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          Barcelona, Real Madrid set to do battle over wantaway Kylian Mbappe

          • ESPN staffAug 2, 2017, 10:35 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: Barca, Madrid to battle for Mbappe

          Neymar's impending move to Paris Saint-Germain has shocked European football, and the madness of the transfer market is likely to intensify in the next few weeks as French publication L'Equipe reports Monaco sensation Kylian Mbappe is ready to push for an exit.

          Barcelona, who appear vulnerable after losing a third of the "MSN", will be desperate to acquire another superstar to appease their disgruntled fans and lead the race, according to the report.

          As straight replacements go, the Blaugrana could strike it lucky, though the 18-year-old may have his heart set on Real Madrid, given neither club is likely to offer him a starting role as a centre-forward with Luis Suarez and Karim Benzema so well established.

          A meeting has already taken place between the France international's entourage and the Catalan giants, though Los Blancos will surely enter the race, if only to deny their rivals from acquiring the best young player in Europe.

          LIVE BLOG:

          23.15 BST: Well that will do it for the live window of our Transfer Talk blog. With Neymar's move to PSG completed who will be the next major domino to fall? Check back in tomorrow to find out as we once again report the biggest rumours and links from papers across the world. Have a great night!

          22.35 BST: D.C. United are reportedly targeting Chilean defender Gary Medel to help bolster the club's defense, according to the Washington Post. The 30-year-old Medel is currently on the books at Inter Milan but appears headed for the door. The physical center-back has appeared 105 times for his country and has won two Copa America's with La Roja.

          22.08 BST: DONE DEAL Reading have signed speedster Modou Barrow on a permanent deal from Swansea City. The Gambia international made 55 appearances for the Swans over the past couple of seasons and spent the second half of last season on loan at Leeds. Full Story.

          21.50 BST: In need of a replacement for Marko Arnautovic, reports out of England are linking Stoke with Yevhen Konoplyanka, Valon Berisha and Andros Townsend.

          21.20 BST: Reports out of Italy suggest that Roma are interested in Manchester United's Juan Mata as a backup plan if they are unable to sign Riyad Mahrez. Although it seems unlikely that Mata would leave Old Trafford, this is one to keep an eye on as the window winds down as Roma are desperate to replace Mohamed Salah.

          21.00 BST: DONE DEAL It's finally over people. After weeks of will he stay or will he go, PSG has officially signed Neymar from Barcelona for a world-record fee in one of if not the biggest transfer ever.

          After what has seemed like an endless tug of war between PSG and Barca the clubs have finally agreed to terms and the deal is now official. The deal for the 25-year-old reportedly will total over £450 million in all and immediately makes PSG serious contenders for the Champions League. We are just glad it is finally over.

          20.55 BST: Barcelona defender Thomas Vermaelen has been linked with a return to the Premier League but reports from Belgian newspaper Dernier Heure now indicate the Belgian could return to his native country to play for Anderlecht. Vermaelen looks to be close to a Barca exit but it remains to be seen which club will secure his services.

          20.40 BST: According to the International Business Times, Watford have made an inquiry for Liverpool's much-maligned left-back Alberto Moreno. Moreno has struggled in his three seasons at Anfield after moving from Sevilla.

          20.15 BST: The Mirror are reporting that Tottenham are interested in Genoa forward Giovanni Simeone. If that name sounds familiar it should, as Giovanni is the son of Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone, who played with Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino on the Argentine national team. Simeone netted 12 goals last season for the Rossoblu last season and has been firmly on European clubs' radars since leading the 2015 South American Youth Football Championship with nine goals.

          20.05 BST: Italian outlet Tuttosport have reported that Juventus have rekindled their interest in Barcelona's Andre Gomes. Juventus were in on the Portuguese last season and must believe they can work the Gomes, who flopped last season in his first year at Barca.

          19:40 BST: DONE DEAL Back in England, Leicester City have completed the signing of Man City youngster Kelechi Iheanacho. The Nigerian forward has penned a five-year deal with the Foxes for an undisclosed fee.

          19.05 BST: DONE DEAL Hamburg have signed Dutch teenager Rick van Drongelen from Sparta Rotterdam. The 18-year-old Van Drongelen has played for the Netherland Under-19s and will sign a five-year contract with the German club.

          18.45 BST: Fulham, Celtic and newly-promoted Brighton are all in for Ghanaian striker Abdul Majeed Waris, according to reports out of London. Majeed Waris scored eight goals in Ligue 1 last season for Lorient and is reportedly being valued around £9m.

