Euro 2020 and the Copa America are over and the summer transfer window is open, leaving Europe's biggest clubs clear to make a splash in the market. Check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.
TOP STORY: Man United set sights on Wolves' Neves
Manchester United could look to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves if they miss out on West Ham United talisman Declan Rice, reports The Daily Star.
United have been widely linked with Rice in recent transfer windows, but the Hammers have been unwilling to let their star man leave. West Ham want at least £100 million for the 22-year-old, who started every England game at Euro 2020 as they lost to Italy on penalties in the final, but United are unwilling to pay that much, so they could be forced to look elsewhere as they aim to strengthen in the middle of the pitch.
This could lead them to the Molineux and Portugal international Neves, who reportedly could be available for around £60m -- a big difference from the fee needed to land Rice.
While he isn't the exact same type of player as Rice, it is felt that Neves' passing abilities could work well as part of the double pivot that has been deployed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer -- often featuring Fred and Scott McTominay.
United are not the only ones keeping tabs on Neves, as Arsenal are also interested in the 24-year-old, while the Red Devils have also been looking at Stade Rennes' 18-year-old syat Eduardo Camavinga.
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21.37 BST: AS Roma have announced that 26-year-old goalkeeper Pau Lopez has joined Marseille on loan, four days after confirming the signing of Portugal No. 1 Rui Patricio from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Goalkeeper Pau Lopez has today completed an initial loan move to @OM_English.
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) July 17, 2021
Good luck, @paulopez_13! 🧤 #ASRoma pic.twitter.com/7PRgTLggV7
20.58 BST: Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Internazionale are working to offer 24-year-old midfielder Nicolo Barella a new contract amid reports of a £70m bid from Liverpool, which the Nerazzurri have no interest in entertaining, after the Italy star shone at Euro 2020.
20.19 BST: Atlanta United striker and 2018 MLS MVP Josef Martinez has told the club that he wants to leave after this season, according to the Athletic. The 28-year-old Venezuela international has two years remaining on his contract, but his relationship with new manager Gabriel Heinze has reportedly reached a breaking point, with Martinez having been sent to train on his own for nearly two weeks.
19.38 BST: Amid reports in the Netherlands that Stade Rennes had made an €18m offer for Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez, L'Equipe writes that the Ligue 1 side have made no such bid, although the 23-year-old Mexico international is of interest to the Bretons.
18.59 BST: Overnight, we brought you news of newly promoted Serie A side Venezia FC's growing interest in signing 18-year-old United States wunderkind Gianluca Busio, and now Fabrizio Romano has an update: the Arancioneroverdi have signed him. Sporting Kansas City will receive €4m plus add-ons for the right to sign the North Carolinian midfielder, who has agreed personal terms to join compatriot Tanner Tessmann at the Italian outfit.
18.20 BST: During negotiations with Real Madrid over their move for centre-back Raphael Varane, Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign attacker Vinicius Junior as well, according to the Mirror. Los Blancos need to balance their books this summer, making Varane available, but in order to fund their pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe, they'll need to raise more money, which is where Vinicius comes in.
Madrid are said to want €80m in exchange for the right to sign the 21-year-old Brazil international, and United are interested, although not at that price. The report suggests that the Red Devils could explore an arrangement that would see Vinicius move to Old Trafford on loan with an option to make the move permanent - which doesn't do much to address Madrid's desire to raise money for a bid for Mbappe, but we digress.
17.39 BST: Just a year after sending him to Barcelona in exchange for Arthur, Juventus want to bring Miralem Pjanic back to the Allianz Stadium, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. However, they'd need to clear some salary in order to do so, and the report suggest they could do that by offering up Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey in exchange. However, the Blaugrana have financial issues of their own, and the former Arsenal man's wages could prove too much for the Catalan club.
17.00 BST: Would Lyon star Houssem Aouar be better off at Arsenal or Tottenham?
16.22 BST: Italy and Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon has returned to Parma at 43. Gab Marcotti asks him why he went back to where his career began.
Two decades -- and 11 league titles, five domestic cups and a World Cup -- later, Buffon is back where it all started. It's not surprising, then, that Parma chose to go the superhero route, opting for the #SupermanReturns hashtag in his "welcome back" video.
"It's an incredible feeling," he tells ESPN. "The idea that an athlete can return to the same after 20 years, in the same role as before... wow... I don't know how many athletes in any sport have had that privilege. It's something I wanted badly..."
