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          Arsenal up bid for Monaco's Lemar; Barca still want Coutinho

          • ESPN staffJul 26, 2017, 01:12 AM

          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: Arsenal raise Lemar stakes

          Monaco are being taken apart in this window it seems: Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy have left for Man City and Tiemoue Bakayoko is off to Chelsea. And now Arsenal have recommitted to their pursuit of versatile attacker Thomas Lemar.

          The Telegraph reports that Arsenal are prepared to up their offer for Lemar to £45m for the wide man.

          The Gunners have already had two bids over £30m knocked back, and with Ligue 1 champions already losing three key players, Arsene Wenger's side look like they'll have to pay an overwhelming amount to poach another of Leonardo Jardim's jewels.

          LIVE BLOG:

          22.25 BST: That does it for Wednesday'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 Thursday's back pages.

          22.12 BST: Barcelona are preparing a new £80m bid for Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho, writes the Star, and the English outlet cites Brazilin publication Globo Esporte as reporting that the Catalan club has sent representatives to London to meet with the 25-year-old's agents.

          21.49 BST: Manchester United have taken 16-year-old prodigy Gabriel Martinelli on trial from Brazilian club Ituano, according to Metro.

          Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2017/07/26/gabriel-martinelli-on-trial-with-manchester-united-ahead-of-potential-transfer-6808807/#ixzz4nyO23iwz

          21.15 BST: Back to the Leicester Mercury, which reports that Leicester City are bracing themselves for a £32m bid from Roma for Riyad Mahrez, but the Foxes have no intention of lowering their £50m valuation.

          20.45 BST: The Leicester Mercury is citing unnamed reports in France stating that Leicester City have signed Paris Saint-Germain's 17-year-old forward Alassane Meite to a three-year contract.

          20.23 BST: Inter are offering Arturo Vidal wages of €7m a year, writes CalcioMercato, and if the 30-year-old is interested, the Nerazzurri will bid €50m for the Bayern Munich midfielder.

          20.01 BST: After admitting defeat in their chase for Eric Dier, Manchester United are preparing to meet Chelsea's valuation of more than £40m and reunite Nemanja Matic with Jose Mourinho, reports the Independent.

          19.44 BST: The Colorado Rapids have completed the signing of German midfielder Stefan Aigner pending the finalization of a medical, a league source has told ESPN FC.

          19.28 BST: DONE DEAL Sunderland have signed Bournemouth striker Lewis Grabban on a season-long loan.

          19.12 BST: DONE DEAL The Portland Timbers have signed 22-year-old New Zealand international Bill Tuiloma from Marseille.

          18.55 BST: Harry Redknapp is closing in on bringing Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing to Birmingham City, according to the Mirror.

          18.39 BST: Leeds United are valuing 25-year-old New Zealand international Chris Wood at £20m to ward off Premier League interest, writes the Mirror, after the striker scored 30 goals across all competitions for the Championship club last season.

          18.23 BST: After being linked with a move to Marseille, the Express cites French outlet RMC Sport as reporting that Celtic striker Moussa Dembele only wants to leave the Glasgow giants for the Premier League or the Bundesliga, with the English publication stating that Everton are one of a number of Premier League clubs interested in the 21-year-old.

          18.07 BST: Newcastle have agreed a fee with Borussia Dortmund for highly rated Spain U21 international midfielder Mikel Merino, reports the Telegraph, 12 months after moving to the Westfalenstadion.

          17.50 BST: The Independent has reported that Manchester United "feel they have a real chance of getting [Gareth Bale]," which may explain the club's cooled interest in Ivan Perisic, whom the club have yet to complete a deal for despite Inter naming their price.

          17.25 BST: Both Crystal Palace and Watford had hoped to sign Inter Milan defender Davide Santon -- and both will be disappointed after reports in Italy said he had agreed personal terms for a move to Sampdoria.

          17.00 BST: To Birmingham now, where the Birmingham Mail tells us that Yeni Malatayaspor sporting director Ali Ravci has said his club are closing in on the signing of Aston Villa defender Aly Cissokho.

          16.35 BST: Sevilla president Jose Castro has said the club still hope to sign Jesus Navas and Stevan Jovetic.

          Navas, a free agent after his contract at Manchester City ended, has been heavily linked with a return to the club where he began his career. And Jovetic, who spent the second half of last season on loan to Sevilla from Inter Milan, is another player they have made an approach for.

