Morning Paper Talk

[miri-01]

Manchester United made two world record-busting £100m bids for Gareth Bale this summer.
Rio Ferdinand fears Manchester United are losing their identity by joining the mad scramble to buy instant success.
Manchester City must stump up £45m before they can talk to Wolfsburg's Kevin de Bruyne.
Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola says Manchester United's new midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has not been fit for three years.
Manchester United will let Jesse Lingard leave the club, with Bristol City hoping to tie up a £2.5m deal.
Mauricio Pochettino believes Harry Kane can become a world great at Tottenham.
Rudy Gestede can be Aston Villa's new Christian Benteke, according to Tim Sherwood.
Crystal Palace face a battle to get Yannick Bolasie tied down to a new contract.
Jordan Rhodes' £14m move to Middlesbrough is off, with Blackburn unwilling to sell to a Sky Bet Championship rival.

Manchester City can only begin to hold talks with Kevin de Bruyne if they meet his £50m valuation from Wolfsburg.
Angel Di Maria's move to PSG has been delayed as he was still feeling the effects after a 20-hour trip from Argentina to Doha for his medical.
Victor Valdes' kit has been moved to the Manchester United U21 dressing room, as his exit from the club draws near.
Chelsea attacker Oscar is not a target for Juventus.
Former Tottenham and Leicester defender Paul Konchesky is close to joining Sky Bet Championship side Bristol City.
David Marshall remains in talks over a switch from Cardiff City to West Bromwich Albion.

Real Madrid have already begun choosing their replacements for Karim Benzema, leaving him clear to sign for Arsenal for £46m.
Liverpool have upped their offer for Real midfielder Asier Illarramendi.
Liverpool are braced to wait until deadline-day to receive decent offers for unwanted stars like Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Jose Enrique.

Louis van Gaal could turn to a deal for Real Madrid and Portugal defender Pepe instead of John Stones.
Chelsea have asked Tottenham to name their price for England left-back Danny Rose.
Lazio have said they will take Liverpool misfit Mario Balotelli on loan next season, but only if they beat Manchester United and qualify for the Champions League.
Angel Di Maria's proposed move to Paris Saint-Germain is being delayed because Manchester United are digging their heels in and demanding £45m-plus for the Argentine.
Manchester United will sign Barcelona forward Pedro for £20m by Thursday.

Former England defender Rio Ferdinand has urged Everton centre-back John Stones to snub a move to Chelsea and sign for his former club Manchester United instead.

Sunderland are set to complete a double swoop for midfielders Yann M'Vila and Leroy Fer.
Steven Caulker is aiming to use his loan to Southampton to force his way back into England contention.
Norwich boss Alex Neil has reignited his interest in Dynamo Kiev striker Dieumerci Mbokani.

Newcastle could turn to Bordeaux striker Diego Rolan instead of QPR's Charlie Austin.
West Ham are set to ramp up their interest in Charlie Austin after Enner Valencia was confirmed to be out for 12 weeks through injury.
Chelsea are in limbo over their proposed deal for Baba Rahman from Augsberg.
Southampton have made a £7m bid for Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk.
Christian Benteke has been given the No. 9 shirt at Liverpool.

Real Madrid and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo says he does not care that the world Cup will be in Qatar in 2022 by using some very colourful language.
PSG defender Thiago Silva believes Angel Di Maria will be making a step up by moving to the French club from Manchester United.

[miri-01]

Jose Mourinho fears Chelsea have stood still this summer - and opened the title door.
Mauricio Pochettino revealed that Tottenham could sign a striker in "the next few days".

David De Gea was aaxed for the rest of the month by Louis van Gaal yesterday and will be replaced by a youngster told he had no future with the club, Sam Johnstone.
West Ham are trying to hijack Fiorentina's bid to sign Fabio Borini from Liverpool.
Derby are going to war with bitter rivals Nottingham Forest by making a £5million bid for Michail Antonio.
Watford have made a Chinese takeaway their 11th deal of the summer after agreeing a season-long loan for Alessandro Diamnati.

