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          AC Milan 'on the verge' of stunning Alvaro Morata coup

          • ESPN staffJul 16, 2017, 11:35 PM

          The football world is awash with gossip! Transfer Talk is monitoring the whispers ahead of all the summer moves. Check out the latest deals and potential deals here.

          TOP STORY: Milan close to Morata coup

          Just when you thought AC Milan's summer couldn't get any better, La Gazzetta dello Sport says that the Rossoneri are "on the verge" of signing Alvaro Morata.

          The Real Madrid striker is one of the transfer window's most-wanted men, and while it was first Manchester United and then Chelsea that seemed in the box seat to sign the 24-year-old, Milan seems to have gazumped both Premier League clubs.

          The paper says that Vincenzo Montella's side have tabled a €70 million bid for Morata, and have offered a further €10m per year to the player in order to convince him to join the likes of Leonardo Bonucci, Lucas Biglia, Franck Kessie and Hakan Calhanoglu in heading to the San Siro.

          Milan sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli has confirmed his side are interested in the Madrid man -- but added they will sign him "only on our conditions."

          LIVE BLOG:

          23.01 BST: That's going to do it for Monday's live edition of Transfer Talk. Thanks very much for joining us, and be sure to check back in a few short hours when we return with the best gossip pulled from Tuesday's back pages.

          22.42 BST: DONE DEAL Midfielder Mukhtar Ali has completed a permanent transfer from Chelsea to Vitesse Arnhem. Full story.

          22.26 BST: Juventus have added Lazio's Stefan de Vrij to their list of potential centre-back replacements for Leonardo Bonucci, TalkSport cites Corriere dello Sport as reporting.

          22.10 BST: DONE DEAL Antony Lozano becomes the first Honduran to ever join Barcelona, as he and Samu Araujo, Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta and Moha all signed for Barca B.

          21.53 BST: What's really going on behind the scenes as reports suggest Paris Saint-Germain are ready to trigger Neymar's €222m buyout clause from Barcelona? Our Gab Marcotti lays it out.

          21.37 BST: D.C. United parted ways with forward Jose Guillermo Ortiz after the cancellation of his loan deal. Full story.

          21.21 BST: Juventus are "very close to reaching an agreement" with AC Milan over full-back Mattia De Sciglio, reports Gianluca Di Marzio, with a price set to be finalised around the €12m mark.

          21.05 BST: Newcastle have had an increased bid for Norwich winger Jacob Murphy accepted, according to multiple reports. Full story.

          20.48 BST: The Express is citing French outlet RMC Sport as reporting that Arsenal full-back Mathieu Debuchy's move to Nice has fallen through after the French Riviera club turned their attentions to Christophe Jallet when he was released by Lyon.

          20.32 BST: Napoli have rejected a £2.6m bid from Manchester City for goalkeeper Pepe Reina, reports the Mirror, with the Italian club willing to do business at £4.5m. The report goes on to state that with Ederson Moraes likely to be Pep Guardiola's No. 1, and with this latest bid for Reina, City are listening to offers for Claudio Bravo.

          20.16 BST: Crystal Palace have made a £16m bid for Arsenal defender Calum Chambers, who spent last season on loan at Middlesbrough, writes the Telegraph.

          19.59 BST: West Ham are "confident" of securing the signature of Bayer Leverkusen striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and could announce the Mexico international's arrival as soon as the end of the week, according to the Mirror.

          19.43 BST: Some big news developing now, as Gianluca Di Marzio has reported that Paris Saint-Germain have met with Neymar's agent and are prepared to meet the Brazilian's €222m buyout clause, leaving Barcelona's No. 11 to decide his own future.

          19.27 BST: Leicester are attempting to hijack Everton's move for Gylfi Sigurdsson by offering the Swansea talisman £125,000 a week, writes the Mail.

