🚨 Arsenal close to TWO new signings, when Spurs plan to make James Maddison bid, Chelsea forcing top midfield target to wait on approach, plus much more

Today's exclusive column, featuring Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, Man United and more!

Good morning guys and welcome to another Daily Briefing! Let’s jump into the latest transfer news together, thanks as always for reading and hope you enjoy :-)

Today’s top stories:

• James Maddison centre of transfer tug-of-war.

• Arsenal closing in on two new signings.

• Top Chelsea target must wait for Blues to offload players before bid comes in.

Arsenal

• Arsenal are going to continue to push for Jurrien Timber from Ajax. The good news for Mikel Arteta is that the player really likes the Gunners’ project. Timber considers Arsenal as a really attractive option for next season.

• Kai Havertz will complete his medical soon with the German’s transfer from Chelsea expected to be made official next week.

💬 Do you think Kai Havertz will be a good signing for Arsenal? - Let me know your thoughts on this deal in the comments below!

Aston Villa

• Midfielder John McGinn has extended his contract with Aston Villa until 2027.

Barcelona

• Xavi really appreciates Fenerbahce’s Arda Guler but the Turkish side are trying hard to keep him. Read all the details about the young midfielder’s options here.

Bayern Munich

• Raphael Guerreiro has signed from Borussia Dortmund until June 2026. He has spoken really highly of Thomas Tuchel: “When the call came from FC Bayern, my decision was made quickly. It's an honor for me to play for this big club and I also really appreciate Thomas Tuchel,” he said after signing.

Borussia Dortmund

• Edson Alvarez has agreed to personal terms with Borussia Dortmund. The midfielder is likely to sign a contract until 2028. Dortmund are now hoping to agree a fee with Ajax next week.

Bournemouth

• It’s official - Bournemouth have completed the signing of Justin Kluivert from AS Roma for £9.5m plus £850,000 in add-ons. Kluivert has committed to a five-year deal.

Brighton and Hove Albion

• Brighton and Hove Albion are set to sign goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen from RSC Anderlecht for around £17m - Roberto De Zerbi was really important in convincing the player.

Burnley

• Burnley will sign defender Dara O’Shea from West Brom for £7m. O’Shea completed his medical on Thursday.

Celta Vigo

• Amazing news for Celta Vigo fans - Rafa Benitez has agreed to become the side’s new manager and is really keen to kickstart his career again in La Liga. Benitez has chosen Celta despite being really close to getting the Leicester City job just a few months ago.

(Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

Chelsea

• Nicolas Jackson will complete medical tests in London over the weekend and then is expected to sign a very long contract. I am told the Villarreal forward’s offer will be for more than five years, maybe even more than six. Because Chelsea have paid around £1m more than Jackson’s £30m release clause, payment in instalments has been agreed.

• After already agreeing to a move, Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy will undergo medicals at Saudi club Al Ahli on Monday.

• French club Strasbourg have emerged as a possible loan destination for David Datro Fofana but the player has a lot of options so no final decision just yet.

• Chelsea’s main priority right now is to keep selling players but Brighton’s Moises Caicedo remains a top summer target. Find out more about this deal and what is happening behind the scenes here.

💬 How much do you think Moises Caicedo is worth in today’s market? - Let me know in the comments below.

Crystal Palace

• Italian club Lazio have approached Wilfried Zaha over a potential free summer transfer but this deal is not an easy one to complete due to how many offers the Ivorian winger has. He is not in a rush to make a decision so he will assess all options. Find out more about what is happening with Zaha here.

Inter Miami

• Inter Miami have signed former Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets on a free transfer. The 34-year-old will team back up with Lionel Messi after rejecting approaches from Saudi clubs.

Inter Milan

• Inter Milan are on the verge of completing the free transfer of Marcus Thuram. Documents are being prepared after the player already agreed to a long-term contract. Thuram chose Inter over AC Milan, PSG and RB Leipzig.