Chelsea made a statement of intent on the eve of the new season as manager Jose Mourinho signed a new four-year contract.
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has said he wants to stay at the club for the long term but is realistic enough to know that the shadow of Pep Guardiola will not go away.
West Bromwich Albion are about to smash their club transfer record by signing Venezuelan striker Salomon Rondon in a £15m deal.
Jamie O'Hara may not have kicked a ball competitively for Fulham yet, but he has stated his desire to see out the rest of his career at Craven Cottage.
Manager Aitor Karanka has signed a new four-year contract with Middlesbrough.
Bristol City have signed young Aston Villa forward Callum Robinson on a season-long loan.

Manchester United have left the No.9 shirt free - paving the way for a striker to sign before the transfer window slams shut.
David De Gea is set to be banished until mid-September - even if he stays at Manchester United.

Everton have launched a double bid to sign Swiss star Xherdan Shaqiri and Argentina defender Ramiro Funes Miro.
Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez has reportedly rejected a move to MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy.

Louis van Gaal claims Real Madrid's refusal to offer a realistic fee for David de Gea has left Manchester United in a goalkeeping crisis after insisting the Spaniard is too distracted to play in Saturday's Premier League opener against Tottenham.

Louis van Gaal has accused Real Madrid of trying to get David de Gea on the cheap and told the Spanish club they need to pay the going rate to persuade Manchester United to sell a goalkeeper who has been so distracted by the potential transfer he will not be trusted to play in their opening game against Tottenham Hotspur.
West Bromwich Albion are ready to smash their transfer record for the Zenit St Petersburg striker Salomon Rondon.
The Greek champions, Olympiakos, have signed the former Real Madrid and Internazionale midfielder Esteban Cambiasso.

[miri-01]

Ajax boss Frank de Boer has warned Manchester United that the asking price for keeper Jasper Cillessen is going up by the week.
Chelsea will finally land John Stones - if they meet Everton's £34million valuation.
QPR are willing to drop their asking price for Charlie Austin to £13million - provided the transfer fee is paid in full.

Dimitar Berbatov has been offered to West Ham.
Everton will join Southampton in pursuit of Celtic's Virgil van Dijk if John Stones quits Goodison Park this summer.
Birthday boy Louis Van Gaal promised David De Gea there was a way back for him at Manchester United after watching his side beat Tottenham 1-0.

Manchester City expect Kevin de Bruyne to complete his £45m move from Wolfsburg this week.
Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal last night warned Real Madrid: "You won't get David de Gea on the cheap."
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says he will resist the calls to sign Real Madrid's Karim Benzema.
Manuel Pellegrini insists splashing £49million on Raheem Sterling will prove to be a bargain.
Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign 14-year-old Norwegian wonderkid Edvard Tagseth.
West Brom want Jose Enrique on loan from Liverpool.

Arsene Wenger has been given the all clear to break Arsenal's transfer record to land Karim Benzema.
Louis van Gaal is demanding £35m from Real Madrid for goalkeeper David de Gea, but the Spaniards are preparing to test Manchester United's resolve with a £25m bid.
Manchester United are preparing for David De Gea's departure by reigniting their interest in Ajax 'keeper Jasper Cillessen.
Bournemouth have been given permission to speak to Barnsley right-back Mason Holgate, who has been training with Manchester United in recent weeks.
The security of a new contract as Manchester City manager has done nothing to ease the pressure on Manuel Pellegrini - according to the man himself.
Brendan Rodgers has been backed by Liverpool's board - but told in no uncertain terms they expect the team to 'make fans feel proud' after last season's disappointment.

Chelsea have been warned off Newcastle new boy Gini Wijnaldum by manager Steve McClaren.

Liverpool are having difficulty offloading Mario Balotelli, who has been rejected by four Serie A clubs.