          16.20 BST: Birmingham City could move for defender Aden Flint, who plkays for Championship rivals Bristol City, Sky Sports reports, with manager Harry Redknapp keen to strengthen his backline.

          16.10 BST: Staying in France, reports suggest Leicester midfielder Nampalys Mendy could move to Bordeaux on loan.

          16.00 BST: Swansea City have had a £15m bid for Nice midfielder Jean-Michael Seri rejected, according to reports in France. Ligue 1 Nice are said to want around £20m more than that if they are to do business, with Barcelona, Tottenham and Arsenal also thought to be keen.

          15.25 BST: DONE DEAL Orlando City have announced the acquisition of forward Dom Dwyer from Sporting Kansas City "in exchange for $400,000 in General Allocation Money and $500,000 in Targeted Allocation Money, plus up to $700,000 in future Allocation Money based on the player's performance." It is a record MLS deal.

          15.15 BST: Sheffield United remain keen to sign Southend captain Ryan Leonard as they strengthen their squad for next season's return to the Championship, the Sheffield Star reports.

          15.10 BST: DONE DEAL Atletico Madrid midfielder Bernard Mensah has joined Turkish club Kasimpasa on a season-long loan.

          15.00 BST: Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has ruled out a departure for Arsenal target Thomas Lemar after reports had suggested that a deal to bring the midfielder to London was close.

          14.45 BST: Back to Spain, where reports say Real Betis are close to wrapping up a deal to bring in Middlesbrough midfielder Gaston Ramirez.

          14.40 BST: Teenage Arsenal winger Nathan Tormey has signed his first professional contract with the club. The 17-year-old started off in the Gunners' academy at the age of 12.

          14.35 BST: And a little more from Ronald Koeman, who has said Everton "of course have interest" in Swansea playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson but, after two bids were rejected, is unsure whether another will be submitted.

          14.30 BST: Everton boss Ronald Koeman has told a news conference that he "100 percent" expects Ross Barkley to leave the club. Full story.

          14.15 BST: Wolfsburg's United States international defender John Brooks has said he has not given up on a future Premier League move.

          "Quite a few people were surprised that I made the switch within the Bundesliga and did not move to England. "I have always said that Premier League is my dream, but it never meant that it must be the next step," Brooks said. Full story.

          14.00 BST: Kylian Mbappe, encore: Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev says no agreement has been reached with anyone for the transfer of Mbappe but confirmed there have been "very big enquiries" for the striker.

          Reports in Spain claimed Madrid and Monaco had an agreement in principle for the 18-year-old to move to La Liga, while sources told ESPN FC that Manchester City were interested in signing Mbappe for a world-record transfer fee.

          13.50 BST: Birmingham City have loaned young players Connal Trueman and Dan Cleary to nearby non-league club Solihull Motors until January.

          13.40 BST: Manchester United are prepared to make an attempt to sign Gareth Bale this summer, if Real Madrid indicate that he is available, but they made their first offer for him way back in January 2007.

          Bale was then 17, a regular in Southampton's first team and already the youngest player to represent Wales. ESPN FC's Manchester United correspondent Rob Dawson tells the story.

          13.20 BST: Arsenal are poised to sign Manchester City academy winger Jadon Sancho from Manchester City, with the 17-year-old "in search of a clearer pathway to senior football," according to the Sun.

          13.05 BST: Norwich City coach Daniel Farke has told BBC Radio Norfolk that he could move into the transfer market after midfielder Alex Pritchard and centre-back Timm Klose both suffered injuries in a preseason friendly at Cambridge.

          12.55 BST: And more on Mbappe -- the Mirror reports that he "wants out of Monaco because he feels let down by the French champions."

          It says the 18-year-old had been prepared to stay with the French champions for one more season but he and his father Wilfried "have been dismayed by the exodus of stars this summer."

          12.45 BST: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane and president Florentino Perez were among officials at a meeting held "to discuss the circumstances regarding the seemingly imminent arrival of Kylian Mbappe" from Monaco, Marca has reported.

          It says the potential world record move would leave Zidane "with the possible headache of finding minutes for the striker alongside Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo."

