Transfer news LIVE: Man Utd backed to sign Chelsea star, Arsenal swap, Liverpool boost

10:00 UPDATE: Man City deal close

Man City will this week meet the £62.6million buy out clause in Rodri’s contract to push through his signing from Atletico Madrid.

City boss has made Rodri, 22 his number one transfer target this summer and the player has told the Spanish side that he wants to leave.

The Premier League champions have seen off Bayern Munich to land the Spanish international, who is desperate to work with Pep Guardiola at the Etihad.

Guardiola sees Rodri as the long-term replacement for Fernandinho.

09:35 UPDATE: Man Utd stars want Pogba sold

Man Utd stars want Paul Pogba sold this summer after the midfielder hinted he’s ready to leave.

The Sun say the United dressing room is furious with the France international.

The United players want to be fully concentrated on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first full season in charge.

Pogba is desperate to join Real Madrid or Juventus this summer.

09:15 UPDATE: Man Utd backed to sign Kante and Rice

Manchester United have been backed to sign Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante and Declan Rice of West Ham to tempt Paul Pogba to stay at Old Trafford.

Stan Collymore wrote in his Mirror column: “Ed Woodward clearly doesn’t want to allow Pogba – the jewel in his crown – to leave United this summer and we will have to wait and see if Real Madrid or Juventus can match the minimum £150million United would want.

“So, if he does end up staying, United ought to be trying to sign two players to set him free.

“It would be hard to get Kante out of Chelsea or Declan Rice out of West Ham, but that doesn’t mean United shouldn’t try for both.”

08:50 UPDATE: Liverpool target will ‘100 per cent’ move this summer

Nicolas Pepe will 100 per cent leave Lille this summer, French football expert Jonathan Johnson reckons.

Express Sport understands both Liverpool and Manchester United are keen on signing Pepe this summer – and Johnson has handed the Premier League big boys a boost.

“There’s no chance that he will be staying at Lille,” Johnson told Sky Sports’ Transfer Talk podcast.

“They know, the coach Christophe Galtier before the season had even finished was saying it.

“It’s 100 per cent, if not greater, that he will be leaving, he will be moving on.

“There will be movement on that front, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him go to the Premier League.

“But there’s a lot of clubs in some of the biggest leagues in Europe who are interested in him.

“PSG were looking at him as well, so I don’t think we can rule out a move to perhaps the likes of Spain or Italy, perhaps even Germany.

“There are Premier League teams looking at him. He has a long list of suitors across Europe.”

08:25 UPDATE: Arsenal swap deal

Atletico Madrid are ready to offer Vitolo to Arsenal in a swap deal for Hector Bellerin.

The Telegraph say Atletico are desperate to land the Spain defender this summer.

However, Unai Emery is demanding around £50million for Bellerin.

Bellerin missed the majority of last season through injury but is expected to be fit for the start of the next campaign.

08:00 UPDATE: Gerrard to sell three Rangers players

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is looking to offload three players once the signing of Joe Aribo has been confirmed.

Rangers are close to finalising a four-year deal for the sought-after midfielder, whose Charlton contract expired in the summer.

And according to Daily Record, Graham Dorrans, Kyle Lafferty and Eros Grezda will all be sold this summer following the arrival of Aribo.

All three were left in Glasgow while the rest of the squad travelled out to the Algarve.

source: express.co.uk