Chelsea have had a £17.7m (€25m) bid for Augsburg left-back Baba Rahman rejected, with the German club holding-out for £21.2m (€30m) for the Ghanaian.

[miri-01]

Roy Hodgson accepts that he will be axed if England flop at next summer's European Championship following clear-the-air talks with the FA's new chief executive Martin Glenn.
Jose Mourinho will resist all calls to reinstate Eva Carneiro despite a backlash over the Chelsea manager's treatment of their team doctor.
Southampton have signed Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu for £5million.
Tottenham hope to sign Clinton N'Jie this week after agreeing a fee of £10million with Lyon.
Manchester United have no plans to sell Javier Hernandez.
Everton have beaten Bournemouth to the signing of Barnsley defender Mason Holgate.
Manchester City have joined the race to sign Pedro. The Barcelona star remains favourite to head to Manchester United but City are considering all options in case their £46m move for Kevin De Bruyne falls through.
Juventus have enquired about Chelsea midfielders Juan Cuadrado and Ramires. The Serie A champions are desperate to replace Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal. They are also keen on Schalke's Julian Draxler.

Fernando Torres says Manchester United target Pedro has "everything" needed to succeed in the Premier League.
Exiled West Ham midfielder Morgan Amalfitano is a target for St Etienne.
Rafael has aimed a parting shot at Louis van Gaal, claiming the Man United boss disliked him.
Jose Enrique has hit out at Brendan Rodgers for leaving him stranded in the Anfield wilderness.
Fabricio Coloccini has explained how he could have quit Newcastle.
Tottenham hope to sign up £12million Clinton N'Jie before they tackle Stoke on Saturday.
Sunderland still want midfielder Mousa Dembele - but Tottenham remain adamant that they do not want to sell him.
Southampton have landed Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu for £4million.
Edin Dzeko is joining Serie A side Roma from Manchester City.
Sports doctors have blasted Jose Mourinho's behaviour as "appalling" for his treatment of club doctor Eva Carneiro and have demanded an apology from the Chelsea boss.
Vincent Kompany has warned Chelsea that Manchester City's top stars are finally ready to deliver again and says it will be like unveiling half a dozen new signings.

Roy Hodgson now accepts he will not deserve to keep the England job if we flop at Euro 2016 in France.
Rafael has slammed boss Louis van Gaal for forcing him out.
Joey Barton confirmed he will not join West Ham after the club pulled out following protests from their fans.
Jose Enrique reckons he has been "alienated" by boss Brendan Rodgers.
Chris Ramsey has praised Charlie Austin for not rocking the boat to get away from QPR.
Ashley Westwood has signed a new five-year deal at Aston Villa.
Garry Monk has told Michu it is his own fault he is in football limbo.
Paul Scholes is itching to be a football boss - because he misses the "madness".
Dwight Gayle is set to turn down a £6million move to Bristol City because he wants to stay in the Premier League.
Bayern Munich legend Stefan Effenberg has blasted Xherdan Shaqiri and raged: Your'e only at Stoke for a Pott of cash.
Southampton have signed Chelsea reject Oriol Romeu for £5million.

Roy Hodgson will face the boot if his England side flops at Euro 2016.
Manchester United bound Pedro insists he is leaving Barcelona for games rather than for the money.
Vincent Kompany reckons Kevin De Bruyne is a phenomenal player who would improve any side on the planet.
Tottenham have slapped a £15m valuation on midfielder Mousa Dembele.

Eva Carneiro's decision to post her thoughts on Facebook in the wake of her public dressing-down by Jose Mourinho sealed her fate at Chelsea.

Roy Hodgson's position as England coach will become untenable if the country under-performs at Euro 2016 next summer.
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has given barbed confirmation that they are on the verge of agreeing a deal with Tottenham for the £12million sale of Clinton Njie.

Arsène Wenger is weighing up a £22million bid for Sevilla midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak after Arsenal scouts flew out to watch him in action on Tuesday.
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere looks set to return in weeks rather than months after he was sent to Dubai for a relaxing sunshine break to help speed along the recovery of his leg injury.

