Football news LIVE: Arsenal encourage to make huge Rice bid, Chelsea reject third Man United Mount offer, Newcastle Tonali deal ‘difficult to refuse’, Tottenham lead Maddison race
talkSPORT.com brings you all the latest football news, views and transfer gossip.
Headlines:
- West Ham encourage Arsenal to make £100million bid for Declan Rice with Man City yet to make formal offer
- Chelsea reject new £55m Mason Mount bid – but Man United still hopeful of deal
- Sandro Tonali will finalise Newcastle switch in coming days, says agent, with Magpies’ offer ‘difficult to refuse’
- Arsenal agree £65m fee with Chelsea for Kai Havertz
- Tottenham in talks with Leicester as they lead Newcastle in James Maddison race
Sunderland have finally unveiled the signing of Jude Bellingham’s younger brother Jobe from Birmingham on a long-term contract.
The 17-year-old, who will wear the No.7 jersey at the Stadium of Light, featured in 22 Championship matches in the previous campaign.
Speaking of his delight to the Black Cats’ website, the midfielder said: “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and I can’t wait to get started.
“I spent many years at Birmingham City and that really helped my development, but now felt like the right time to take the next step.
“I’m looking forward to working under the Head Coach – I want to learn and develop my game – and I feel like I’m progressing every week, so playing with good players will only help that.
“The Stadium of Light is the best atmosphere I’ve ever played in and the fans have already made me feel welcome online, so I’m excited to get going and I’m focused on letting my football speak for itself.”
Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son have been told by none other than Spider-Man himself to leave Tottenham in search of trophies.
Speaking to SPORTBible, British actor Tom Holland was then asked for any advice he would give to Spurs’ all-time top scorer Kane, who has just a year left on his contract.
To which the 27-year-old remarked: “I’d say go to Real Madrid. Go and be the best footballer in the world that you deserve to be.”
After revealing that South Korea international Son is his favourite player, Holland urged him to make the move to the Bernabeu with Kane if an opportunity presented itself.
He stated: “I’d say go with him [Kane]. Go together! Go and win the Champions League together, please!”
Chelsea centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly is set to complete his transfer to Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal.
Koulibaly will undergo a medical this weekend as he gets ready to move to the Middle East permanently.
The Senegal international should be announced as a new Al Hilal player over the next couple of days.
He will join former teammate N’Golo Kante in Saudi Arabia as well as Karim Benzema who joins Al-Ittihad from Real Madrid.
West Ham are encouraging Arsenal to make a third bid for Declan Rice to bring a speedy end to the saga, talkSPORT understands.
Manchester City have held talks with the Hammers but are yet to make a formal offer after being told Rice prefers a move to north London.
Arsenal have had two bids rejected with the Hammers holding out for a guaranteed £100m and the bulk of the money paid up front.
The Gunners are hopeful that a deal can be concluded, especially with Rice keen on joining.
The last bid was worth around £90m but an increased for the England international would see West Ham part with their captain.
Newcastle’s off for AC Milan star Sandro Tonali was ‘difficult to reject’, according to his agent Guiseppe Riso.
The £60million deal will boost the coffers of the Italian giants and the midfielder’s former club Brescia too – and that makes the transfer a sensible one for all parties as it edges closer to completition.
Riso said: “Mission accomplished? “Not yet, there are still a few days left, a little more.
“It’s difficult to reject huge bid for the club and the player. We agreed all terms for Tonali with Newcastle and the two clubs are finalising the deal. The contract with Newcastle will be valid for the next six years.
“The boy is calm, he knows that when such important offers arrive, from such important properties, it is difficult to refuse both for the club and for the boy. We have reached an agreement on the player side, they are defining between clubs: once this is done, he will undergo medical examinations in the next few days.
“This is an excellent deal, Newcastle is the perfect project for Tonali. Newcastle wanted Sandro as a key signing at all costs. He will be a crucial player. This deal also helps AC Milan and Brescia’s finances a lot.”
Chelsea have rejected another offer from Manchester United for Mason Mount.
The Red Devils made a third bid worth an initial £50million plus a further £5million in add-ons for the England midfielder.
However, that proposal has been turned down by Chelsea.
United had been insistent that their third offer was final and they were prepared to walk away from the deal if Chelsea knocked it back.
But with Erik ten Hag identifying Mount as a key signing for the club, United sources remain hopeful of coming to an agreement.
Despite Chelsea playing hardball over the fee, they are willing to let Mount join their Premier League rivals and have offered to meet with United in order to find an amicable solution.
A deal totalling £60million would likely be enough to get it done.
That’s it for today on talkSPORT.com’s live blog.
It’s been another busy day of transfer news, with Manchester United stepping up their pursuit of Mason Mount.
There’s also been updates regarding the futures of Declan Rice and Sandro Tonali, with both moves edging closer, not to mention Ruben Neves completing his big-money move to Al-Hilal.
