Transfer News LIVE: Deals, gossip and rumours as they break throughout the day

9:30pm: Jurgen Klopp has sent a message to Liverpool's fans about the club's current transfer plans.

He said: "We’ve always said that until August 31 we’ll run through the world with open eyes, that’s clear, but it’s not us alone who decides about these things. It’s all about other clubs [too].

"Our situation, I thought today and this pre-season brought us new players, if you want.

"Alberto Moreno is 100 per cent back, which is very nice after a really difficult year.

"Andrew Robertson shows all the skills he has, of course he still has to adapt to our way of playing but you can already see what a threat he can be offensively.

"That means [James Milner] is free for midfield, so without being in the transfer market we have a new midfield player, which is nice.

"Dom Solanke, I think he’s already shown that he’s ready for some adult football.

"Ryan Kent, I’ve known him for one-and-a-half years and last year he developed unbelievably well and this pre-season is completely different to last pre-season, he’s completely showed up now.

"So, without paying too much money or the highest transfer fees we have additions in the squad. That’s good."

8:15pm Benjamin Andre is only focused on captaining Rennes to a successful season this term despite the speculation linking him with Liverpool.

Andre signed a new contract with Rennes at the end of the June, committing his long-term future to the club.

Asked why he extended his deal, the 27-year-old said: "There is a project here that everyone knows.

"I was at one point in my career where I had to make decisions, I had one year left.

"There were other options but [the fact] I am no longer the youngster made me want to continue with the Rennes.

"[I want] to go as high as possible [with Rennes this season].

"Our first games will be very important. It is the results that will set the objectives."

7:20pm: Nathaniel Chalobah reckons he would have been destined for more frustration had he decided to stay put at Chelsea.

The new £6m Watford midfielder said: "I wanted to come out and play. It was emotional leaving Chelsea

"Being at Chelsea, I would have signed a new deal and gone out on loan again and got frustrated.

"That was the choice I had to make, but it was emotional leaving Chelsea.

"The conversation I had with the manager Antonio Conte was positive but it was a decision I had to make after being on loan six times."

6.45pm: Leander Dendoncker wants out of Anderlecht.

The 22-year-old is a man in demand with Paris St-Germain and Manchester United linked.

And his agent Christophe Henrotay says his man is up for a move.

He told Foot Mercato: "Anderlecht want to keep it but the boy wants a new challenge."

6pm: Benjamin Andre is only focused on captaining Rennes to a successful season this term despite the speculation linking him with Liverpool.

Le Telegramme claim the Reds are poised to bid around £15.5m for him.

And the player has responded by saying: "[I want] to go as high as possible [with Rennes this season]."

5pm: Guillermo Varela is set to leave United for good and and re-join Penarol.

That's according to the Manchester Evening News, who claim the right-back's difficult time at Old Trafford is coming to an end.

Varela had a troubled stint on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt last season and did not report back for United first-team training last month.

It is said Penarol have reached an agreement over a transfer fee for the 24-year-old and he is set to sign a three-year deal.

4.10pm: Inter Milan want to keep Ivan Perisic but their hardline stance is likely to change if they sign Angel Di Maria from Paris St-Germain.

Manchester United are eager to land 28-year-old winger Perisic this summer but have struggled to reach a breakthrough with their negotiations.

The Sun say Inter have offered the Croatian a contract extension as they strive to hold onto him.

But the transfer saga could take a major twist with Inter monitoring Di Maria’s situation at PSG following Neymar’s arrival.

3.30pm: Everton are edging towards finally sealing a deal for Swansea star Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Sigurdsson is rated at £50m by Swansea.

And The Times say talks have reopened between the two clubs over striking a deal.

3pm: Philippe Coutinho is edging closer to joining Barcelona.

That's according to Spanish paper Mundo Deportivo who say the Brazilian is 'one step away' from from joining the Nou Camp club.

He has reportedly agreed personal terms with the La Liga giants and is waiting for the signal to head to Spain.

1:45pm: Antonio Conte is an admirer of Danny Drinkwater and wants Virgil van Dijk, according to Jim White.