[miri-01]

Harry Kane has dealt a blow to Manchester United's hopes of signing the Tottenham striker. He says: "I'm happy happy at Tottenham which is a great club heading in the right direction. I want to become a club legend."
West Brom striker Saido Berahino is a target for Tottenham who are happy to splash out £15m after cashing in on Roberto Soldado who moved to Villarreal.

Manchester City flop Eliaquim Mangala could be on his way to Valencia with fellow defender Nicolas Otamendi moving the other way to the Etihad.
Arsene Wenger believes "hyperactive" Alexis Sanchez's appetite to train and play should be the norm for other footballers. He came on as a sub in Arsenal's opening day defeat by West Ham, despite having less than a week of proper training under his belt.
Everton fan groups will unite on Saturday asking owner Bill Kenwright and the board to leave the club. Supporters have raised funds for a plane to fly over St Mary's Stadium at the weekend ahead of their match at Southampton.
Meanwhile boss Roberto Martinez has assured fans the club will be adding new faces before the summer transfer window closes.
Tottenham are planning transfer swoop for Crystal Palace's Yannick Bolasie after finally selling Roberto Soldado.
Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris will not replace David De Gea at Manchester United according to manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher says midfielder Lucas Leiva is likely to leave the club because he wants first-team football.

Arsenal have bid £45m for Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema and the French star is keen on a move to north London.

Questions remain over the future of Chelsea club doctor Eva Carneiro after she missed a key meeting with the club's medical staff called by Jose Mourinho on Thursday to discuss future strategy on injured players.
Slaven Bilic is hoping the emergence of 16-year-old Reece Oxford is just the tip of the iceberg because he wants to turn the West Ham academy back into the envy of the Premier League.

Manchester United are haggling with Barcelona over the £21.3m buyout clause in Pedro's contract. United are understood to have offered £17.7m plus £3.6m in add-ons in an attempt to sign the Spain star who wants more first-team football.
Mauricio Pochettino says Hugo Lloris is prepared to snub Manchester United, with Tottenham confident they will be able to deal with the knock-on effects of David de Gea's troubles at Old Trafford.
Spurs also insist Denmark international Christian Eriksen will be staying at White Hart Lane following interest from Serie A champions Juventus.
Fulham are lining up a £8m offer plus add-ons for Crystal Palace striker Dwight Gayle.

Ex-Chelsea defender Ashley Cole has had the last year of his contract with Roma terminated.

Claudio Ranieri's persistence looks to have paid off in a bid bring Napoli midfielder Gokhan Inler to Leicester.

[miri-01]

Keeper David de Gea will be offered a £12m signing fee by Real Madrid next summer if he sits out the final year of his Manchester United contract and joins them on a free.
Tottenham's Christian Eriksen is on Juventus' radar following Arturo Vidal's departure.
Manchester City are weighing up £25m move for Valencia defender Nicolas Otamendi.
Everton are monitoring Alex Song, who will consider a move to Goodison Park if West Ham do not sign him.
West Brom boss Tony Pulis expects players to leave The Hawthorns before the end of the transfer window, opening the way for a £25m bid from Spurs for striker Saido Berahino.
Brendan Rodgers says there is no change in Mario Balotelli's squad status at Liverpool, and he will continue to train with their young players after being told to find a new club.
Roberto Martinez has urged Everton fans to get behind owner Bill Kenwright after protests during the clash with Southampton on Saturday.
Brentford will offer striker Andre Gray, 24, a new deal in a bid to fend off interest from Sky Bet Championship rivals Hull City.

Manchester City will up their bid for Wolfsburg midfielder Kevin De Bruyne to £50m.
Meanwhile, Spanish side Valencia are offering Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi as they have not paid for Alvaro Negredo.
Slaven Bilic will step up his bid to sign QPR keeper Robert Green with first choice Adrian to serve a three-match ban.
Chelsea have made their first major signing of the summer after splashing out £21.7million on Abdul Baba Rahman from Augsburg.