          19.11 BST: Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg have joined Tottenham in the race for AC Milan (and former Liverpool) creator Suso, who could be available at £20m in the wake of the Rossoneri's spending spree, TalkSport cites Corriere dello Sport as reporting.

          18.54 BST: Chelsea will not be rushed into buying a new striker, and instead are patiently making enquiries for Alvaro Morata, Andrea Belotti and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang -- while Alexis Sanchez has not been ruled out, despite Arsenal's reluctance to sell to a Premier League rival -- writes the Telegraph.

          18.38 BST: DONE DEAL The Houston Dynamo have signed Argentine midfielder Tomas Martinez from Braga as a young designated player. Full story.

          18.22 BST: Leicester playmaker Riyad Mahrez is willing to take a pay cut to secure a move to Roma, according to the Leicester Mercury, with the Italian club set to up their offer to £26m -- still well shy of the Foxes' £50m valuation.

          18.06 BST: French publication Le10 Sport reports that journalist Ciro Venerato said on Italian television station RAI that Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain are close to agreeing a €20m fee for 30-year-old France midfielder Blaise Matuidi.

          17.49 BST: Manchester City are closing in on a £50m deal for Monaco's Benjamin Mendy, according to the Independent, with "only the minor details of the deal remain to be agreed."

          17.29 BST: DONE DEAL Everton have announced the signing of Cuco Martina on a free transfer from Southampton. The Curacao international has penned a three-year contract at Goodison Park. Full story.

          17.13 BST: Some news on Chelsea's search for full-backs comes from the London Evening Standard. While Danilo's arrival from Real Madrid is said to be imminent, Juventus' sale of Leonardo Bonucci to AC Milan has put an end to the Blues' hopes of landing Alex Sandro. Antonio Conte will now reportedly turn his attention to former Chelsea player Ryan Bertrand, and attempt to hijack Manchester City's move for Benjamin Mendy.

          16.56 BST: DONE DEAL Newcastle have announced Yoan Gouffran has joined Turkish side Göztepe Spor Kulübü on a permanent basis.

          16.41 BST: Manchester United have agreed to up their bid of £47m for Inter's Ivan Perisic, reports the Star, and the Premier League giants are confident of wrapping up a deal for the Croatian winger in the next 48 hours.

          16.25 BST: DONE DEAL Swansea have signed Wales under-20 international Cian Harries from Coventry on a three-year deal...

          16.15 BST: It's still been fairly quiet on the transfer front for Tottenham, but The Sun is reporting that Mauricio Pochettino's side are after Real Madrid's Mateo Kovacic. Sadly for Spurs fans, an offer of £22 million has apparently been knocked back by the European champions.

          16.03 BST: DONE DEAL Real Valladolid have signed goalkeeper Jordi Masip from Barcelona on a three-year deal...

          15.50 BST: DONE DEAL United States youth international Gboly Ariyibi has joined MK Dons on loan from Nottingham Forest having struggled to make an impression at the City Ground...

          15.37 BST: Monaco midfielder Thomas Lemar would be a perfect fit for Arsenal, according to Gunners great Robert Pires. "Lemar is the kind of player who can make a difference," Pires said. "He has the right profile to play for Arsenal, definitely." Full story.

          15.26 BST: We have a DONE DEAL in the Premier League, where West Brom have signed defender Ahmed Hegazi on a season-long loan from Al Ahly, with an option to trigger a permanent transfer...

          15.13 BST: Those Neymar-to-Paris-Saint-Germain rumours are back... AS is now claiming that the Barcelona man's father and agent is heading to Paris to talk to the Ligue 1 club about a potential move.

          14.55 BST: Roma president James Pallotta has hinted that Radja Nainggolan is about to sign a new contract with the Serie A club. Full story.

          14.40 BST: DONE DEAL Amid another busy summer of transfer activity at the Mestalla, Valencia have sold goalkeeper Diego Alves to Brazilian club Flamengo for a reported €300,000 transfer fee. Full story.

