Saturday's transfer news: Arsenal set for £100m ‘spree’, Chelsea want Declan Rice move to follow Kai Havertz deal, Man United face Sancho deadline
Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United all linked with mega-money moves as Juventus look to appoint Andrea Pirlo
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Follow the latest updates live from the summer transfer window as Premier League clubs look for reinforcements ahead of the new season. Arsenal are being linked with four new players that could rejuvenate their squad, with the move for Chelsea’s Willian set to be followed up by a £100m ‘spree’ on Thomas Partey, Gabriel Magalhaes and Dani Ceballos.
Chelsea are also set for a big move with interest in West Ham’s Declan Rice, although the Hammers want as much as £65m for the England midfielder. That move will have to wait until Chelsea’s interest in Kai Havertz is resolved, with suggestions that he could secure a £71m move as early as next week.
Manchester United meanwhile have not reached any breakthrough yet with Borussia Dortmund in their pursuit of Jadon Sancho, with the German club identifying Sunday as a deadline for any move to be completed. With time running out, United may have to switch targets in the transfer window. Manchester City meanwhile are weighing up selling Eric Garcia after he revealed he will not sign a new contract at the club, though a £14m offer from Barcelona is half of what the club wants for the Spaniard. Follow the live updates below.
Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli meanwhile has denied that Cristiano Ronaldo is pursuing a move away from the club after their Champions League exit on Friday night, with Lyon knocking the Italian champions out of Europe.
Up in the Scottish Premiership, the search for strikers goes on for Celtic.
Glasgow Live report that Neil Lennon is in agreement over reports that the club are still chasing another forward, with negotiations ongoing between Celtic and Steven Fletcher. There is also a suggestion they could be trying to sign Albian Ajeti, but Lennon only offered speculation that one would sign.
Crystal Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita is apparently wanted by Real Betis—and he's pretty happy about it.
ABC Sevilla report that the 'keeper is hopeful that the Andalucian side can convince Palace to let him depart, as they currently want him to stay as No. 1.
More on Sarri's sacking: it's going to cost Juventus €20m to be rid of him, which you have to say means it probably wasn't the right long-term appointment in the first place, given he has come in and done exactly what Sarri does.
We have heard that Mauricio Pochettino and Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi are among the favourites for the role, and now Andrea Pirlo has emerged as a potential candidate.
Pirlo spent the majority of his career at AC Milan but enjoyed four fruitful years in the famous black and white stripes of Juve. He has recently taken over as Juve's Under-23 head coach, who play in Serie C, having completed his coaching badges last year.
Here's Jason Tindall, Bournemouth's new manager taking over from Eddie Howe after more than a decade as his right-hand man, insisting he is his own man:
It’s an honour and a privilege to be the manager of such a great football club. Given the success of the club over the last 12 years, with Eddie in charge and me by his side, I’m not going to come in and rip everything up and start again. I would be a fool to do that.
But I’m my own person with my own ideas and I will be looking to implement them as soon as we get back on the training ground. I know the Championship is a very tough league but my aim is to get this club back into the Premier League at the first time of asking. This is a challenge that I feel I’m ready for and one I’m looking forward to.
Is Pep Guardiola on Juve's shortlist? I feel like we've been here before, last summer when Maurizio Sarri was appointed, but the Telegraph is reporting Guardiola is Juve's top choice.
If he's not available then they will go for Pochettino, who has already been contacted.
Everton are closing in on the signing of Leverkusen winger Leon Bailly, according to the Express.
Leverkusen rejected an offer of £60m from Bayern Munich last summer, but after an injury-plagued season and in the current environment created by the pandemic, a much lower offer of nearer £30m is likely to be enough to secure his signature.
Manchester United news now, and the Evening Standard is reporting Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to make decisive in-roads over the next few weeks into the dominance of Liverpool and Manchester City.
Jadon Sancho, Jack Grealish, Donny van de Beek, Matthew de Ligt and Kingsley Coman are all on his wishlist.
Tottenham are preparing a mega-offer for Gareth Bale to bring the Welshman back to White Hart Lane, according to Football Insider.
Bale is out of favour at the Santiago Bernabeu after a fallout with Zinedine Zidane and is expected to finally end his time at Real Madrid this summer.
Various reports are suggesting Andrea Pirlo will get the Juventus job, and will be appointed as the club's new manager tomorrow.
Pirlo was only recently appointed as the club's U23 head coach, but will instead step up and take his first senior coaching role following Maurizio Sarri's sacking this morning. What a first gig.
Liverpool are interested in Brighton's Ben White as a back-up centre-back.
The Reds are looking for a fourth centre-back after selling Dejan Lovren to Zenit St Petersburg, and the Liverpool Echo reports White, who spent the season on loan at Leeds United, is highly regarded by the club's scouting department.
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