They’ll be more big transfer movements on Saturday, so come back tomorrow to stay up to date with all the latest news and gossip.
Wolves have confirmed that Ruben Neves has joined Al-Hilal on a permanent basis.
The midfielder will join the Saudi Arabian side on a deal that talkSPORT understands is worth £47million.
The midfielder joined the club in 2017 from Porto and has gone on to make 253 appearances for the club, scoring 30 goals in the process.
Darren Bent says that he understands the reasons why Manchester United fans want Marcus Rashford to stay.
The forward is closing in on an eye-watering new contract with £275,000 per week as the Red Devils look to tie down the homegrown star.
Despite a wonderful season, the figures discussed are huge for a player who has struggled to perform consistently in the Premier League in recent years.
However according to Darren Bent, it’s clear why United are keen to keep him at all costs.
Aaron Ramsey has opened the door to a potential return to Cardiff City.
The Welsh midfielder is currently playing for Nice but is out of contract this summer, but it’s been suggested that he might have done enough to trigger an extension.
However with no extension yet agreed, Ramsey could return to the club where it all started for him, something that he’d be open to.
He said: “We’ll see.
“They gave me an opportunity as a young boy and to go on and to become a professional. I’ll be forever grateful for that and what they’ve done for me in my career.
“Maybe one day I’ll go back and it’ll mean a lot.
“I’ve always said that one day I’d love to go back there. I think there are a few things that need sorting out over the next few weeks, but the most important thing for me is to enjoy my time with family, and make the most important decision for us.
“I think there are three or four weeks now to enjoy and put the feet up. It’s been a long season with the World Cup and everything sandwiched in between.”
Arsenal centre-back Jakub Kiwior has claimed he rejected a move to West Ham before joining the Gunners in January.
The Polish defender joined from Spezia in the winter transfer window in a £22million deal.
But he has stated that that Arsenal weren’t the first English club to come calling, with West Ham failing with their pursuit.
Speaking on how his move to the Emirates came about, Kiwior told Wprost: “No, it was more about the league.
“I had an offer from West Ham United before, which I turned down. They weren’t on the table, but they showed up.
“Then Arsenal came along and that was something special for me.”
Manchester City star Bernardo Silva could be the next high-profile star to make the move to Saudi Arabia.
The 28-year-old, who has two years left on his deal at the Etihad, has been linked with switches to Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
But according to BBC Sport, he may end up in the Middle East with Saudi Pro League outfit Al Hilal looking to lure him to the Gulf nation.
It has been said that Al Hilal can offer the Portugal international a bigger salary than Barca and PSG.
Should he join the side, he could link up with Ruben Neves after they agreed a £47million transfer with Wolves.
Anderlecht CEO Jesper Fredberg has dropped a subtle hint over the future of Brighton and Burnley-linked goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
Speaking to Belgian outlet La Derniere Heure, Fredberg said: “I promise there will be transfers by the start of the season.
“There will also be departures, but we will have a good team. We will be ready, there is no doubt about that.
“We are not going to change the whole team, but there will be something new.
“However, we will only make transfers if a possible new player is stronger than what we have. We have to build a team of which we can be proud.”
The 20-year-old, who joined Anderlecht in 2020, received his first call-up to the Netherlands national team in March.
Manchester United are reportedly leading the race to sign Randal Kolo Muani.
According to L’Equipe, United are competing with Bayern Munich for Eintracht Frankfurt’s star striker.
The Bundesliga side value the France international at £85million having scored 23 goals in 46 matches last season.
Chelsea have now reached a full agreement with Villarreal to sign striker Nicolas Jackson.
talkSPORT understands that the Blues are set to fend off a host of Premier League rivals to make the 22-year-old the first signing of the Mauricio Pochettino era.
The Senegal international has a £30million release clause in his contract, but Chelsea are believed have paid slightly more than that to get the deal over the line.
Jackson’s medical has been scheduled and personal terms have been agreed.
Inter Milan are reportedly hopeful of agreeing a deal to sign Bristol City starlet Alex Scott.
Linked with West Ham and Tottenham, the 19-year-old could swap England for Italy, according to Tuttomercatoweb.
The Italian news outlet has claimed that the Serie A giants are confident they can snap up the teenager for £15.4million.
That is despite the England youth international valued at £21.4m by the Championship outfit.
Ruben Dias saved Portgual teammate Cristiano Ronaldo from a pitch invader during their Euro 2024 qualifier earlier this week.
New fan footage shows how the Man City star grabbed the fan after Ronaldo had scored a late goal against Iceland
The 38-year-old netted an 89th minute winner on what was his 200th international cap.
The goal was initially ruled offside, however was awarded following a VAR review.
Amid the celebrations, a fan ran onto the pitch and tried to run through the Portugal players to get to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Dias was alert to the situation and managed to grab the invader before he got to Ronaldo.
A steward was quickly on the scene to remove the fan.