          14.28 BST: AC Milan sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli says his side are interested in Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, but will sign him "only on our conditions." Full story.

          14.08 BST: Barcelona have suggested they will wait until the final day of the transfer window before giving up on signing Paris Saint-Germain's Marco Verratti. "Until the last day of the market, nothing can be ruled out," coach Ernesto Valverde said. Full story.

          13.56 BST: Juventus are on the lookout for a new centre-back with Leonardo Bonucci departing the club for AC Milan. Well, according to La Repubblica, they have met with Roma to discuss the possibility of signing Kostas Manolas.

          13.27 BST: Not strictly transfer news as such, but Burnley have announced that goalkeeper Paul Robinson will no longer be a part of their squad after he opted to retire from football following his struggle with a back problem. Full story.

          13.19 BST: Gareth Bale has regularly been linked with a move to Manchester United in recent years, but the Real Madrid man says he has not considered a return to the Premier League. "I signed a long-term contract with Madrid, and I am happy at this club," he said. "The truth is I do not read [transfer speculation]." Full story.

          13.06 BST: Sky Sports are also now reporting that Chelsea are interested in signing Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero...

          12.50 BST: Dinamo Moscow and Antalyaspor are planning late moves for Australia international and free agent James Troisi, sources close to the player have told ESPN FC. Full story.

          12.36 BST: Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli has said goodbye to AC Milan-bound Leonardo Bonucci on Instagram, while denying that there had been any bust-up between the pair at the Champions League final. Full story.

          12.22 BST: RB Leipzig have told Liverpool that Naby Keita is not for sale at any price after turning down a €68 million bid last week, a source has told ESPN FC. "We will not enter into negotiations at all," the Leipzig source said. "A decision has been made that none of our key players will be sold and we're sticking to it." Full story.

          12.08 BST: If at first you don't succeed, pick yourself up and try again. That's what West Ham have done with Marko Arnautovic, with The Independent reporting that the Hammers are closing in on signing the Stoke man after lodging a third bid of £22 million.

          11.51 BST: Where will Anthony Martial end up this summer? Besiktas could be the answer, according to TEAMtalk, which reports that the Turkish side have made an enquiry about a loan deal with club officials due to fly to England to try and negotiate a move.

          11.34 BST: Manchester City have agreed a double deal to sign brothers Luka and Ivan Ilic from Red Star Belgrade, sources close to the players have told ESPN FC. Full story.

          11.17 BST: DONE DEAL Arsenal have sold Dan Crowley to Willem II, with the 19-year-old signing a three-year deal with the Eredivisie club... Full story.

          11.00 BST: Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera says he will "do everything possible" to keep David De Gea as a teammate, amid speculation that Real Madrid could return with a bid for the goalkeeper this summer. Full story.

          10.44 BST: Will Sergio Aguero be lining up at Chelsea next season? That's what the Daily Star is suggesting, with a report claiming Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has given the green light for the Argentina international to move to Stamford Bridge this summer.

          10.20 BST: Real Madrid have long been linked with a summer move for Monaco's Kylian Mbappe but, according to The Sun, they will have to sell one of their key players first to raise some funds, with the man on his way out of the Santiago Bernabeu apparently Gareth Bale.

          10.03 BST: DONE DEAL Massimo Maccarone, remember him? Well the 37-year-old former Middlesbrough striker has just signed for A-League side Brisbane Roar... Full story.

          09.47 BST: Tokyo Verdy president Hideaki Hanyu has said the club will not be signing Francesco Totti because the Roma legend's family had reservations about the move. Full story.

          09.32 BST: Lazio have tweeted out images of Lucas Leiva undergoing his medical with the club ahead of his move from Liverpool...

          09.13 BST: Borussia Dortmund have set Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a deadline to make a decision on his future amid rumours AC Milan and Chelsea have targeted the striker. "We told Auba that if he wants to move on at one point and has a club that is prepared to meet our conditions, he should come to us and we'll talk about it -- but we also told him that there is a certain timeframe for it," Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said. Full story.