Nicolas Otamendi will become a Manchester City player on Monday with Eliaquim Mangala heading to Valencia on loan as part of the deal.
Liverpool are reportedly set to complete the £16m signing of Asier Illarramendi from Real Madrid, according to sources in Spain.
Everton will make a move for Swansea defender Ashley Williams should the Toffees lose John Stones to Chelsea or Manchester United.
Chelsea have had a £5m bid for Galatasaray defender Alex Telles rejected.
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is plotting a move for QPR keeper Robert Green, who had six years at Upton Park earlier in his career.
Dick Advocaat admits he was frightened by the way Sunderland lost against Norwich on Saturday and has already held a crisis meeting with his players.

Manchester City are close to completing the £28.5m signing of Valencia defender Nicolas Otamendi, with City defender Eliaquim Mangala, set to join the Spanish club on loan.
Chelsea have agreed a deal for 21-yearold Augsburg left back Baba Rahman for an initial fee of £14m.
Real Madrid are set to sign Inter Milan's Mateo Kovacic, leading to question marks over the future of Isco and Arsenal target Karim Benzema.

Midfielder Mario Gotze is unhappy at Bayern Munich and could join Arsenal this summer.
Meanwhile, the Gunners are preparing a bid for Olympiakos goalkeeper Roberto Jimenez Gago.
Newcastle United and Everton are interested in 23-year-old Werder Bremen defender Jannik Vestergaard.
New Spurs striker Clinton N'Jie, 22, says he made the right decision to turn down a move to Arsenal.

Manchester City appear close to strengthening their defence with the £28m transfer of Nicolás Otamendi in a deal that is expected to result in Eliaquim Mangala moving in the opposite direction on loan to Valencia.
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says his side could have beaten Chelsea by more than 3-0 as he laughed off Blues boss Jose Mourinho's claims that the win was a 'fake' result.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers will keep faith with Dejan Lovren as he challenges the defender to earn a regular starting spot.

Tottenham are ready to make a £15m bid for West Brom striker Saido Berahino, while Joleon Lescott, Stephane Sessegnon, Brown Ideye and Victor Anichebe will all be allowed to leave by the Baggies.

The future of Sunderland manager Dick Advocaat is uncertain unless the club strengthen their squad following heavy defeats in their two opening Premier League games of the season to Leicester and Norwich.

[miri-01]

Barcelona forward Pedro, who looks set to sign for Chelsea, turned his back on a move to Manchester United after reportedly being warned about Louis van Gaal's tough style of management.
Southampton face a fight to keep another two of their star players, with Spurs targeting Victor Wanyama and Manchester United chasing Sadio Mane.
Steve McClaren has made £12million Florian Thauvin his fifth signing of the summer at Newcastle.
Emanuele Giaccherini is ready to quit Sunderland to save his Euro 2016 dream.
West Ham have agreed personal terms to sign Alex Song on a permanent basis from Barcelona.
Aston Villa still want West Brom centre-half Joleon Lescott as the Midlands rivals square up for a tussle over the defender.
West Brom are ploughing on with their bid to sign Tottenham defender Federico Fazio, despite snubbing Spurs' opening bid for Saido Berahino.
Norwich are chasing three more signings before deadline day after bidding for striker Benik Afobe.

Chelsea have beaten Manchester United in the chase to sign Pedro from Barcelona and Old Trafford manager Louis van Gaal faces more misery in his bid to prise Sadio Mane from Southampton.
Manchester City are a step closer to completing the £32million transfer of central defender Nicolas Otamendi.
Tottenham will make an improved offer for West Brom striker Saido Berahino.
Sunderland winger Emanuele Giaccherini is a target for Bologna.
West ham have had a £3,5m bid for Galatasaray's 30-year-old striker Burak Yilmaz rejected.
Liverpool are monitoring developments with Real Betis prospect Dani Ceballos.
Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge could make his comeback after hip surgery against Manchester United at Old Trafford in three weeks' time.