          18.25 BST: After La Liga denied the transfer earlier today, the Neymar to PSG saga has reached its latest chapter with Barcelona confirming Thursday evening that Neymar's legal team visited Barcelona and "made the payment of €220 million in the player's name with regards to the unilateral termination of the contract that united both parties." There will be more twists and turns but once again it starting to look like this deal will eventually be completed.

          18.10 BST: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger reiterated on Thursday at a news conference that Alexis Sanchez will be staying at the club, saying "He [Sanchez] will stay and he will respect that." Stay tuned.

          17.55 BST: Muharrem Usta, the president of Trabzonspor has gone public with his club's interest in out of favour Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham) and Jose Sosa (AC Milan).

          "We need another player; maybe it'll be a player who plays more freely in the attacking zone," Usta told TRT. "We are talking with Jose [Sosa] but making an assessment for economic reasons. "We've also met with Moussa Sissoko, a very important player. He didn't live up to expectations last season but this can happen in football. We want to loan him and get his career back on track."

          17.45 BST: Despite links with a move, specifically to Arsenal, Juventus' Juan Cuadrado could be staying put after all. According to Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport, manager Max Allegri and Juventus remain undecided on Cuadrado's future despite the addition of Douglas Costa and Federico Bernardeschi. Allegri reportedly values Cuadrado and still feels there may be a place for the Colombian in his side despite this summer's additions.

          17.10 BST: DONE DEAL Charlton Athletic are hoping to mount a challenge for promotion back to the Championship, and they have completed the signing of MK Dons midfielder Ben Reeves as they look to add more attacking threat to their squad.

          16.55 BST: Reports in Italy say Juventus have held further talks over a move for Atletico Madrid defender Jose Gimenez, also said to be interesting Roma, Liverpool and Manchester United.

          16.35 BST: And a quick reminder of today's Diego Costa developments, which go like this: Costa will not play for Chelsea again but will only join Atletico Madrid, his lawyer Ricardo Cardoso has said. Cardoso added that his client is to formally submit a transfer request.

          16.25 BST: DONE DEAL A Done deal in all senses -- Matt Done is to spend a third spell with Rochdale, joining them from Sheffield United this time.

          16.20 BST: DONE DEAL Glasgow Rangers defender Rob Kiernan has joined English league One side Southend United, moving to the Essex seaside for an undisclosed fee.

          16.00 BST: And staying in France, Le10Sport says Chelsea have made contact with Paris Saint-Germain about a move for defender Serge Aurier, also linked with Manchester United, with the fee likely to be around €30m.

          15.50 BST: To France, where footmercato reports that ex-Monaco and Auxerre midfielder Delvin Ndinga, currently at Lokomotiv Moscow, could join Strasbourg.

          15.40 BST: Roma sporting director Monchi has told reporters that no further progress has been made in attempts to sign Leicester playmaker Riyad Mahrez, saying: "The situation hasn't changed since the last press conference."

          15.25 BST: DONE DEAL Another move for much-travelled striker Aaron Wilbraham, who has joined Bolton Wanderers from Bristol City, putting pen to paper on a one-year deal.

          15.10 BST: Further developments in today's instalment of the Neymar transfer drama -- now the French League has got involved:

          14.55 BST: DONE DEAL Fulham defender Ragnar Sigurdsson has joined Russian side Rubin Kazan on a season-long loan.

          14.50 BST: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says Alexis Sanchez will respect the club's decision that he will not be sold this summer, and confirmed that fellow forward Lucas Perez is set to leave the Emirates Stadium after just one season.

          Sanchez looked sharp as he took part in an open training session at the Emirates on Thursday and appeared to give the Arsenal badge on his shirt a quick kiss in front of the cameras and a few thousand fans.

          14.40 BST: Galatasaray have announced that they have started talks with Manchester City over a move for midfielder Fernando Francisco.

          14.14 BST: Former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart has said Neymar's pending move to Paris Saint-Germain is comparable to Luis Figo's departure to Real Madrid. "I've seen similar situations but Neymar is in the same boat as Figo, who was alone but now has Neymar for company," Gaspart said. Full story.

          14.00 BST: Middlesbrough manager Garry Monk has been told the club will only sell defender Ben Gibson, who has been strongly linked with West Bromwich Albion, if they receive "an exceptional offer," Sky Sports reports.

          13.55 BST: Turkish club Besiktas have agreed a £4.5m fee to sign Sunderland winger Jeremain Lens, the Mail reports, with the move coming after their initial offer to sign him on loan was turned down.

          13.50 BST: DONE DEAL League One Doncaster Rovers have brought in Manchester City midfielder Rodney Kongolo, 19, on loan for the first half of the season.

