Transfer news LIVE: Fernandes to Man Utd close, Arsenal to announce Pepe, Everton bid

Transfer news LIVE updates – Tuesday, July 30

• Manchester United continue to be linked with Bruno Fernandes
• Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye joins PSG for an undisclosed fee
• Arsenal are set to complete a deal for Nicolas Pepe
• Everton have agreed a fee with Juventus for forward Moise Kean
• Premier League done deals: Every confirmed transfer in the top flight this summer

4.25pm UPDATE: Maguire to Man Utd backed

Harry Maguire would be the perfect signing for Man Utd this summer, Teddy Sheringham claims.

“I think he would be perfect,” Sheringham told talkSPORT.

“I think he’s got a calming effect on player’s around him and he doesn’t panic when he gets on the ball.

“He’s good in both boxes, which is always a big plus for central defenders.

“Players like Tony Adams, Steve Bruce and John Terry – they’re organised – they don’t have to be lightning quick and instead organise people around them and make sure there’s no gaps at the back and that’s what being a centre half is all about for me.”

3.55pm UPDATE: Kieran Tierney to Arsenal claim

Arsenal have been told by transfer expert Ian McGarry that the signing of Nicolas Pepe might affect their bid for Kieran Tierney.

“I suspect it will have a negative affect to be honest,” he told the Transfer Window Podcast.

“The way Celtic are looking at it is Arsenal are already trying to get Tierney on the cheap as far as they’re concerned – and by paying in instalments.

“So they’ll look at the Pepe deal and say you ‘were you just playing us all along? You’re pleading poverty. You can only pay us this much year and this much the next. And you’ve got a board there and an owner as well who know the value of a pound.’

“So I think it will have the reverse affect in terms of persuading Celtic to sell.”

2.50pm UPDATE: Bruno Fernandes to Man Utd close

Manchester United are close to sealing the signing of Bruno Fernandes, according to journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

Manchester United have been strongly linked with a move for Fernandes all summer long, with the Portugal international admired over at Old Trafford.

The 24-year-old struck 31 times for his club last season and has also been linked with moves to Tottenham, PSG and Liverpool.

And, now, Italian journalist Di Marzio has claimed that United are on the cusp of securing the player’s signature.

It is claimed United are talking with Sporting to ‘close the deal’.

And that would see him become the club’s third signing of the summer after Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

2pm UPDATE: Everton agree Moise Kean deal

Everton have agreed a deal to sign striker Moise Kean from Juventus, according to reports

The Toffees have been linked with the 19-year-old all summer and The Guardian say they will pay the Italian side a fee of £29million.

It is claimed the final figure could rise by a further £9m with add-ons but that Everton have managed to come to an agreement without inserting a buy-back clause.

Instead, Juve will be informed of any bids from other clubs in the future and will have the option to make it.

The agreement marks a massive coup for Everton who will be signing one of the most highly-rated attackers in Europe.

Kean burst on to the scene last season with six goals in 13 Serie A appearances – just five of them starts.

1.40pm UPDATE: Man Utd offered huge swap deal

Manchester United have been offered Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic and £10million by Juventus for Romelu Lukaku in an extraordinary swap deal, it has been claimed.

The Serie A champions are ready to outbid Inter Milan and bring in the Belgian striker as the look to win the Champions League.

The biggest challenge in the swap deal would be Dybala’s wage demands as he would expect to be paid similar to the highest earners at Old Trafford.

And Mandzukic would provide able cover as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer look to strengthen his attacking options.

The Sun claim Juventus chiefs have jetted in to try and get a deal for Lukaku over the line.

1pm UPDATE: Arsenal won tough Nicolas Pepe race

Manchester United and Liverpool held talks with Nicolas Pepe before Arsenal won the race to sign him, according to reports.

Transfer expert Duncan Castles says they have done so in the face of stiff competition.

“Suddenly Arsenal are on the point of signing one of the top attacking talents in Europe, a player who could potentially transform their attack,” he told The Transfer Window Podcast.

He added: “They’ve done this against Serious competition in that this is a player that Liverpool have talked to the agent to explore the possibility of doing a deal.

“Manchester United have talked to Lille on more than one occasion and talked to them recently about what it would take to bring the player to the Premier League.

“A player that Napoli agreed an €80million fee with Lille for ahead of Arsenal.

“They had conversations with the player’s agent last week but were unable to agree terms particularly on the agents’ fee.

“A player who Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in in and who have been looking at as a potential replacement for Neymar.

“Also who have been of interest is Bayern Munich.”

12.15pm UPDATE: Harry Maguire worried over Man Utd move

Harry Maguire is afraid Leicester are pricing him out of a move to Manchester United this summer.

The Foxes want £90million for the England defender with Ed Woodward only willing to offer £70m.

Maguire sat out training yesterday ill but has told Leicester he wishes to leave the club for Old Trafford this summer.

United are desperate to add a centre-back to their squad this season after finishing way down in sixth last time out.

