dream move for the French-born striker, who is a Senegal international, and he will get to play alongside the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the south of France.

  His exit presents a big blow for boss Paul Heckingbottom with less than two weeks to go before their Premier League curtain-raiser with Crystal Palace.

  Ndiaye was a key player in the promotion campaign, having enjoyed a meteoric rise since signing from Boreham Wood in 2019.

• Chelsea have completed the signing of 19-year-old midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu.

  Ugochukwu joins from French club Rennes on a seven-year contract, with an option to a further year at Stamford Bridge.

  Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley said: “We’re delighted Lesley is joining Chelsea. He is an impressive young player who has already made his mark in Ligue 1.

  “He has a huge amount of potential and we know he is going to continue to develop and improve. We are pleased that he has joined us in the U.S and that he will be able to integrate with the squad quickly.”

• Chelsea defender Levi Colwill has effectively confirmed he’ll sign a new deal by posting a goodbye message to Brighton.

  Colwill spent last season on loan with the Seagulls and was linked with a permanent move, while Liverpool were also interested in signing him.

  talkSPORT understands the England Under-21 centre-back will pen a new six-year deal at Stamford Bridge and while that news hasn’t been confirmed, Colwill has revealed he won’t be making a return to Brighton.

• Aaron Ramsey has hailed Mikel Arteta and said his former Arsenal teammate and the club’s current manager has done a great job to get the Gunners competing at the top of the Premier League again.

  “They had an unbelievable season last year,” said the former Arsenal star told H&J on talkSPORT.

  “To see them take City that far and for them to get Champions League football back at the Emirates again is massive for them and it’s been quite a difficult period as well for the fans and things like that, so for them to have Tuesdays and Wednesdays back at the Emirates will be fantastic.

  “With the acquisitions as well that they made this summer, hopefully again they can go one step further now and take City that one step further.

  “It’s going to be tough, of course, you’re up against one of the best teams that there’s ever been in the Premier League.

  “But definitely I think Mikel Arteta and the staff there have done a fantastic job in getting Arsenal competing again.”

  

• West Ham have suffered a blow to their transfer plans, with reports their move to sign Carlos Borges has been hijacked.

  Ajex are said to have stolen a march on the Hammers and are now leading the race to sign the 19-year-old Man City winger.

  That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who claims Ajax already have a verbal agreement in place for the Portuguese starlet.

  He is now reportedly set to travel to Amsterdam for his medical with the Dutch giants.

  West Ham were said to be ‘close’ to a deal, but no cigar.

  

• Aaron Ramsey has told talkSPORT he always wanted to return to Cardiff City before he retired.

  The Welsh midfielder re-signed for his boyhood club earlier this summer in a free transfer after his contract at Nice expired.

  Speaking to Hawksbee and Jacobs ahead of the new Championship season, the Bluebirds star said: “For me to come back now, I think it was a lot of factors, but obviously the family was one of the big ones.

  “I always wanted to come back to Cardiff one day and there was no better timing for me to do that really, where I still feel like I can perform and produce good performances and things like that.

  “And to try and help Cardiff now to get back to where they were… nobody here wants to have a season like they did last year.

  “So I feel like I’m still physically capable of trying to help my teammates as much as I can.”

  

• Rasmus Hojlund is in Manchester to begin his medical ahead of a transfer to Man United.

  According to Fabrizio Romano, the 20-year-old striker will undergo the first part of his medical today after a fee was agreed with Atalanta for his move.

  Hojlund will join the Red Devils in a £72million deal and is expected to sign a five-year contract, with the option for a further year.

  

• Fabinho appears to have trolled the British media with his unveiling video at new club Al-Ittihad.

  The Brazilian’s transfer from Liverpool to Saudi Arabia was confirmed last night, with the Reds receiving £40million for the 29-year-old.

  Confirmation of the deal happened after a bit a delay in negotiations, with widespread reports claiming it was due to Fabinho’s two French Bulldogs, which are banned by the Saudi government.

  But apparently that was all fake news, with Fabinho poking fun at the rumours as he posed… with a tiger.