          13.45 BST: Trabzonspor president Muharrem Usta has said the Turkish club are in talks with Tottenham Hotspur's club-record signing Moussa about a loan move.

          Sissoko, 27, joined Spurs from Newcastle for £30 million on deadline day last summer but started just eight Premier League matches last season and was criticised by coach Mauricio Pochettino for his performances in training.

          13.38 BST: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been speaking at a news conference this afternoon and has once again stated that the club will not sell Alexis Sanchez this summer... "My decision is clear, he will stay," Wenger said. "He will accept that. He will be here for this season, if we manage to do it for more seasons we will do it as well."

          13.27 BST: Tottenham are interested in signing Southampton goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga, a source has told ESPN FC. Spurs need a replacement for Spain under-21 keeper Pau Lopez, who has returned to Espanyol after spending last season on loan at the Premier League club. Full story.

          13.14 BST: Manchester United defender Cameron Borthwick-Jackson has agreed to join Leeds United on loan, sources close to the Championship club have told ESPN FC. United boss Jose Mourinho is happy to loan the 20-year-old out again so he can play regular first-team football. Full story.

          12.55 BST: Alexis Sanchez must be staying at Arsenal as he was kissing the club's badge during an open training session today.... Or is that just footage of a man wiping his mouth with his shirt?

          12.40 BST: Jose Mourinho has told Anthony Martial there is a place for him at Manchester United this season. Asked about Martial, Mourinho said: "Everybody's in the plan -- the plan is to have a good squad, not a good team, a good squad with options." Full story.

          12.30 BST: Even the French President has had his say on Neymar's imminent move to Paris Saint-Germain...

          12.15 BST: Liverpool and Manchester City remain interested in Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but it's Chelsea who are in pole position to sign him, according to The Sun. The Blues want to bolster their midfield following the departure of Nemanja Matic to Manchester United and also boost their quota of home-grown players.

          11.59 BST: La Liga has confirmed to ESPN FC it has refused to accept a €222 million payment from Paris Saint-Germain to trigger Neymar's buyout clause.

          La Liga said in a statement to ESPN FC: "We can confirm that the legal representatives of the player [Neymar] came to La Liga to deposit the clause and that it has been rejected. This is all the information we can give at the moment." Full story.

          11.48 BST: We have a DONE DEAL -- but it does not involve Neymar... Nottingham Forest have signed England under-20 midfielder Kieran Dowell on a season-long loan from Everton.

          11.38 BST: Neymar is set for a warm welcome when he finally signs for Paris Saint-Germain, with Javier Pastore having said he will give up his No. 10 jersey to the Brazilian. "I want to offer my shirt to Neymar as a welcome act," he told Cadena Ser. "I want him to feel comfortable and happy from day one."

          11.22 BST: Meanwhile, Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has followed in Lionel Messi's footsteps by wishing Neymar farewell ahead of his move to Paris Saint-Germain...

          He wrote: "My friend I wish you the best in everything that comes!!! Also thank you for your support, for everything that I learned with you and for the unique moments that we spent together!!!! Keep like this and never change. Love you little bro."

          11.15 BST: Reports from Spain are claiming that La Liga is refusing to accept the payment of Neymar's €222 million release clause from Paris Saint-Germain... La Liga apparently deems it impossible that PSG could be complying with financial fair play regulations. Full story.

          11.04 BST: Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino has had his say on wantaway defender Virgil van Dijk, stressing that he is not for sale. "We continue in the same way," he said. "I would like to bring the boy and to persuade him that he's important for us and the club will not sell him." Full story.

          10.54 BST: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang looks to have been up to some stirring on Twitter, having retweeted a tweet of a 2016 interview with his Borussia Dortmund teammate Ousmane Dembele, in which he says: "My dream is to play for Barcelona."

          10.37 BST: Barcelona's attempts to sign Borussia Dortmund's Ousmane Dembele may be scuppered by rivals Real Madrid, according to Mundo Deportivo, which claims the European champions would prefer him to Monaco's Kylian Mbappe.

          10.29 BST: Neymar is due in Paris today after undergoing a Paris Saint-Germain medical in Portugal, a source has told ESPN FC.

          The forward travelled to Porto to undergo his medical examination, accompanied by PSG assistant sporting director Maxwell, and is expected to arrive in Paris this afternoon, while there is likely to be a news conference and presentation on Friday. Full story.

          10.09 BST: Sky Sports is reporting that Leicester have rejected a bid in the region of £20 million for winger Demarai Gray from Bournemouth.

          09.59 BST: It's all change in Barcelona... The Catalan club are having to remove any sighting of Neymar from all their advertising ahead of his move to Paris Saint-Germain.