          12.40 BST: Sport, citing reports in Turkey, says Galatasaray want to sign Barcelona's Arda Turan on loan for the season and will make him their captain if he accepts.

          12.30 BST: DONE DEAL Scottish club Hibernian have signed midfielder Vykintas Slivka from Juventus for an undisclosed fee.

          12.25 BST: Lazar Markovic has been left out of Liverpool's squad for friendlies in Germany after holding talks with Fiorentina.

          Markovic is surplus to requirements at Anfield and has spent the last two seasons on loan at Fenerbahce and Sporting Lisbon.

          12.15 BST: Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere has closed the door on a return for Hatem Ben Arfa after his struggles at Paris Saint-Germain.

          Ben Arfa, 30, scored 17 goals in 34 Ligue 1 appearances for Nice in 2015-16 campaign but managed only one assist in 23 outings for PSG.

          12.00 BST: Crystal Palace have made a bid for West Ham United goalkeeper Adrian, sources close to the Hammers have told ESPN FC.

          Newcastle are also monitoring Adrian's situation at West Ham with Rafa Benitez looking to bring in a No. 1 goalkeeper before the close of the transfer window. Full story.

          11.50 BST: DONE DEAL Melbourne City have signed Stefan Mauk on loan from N.E.C.

          "Stefan is a player who has previously been involved in the club's system and has worked with a number of our players in Australia's national set-up --- both for the underage teams and for the Socceroos," Melbourne coach Warren Joyce said of the 21-year-old midfielder. "We believe Stefan has the attributes to link well with our attacking players and provide a dynamic contribution to our team."

          11.42 BST: DONE DEAL Hull have signed Sparta Prague defender Ondrej Mazuch on a two-year contract.

          "Of course I am very happy to sign the contract with Hull because it has always been my dream to play in England," Mazuch told Hull's official website. "I'm delighted the club have given me this fantastic opportunity and I would like to thank everyone who has helped me to make this transfer. Now the deal has been finalised, I can't wait for the new season to start."

          11.30 BST: Sky Sports says that a source close to Virgil van Dijk expects him to leave Southampton and join Liverpool before the summer transfer window closes.

          Van Dijk was left out of the Southampton squad travelling to France for a preseason training camp.

          11.16 BST: Inter Milan have yet to receive a suitable offer for Manchester United target Ivan Perisic, coach Luciano Spalletti has said.

          "Perisic has a valid contract [until 2020] and he has got to respect this," Spalletti told a news conference in Singapore. "Then, if a satisfactory offer were to arrive, that would change things and we could even consider the offer. For the moment, though, the right offer has not yet arrived and he is here with us." Full story.

          11.01 BST: Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Jason Steele is currently having a medical at Sunderland. Bournemouth striker Lewis Grabban and Aston Villa's Ross McCormack are also linked.

          10.50 BST: L'Equipe reports Renato Sanches is close to joining AC Milan for €40m on a four-year contract.

          10.38 BST: RB Leipzig are braced for Naby Keita to leave for Liverpool, according to a report in Bild.

          But judging by the tweet below they are putting a brave face on it. Bild claims Keita has become an outsider in the squad and the club are already looking for his replacement.

          10.21 BST: Former AC Milan, Real Madrid and Brazil player Kaka has spoken about Neymar's current situation which finds him linked with a move to PSG from Barcelona.

          "In this period of the season when the market is open, there is lot of speculation, Kaka said. "Big numbers, everybody wants the big players and of course Neymar is one of them.

          "It is a personal choice. I don't know what is in his mind or what he wants, if he thinks his time in Barca is finishing and it's time to move. What I can say is that Neymar is a very good player, amazing. Wherever he plays the next few years, he will be great."

          10.04 BST: Celtic captain Scott Brown says Moussa Dembele will get even better under Brendan Rodgers amid reports that the striker is a transfer target for Marseille.

          "He is a top quality player and underneath this manager he is going to get better," Brown said. "We have a great manager and, if he stays here, he will definitely improve." Full story.

          09.50 BST: Manchester City's new signing Danilo says it was an easy decision to turn down a move to Chelsea after speaking to Pep Guardiola.

          "It wasn't a difficult decision to choose City over Chelsea. The moment City called me and Pep called me, I knew what I had to do." Full story.