Louis van Gaal wants Southampton ace Sadio Mane after apparently changing his mind about signing Barcelona star Pedro.
Kevin de Bruyne is set to become a £50m Manchester City player in the next 48 hours, despite publicly snubbing the club.
Jermain Defoe has had crisis talks with Sunderland manager Dick Advocaat and is a target for Bournemouth.
Everton are lining up a move for Inter Milan skipper Andrea Ranocchia.
West Ham will sign Barcelona midfielder Alex Song, sibject to a medical.
Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea was taunted by fans outside Old Trafford.
Fabrice Muamba has warned Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho one of his players could die if he tries to stop a doctor going on the pitch.

Chelsea's dramatic swoop to try and sign Pedro was masterminded by manager Jose Mourinho, director Marina Granovskaia, Cesc Fabregas and the midfielder's girlfriend Daniella Semaan.

Thomas Muller must hand in a transfer request at Bayern Munich if he wants to secure a £60m move to Manchester United.
Chelsea kicked off a frantic late spending spree yesterday by wrapping up a £21.1m deal for Barcelona star Pedro.
Besiktas have made an enquiry for Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil.

Arsenal are refusing to let Joel Campbell move to Serie A club Palermo unless his £7m valuation is met.
Manchester United are set to make a £75m double swoop for Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller and Southampton's Sadio Mane.

[miri-01]

Chelsea are set to make a stunning £100million double swoop for Paul Pogba and John Stones.
Manchester United are considering a move for Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann after Pedro joined Chelsea.
Ronald Koeman has issued a hands off warning to Manchester United over Sadio Mane.
Liverpool have offered Mamadou Sakho a new long-term deal in a bid to keep him at Anfield.

Manchester United are expected to make a formal bid of more than £20million to sign Southampton's Sadio Mane.
Barcelona striker Pedro's move to Chelsea has sparked a backlash against Manchester United vice chairman Ed Woodward - and he is now back under pressure to deliver signings.

Bayern Munich striker Thomas Muller has described reports Manchester United are prepared to spend £70million on him as 'crazy'.
West Ham are set to sign QPR goalkeeper Robert Green in time to deputise for banned Adrian on Saturday
Juventus targets Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela will not be leaving Tottenham, insists manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Southampton boss Ronald Koeman has warned Manchester United Sadio Mane is not for sale.
Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe insists he has more to offer the Premier League - if he is played as a central striker.
Lucas is set to leave Liverpool and join Besiktas in a season-long loan deal.
Everton will meet the £14.2million release clause for Dynamo Kiev forward Andriy Yarmolenko.
Sunderland are closing on £5million Napoli midfielder Jonathan de Guzman.
Norwich want to set up a swap deal for Leigh Griffiths - with Gary Hooper going back to Celtic.

Gareth Bale is still the player who Louis van Gaal thinks can transform Manchester United into genuine Barclays Premier League contenders.
Real Madrid are ready to offer Keylor Navas plus cash in their bid to sign David de Gea before the end of the month.
Crystal Palace winger Yannick Bolasie is stalling on a new long-term contract as he is holding out for a £25,000-per-week pay raise following interest from Tottenham.
Adel Taarabt hasn't taken long to get on the wrong side of the coaching staff at new side Benfica after being told 'he must lose 1.5kg,' if he's to earn himself a starting berth.
Sunderland have moved to sign Napoli midfielder Jonathan de Guzman on loan.
Tottenham are set to make a £16million offer for Southampton midfielder Victor Wanyama.
Everton have opened talks with Dynamo Kiev over their proposed £15million deal for Andriy Yarmolenko.
Chelsea are showing interest in Monaco forward Anthony Martial and will listen to offers for Juan Cuadrado and Victor Moses.
Liverpool are ready to end uncertainty over Mamadou Sakho's future by opening talks over a new contract.
Burnley have bid £9million for Brentford striker Andre Gray.