Buffon is now 43 years old. He backed up Wojciech Szczesny at Juventus the past two seasons, but still managed to start 29 matches over that span -- enough of a sample size to know that he can still contribute on the pitch. "Age is just a number" is also just a cliche, of course, though you look at the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic (39) and Cristiano Ronaldo (36) and wonder if there isn't some truth in it. Sure, goalkeepers have more longevity, but Buffon has gone way past that.
15.44 BST: Sport says that contract talks between Barcelona and Ilaix Moriba have stalled.
Moriba, 18, is considered one of the best young players in the world and in April 2019 he was handed a record contract, with a release clause of €100m, which expires next summer.
Barca have dropped the midfielder from the first-team squad during preseason, but if things continue in this vein then he could also be axed from Barcelona B and be forced to train with the Juvenile A team.
The club are looking to reduce their wage bill to meet La Liga's salary cap in the midst of a financial crisis, but Moriba's representatives reportedly want him to be earning more than he does.
15.05 BST: Feyenoord have confirmed the signing of Iran international forward Alireza Jahanbakhsh from Brighton on a three-year deal, with an option of a fourth.
Jahanbakhsh, 27, played in the Netherlands with NEC Nijmegen and AZ Alkmaar before he joined Brighton in 2018 for around €20m.
14.36 BST: Dortmund star Erling Haaland clearly has every club in Europe after him but Juventus are reportedly targeting him as Cristiano Ronaldo's replacement next summer, says La Repubblica.
Haaland, 20, has a €75m release clause which comes into effect in 2022. Dortmund want €180m to let him go now and Chelsea are considering an offer, but Juventus have reportedly registered their interest once the clause kicks in.
The Italian club have a good relationship with Haaland's agent, Mino Raiola, having brokered a deal with him and Ajax to sign defender Matthijs de Ligt for €75m in 2019.
13.49 BST: The Daily Telegraph reckons that Harry Kane could skip training in an effort to force a move to Manchester City.
Kane, 27, is keen to leave Tottenham in search of silverware but the club are looking for £150m as he has three years left on his contract, and the report says his England teammates expect him to put up a fight.
It remains to be seen how hard Kane will push to go, but things could turn nasty if Tottenham dig their heels in.
13.33 BST: Previously linked with Manchester United and Ajax, FC Nordsaelland winger Kamaldeen Sulemana has moved to Rennes for around €15m.
Sulemana, 19, has caught eye with his performances in Denmark and was called up to the Ghana national team last September.
"I am very happy to join Stade Rennais FC, a very good French club," Sulemana said. "The project meets my expectations. Ligue 1 is one of the best leagues in Europe.
"There is a very good team in Rennes, a lot of talent. I know the club is famous for its training. For a young player like me, it is the best choice to progress. I have come to help the team achieve their goals. It is a great challenge to take up."
13.15 BST: Chelsea have been linked with a £150m move for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.
12.38 BST: Football Insider claims that Heung-Min Son has agreed a new contract to stay at Tottenham.
Son, 28, has held talks with new manager Nuno Espirito Santo and will put pen to paper on a deal worth over £200,000-a-week regardless of whether captain Harry Kane leaves the club this summer.
12.06 BST: Former Stoke, Chelsea and Bournemouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic is set to sign for Everton, says Fabrizio Romano.
Begovic, 34, is available on a free transfer after being released this summer following a loan spell at AC Milan and personal terms have been agreed until June 2023.
11.47 BST: Real Madrid have reached an agreement with AC Milan for Brahim Diaz to continue to play on loan for two further seasons, according to Superdeporte.
AC Milan were keen for the attacking midfielder to stay at the club after scoring four goals and setting up four more in 27 league appearances for the Rossoneri last season. No option to him permanently has been included in the deal.
Brahim, 21, joined Madrid from Manchester City for €20m in January 2019 and has a contract with Los Blancos until June 2025.
11.40 BST: Olivier Giroud has completed his move to AC Milan from Chelsea for a €1m fee, plus €1m in bonuses.
Official Statement: @_OlivierGiroud_ ➡ https://t.co/yIFnb4fswv
— AC Milan (@acmilan) July 17, 2021
Comunicato Ufficiale: Olivier Giroud ➡ https://t.co/xQ9x0xYhlA#NewPlayerUnlocked #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/buGaUxatp2
11.11 BST: Alejandro Balde will sign a long-term contract with Barcelona on Thursday, according to Mundo Deportivo.
The Barcelona-born left-back is training with Barca's first team during preseason.
Balde, 17, turned down offers from Chelsea and AC Milan as his wish was to continue at Barca. His current deal expires next summer and he is expected to sign a new contract that runs through June 2026.
10.50 BST: Manchester United face competition from Chelsea to sign Real Madrid centre-back Raphael Varane, according to Marca.
