Transfer news LIVE: Man Utd done deal, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona

TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd, Chelsea updates and more…

Thursday, June 21

Fred speaks out

14:25: New Manchester United signing Fred has spoken out about his ambitions following his transfer to Old Trafford today.

”I’m really happy,” Fred said.

“I’m so happy to be here and to have the opportunity to play for this club. It’s a huge club with great history and it’s a real honour to perform for United.

"I’m just so happy to have completed the transfer and now look forward to playing for the club.

“Manchester United, as I say, is a huge club. When I was young, it was a name I used to hear and it was a name I used to see on computer games and I used to play with the team.

"For me, Manchester United means greatness.”

Man Utd done deal

14:05: Manchester United have confirmed the arrival from Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk.

The Brazilian has signed a five-year contract at Old Trafford and arrives in a £52m deal.

He is currently at the World Cup and will join up with his new team-mates once the tournament is over.

Fred is United’s second signing of the summer after Diogo Dalot’s arrival from Porto.

The midfielder may start for Brazil against Costa Rica on Friday.

Benatia price tag

13:15: Arsenal and Marseille are fighting for Juventus and Morocco star Medhi Benatia, according to reports.

Benatia has spent the past two seasons at the Allianz Stadium having initially joined the Serie A giants on loan.

The 31-year-old hinted after Morocco’s 1-0 World Cup defeat to Portugal that he could quit Juventus though.

“I’m fine in Turin and after the holidays I'll talk with the company, but at the age of 31 we need to make choices,” said Benatia.

Tuttosport now claim Arsenal and Marseille are eager to sign the centre-back, who’s had a £17m (€20m) price tag slapped on him.

Sarri’s plans taking shape

12:15: Chelsea target Maurizio Sarri is already making plans to recruit his backroom staff as he closes in on the Blues job.

Sarri has already been replaced by Carlo Ancelotti at Napoli and is now being lined up for his first job in England.

According to the Daily Mail, Sarri wants Giovanni Martusciello of Inter Milan to join his coaching staff.

Martusciello, who worked under Sarri during their time together at Empoli, has been alongside Luciano Spalletti at Inter and has a reputation for helping to bring youth through the team.

They claim Gianfranco Zola is already lined up for a return role under the 59-year-old.

With Sarri’s backroom staff beginning to take shape, the Daily Mail claim he is keen to stick to his Serie A roots when it comes to player recruitment too.

Inter star Matias Vecino and Napoli’s Jose Maria Callejon are his priority transfer targets.

Golovin transfer latest

10:40: Juventus are monitoring Arsenal and Chelsea in case the Premier League duo make a bid for Aleksandr Golovin.

Tuttosport claim Juve have already seen one bid for the Russia star rejected by CSKA Moscow.

They are worried Golovin’s £22m price tag will attract the interest of Arsenal and Chelsea.

And the Turin club are therefore desperately getting another package together in the hope CSKA will accept a second bid.

Loftus-Cheek to the Bundesliga

09:55: Ruben Loftus-Cheek could be set to quit Chelsea to move to the Bundesliga.

Sources close to a possible deal have told Bundesliga expert Lee Price that the midfielder is being lined up by Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich. That’s despite interest from Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Tottenham.

“Sources tell me that England World Cup star Ruben Loftus-Cheek is the latest Premier League youngster being targeted by German clubs,” Price, who has written two books on German football, said.

“He is unsettled at Chelsea and has conceded that he may have to leave to secure first team football.

“Senior members of the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge are adamant that ‘RLC’ stays but, with the club’s managerial situation unclear, the player himself keen for a solution, and a squad needing an overhaul, he may be allowed to leave."

Man Utd transfer blow

09:50: Manchester United look set to be frozen out of a deal to sign Alex Sandro.

United want to land the Brazilian full-back this summer, with Chelsea failing to sign him 12 months ago.

But Tuttosport claim Juventus and PSG officials met to discuss the player’s transfer on Wednesday.

The newspaper claims PSG are keen to get a deal over the line but must wait until after July 1.

That gives United less than a fortnight to package together a deal for the player.

Real Madrid exit

07:55: Tottenham are lining up a move for Luka Modric, reports claim.

Modric left Spurs for Real Madrid back in 2012 and has gone on to win four Champions League titles.

But manager Julen Lopetegui is seeking to ditch the midfielder and bring in fresh faces.

And Don Balon claim a move back to north London is on the Croatia international’s agenda.

Arsenal deal

07:25: Arsenal have a deal in place to sign Sampdoria midfielder Lucas Torreira.

Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero claims a £26.3m (€30m) agreement has been struck between the clubs.

“Torreira has left for €30m [£26.3m],” he told TMW.

“I bought him from Pescara when nobody believed in him. We took a gamble on him and we won, paying just £2.75m.”

Torreira is currently on World Cup duty with Uruguay.

And the 22-year-old is set to replace Jack Wilshere once his tournament is over.

Liverpool plan Grealish bid

07:00: Liverpool are in line to launch a £20m move for Aston Villa star Jack Grealish.

Villa look set to sell their playmaker this summer after failing to escape the Championship.

Grealish had also caught the eye of Tottenham but the northern London club refused to meet Villa’s demands.

The Sun claim Liverpool now have a free shot at trying to prise Grealish away from Villa Park.

Man Utd eye Boateng

06:55: Manchester United have been told they can sign Bayern Munich star Jerome Boateng for £50m.

Boateng, 29, is free to leave the German champions so long as a club meet Bayern’s demands.

United manager Jose Mourinho is keen to land a new centre-back but has been quoted £75m for Spurs gem Toby Alderweireld.

And the Manchester Evening News report that a move for Boateng could therefore take shape instead.

Chelsea sale possible

06:45: Chelsea youngster Ruben Loftus-Cheek says he may leave the club in search of game time.

Speaking to Express Sport, the 22-year-old England star admitted his options are open.

“Yes, that’s the key for me next season regarding where I end up. I want to play. I want to play as much as I can,” he said.

“Even this past season I didn’t play as much as I would have liked to because of the injuries and stuff. So I still feel I need a proper season of playing – wherever it is.

“I’m confident in my ability that I can do well wherever it is. But I’m just not thinking about whether I’m going to play at Chelsea right now. I’m just focused on the tournament.”

Bale to Arsenal?

06:35: Gareth Bale has no chance of heading to Arsenal this summer.

That is the view of his agent Jonathan Barnett, who claims Bale is keen to remain at Real Madrid but is keeping his options open.

“He loves his life in Spain,” Barnett told Sky Sports.

“He has three children, and he's very happy there. But we have to see.

“He has to play football. (As an Arsenal fan) I'd love him to play there but it's got as much chance as me going to the moon.”

Barcelona plan

06:00: Barcelona are set to make a “big marquee signing” this summer, claims La Liga expert Rik Sharma.

Sharma told the Transfer Talk podcast: "You'd think they'd sign a big player after not getting Griezmann.

"He will certainly be under pressure to make a big marquee signing in a way after this farce.

"After they lost Neymar they went out and signed Ousmane Dembele. Dembele didn't have the greatest debut season at Barca, obviously injured played a part in that, but ultimately he might not ever have been the exact right man they needed.

"They wanted Philippe Coutinho who they eventually got in January but just the reaction to losing Neymar was they had to make a signing now. If they couldn't get Coutinho they had to get somebody else.

"Maybe Bartomeu should be under more pressure but because of the strange way Griezmann did this, it actually reduces the focus and pressure on Bartomeu but Griezmann himself is the one everything is seeing as the villain."