John Stones is close to slapping in a transfer request at Everton to try to get his dream move to Chelsea.
David de Gea's agent is planning crunch talks with Manchester United to force a move to Real Madrid.
Manchester United are determined to sign Sadio Mane - even if it costs them £20million.
Tottenham are ready to sign Saido Berahino in a £20million deal - and let Federico Fazio go to West Brom in exchange.

Chelsea are set to splash the cash further by spending £120million on Paul Pogba and John Stones.
Pedro has admitted Jose Mourinho was the main reason behind his decision to snub Manchester United and join Chelsea.
Bookmakers have halved the odds of Charlie Austin making a switch to Manchester United.
Mario Balotelli has agreed to join Lazio on a season-long loan deal, according to reports in Italy.

Real Madrid director Emilio Butragueno has hinted at a move for Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea with agent Jorge Mendes in city 'to close deal'.
Bayern Munich have put Brazilian centre-back Dante up for sale and Everton are among one of a number of clubs chasing him, according to reports in Germany.

[miri-01]

Louis van Gaal is banking on a dramatic 72-hour window of opportunity to snatch Gareth Bale from Real Madrid.
John Stones will appeal directly to Everton chairman Bill Kenwright to let him leave Goodison Park and join Jose Mourinho at Chelsea this week.
Southampton have won the race to sign Virgil van Dijk and will pay £10m for Celtic defender.
West Ham have turned to France to solve their goalscoring problems and are lining up a move for Toulouse forward Wissam Ben Yedder.
Arsene Wenger admits he is under pressure to splash the cash to keep Arsenal in the title race - and that looks set to trigger a late £18m move for Lars Bender.


Andriy Yarmolenko is set to complete a £15m move to Everton after a private talk with boss Roberto Martinez about his plans for the club.
David de Gea's relationship with Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has broken down completely.
Chelsea are set to play all their home games at Wembley while their ground is being re-developed.
Andriy Yarmolenko is completing a switch to Everton - after Roberto Martinez sold him on the club.
Wayne Rooney insists that glory is the main motivation for Manchester United's players to return to the Champions League.
Ronald Koeman has slammed the transfer window deadline as crazy - and admits he is powerless to stop Sadio Mane being unsettled by speculation.


Gary Bowyer is set to become the first managerial casualty of the season after Blackburn's 1-0 defeat to Brighton saw the club plunge into the bottom of three of the Championship.
Manchester United's move for Neymar appears to have picked up steam this weekend after the player's agent was welcomed at Old Trafford.
Arsene Wenger is ready to gamble with his transfer kitty after Arsenal's rivals splashed the cash last week and the Gunners have been heavily linked with Edinson Cavani.
Mauricio Pochettino has dropped a huge hint that Spurs will try to do a deal for West Brom's Saido Berahino this week.
Paul Pogba's £69million transfer to Chelsea has moved a step closer after Juventus stepped up their interest in Juan Cuadrado.


Arsenal will make a £50m bid for Karim Benzema in the next 48 hours, according to a source close to the Bernabeu who claims the striker would consider a move to north London.
John Stones will not submit a transfer request at Everton as Jose Mourinho gets ready to test Everton's resolve with their fourth bid for the defender believed to be around £40m.
Liverpool are plotting an £11m bid for Real Madrid midfield star Asier Illarramendi.
Karim Benzema is ready to swap Real Madrid for Arsenal.
Edinson Cavani is set to fly into London to seal his move to Arsenal, according to stunning reports in Spain.
Everton are set to spash £24million on two players - Dynamo Kiev winger Andriy Yarmolenko and River Plate centre-back Ramiro Funes Mori.


