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: Suarez an option at Dortmund?
Luis Suarez has been linked with Borussia Dortmund as the former Atletico Madrid man looks for a new club ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
According to Sky Sports Deutschland, Dortmund bosses are weighing up whether or not it would make sense to sign the 35-year-old Uruguay star.
The development comes after new arrival Sebastian Haller was diagnosed with a testicular tumor earlier this week, which will keep him out for an indefinite period.
Haller had joined Dortmund earlier this summer for €36 million after recording a 34 goals and nine assists in 42 matches across all competitions for Ajax last term.
As for Suarez, the ex-Barcelona and Liverpool playmaker had been linked with several clubs in South America and had recently said he had offers from Major League Soccer.
– ESPN+ guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more (US)
– Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (US only)
– Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access
LIVE BLOG
11.05 BST: Arsenal forward Marcelo Flores will continue his development in Spain after agreeing a loan move to second division side Real Oviedo.
Flores, 18, is the second Mexican player to join the club this summer as they have also signed Daniel Aceves from Tuzos.
The agreement comes after Grupo Pachuca bought 51% of Oviedo’s shares earlier this month.
10.38 BST: Atletico Madrid have agreed new contracts with Jan Oblak and Thomas LemarMarca reports, with both players’ previous deals due to expire next summer.
Oblak, 29 — rated among the world’s best goalkeepers, and one of Atletico’s captains — will sign an extension until 2028, according to the newspaper, while midfielder Lemar has agreed to renew until 2027.
Tying up a deal for Oblak, who has frequently been linked with a move to the Premier League, had been one of the club’s priorities this summer, and an announcement is expected next week.
10.16 BST: Atlético Madrid’s Marcos Llorente has denied that the club’s links with Cristiano Ronaldo — who is looking to leave Manchester United this summer — have been the subject of discussion in the dressing room.
Atletico have been named as one of Ronaldo’s possible destinations offering Champions League football and the chance to compete for trophies, with agent Jorge Mendes enjoying a close relationship with the club’s director general Miguel Angel Gil.
“People talk about so many names that don’t end up arriving,” Llorente told Cadena SER radio on Wednesday. “If he comes, there’ll be time to talk about it… I try to ignore it because people talk too much.
“In other summers, similar things have happened with players of that level. It’s all ‘smoke.’ Until it’s certain, we won’t talk about players who aren’t at our club… We all know how he plays and what he’s achieved, but it’s the coaching staff and the club who should decide.”
Meanwhile, Marca reports that Real Madrid have ruled out a potential return for the club’s record goal scorer.
The newspaper says there have been “no meetings” between Ronaldo and club president Florentino Perez, despite the forward’s recent visit to the Spanish capital, and Madrid are waiting to see which players department before deciding if they’ll return to the market, with Ronaldo off the agenda.
Cadena SER agrees that Madrid will only look to bring in a forward if both Marco Asensio and Borja Mayoral leave the club.
According to the radio station, such a player would be a “good, attractive, cheap option” who could act as back-up for Karim Benzema. However the club have rejected interest from the Inter Milan forward Edin Dzekonow 36, who SER says was offered to them in recent days.
09.42 BST: Udinese right-back Nahuel Molina will be Atletico Madrid’s third signing this summer, sources have confirmed to ESPN.
A breakthrough came in talks between the two clubs in the last 24 hours, and an official announcement is now expected in the next few days.
The 24-year-old defender was a priority for manager Diego Simeone, who wanted a specialist in the position to cover the absence of Kieran Trippier, who left for Newcastle United in January.
Molina follows midfielder Axel Witsel and winger Samuel Lino in joining Atletico as they look to strengthen for the 2022-23 LaLiga season.
08.51 BST: FC Salzburg forward Benjamin Sesko is on the radar of Newcastle, says The Daily Mail.
Sesko scored 19, 11 times from 37 appearances last season and is rated highly. The Slovenia international, who is 6-foot-4, has attracted interest from Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund as well.
Newcastle are looking to bolster their forward line but have found moves for Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak and Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby too expensive.
08.27 BST: Manchester City remain keen to sign Brighton’s Marc Cucurella This summer, despite the two clubs being £20m apart in their valuation of the full-back, sources have told ESPN.
with Oleksandr Zinchenko close to completing a £32m switch to Arsenal, City manager Pep Guardiola has just one recognized left-back in his senior squad — Joao Cancelo — going into the new season.
While center-backs Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake are able to play as emergency left-backs, Guardiola has tasked director of football Txiki Begiristain with finding a designated full-back. And Cucurella, who joined Brighton in a £15m move from Getafe last August, has been identified as City’s best potential option.
But sources have told ESPN that City have no intention of meeting Brighton’s £50m valuation of the 23-year-old, who has played just one season in the Premier League.
08:00 BST: Football clubs are used to their preseason preparations being disrupted when players switch teams in the transfer market, but Halifax Town are having to cope with an unusual departure — their forward leaving to join the cast of the dating reality show “Love Island.”
Jamie Allenwho plays internationally for Montserrat, is heading to Spain to join the cast of the British show for the final days of the latest series.
Allen, who recently signed a contract extension with the National League (fifth tier) club, was announced on Wednesday as one of four new “bombshells” to join the show.
His club seemed less impressed, however. “The matter will be reviewed on his return,” the Yorkshire club said in a statement on Twitter.
1:00
Don Hutchison explains why Kalidou Koulibaly is an incredible signing for Chelsea.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)
– Chelsea and West Ham are still in direct negotiations regarding a £30m deal for striker Armando Brojaaccording to Fabrizio Romano, with the Blues wanting to keep him after his loan spell with Southampton. Thomas Tuchel is reportedly a fan of the Albania international and while the Hammers are still pushing for a move, Chelsea have said a loan deal won’t be on the table.
– The Guardian reports that Jesse Lingard is in advanced talks with Nottingham Forest as the attacking midfielder decides on his future. Sources had previously told ESPN that West Ham United, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur had also been options for the ex-Manchester United player. Lingard, 29, has ruled out an MLS move and has an offer on the table from a club in Saudi Arabia.
– The Evening Standard have stated that Tottenham are now focusing on offloading players after completing the signing of Djed Spence. all off Japhet Tanganga, Bryan Gil, Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon and Harry Winks are out of Antonio Conte’s plans and could therefore leave, while Matt Doherty or Emerson Royal could also depart with Spence and Lucas Moura providing competition.
– Napoli have reached an agreement with Bodo/Glimt striker Ola Solbakken, according to Calciomercato, which adds that they will now decide whether to sign him now or in December when his contract ends. The Norwegian player had been previously linked with AS Roma.
– L’Equipe are linking Real Mallorca Lille keeper Leo Jardim after having had looked at Stade de Reims’ Predrag Rajkovic. There hasn’t been any direct contacts with Lille as of yet, and Mallorca don’t expect the Brazilian to leave with his contract running until 2024.
.