          08.59 BST: Sticking with Tottenham, a different source has told ESPN FC that while the North London club do admire Everton midfielder Ross Barkley, his £140,000-a-week wage demands have put them off pursuing a deal for now.

          08.44 BST: Tottenham are not actively pursuing Swansea's Alfie Mawson or Ricardo Pereira of Porto, a source has told ESPN FC. Pereira has been widely linked with Spurs as a replacement for Kyle Walker and has a release clause of about £25 million, but the source said they are not chasing him or Mawson.

          08.30 BST: Talking of Diego Costa, his Chelsea exit appears to be ever more likely with every passing day -- and especially after he was pictured partying in Brazil wearing the shirt of former club Atletico Madrid...

          08.14 BST: With Diego Costa looking likely to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, Chelsea are determined to bring in a replacement -- and that man could be Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, according to Sky Sports. Conte is said to be a fan of Aubameyang, who is on his shortlist along with Alvaro Morata, Andrea Belotti and another Premier League striker.

          08.02 BST: Morning all and welcome back to Transfer Talk... First off, let's head to Rome, where Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has arrived ahead of a move to Serie A side Lazio. Lucas is set to complete a €5.5 million transfer and is scheduled to have his medical on Monday morning, before officially signing with the club. Full story.

          Arsenal's now focused on Lemar

          Arsenal are out of the running to sign Kylian Mbappe from Monaco but remain eager to add Thomas Lemar to their squad. Although, adding the winger could lead Arsenal to allow Alexis Sanchez to leave the club.

          The Telegraph says Arsene Wenger has been cautious about the departure of either Sanchez or Olivier Giroud up until now because he is unsure about his chances of landing Lemar, a player for whom he has already seen two bids rejected.

          The report goes on to say that Sanchez and Giroud are unsettled but Wenger is mindful of leaving himself short of attacking options. However, he is more confident that Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are happy to remain at the club despite entering the final year of their contracts.

          Danilo's fate remains in question

          Sport reckons that Real Madrid right-back Danilo has already agreed to a deal to join Chelsea, but the Premier League champions could still face competition from Manchester City and Juventus to complete his signing.

          There could also be resistance from Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane who wants to keep hold of Danilo despite not being able to offer him regular football.

          Los Blancos are preparing for another busy campaign in which they are expected to challenge on all fronts and the importance of squad depth is not lost on Zidane.

          Danilo joined Madrid from Porto for €31.5 million two seasons ago and is said to be available for around the same price.

          Barcelona changes strategy on Verratti, Paulinho

          Sport reports that Barcelona are set to change tactics in an attempt to land Marco Verratti or Paulinho -- having been unsuccessful in their attempts to sign the two midfielders thus far.

          Barca pursued Verratti and Paulinho publicly and asked the players to push for a move -- a plan that has not had the desired effect.

          Now, they will bide their time and wait for Paris Saint-Germain or Guangzhou Evergrande to give them a signal that either player is available in the hope of completing a deal later in the transfer window.

          Tap-ins

          - Joe Hart will have a medical at West Ham on Monday before completing a season-long loan move from Manchester City, the London Evening Standard reports. The English goalkeeper, who has no future at City under Pep Guardiola, is keen to play in the Premier League ahead of the 2018 World Cup.

          - Another England international on the move ahead of the World Cup could be Ross Barkley. The Independent claims Tottenham is interested in Barkley, with Everton happy to strike a deal now rather than see the midfielder move for nothing at the end of his contract next summer. The only stumbling block is Everton's £50m valuation.

          - Roma are trying to negotiate a deal to sign Riyad Mahrez from Leicester, but the Premier League side want £40m for their star man, according to the Daily Mail. However, the Serie A side only want to offer £21m plus add-ons.