Real Madrid are not planning to bring in another striker before the transfer window closes at the end of the month and have full confidence in France forward Karim Benzema, Rafa Benitez said on Saturday.
Roberto Martinez has warned Chelsea that Everton will not sell John Stones even if the England defender hands in a transfer request.
Chelsea have made another check on the availability of Jose Mourinho's No 1 central defensive target Raphael Varane as their attempts to sign John Stones stumble.
Victor Wanyama has told Southampton he will not discuss a new contract and wants to leave the club.
Crystal Palace are set to re-enter the race for Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin.
Eddie Howe has warned any new admirers that Callum Wilson will be going nowhere after the striker brought his brilliant Championship form into the Premier League with a match-winning hat-trick.
AC Milan have opened talks about a return for Liverpool misfit Mario Balotelli.
West Brom have revived their bid to sign Jonny Evans from Manchester United.


Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is confident of making a marquee signing before the transfer window closes with both Real Madrid's Gareth Bale and Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller in his sights.
Neymar appears to have dealt a blow to Manchester United by agreeing to sign a new contract at Barcelona.
Arsenal have chartered a private jet to bring Karim Benzema over from Spain ahead of his transfer from Real Madrid, according to reports.


Seville have made an approach to sign Andy Carroll on loan despite the England striker not being fit to play for West Ham United after a lengthy knee injury.
Manchester City could announce a deal for Kevin De Bruyne as early as Monday after reaching agreement on a transfer worth £50m.


Arsène Wenger admits that a shortage of world-class strikers and the reluctance of cash-rich rivals to part with them is preventing Arsenal from making another marquee signing.

[miri-01]

Saido Berahino is edging closer to a £20million move to Tottenham after being left out of West Brom's match-day squad for their Sunday loss to Chelsea.
Mark Hughes has warned Norwich target Jonathan Walters that Stoke may keep him until his contract runs out next summer as their row threatens to turn ugly.
Championship side Leeds are hoping to complete the signing of Watford striker Fernando Forestieri this week after agreeing a fee of around £3million.
AC Milan GM Adriano Galliani has confirmed the club are in talks to bring Mario Balotelli in on loan from Liverpool.
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique was tight-lipped over rumours involving Neymar and Manchester United on Sunday night.
Everton want Shakhtar Donetsk's Brazilian playmaker Bernard after ending their pursuit of Andriy Yarmolenko.
Crystal Palace are ready to relaunch a move for Charlie Austin, but only if Queens Park Rangers lower their £15million valuation.

Arsenal could land Karim Benzema, who missed Real Madrid's La Liga opener on Sunday - Provided they make a £50million offer.
Super-agent Jorge Mendes has been brought in to try and secure Benfica midfielder Nicolas Gaitan a move to Manchester United.
Manchester United have offered £2m for Odds BK's teenage winger Rafik Zekhnini.
Chelsea have made a fresh enquiry about the availability of Real Madrid star Raphael Varane.

Luis Enrique wouldn't comment on Manchester United's reported mega move for Barcelona's Neymar.
Former West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has poured cold water over reports suggesting he could replace Dick Advocaat as Sunderland boss.
Mario Balotelli's Liverpool nightmare could be ended by former club AC Milan, after CEO Adriano Galliani confirmed the clubs are in talks.
Juventus chief executive Giuseppe Marotta has confirmed the club is on the verge of signing Colombia winger Juan Cuadrado on loan from Chelsea.
Southampton's refusal to sell Victor Wanyama to Tottenham could cost the club £213,000 a week. The midfielder is valued at £18m and has two years on his contract.

Louis van Gaal says only the world's best striker - such as Neymar - will improve Manchester United.
West Brom boss Tony Pulis claimed Saido Berahino was in no fit state to face Chelsea yesterday.
Southampton manager Ronald Koeman issued another hands-off warning over Sadio Mane and Victor Wanyama.

Tony Pulis has revealed there are 15 clubs trying to sign West Brom striker Saido Berahino.
Arsene Wenger has dropped a hint that he could make a marquee addition to his squad before the window closes, with the club linked with Karim Benzema and Edinson Cavani.

Neymar is open to moving to Manchester United from Barcelona, though there is a recognition the transfer is unlikely to occur before the current window closes.