• Bayern Munich are offering Tottenham around £80million, including add-ons, for Harry Kane.

  That’s according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, who says the full package currently offered by Bayern for the England captain is around €95m [£81.6m].

  It’s added that the striker would likely replace Sadio Mane as the club’s top earner if he joins the Bundesliga champions, and would pen a five-year contract running until 2028.

  That £80m fee still falls short of Spurs’ £100m asking price, but it’s also claimed that ‘all parties are confident’ of finding an agreement, with plans for Bayern to improve their offer further as the German giants look to a get a deal over the line for Kane.

  

• Jurgen Klopp says it’s ‘not helpful’ that Saudi Arabia’s transfer window is open longer than in Europe.

  The window in the Middle East runs for almost three weeks after it closes for Premier League clubs – Europe’s top leagues’ deadline is September 1, while Saudi’s window runs until September 20.

  It means Saudi Pro League clubs can continue to make high-profile signings when European sides can’t.

  Klopp, whose Liverpool side has lost Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi clubs, remarked about Saudi’s influence on the market: “It is massive, in the moment.

  “Pretty much the worst thing I think is that the transfer window in Saudi Arabia is open three weeks longer.

  “If I am right, I heard something like that, then at least in Europe that’s not helpful.

  “UEFA or FIFA must find solutions for that. But in the end, at this moment, I don’t know exactly what will happen.”

  

• Leeds midfielder Tyler Adams is reportedly one of four players being lined up by Chelsea as an alternative to Brighton star Moises Caicedo.

  According to The Times, Chelsea have drafted up a five-man shortlist, with Ecuador international Caicedo the club’s top target.

  Chelsea have had three bids rejected by the Seagulls for the 21-year-old, with talkSPORT revealing last week that their latest offer of £80million had been turned down.

  Brighton continue to stand firm on their £100m valuation of Caidedo, with it remaining to be seen whether Chelsea match their demands.

  And should they walk away from a deal, there are four players who the west Londoners could then pursue.

  One of those is said to be Leeds’ Adams, who only joined the Whites from RB Leipzig last year, but failed to help keep the Yorkshire outfit in the Premier League.

  Southampton’s Romeo Lavia is also on Chelsea’s radar, along with Ajax’s Edson Alvarez.

  And completing Chelsea’s shortlist is Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga following a breakthrough 2022/23 campaign where he scored 11 goals in 36 LaLiga matches.

  

• Manchester City are reportedly keeping tabs on Rennes winger Jeremy Doku as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez.

  That is according to Italian reporter Fabrizio Romano, who has stated the 21-year-old has been added to the Citizens’ shortlist.

  It has been said that Doku is now one of the primary names being considered by City along with Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise.

  Belgium international Doku enjoyed a fine 2022/23 season, where he chipped in with seven goals and four assists in 35 games in all competitions.

  He has previously been linked with a switch to join Aston Villa this summer.

  

• Liverpool have had a second bid rejected by Southampton for midfielder Romeo Lavia, talkSPORT understands.

  talkSPORT revealed earlier on Tuesday how the Reds have made an improved offer to sign the 20-year-old.

  The Merseyside outfit had initially turned down a £35million offer for the Belgium international.

  And it is understood that Liverpool’s second bid has still fallen well short of the Saints’ £50million asking price.

  Former Manchester City academy star Lavia remains keen on a move to link up with Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

  

• Thiago Alcantara should leave Liverpool to sign for Arsenal or Man City.

  That’s according to Reds legend Dietmar Hamann, who has been a vocal critic of Thiago and his spell on Merseyside.

  And he says the Spaniard is no longer a starter in Jurgen Klopp’s team and needs to move on from Anfield.

  “I’ve never been a big fan of Thiago Alcantara,” Hamann told Lord Ping.

  “He’s having far too many injuries and he couldn’t get in the Liverpool team last season when he was fit and when there was a lot less competition in his position.

  “If someone else comes in like Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia or Aurelien Tchouameni then the competition will be very tough. Liverpool have Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic coming back too, who will all need minutes.

  “I don’t see Thiago featuring too much next season, even if he is fit.

