The transfer rumour mill is in full swing with daily stories of players arriving and leaving.
Here we bring you the best transfer gossip and the likelihood of those transfer stories materialising.
The paperwork has been finalised for Allan Saint-Maximin's anticipated transfer from Newcastle United to Al Ahli, as per the Athletic. The 26-year-old winger successfully completed his medical with the Saudi Pro League side last week. He is expected to officially join the club on a three-year contract in a deal worth approximately $30m. Al Ahli are owned by the same Saudi Public Investment Fund that holds an 80 per cent stake in Newcastle United. The Frenchman is set to join the likes of former Premier League Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino, and Riyad Mahrez in Jeddah.
Paris Saint-Germain are set to secure the services of Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele, ESPN reports. The Ligue 1 champions are preparing to trigger the 26-year-old's €50m release clause before it rises to €100m next week on July 31, as they have already reached an agreement on personal terms with the player. Since joining the Blaugrana from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, the France international has scored 40 goals and provided 43 assists in 185 appearances. It is understood that Dembele is keen on joining the Parisiens on a five-year deal, despite attempts from the Catalan side to keep him.
Manchester United have turned down a £20m bid from West Ham for Harry Maguire, The Athletic reports. The 30-year-old defender, who was recently stripped of the club’s captaincy, is out of contract at Old Trafford in 2025. However, the Hammers are not expected to push for the England international due to his sizeable salary. Moreover, Maguire is reportedly determined to remain at Old Trafford and fight for his place in Erik ten Hag’s starting line-up for the upcoming season.
Top Saudi Pro League signings
Bayern Munich have cancelled their meeting with Tottenham Hotspur over a move for Harry Kane, BILD revealed. The club’s chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen and the technical director Marco Neppe were supposed to be in north London on Friday to negotiate the signing of the 30-year-old striker, following Spurs’ rejection of their initial $70m offer. However, after seeing their travel arrangements on flight radar sites, the Bavarian bosses decided to postpone the discussions until Monday. The England captain, who is in contract with the Premier League club until 2024, remains the German club's top priority target for the summer transfer window.
Liverpool's Fabinho is edging closer to a move to Al Ittihad, according to 90min. The 29-year-old midfielder, who joined the Merseyside club from Monaco in 2018 and has since made 219 appearances, is expected to undergo his medical examination with the Saudi Pro League club today. The Brazilian international has been excluded from Liverpool's pre-season tour of Singapore.
Al Nassr have submitted an offer to Paris Saint-Germain for their captain, Marquinhos. The 29-year-old defender, who recently signed a new five-year deal with the Ligue 1 club, has given his approval to initiate negotiations with the Saudi Pro League club. Al Nassr and Paris Saint-Germain recently faced each other in a friendly match in Japan, which ended 0-0. For almost a decade, the Brazilian has been a key figure at the Parc des Princes. Nevertheless, following recent remarks concerning Kylian Mbappe's future, where he expressed his desire to continue playing alongside the striker, a SportsZone report has suggested that the club are now open to parting ways with Marquinhos.
Arsenal are increasingly optimistic about securing the signature of Bitello, according to 90min. Despite having only two years of experience at the first-team level, the 23-year-old midfielder is drawing interest from several European clubs. Negotiations are currently underway, and the Gunners believe they are in the lead to acquire him from Gremio, with the Brazilian club valuing the player at £8.5 million. It is understood that Bitello has been specifically identified by Arsenal's Brazilian sporting director Edu.