• Cesar Azpilicueta has agreed a two-year deal with Inter Milan. Chelsea are going to let him go by terminating his contract despite it still being valid until 2024. There is total respect for Azpilicueta following his 11 years of service to the club.

• Saudi club Al Nassr are trying hard to sign Marcelo Brozovic. The Croatian is wanted by another top European club but he has been offered a huge salary to move to Saudi. See the potential deal’s full details here.

Juventus

• Juventus are working really hard to reach a final agreement with Lille for Timothy Weah. Personal terms have already been agreed and the player is now pushing hard for a move to Turin; he only wants Juventus.

Liverpool

• Liverpool have agreed to Fabio Carvalho joining RB Leipzig on a season-long loan until 2024. Jurgen Klopp would not allow the former Fulham man to leave permanently after rejecting bids earlier in the window.

Man City

• Mateo Kovacic underwent his medical tests on Friday, and if successful, the midfielder will join Pep Guardiola’s team from Chelsea in a deal worth £25m plus £5m in add-ons.

Man United

• Big news for Man United fans - the club made Chelsea a third (and improved) offer for Mason Mount on Friday. It was worth £55m (inclusive of £5m in add-ons) but despite United feeling really confident it would be accepted, Chelsea pushed back and have asked for £58m upfront with £7m in add-ons instead. Deal still open.

(Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

• Amad Diallo really wants to be part of Man United’s first team next season, but the final decision will be Erik Ten Hag’s, and if the Dutchman decides to loan the young winger out again, the player’s preferred option is to join Sunderland again.

• Erik Ten Hag really appreciates Inter Milan’s Andre Onana, but any deal will not be straightforward because of how much the Italians are asking for their number one. You can find a lot more details on the potential transfer here.

💬 Do you think Amad Diallo did enough last season to deserve first team action at Man United next season? - Let me know what you think of the winger’s potential in the comments below.

Marseille

• Marseille are in talks with Atletico Madrid over a possible £6m deal to sign Geoffrey Kondogbia. The good news for the French side is that Kondogbia is really keen on a transfer.

• Marcelino has become Marseille’s new manager; he takes over from Igor Tudor.

Napoli

• Saudi duo Al Ahli and Al Nassr are interested in Napoli’s Stanislav Lobotka but this will not be an easy deal to complete because of how important Napoli consider the player to be.

Newcastle United

• Of course, the big news this week is Newcastle United on the verge of officially confirming the signing of Sandro Tonali from AC Milan. Don’t worry Magpie fans - the deal is all done and agreed, it is just going to take some time for the formal details to be finalised before the club can announce Italy’s most expensive ever player. Tonali has agreed a contract until 2029 worth up to £7.7m-per season.

💬 Newcastle fans - where do you rank Sandro Tonali’s transfer in the club’s history? - Is he the most exciting addition yet? - Let me know what you think in the comments below!

PSG

• PSG are close to confirming the signing of Cher Ndour on a free transfer from Benfica.

• USMNT international Ricardo Pepi is set to be confirmed as a new PSV player following an agreement with Augsburg.

PSV

• PSV have reached an agreement with Championship side Sunderland Jenson Seelt. Personal terms are also agreed and now the defender will travel to England to complete his medical this weekend.

Real Madrid

• Dani Ceballos’ new contract at Real Madrid has been confirmed. The Spaniard has committed to Los Blancos until 2027.

Tottenham Hotspur

• Ange Postecoglou is pushing really hard to sign James Maddison from Leicester City. Newcastle United are still trying but Spurs consider Foxes’ number 10 a top priority, along with a new centre-back. See my exclusive breakdown here, as well as when I expect Spurs to submit their first bid.

  

  (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

• Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is set to travel to London on Sunday to complete his medical before becoming an official Spurs player.

Wolves

• Wolves have received a club-record fee of £47m for Ruben Neves. The Portuguese midfielder will now join Saudi club Al Hilal on a permanent deal until 2026.

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