Maguire is the top target for United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but ESPN claim they do have a backup plan.

There are just nine days left of the transfer window.

And that means United are also looking into the possibility of signing Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly.

11.40am UPDATE: Giovani Lo Celso to Tottenham latest

Giovani Lo Celso appeared to say goodbye to one of his coaches at Real Betis amid reports he is set to join Tottenham.

Spurs have been chasing the Argentinian attacking midfielder all summer and are thought to be close to finalising a deal after Betis dropped their asking price to £45million.

And the 23-year-old has now hinted he is about to move after he posted an emotional message on Instagram.

In the post, Lo Celso is pictured with his arm around an unknown coach.

Under the picture was a caption that read “Gracias por todo Profe Licha”, which when translated into English means “Thanks for everything teacher.”

11.20am UPDATE: Inter Milan unhappy over Romelu Lukaku transfer

Inter Milan chief Giuseppe Marotta appeared to hit out at Manchester United for rejecting their opening offer for unsettled striker Romelu Lukaku.

“These days it is clear that the demands for players [from clubs] are really high in some cases, as for Lukaku,” he said.

“We have made an offer [that was] fair and important, respecting the player’s value. We will monitor the situation, but I don’t feel I want to lose balance.

“The transfer window is long this year. Operations are not rushed, as they have been in past years.

“We are careful to assess opportunities based on financial and economic capacities. We must, however, respect the parameters of Financial Fair Play.

“But we must seize opportunities. We are confident.”

11am UPDATE: Idrissa Gueye on making the switch to PSG

Idrissa Gueye has been speaking after making the move from Everton to Paris Saint-Germain.

The midfielder has moved to Parc des Princes on a four-year deal.

“I’m immensely proud to sign for Paris Saint-Germain,” Gueye said.

“After focusing on the AFCON with Senegal, I wanted to give a new boost to my club career by joining PSG, one of the most structured and ambitious sports projects in Europe.”

10.40am UPDATE: Newcastle eye more signings

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce wants to bring in more players before transfer deadline day.

Newcastle have already broken their club record with the signing of Joelinton from Hoffenheim for £40m, but Bruce wants more firepower up front before the start of the new season.

The former Sheffield Wednesday boss may have secured his dream move to manage at St James’ Park but he feels his current squad is found wanting in the goals department.

“We want to add one of two in the striker positions,” he said.

“Scoring the goal is the biggest challenged. Win you a match, get you off your feet.”

10.20am UPDATE: Why Nicolas Pepe has picked Arsenal

A relative of Lille ace Nicolas Pepe has revealed the reason why the winger has opted to join Arsenal instead of Napoli.

Pepe has chosen to join Arsenal, a decision one of his relatives claims came down to the Gunners offering him a lucrative contract and convincing him of the project at the Emirates.

“After dismissing several clubs, Nicolas (Pepe) had the choice between Naples and Arsenal,” a member of the Pepe family is said to have told Sport Mania.

“I will not lie to you: a total agreement was almost reached with Naples.

“But Arsenal has been more convincing at the last word, both financially and at the level of the sports project.”

9.55am UPDATE: Philippe Coutinho transfer stance

Barcelona star Philippe Coutinho would prefer a return to the Premier League over PSG, reports say.

Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo say Coutinho is open to moving to PSG as part of the operation – but the Premier League is still his priority.

The deal would be dependent on whether the Ligue 1 titans would accept the struggling Barcelona star.

The player’s agent Kia Joorabchian recently insisted a move to United was a non-starter due to the player’s respect for former club Liverpool.

“Manchester United is a great club, I have players there and I have all the respect for them, but as far as Philippe goes, it would be an extremely difficult to a near-impossible move,” Joorabchian told talkSPORT.

“I would be very difficult for Philippe to play for any of Liverpool’s rivals, because he has such a great affinity towards Liverpool. His time there was fantastic.”

9.30am UPDATE: Harry Maguire to Man Utd close

Manchester United are reportedly on the verge of finally signing Leicester star Harry Maguire.

Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has claimed United are on the verge of finally landing their man.

Di Marzio, who has a good track record when it comes to deals regarding the Red Devils, wrote on his website: “The long negotiation is about to give the white smoke.

“Harry Maguire is getting closer to Manchester United, the deal is closing.

“The Leicester defender has always made clear his desire to move to Manchester, so much so that today he has not even presented himself to the Foxes training sessions.

“His will is being respected, his transfer to the Reds is in fact being defined.”

9.05am UPDATE: Everton confirm Idrissa Geuye exit to PSG

Everton have confirmed Idrissa Gueye has joined Paris Saint-Germain for an undisclosed fee.

They tweeted: “@IGanaGueye has today joined @PSG_Inside for an undisclosed fee.

“Thank you for always giving everything, Gana.”

Everton will now look to replace Gueye with a couple of signings before deadline day.