          09.45 BST: Virgil van Dijk is edging closer to a Southampton exit, having nearly succeeded in his attempts to force his way out of the club, the Daily Mirror claims. Van Dijk is still refusing to play for Southampton and is training alone, with Liverpool ready to pay close to £60 million for the defender.

          09.30 BST: And this was the bizarre way that Besiktas revealed they were closing in on the signing of Alvaro Negredo last night...

          09.19 BST: Besiktas have announced that they are currently in talks over signing free agent Alvaro Negredo... The former Manchester City striker was released by Middlesbrough at the end of last season.

          09.09 BST: Hamburg's German youth international Jann-Fiete Arp has a word of warning for all those youngsters out there... "It just doesn't make any sense to join Chelsea as a 17-year-old," Arp said. "You have achieved near to nothing, basically have no experience in professional football. The risk is too high."

          08.56 BST: Staying with Barcelona, Le10Sport is reporting that the Catalan club have already made contact with Monaco, as well as Kylian Mbappe's family, over a move for the France international.

          08.45 BST: Mundo Deportivo's front cover today claims Barcelona are hoping to sign Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele as replacements for the outgoing Neymar...

          08.31 BST: Talking of Inter Milan, they are also keen on bringing Arturo Vidal to the San Siro and are willing to offer Bayern Munich €50 million for the midfielder, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The newspaper reports the Chile international has indicated to his entourage that he would be interested in the move. Read more.

          08.16 BST: Inter Milan are hoping to wrap up the signing of Nice full-back Dalbert soon, Gazzetta dello Sport claims, with the Brazilian's agents due in Italy today to finalise the deal.

          08.04 BST: Hello all and welcome back to Transfer Talk... First up, Jose Mourinho has said that Neymar's proposed world-record move to Paris Saint-Germain is "not expensive," but added the consequences of the fee could be. Full story.

          Barca eye star Premier League duo

          Two alternative targets for Ernesto Valverde, should Mbappe's affection for Cristiano Ronaldo prove too strong, play in the Premier League, with Philippe Coutinho and Eden Hazard under serious consideration, according to the Sun.

          Both deals will undoubtedly prove problematic with neither club in a position in which they need to sell; Chelsea, especially, have never sold their key players in their prime, while Hazard is currently recovering from an ankle injury.

          Coutinho, as pivotal as ever in Jurgen Klopp's system, now has a stunning combination of attacking options to benefit from his passing and would command a fee well in excess of £100 million to push the Reds to sell.

          Catalan paper Sport reports that Barcelona could try to tempt the Reds by offering one of Arda Turan, Denis Suarez and Rafinha in exchange.

          City risk losing Sancho after youngster goes on strike

          Manchester City look set to lose one of English football's most exciting young talents in Jadon Sancho, according to the Independent, after the teenager failed to show up for preseason training and returned to London in hopes of forcing a swift exit.

          The England youth international, who has been likened to Neymar in terms of style as a left winger, wants to leave in search of first-team opportunities, despite having one year remaining on his scholarship deal.

          Arsenal and Tottenham are extremely interested, with both possessing a superior track record in developing young talent, though City remain hopeful they can make Sancho reconsider.

          The player has already knocked back a £30,000-per-week deal and appears to have been angered by a preseason snub from Pep Guardiola. Any prospective club could acquire the player if City agree to terminate his deal prematurely, paying a bargain £4m fee as compensation.

          Tap-ins

          - Everton appear to have finally struck an agreement with Swansea for Iceland midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson with the Mirror reporting the fee will be £45m. The Toffees have been stuck in negotiations for weeks, but Ronald Koeman appears to have finally got his man.

          - Middlesbrough star Gaston Ramirez is set for the exit with Sampdoria reaching a deal for the Uruguayan, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. Boro will recoup €9m and a further €2m in add-ons, with the 26-year-old returning to Serie A four years after leaving Bologna to join Southampton.

          - Inter Milan are looking increasingly likely to sign Nice left-back Dalbert Henrique, with Di Marzio claiming the Nerazzurri could arrange for the Brazilian to undertake his medical on Friday. A deal should be closed Thursday morning, likely to be €20m, rising to €25m, with the French side able to resume negotiations after their Champions League third qualifying round was decided, edging Ajax on away goals with the 23-year-old sent on at half-time.

          - And finally, Leeds striker Chris Wood is a £20m target for Turkish side Besiktas, according to the Mirror. Swansea, Stoke and Southampton have also registered an interest in the New Zealand international after his 30 goals for Leeds last season.