          09.27 BST: Tuttosport claims Juventus have turned their attention to Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Blaise Matuidi after being knocked back in an attempt to sign Emre Can from Liverpool. The Italian champions also have their eye on Valencia defender Garay as Leonardo Bonucci's replacement.

          09.15 BST: Where would be best for Kylian Mbappe to ply his trade next season? Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal, PSG, Manchester City and Liverpool make their sales pitch to the in-demand Monaco man here.

          09.02 BST: Kylian Mbappe was the youngest player to score at least 20 goals in the top five leagues and Champions League last season. The reported Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City target may not have the volume yet, but he has the efficiency.

          Would a move improve his scoring rate?

          08.45 BST: Bayern Munich midfielder and reported Manchester United target Renato Sanches says he would welcome the chance to play for AC Milan.

          "Personally I'm not happy with my first year here because I'm young and I would like to be playing more, so I would be glad to go to a club who can give me the possibility to play," he said. Full story.

          08.20 BST: The front cover of Spanish newspaper AS reports that Manchester United could move to sign Gareth Bale from Real Madrid this summer.

          Jose Mourinho has said he still wants to add to his squad... so could a move for the three-time Champions League winner be on the cards?

          08.01 BST: Welcome to Wednesday's Transfer Talk live blog. Let's start with news that Manchester City are making a late bid to try to complete a world-record transfer for Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe.

          Sources have told ESPN FC that City are moving quickly to seal a potential £160m move for the 18-year-old France international but Real Madrid are said to have reached an agreement in principle at that price for the teenager. Full story.

          Barca push hard for Coutinho

          The natural food chain of the transfer market has hurt feelings this summer, as Liverpool have chased RB Leipzig's Naby Keita to no avail, but now feel aggrieved to find themselves in the reverse position as Barcelona circle for Philippe Coutinho.

          The Reds have quickly knocked back a £72m offer but the Blaugrana are not deterred and reports in AS and RAC1 state they are set to return with an £80m bid for the Brazilian.

          A total of 14 goals and nine assists last term, a series of eye-catching displays for the Selecao and his friendship with Neymar, make Coutinho a prime candidate for Barca.

          But the player is set to travel with the Liverpool squad to Germany on Wednesday as he steps up preseason, with Jurgen Klopp eager to reach September and maintain his talisman.

          Man City look to hijack Real's Mbappe pursuit

          Manchester City are plotting a sensational move to derail Real Madrid's world record move for Monaco wonder kid Kylian Mbappe. ESPN FC sources say Pep Guardiola's club are ready with a record offer of their own to steal

          Guardiola is desperate to land the 18-year-old starlet and City believe they can beat Los Blancos to the France international should he leave the Principality club.

          Chief executive Ferran Soriano will now sit patiently to hear back from Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev, with Real's dependency on raising funds opening a window for City to snatch Mbappe in the move of the summer.

          Spurs eye bargain Walker replacement

          Tottenham cashed in this summer on Kyle Walker with City coughing up £50m for the England full-back, and while Kieran Trippier could emerge as the successor, Spurs want depth at the position.

          That has led them to Germany starlet Jeremy Toljan, with the Hoffenheim right-back available at a knockdown price, according to the Mirror.

          The 22-year-old thrived for the under-21s this summer, claiming the European Championship with his side in the process.

          While Spurs will be in a strong negotiating position due to the player having just one year remaining on his contract, Hoffenheim are only looking for around £7m, meaning Mauricio Pochettino should be able to spend more than £40m elsewhere on his squad.

          Tap-ins

          - There is better news for Reds fans though, as Tuttosport report Juventus have given up hope of landing Emre Can, at least for this summer.

          The Bianconeri still want the Germany midfielder on a free transfer in 2018, but will turn their attention for now to Blaise Matuidi.

          The France international is now the priority to strengthen the midfielder and Ezequiel Garay is wanted to bolster the defence, with €12m likely to be enough to bring the Argentinian star from Valencia.

          - Finally, Roma could cool their interest in Leicester winger Riyad Mahrez after the Foxes rejected a £20m offer.

          Gazzetta dello Sport believe the Giallorossi will turn their attention to Valencia forward Munir, with a £22m offer likely to be made imminently.