Chelsea have told Manchester City that they have until Friday to submit a bid for midfielder Enzo Fernandez. The Blues have told their Premier League rivals that they will need to sepnd £120m to sign the World Cup runner-up. City, meanwhile, remain in talks with Barcelona over Rodri, who is available for £60m, while they are also interested in the signing of World Cup breakout star Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille.
Mikel Arteta has said that Arsenal’s business is not done yet, with the Gunners receiving interest in Gabriel Martinelli from Galatasaray as well as Chelsea and Manchester United reportedly turning down the chance to sign Myles Lewis-Skelly. Arsenal have set their sights high and are interested in adding a marquee signing: they will have to play the long game in moves for Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez and Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola.
Barcola leads also Liverpool’s list of transfer targets and the Reds are in talks with PSG over a fee, though the European champions are demanding £145m to sell the winger.
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Arsenal in ‘pole position’ to sign Bundesliga striker, claims agent
Arsenal hold a "genuine" interest in Bayer Leverkusen forward Christian Kofane and talks have taken place between both clubs regarding the 20-year-old, according to the player's representative.
The Cameroon international featured 44 times for the Bundesliga outfit throughout last season, which included appearances in both legs of their Champions League last-16 fixture against Mikel Arteta’s team.
He ended the campaign with seven goals during his first year in top-flight football, having made the switch from Spanish Segunda Division outfit Albacete a year ago.
Chelsea set Man City deadline for Enzo Fernandez
Chelsea have told Manchester City they have a deadline of 5pm this Friday to make an offer for Enzo Fernandez, who they value at £120m, according to Sky Sports.
It’s understood City are interested in the midfielder, with new boss Enzo Maresca looking to reunite with his former midfielder at the Etihad.
Michael Owen: Liverpool need Bradley Barcola if they want to challenge for title
Michael Owen believes Liverpool’s pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola could be pivotal in how they perform in the title race.
“I do think Liverpool need more, but it looks like Barcola is the one they want and it will cost them a huge amount of money to get him in,” Owen told Metro.
“But if they can do that and add more depth, more quality, then they can really challenge for the title.
“Last season at Liverpool wasn’t great, the style of play wasn’t as good as it had been and they conceded far too many goals.
“But Slot leaving and Iraola replacing him means a new style of play. He brings a lot of excitement from the way he played at Bournemouth, but Liverpool are a much bigger club and the pressure mounts up now.”
Hull getting busy
Yesterday was a busy one for Premier League new boys Hull.
The Tigers broke their transfer record to sign Senegal defender Nobel Mendy from Spanish side Rayo Vallecano.
Hull did not disclosed the fee for the 21-year-old but it exceeds the reported £20m they paid for Greece goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis last week.
Hull also completed the signing of 18-year-old Australia defender Lucas Herrington on a five-year deal.
Barcelona yet to agree fee with Manchester City over Rodri transfer
Barcelona are yet to agree a fee with Manchester City to sign Rodri as their attempts to bring in Spain’s World Cup-winning captain continues.
The Spanish champions had an initial bid of £38.4m rejected by City last week and have been considering a second offer.
But they are yet to meet City’s asking price, with the FA Cup winners thought to want around £60m to sell the Ballon d’Or winner.
Elliot Anderson insists Manchester United never came close to signing him
Elliot Anderson insists he never came close to a move to Old Trafford despite the attempts of some Manchester United players to persuade him while he was on holiday.
The 23-year-old became the most expensive British player in history when his £116million move to City from Nottingham Forest was announced in June during the World Cup before that deal was eclipsed last month by the £117m Chelsea paid Aston Villa for Morgan Rogers.
United had been reported to have made Anderson their primary transfer target at the end of last season before pulling out of the race for his signature.
Anderson was introduced to fans at the Etihad Stadium club store on Wednesday alongside latest signing Geronimo Rulli, plus Marc Guehi and Gianluigi Donnarumma.
When asked about his conversations with some United players on holiday, Anderson said: “I was just golfing in Portugal and bumped into a few and had a nice chat and stuff like that, but I had a decision to make and I chose City.”
Asked if United came close to persuading him to move to Old Trafford, Anderson replied: “No.”
Manchester City sign World Cup winner as new back-up goalkeeper
Manchester City have signed Geronimo Rulli as their cut-price replacement for James Trafford.
The Argentina international has joined for £1.7m from Marseille after City sold Trafford to Leeds for a fee rising to £45m.
Rulli, who will be Gianluigi Donnarumma’s deputy this season, has signed a two-year deal as he has returned to the Etihad Stadium.
The 34-year-old was first bought by City in 2016, though he never played for them as he was first loaned to Real Sociedad before joining them permanently.
Everton striker charged by FA after placing 61 alleged bets on matches
The 20-year-old, who moved from the Netherlands to join the Toffees academy at the age of 13, is accused of placing 61 bets over a 16-month period.
“It’s alleged that the player breached FA Rule E1.2 in respect of 61 bets placed on football matches between 20 November, 2024 and 12 February, 2026,” said an FA statement.
Chelsea sign Marc Cucurella replacement as full-back Pep Chavarria arrives on five-year deal
Pep Chavarria has joined Chelsea from Rayo Vallecano on a five-year contract for a fee understood by the Press Association to be £16.3 million plus £1.7m in add-ons.
An agreement was finalised last week for the 28-year-old to move to Stamford Bridge as the club’s squad overhaul continues under new manager Xabi Alonso.
The left-sided defender, who featured in last season’s Conference League final against Crystal Palace, is expected to battle with Jorrel Hato for the left full-back role following Marc Cucurella’s departure to Real Madrid.