Mason Mount’s trainer has dropped a hint at the Chelsea midfielder’s future.
In an Instagram post, the trainer seems to hoping that Mount joins Manchester United this summer.
Whether he has an inside insight is unknown but this has fueled speculation following the news that Man United will be making a new £60million offer for the England international.
talkSPORT understands that Mount has made it clear he wants to move to Old Trafford.
Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah has reportedly been left unsettled by the impending arrival of Kai Havertz.
The versatile 24-year-old is expected to undergo his Gunners medical this weekend after the club agreed a fee rising to £65million with Chelsea.
And according to The Sun, his switch from west to north London has left Nketiah questioning his future at the Emirates.
Nketiah is already playing second fiddle to Gabriel Jesus, while Folarin Balogun is set to return from his successful loan spell at Reims.
It remains unclear where Mikel Arteta will play Havertz – either in a No8 role to replace Bayer Leverkusen-bound Granit Xhaka – or down the middle.
Should he play up top, it could see Nketiah look to leave, with The Sun stating that West Ham, Fulham and Crystal Palace all have the England youth international on their radar.
But as it stands, Arsenal are in no rush to offload the 24-year-old.
A star-studded team has been announced for the charity match ‘Game 4 Ukraine’ which will see Andriy Shevchenko’s XI face Oleksandr Zinchenko’s side.
The game, which will raise funds for a Ukrainian school that was struck by Russian missiles, will take place at Stamford Bridge on August 5.
Shevchenko’s team – which will be managed by Chelsea’s Women’s boss Emma Hayes – includes Mykhailo Mudryk and Chelsea icons Gianfranco Zola, Ricardo Carvalho, William Gallas, Claude Makelele, Michael Essien, Carlo Cudicini and ex-striker Samuel Eto’o.
As for Zinchenko’s team – which Arsene Wenger will take charge of – Arsenal U18 boss Jack Wilshere and the club’s academy manager Per Mertesacker will take part.
Patrick Vieira will also feature, along with Bacary Sagna, Jens Lehmann, Robert Pires and ex-Tottenham stars Robbie Keane and Edgar Davids.
Chelsea striker David Datro Fofana is being targeted by newly Todd Boehly-owned Strasbourg.
Fofana is attracting interest from Strasbourg and has multiple other options to leave the club on loan, according to L’Equipe.
The French side have just been taken over by Chelsea owner Boehly as he purchased almost 100 per cent of the club for £65million.
And now it seems that they are set to look at the Blues squad for new additions as they already begin to take advantage of the multi-club model.
Mason Mount’s camp are confident his switch from Chelsea to Manchester United will soon be completed, talkSPORT understands.
talkSPORT revealed on Friday morning how the Red Devils were preparing a third offer to sign the England international for an initial £55million.
Reports have stated that United will walk away from signing Mount if their next offer is turned down.
However Mount’s team believe an agreement will be reached between the two clubs.
Mount has already agreed personal terms with Erik ten Hag’s side.
Cody Gakpo has been filmed distributing food to children in his father’s home country of Togo.
A clip of the Liverpool and Netherlands forward was shown on TikTok taking a break in the west African country where some of his family still reside.
Gakpo had previously expressed his desire to travel to Togo in 2019, but a busy schedule and the COVID pandemic stopped him from doing so until now.
Speaking to Elf Voetbal at the time, the 24-year-old said: “My older brother has been to Togo, just like my younger brother. Just not me yet.
“A visit to Togo is still very high on my bucket list. But [finding] the time… It is difficult for a footballer, especially for an international, to plan a longer holiday.
“I’d like to go. Maybe skip Ibiza in the summer, haha.”
Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has tipped Unai Emery’s men to finish in the top four next season.
The Spaniard guided the Villans into seventh spot in the previous campaign, with the Villans to now play in the Europa Conference League.
And talkSPORT pundit Agbonlahor has been left impressed by what he has seen from the Midlands outfit since Emery replaced Steven Gerrard in the dugout.
Agbonlahor said: “Since Unai Emery has come to Aston Villa, if you look at the league table, Aston Villa would have finished in the top four.
“If he had started the season off, God knows where Aston Villa would have finished, so he’s got a pre-season now, he’s got to bring in players, he’s already signed [Youri] Tielemans.
“Villa have got money to spend, it wouldn’t shock me if Villa are fighting for top four.”
Manchester City are yet to turn their interest in Declan Rice into a formal bid as they weigh up what their midfield will look like next season.
That is according to the Manchester Evening News, who have stated the Premier League champions are deciding the pros and cons of signing the West Ham captain.
It has been said that despite City being able to match West Ham’s £100million asking price, they are reluctant to spend extravagantly.
The Citizens are desperate to bolster their defence with Aymeric Laporte facing an uncertain future, as RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol continues to be linked.
The MEN have also declared that Rice is not seen as a direct replacement for Barcelona-bound Ilkay Gundogan as he does not provide the same goal threat as the German.