The talkSPORT and Sky Sports presenter tweeted to say he had been told of the Chelsea manager's admiration.

The champions have been linked with both players this summer as Conte looks to bolster his numbers.

He will have to contend with Champions League football but has faced frustration in the market this summer.

And following plenty of talk about targets, White appears to have confirmed Chelsea's interest in Drinkwater and Van Dijk.

He tweeted: "Top source reveals @ChelseaFC boss Antonio Conte wants Virgil van Dijk and is big admirer of Danny Drinkwater."

12:40pm: Manchester United could get their hands on Gareth Bale if they’re prepared to sacrifice David De Gea.

That’s according to Don Balon, who claim Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is still determined to secure the Spanish keeper’s services.

Bale has won eight trophies since arriving at the Bernabeu from Tottenham in a then world-record £85m move four years ago.

Despite his success, his future is far from certain with potential incoming signing Kylian Mbappe threatening his place in Real’s first-team.

Marca indicated on Thursday that Perez will consider offers around the £90m mark for Bale as he looks to fund a raid on Monaco, with United and Chelsea keen on him.

And Don Balon have now offered an update on the story, suggesting Jose Mourinho will have to give up De Gea if he’s to bag the Welshman.

They say Perez is aware United want to take Bale off Zinedine Zidane’s hands - but for less than Real paid Tottenham for him.

The Real supremo will not stand for that though and Don Balon say he’s decided to take advantage of Mourinho’s interest by targeting De Gea once again.

Real Madrid are still keen on David De Gea

12.00pm: Manchester United are still pursuing Inter Milan star Ivan Perisic.

At least that’s the verdict of European transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio amid claims the Red Devils had cooled their interest in the winger.

On Twitter, a United fan asked: “So what is the truth… r we still interested in him or not anymore!!!! [sic]”

And Di Marzio replied: “Yes. But Inter hasn't received a new offer yet.”

11:20am: Paris St-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has revealed he will speak to Arsene Wenger about Alexis Sanchez if they decided to try and sign the forward.

Sanchez's future is up in the air as his contract only has 11 months left to run.

Wenger has insisted many times that the Chile superstar is not for sale.

However, reports have linked PSG with the 28-year-old and claim that various meetings have taken place and agreements were reached.

However, Al-Khelaifi says he will go straight to Wenger if he wants Sanchez.

He explained: "If I want Alexis Sanchez I’m going to talk to Arsene Wenger.

"We have respect for Arsenal [and have] excellent relations."

Last week Wenger insisted that Sanchez has accepted the fact he will not be leaving this summer.

Alexis Sanchez has been linked with PSG

10am: Liverpool started talks with Virgil Van Dijk long before Southampton threatened to report them for tapping him up.

That’s according to The Times’ Matt Hughes, who claims Saints’ anger towards the Reds means they would prefer to complete a deal for the centre-back with Chelsea.

Van Dijk has emerged as one of European football’s most-coveted defenders since he rocked up at St. Mary’s two years ago.

And Jurgen Klopp is known to be desperate to get him on-board as he looks to shore up his backline ahead of next season.

Van Dijk would apparently rather join Liverpool than Chelsea or Manchester City, who’ve also been credited with interest in him.

Although the Merseysiders were forced to officially end their pursuit of the 26-year-old in June.

Hughes reckons Southampton’s distaste towards Liverpool started back in April though.

8:30am: Arsenal have reportedly opened fresh talks with Monaco over a deal for Thomas Lemar.

The France international shot to fame as Leonardo Jardim’s men wrestled the Ligue 1 title away from Paris St-Germain last season.

And Arsene Wenger has been credited with serious interest in bringing him to England ahead of the 2017/18 Premier League campaign.

Starsport understands Monaco are willing to do business before the transfer window shuts if they receive a bid of about £55m for Lemar.

And the latest reports suggest Arsenal have not given up hope of securing the 21-year-old midfielder’s services this summer.

Transfer Market Webclaim the Gunners have already seen three offers for Lemar rejected.

But they’re apparently undeterred and are once again negotiating with Monaco.

