Transfer news: Arsenal target Jose Gimenez after Shkodran Mustafi setback, Joe Hart to leave Manchester City

The biggest transfer news and rumours on Friday 19 August

Atletico Madrid's Jose Gimenez is a reported transfer target for Arsenal (Getty)

Arsenal look like they have abandoned plans to sign Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi after opening talks for another Spain-based centre-back in Atletico Madrid’s Jose Gimenez, according to reports.

The Gunners are yet to find a defender in their summer pursuit after seeing talks over a move for Mustafi break down due to a disagreement in the valuation of the Germany international. Despite reaching an agreement over personal terms with Mustafi’s agent, Arsenal failed to meet Valencia’s £30m valuation and a summer transfer appears to be dead in the water unless Arsenal up their offer.

Now, the Gunners appear to have switched their target, with the Daily Mail reporting that they have opened preliminary talks with Atletico over Uruguay international Jose Gimenez. The 21-year-old, who broke into the Atletico first team in 2014 after his 2013 switch from Uruguayan side Danubio, has been identified as a possible first-team replacement for Per Mertesacker with the German struggling for form last season and currently sidelined until 2017 following knee surgery.

However, Spanish newspaper Marca suggests that Arsenal have been told by the La Liga club that Gimenez is not available unless his release clause is activated, meaning that Arsenal will need to lodge a €65m [$56m] bid in order to open negotiations with the player.

Given that Arsenal are reluctant to shell out £30m for Mustafi, it remains to be seen if they are willing to pay nearly double that in order to sign the younger Gimenez.

Manchester City remain in the headlines despite Pep Guardiola already completing eight signings since replacing Manuel Pellegrini at the start of the summer. The future of goalkeeper Joe Hart remains the hot topic at the Etihad Stadium with conflicting reports emerging over how the next few weeks will play out for the England No 1.

One of those reports comes in The Sun, where it’s claimed that City will block any loan move for Hart and will only allow him to leave the club for a bid in excess of £30m. However, The Mirror goes against this by claiming that Hart will join Premier League side Everton on a season-long loan, with City closing in on Barcelona’s 33-year-old goalkeeper Claudio Bravo in a deal worth £17.4m.

The Manchester Evening News adds that while Guardiola did not arrive at City until the end of June, Hart began to fear for his club future as early as May, with the distraction a possible explanation for his poor form at the European Championship with England.

Juan Cuadrado looks to be on his way out of Chelsea again after his agent flew to London to structure a move back to Juventus, reports the Evening Standard. Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has publicly spoke of his desire to utilise Cuadrado as part of his squad this season, but after a year in Turin with the Serie A champions, Cuadrado is keen on another loan spell in Italy.

His agent, Alessandro Lucci, was quoted as saying: “It’s not an easy question. I will fly to London to try and unblock it.”

One new arrival at Stamford Bridge though looks certain to be Portuguese goalkeeper Eduardo after his current manager confirmed he is on his way to the Premier League. 33-year-old Eduardo was part of Portugal’s Euro 2016 squad, although the experienced goalkeeper failed to make a single appearance during the campaign as he played second fiddle to Rui Patricio.

The Dinamo Zagreb stopper is now on his way to London, if their manager, Zlatko Kranjcar, is to be believed.

"Eduardo has been given an amazing opportunity to leave for a big club like Chelsea,” Kranjcar told ESPN.

"The situation is that he is leaving. May he have all the good luck in a big club.”