Varane, 28, has a contract until June 2022 but.has turned down offers from Madrid to extend his stay beyond next summer. The France international reportedly wants to leave the club for a new experience, preferably in the Premier League.
Real Madrid want at least €50m for Varane should the player decide to leave this summer.
When contacted by ESPN, a source at Manchester United confirmed there had been "some discussions" regarding Varane, but added that no time frame for a transfer is in place.
10.24 BST: Gareth Bale looks like he'll be playing for Real Madrid for one more year next season before his contract runs out in 2022.
09.45 BST: Barcelona could make a U-turn over the future of Ousmane Dembele by offering him a new deal, says Sport.
Dembele, 24, has struggled with injury since his €105m move from Dortmund in 2017 and Barca were open to offers for the France winger this summer as they look to raise funds to reduce their €1.2 billion gross debt.
However, Dembele's injury against Hungary at Euro 2020 has ruled him out until at least October following surgery and, with his contract expiring in 2022, Barca want to hand him extended terms so his value is protected.
09.13 BST: Tottenham have entered the race to sign Lyon's Houssem Aouar by offering Tanguy Ndombele in a swap deal, sources have told ESPN's James Olley.
Lyon are believed to be willing to transfer Aouar in a cut-price deal worth around €25m.
Arsenal have a long-standing interest in the midfielder but need to offload players first before entering the running. Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Liverpool and an unnamed Spanish club have also been linked with a move. However, Spurs have contacted Lyon with a proposal which includes the chance to re-sign Ndombele, who joined Spurs for a club-record €60m in July 2019.
Sources said there has been no formal response from Lyon as yet, although they are looking to raise cash after missing out on Champions League qualification and having been hit financially like all clubs by COVID-19.
09.00 BST: France international striker Olivier Giroud thanked Chelsea's fans, players and coaches for "special moments" as his €2m switch to AC Milan draws closer.
Giroud scored 39 goals in 119 games in all competitions for Chelsea and helped the London club claim the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup since joining them from Arsenal in 2018.
"To all the Blues, to my team mates, to all my coaches, to the whole club, a huge thank you for these special moments," Giroud tweeted. "I'm starting a new journey with a light and happy heart. Our victories in the FA Cup, Europa League and Champions League have been magnificent."
The 34-year-old started only eight Premier League games for Chelsea last season following the arrival of German forwards Kai Havertz and Timo Werner.
He was part of France's Euro 2020 campaign where the world champions were knocked out by Switzerland in the round of 16.
Chelsea triggered an option last month to extend his contract by a further 12 months but Giroud wants more regular game-time and is keen on a move to Italy.
08.30 BST: Manchester City have confirmed that Lukas Nmecha has signed with Wolfsburg.
Nmecha, 22, spent last season on loan at Anderlecht and has previously had other loan spells at Wolfsburg. Preston North End and Middlesbrough.
The striker scored the winner for Germany in the final of the 2021 European Under-21 Championships and moves for around €8m.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)
- Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has made it clear to Mauro Icardi's representatives that he would like the Paris Saint-Germain striker to join him in Italy, reports Foot Mercato. There has been contact between club and player for some time, and the Argentine is willing to leave PSG.
- Previous transfer roundups revealed that Brighton & Hove Albion wouldn't stand in the way of Ben White joining Arsenal if the Gunners met their valuation for the England international. And now, The Athletic reports that the two clubs have agreed a deal in principle, with the fee in the £50m region.
- According to The Sun, Arsenal are holding out for £15m as Internazionale look to sign Hector Bellerin, having allowed Achraf Hakimi join PSG. Inter want a loan with the option to make it permanent, while the Gunners want a guarantee that they will be paid before considering letting the Spaniard leave.
- Juventus and Sassuolo have met to discuss Manuel Locatelli but were unable to reach a deal, reports Fabrizio Romano. Sassuolo want €40m for the midfielder, as they know Arsenal would be willing to pay it, while Juventus offered a loan with an obligation to make the deal permanent for €30m. Negotiations will continue as Turin is the 23-year-old's favoured destination.
- Having recently signed Tanner Tessmann from FC Dallas, Venezia are now looking to MLS again for their latest transfer move, reports Gianluca Di Marzio. That is because they're hoping to sign Sporting Kansas City's Gianluca Busio, with the deal set to cost around €4m.
- AS Roma have identified a number of targets to fill in for Leonardo Spinazzola after the left-back's injury while at Euro 2020 with Italy. La Gazzetta dello Sport is now suggesting that they're interested in Palmeiras' Matias Vina. It is also stated that AC Milan are looking at Santos' Kaio Jorge.