Transfer Market Web reckon Arsenal may have to sacrifice Alexis Sanchez to get Lemar on-board though.

Thomas Lemar is a key target for Arsenal

7am: Chelsea target Danny Drinkwater is keen to complete a summer switch to Stamford Bridge.

The England international joined Leicester from boyhood club Manchester United for an undisclosed fee back in 2012.

And during his time with the Foxes he’s helped secure shock Premier League glory, as well as the Championship title.

A return to Old Trafford was mooted last year in the wake of Leicester’s upsetting of the apple cart under Claudio Ranieri.

Another of the top flight’s big boys look set to go knocking at the King Power Stadium as they prepare for next season.

They have been credited with interest in Drinkwater this week after selling Nemanja Matic to United.

And the Mirrorsuggest Antonio Conte is the driving force behind the Blues’ renewed pursuit of his signature.

5.40am: Liverpool are preparing a bid worth £15.4m to sign Benjamin Andre from Rennes.

That's according to French newspaper Le Telegramme who claim an offer is expected in the near future.

4.30am: Jose Mourinho has reportedly urged Gareth Bale to go public with his intention to leave Real Madrid to force througha a move to United.

Mourinho remains confident of sealing a sensational deal to sign the Wales international before the transfer window closes.

But Spanish outlet Don Balon claim the Old Trafford boss wants Bale to speed up the process by declaring his intention to leave the Bernabeu.

Phil Thompson believes Philippe Coutinho leaving wouldn't be as bad as when Luis Suarez left

2.30am: Liverpool have enough back-up options at the club already should Philippe Coutinho leave Liverpool for Barcelona, according to Phil Thompson.

Barcelona are expected to reinvest the £200m earned from Neymar's move to Paris St-Germain in finding a replacement for the 25-year-old.

And Liverpool's Coutinho has been heavily linked with a move to the Nou Camp in recent weeks.

But Thompson, while he admits it would be a blow to the club, believes Liverpool have the quality to cope if Coutinho decides to leave.

“It would be a blow but looking at the players you have there now, the likes of Salah, Mane, Firmino, Lallana, you’ve got four there with a bit of a wow factor and he fits in with all of that," Thompson told The Irish Examiner.

"Is he miles above them? No. Is he just above them? Yes.

1.00am: Marseille are prepared to wait until the final days of the transfer window to sign Olivier Giroud.

That's according to French outlet Le 10 Sport who claim Marseille are holding out to see whether the striker will be included in Arsene Wenger's first-team plans come the start of the season.

Giroud and Alexandre Lacazette have both shared the responsibilities of leading the line during pre-season but Wenger is yet to play the two together up front.

The latter joined Arsenal for a club-record fee worth £52m earlier in the summer while Alexis Sanchez also played as the leading striker last season.

Marseille are prepared to wait on a deal for Olivier Giroud

Transfer News LIVE: All the latest gossip and every done deal as Neymar completes his move to PSG

11.30pm: Cristiano Ronaldo has put Manchester United on red alert after stating he wants to return to England.

The Real Madrid star is currently embroiled in a court case over tax fraud and the situation has left him considering his future.

Ronaldo has consistently been linked with a return to Manchester United after leaving in 2009, and has dropped a huge hint that he could return in the future.

"I never had any problem in England, which is why I'd like to return," Ronaldo said, according to Cadena SER.

10.25pm: Sheffield Wednesday are on the brink of signing former Arsenal defender Johan Djourou.

10.20pm: Manchester City midfielder Fernando has joined Galatasaray.

City have bagged an initial £4.75m from the sale.

9.30pm: Jose Mourinho has been in touch with Gareth Bale, according to Don Balon.

The Manchester United manager sent Bale a message urging him to tell Real Madrid chiefs that he wants out.

8.15pm: Arsenal are in talks with Monaco for Thomas Lemar, according to Sky Sports.

The Gunners have had two bids rejected by the Ligue 1 champions, who rate him at £50m.

Cristiano Ronaldo wants to return to England

8.10pm: Arsenal forward Stephy Mavididi is heading to Preston on loan for the season.

The 19-year-old has not been registered in time for tomorrow's Championship opener against Sheffield Wednesday.