  “I’m sure there are clubs interested in Thiago, if he stays in the Premier League, he needs to join one of the top four teams who have a lot of possession, like Man City or Arsenal.

  “The more possession you have, the better Thiago plays. He’s not the best player out of possession, there might be a market in Spain too.

  “He’s been a decent player, not a ‘great’ player for Liverpool as some people have said. The physicality of the Premier League has gotten to him.”

  

• Liverpool’s second bid for Romeo Lavia is still well below Southampton’s asking price, talkSPORT understands.

  The Reds want to sign the former Man City midfielder after seeing captain Jordan Henderson and Brazilian Fabinho both move to Saudi Arabia.

  But Southampton are demanding £50million for the 19-year-old, and Liverpool’s improved second bid is still short of Saints’ valuation.

  Lavia remains keen to move to Anfield.

  

• Roy Hodgson admits Crystal Palace are facing a fight to keep Michael Olise at the club.

  Chelsea and Man City have been linked with an interest in the 21-year-old who got 11 assists and two goals last season.

  Following the departure of Wilfried Zaha, keeping Olise will be crucial to Hodgson’s new season hopes.

  And the boss has sent a message to his bosses to help him strengthen his squad – including keeping hold of Olise.

  “We have a fight on our hands to make sure he stays with us,” said the Eagles manager.

  “We had two outstanding wingers who were almost the best in the league – Michael Olise on the right side and Wilf on the left. We don’t have Wilf anymore. Clubs are circling around Olise.

  “We’ve lost five senior players from last season and brought one in – Jefferson Lerma; he’s good and we’re happy to have him in – but there is still that hole of five senior players in the squad, two of whom were two of the real stars of the team.

  “There’s a bit of work for the chairman and sporting director to do between now and the end of August, because the team we put out today was in our opinion, at this moment in time, our best team, but we don’t have the strength behind that team that we had last year.”

  

• Harry Kane is planning to stay at Tottenham this summer if an agreement with Bayern Munich or another club cannot be made before the start of the new Premier League season.

  Spurs get their campaign underway against Brentford in less than two weeks’ time, on Sunday August 13.

  Kane has entered the final year of his contract at White Hart Lane and the club is in talks with Bayern over a transfer for their talisman.

  However, the Evening Standard report that while Kane plans on staying if an agreement isn’t reached before Tottenham’s season officially starts, the club are not putting a deadline on his future.

  

• PSG already seem to be preparing for life without Kylian Mbappe, with the Ligue 1 champions set to sign Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona – for just €50million [£42.8m].

  Reports in France claim Dembele will sign for PSG within the next 72 hours after the French giants exploited a loophole in his contract.

  Dembele had a LaLiga exit clause in his deal that allowed him to leave for €50m, but that expired on July 31.

  PSG missed that deadline, with the fee now up to €100m from July 1.

  But the French club instead sent a formal letter to Barcelona to activate a ‘private’ clause to sign the 26-year-old for the original €50m fee.

  That’s a big loss for Barca, who spent €105m to sign Dembele from Borussia Dortmund in 2017.

  

• There is movement in the rumours linking Kylian Mbappe with a move to the Premier League.

  According to reports in France, Chelsea are set to make an official bid for the World Cup winner.

  L’Equipe are reporting Paris Saint-Germain are expecting a concrete offer from the Blues after a phone call between Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Todd Boehly.

  It comes after the July 31 deadline passed for Mbappe exercise a one-year option in his contract.

  It’s a symbolic phase of the Mbappe saga, with the player appearing to make good on his promise that he will leave the French giants.

  The when, though, remains to be seen, with Mbappe keen to play one final season at PSG but the club desperate to cash in, with Real Madrid and now Chelsea linked with possible moves this summer.

  

• Sarina Wiegman has made three changes to her starting line-up as England face China in the Lionesses’ final Group D game – which kicks off at 12pm.

  Katie Zelem will make her first start in a World Cup, while Jess Carter and Lauren Hemp return to the starting XI.

  The injured Keira Walsh has remained at England’s Terrigal training base in Australia, while Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly are among the substitutes after starting against Denmark.

  You can follow the game on talkSPORT’s live blog HERE