9am UPDATE: Neymar nervous over transfer

Neymar and his entourage have become increasingly nervous about the chances of a transfer to Barcelona materialising, according to reports in Spain.

He is reported to have told PSG owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi that he wants to return to Barca, and should never have left in the first place.

But with time running out in the transfer window, his exit now looks unlikely.

PSG have rejected two bids from Barcelona for the star, who they are unwilling to let go of unless they receive a lucrative offer.

Barca apparently sent the Parisians a list of six players they were willing to include in a swap deal, with PSG instructed to choose two.

And Mundo Deportivo reported on Monday that Neymar’s camp are growing increasingly concerned that the two clubs will be unable to reach a deal.

8.40am UPDATE: Everton in for Wilfried Zaha

Everton have made a second transfer bid for Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha made up of £55m, plus two players; Cenk Tosun, and James McCarthy.

Everton have made a second bid for Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha, according to Sky Sports.

The Toffees have offered Palace £55m for the Ivory Coast international, as well as Cenk Tosun and James McCarthy.

Everton made their first bid for Zaha on Sunday (July 28); a £55m offer.

But, it’s believed that Palace are demanding at least £80m if they are to sell Zaha.

8.20am UPDATE: Arsenal to sign Nicolas Pepe imminently

Arsenal expect to compete the club-record £72million signing of Lille star Nicolas Pepe in the next 24 hours.

The winger is due to fly into London for his medical on Tuesday, and will sign a five-year deal worth £138,000 a week.

Gunners manager Unai Emery is accelerating his spending with less than two weeks to go before the start of the new Premier League season.

Arsenal are also expected to make a third bid for Celtic defender Kieran Tierney as they attempt to strengthen a defence that showed as many weaknesses as ever in the 2-1 defeat by Lyon in the Emirates Cup at the weekend.

Ivory Coast international Pepe, 24, was also being chased by Napoli, but the winger has opted for a move to the Premier League.

8am UPDATE: Paulo Dybala to Man Utd?

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has two obstacles to overcome if the club are to land Paulo Dybala from Juventus, reports say.

In order to beat Inter to Lukaku, Juventus are ready to offer Dybala to United as transfer bait.

But Gianluca Di Marzio has claimed United still have two obstacles to overcome if they are to sign him.

The first is persuading the Argentina international to join.

Dybala is due to hold talks with Juventus boss Maurizio Sarri later this week, when his future will become a lot clearer.

The second obstacle is a total agreement between the two clubs.

Juventus value Dybala slightly more than they do Lukaku, despite the United star being in their sights.

7.30am UPDATE: Man Utd not prioritising Bruno Fernandes

Manchester United do not see Bruno Fernandes as a priority target this summer, claims European football expert Gabriele Marcotti.

“This is a funny one because this has been ongoing now for three months,” Marcotti said on ESPN FC.

“We hear from Portugal that ‘this is imminent, this is imminent, next 48 hours’.

“I just don’t see it happening at the prices that they’re throwing around, €70m-80m.

“This is a guy who of course left Portugal very young, came to Serie A, seemed really, really promising, then he stalled a little bit, then his career got going again and he had a good season.

“I just think this is something where United, if they really wanted this guy, would have pulled the trigger on this earlier.”

7am UPDATE: Gareth Bale could stay at Real Madrid

Gareth Bale could now stay at Real Madrid after his move to the Chinese Super League fell through.

“I’m just wondering whether Gareth Bale is now looking at it and thinking that he’s going to stay at Real Madrid, he’s still under contract, the average tenure of a Real Madrid manager is 18 months,” he told The Transfer Show.

“Does he think that he could outlast Zinedine Zidane for a second time?

“He’s done it once before, can he do it again? Don’t rule out Gareth Bale staying, biding his time, seeing how it goes at Real Madrid, and then moving on.”

6.30am UPDATE: Arsenal helped by Neymar

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar has helped Arsenal in their transfer pursuit of Nicolas Pepe, as the Lille forward wanted a move to the French champions, but grew tired of waiting for the Brazilian to leave.

Arsenal have Neymar to thank if they officially confirm the signing of Pepe, according to But! Football Club.

Pepe initially wanted to a move to PSG, and the French champions have reportedly always been his preferred destination.

PSG were prepared to make a move for the Lille winger, but only if Neymar was sold this summer. That’s because both players operate in similar positions.

As it’s become increasingly unlikely that Neymar will be leaving the Parc des Princes, Pepe has become tired of waiting, and accepted Arsenal’s offer, it said.

6am UPDATE: Liverpool willing to let star leave

Liverpool are ready to let youngster Ryan Kent leave Anfield before the transfer window closes, but are not willing to allow him to move out on loan.

Kent, 22, spent last season on loan at Rangers, and it is believed that they are leading the charge to sign him again in this window.

The youngster has failed to break through into the first-team at Anfield after a series of loan spells.

Having not made a single Premier League appearance for Liverpool, Kent looks set to move on in the next two weeks.