7pm: Brighton have completed the signing of right-back Ales Mateju.

The 21-year-old arrives from Viktoria Plzen on a three-year contract.

6.45pm: Barnsley have snapped up central defender Matty Pearson from Accrington Stanley.

6pm: Anderlecht have set an asking price for Manchester United target Leander Dendoncker.

Dendoncker, 22, has been linked with a move to Old Trafford.

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Belgian outfit Anderlecht will demand £27m (€30m) for his signature.

A number of clubs across the continent have submitted enquiries including AC Milan and RB Leipzig.

5.40pm: Cardiff keeper Ben Wilson has moved to League One outfit Oldham Athletic on loan for six months.

Chelsea are planning a £50m bid for Virgil Van Dijk

5.30pm: Brighton youngsters Tyler Forbes and Tom Dallison have joined Accrington Stanley on loan.

5.20pm: Burnley have announced a new three-year deal for defender Kevin Long.

The 27-year-old had one year to run on his previous contract.

4.45pm: Manchester United's hopes of signing Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan have taken a hit.

The Serie A club's sporting director Piero Ausilio says he is going nowhere.

"Perisic is an important player and we are currently discussing a new contract with him," he told an Italian TV channel.

4pm: Virgil van Dijk is more likely to be playing for Chelsea than Southampton after the transfer window.

That is according to bookmakers Betway, who have slashed the odds on the Saints star making the move to Stamford Bridge this month.

Betway spokesman Alan Alger said: "Chelsea have been backed into 3/1 from 9/1 to bring Virgil Van Dijk to the Bridge in a bid that looks to gazump Liverpool’s attempt to secure his signature.

"The likelihood of a move to Anfield has drifted out from 2/9 to 1/2 and the last 24 hours indicate that Chelsea boss Antonio Conte could get his man in time for their opener against Burnley, with Southampton unlikely to retain the defender’s services at 4/1."

3pm: Real Madrid have offered up Gareth Bale to Premier League clubs.

Bale will be edged out of Real this summer if they complete a deal for Monaco star Kylian Mbappe.

And Spanish outlet Marca claim Chelsea and Manchester United are both interested in snapping him up.

Real have set an asking price of €100m (£90m) for Bale.

Madrid have begun to ‘discreetly’ ask Premier League clubs if they want to sign the ex-Tottenham man.

2.30pm: Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has rubbished rumours linking Eden Hazard with a move to Real Madrid.

Laughing, he said: “We are trying to buy the players, not to sell them.

“Otherwise the number is always less and we are in trouble.

“These are rumours. Eden is very happy to stay with us and to start the new season.”

Gareth Bale has reportedly been offered to Manchester United and Chelsea

2pm: Alexis Sanchez will leave Arsenal for Paris St-Germain this summer, according to Shaka Hislop.

He told ESPN FC: “Given the body language that we saw from Alexis Sanchez for most of last season I don’t see how he is happy, how he is content with this situation. Again that’s one I will believe on September 1.

“It is Arsenal’s decision but let’s be honest, they’ve been down this road before with Van Persie and ultimately as much as Arsenal keep talking about how they have money in the bank… they’ve taken big offers when they’ve come in especially when the other option is to take nothing in 12 months time.

“I don’t see Alexis Sanchez signing another contract whether he stays or not.

“It is either you sell him now for what may be the going rate for Alexis Sanchez, which given what we’ve seen in this transfer window you could probably expect upwards of £60m, maybe even £70m.

“At the start of the summer we were talking about £50m for Alexis Sanchez but then Kyle Walker goes for £50m, I don’t see how those two are the same at all so you probably add another 10 or 20 on top of that.

“I don’t see how Arsenal, given their history and track record, turn their back on that regardless.”

1.30pm: Liverpool made a move for Manchester United star Luke Shaw this summer.

The England international had a hit-and-miss season under Jose Mourinho last time out.

The Special One publicly criticised the left-back, despite the former Southampton man struggling with injuries.

And according to The Sun, Liverpool made a move for Shaw, 23, before landing Andy Robertson this summer.

Friday, August 4