Monday 9 July 2018 11:26, UK
With clubs back in pre-season training and players returning from the World Cup, transfer negotiations throughout Europe are intensifying and the rumour mills is spinning once again.
Our friends at Football Whispers have scoured the European media market to pick out the best stories from across the continent.
SPAIN
Paris Saint-Germain have contacted Philippe Coutinho's agent to say they are willing to pay a new world record fee of €270m to sign the Barcelona playmaker. There has been no contact between the clubs but this is the same tactic PSG employed in tempting Neymar away from Catalonia. PSG tried to sign Coutinho in January from Liverpool but the Brazil international had made a commitment to Barca. PSG also believe by signing Coutinho they will convince Neymar to stay in Paris. (Mundo Deportivo)
Chelsea forward Eden Hazard is Real Madrid's 'Plan C' to replace Cristiano Ronaldo if they fail to land either Neymar or Kylian Mbappe this summer. Madrid fear lengthy negotiations and PSG's reluctance to sell their two main assets may force them to look elsewhere with Ronaldo on the brink of joining Juventus. Hazard has made it know he would do everything to make a move to Madrid happen. (AS)
Former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique is the favourite to become new Spain coach, although ex-Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores and Belgium's Roberto Martinez are also on the Spanish Federation's shortlist. A long-term successor to Julen Lopetegui could be named this week and Enrique is the preferred candidate of RFEF president Luis Rubiales. Enrique was capped 62 times and has promised to return Spain to the glory days of Luis Aragones and Vicente del Bosque. (AS/Marca)
ITALY
Florentino Perez will hold a board meeting in Madrid on Tuesday with Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Juventus expected to be given the green light. Ronaldo has rejected a €200m approach from an unnamed Chinese club as he is so set on the transfer to Turin and has given Juventus his word. Juventus are confident Ronaldo's arrival will also allow them to bring other star names to the club. (Tuttosport)
Chelsea could sign Napoli midfielder Jorginho for €60m as a mean of speeding up the process of hiring Maurizio Sarri as manager. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has included the Manchester City transfer target in the negotiations for former coach Sarri. If Chelsea are prepared to pay €10m more than what Manchester City offered for Jorginho last month, then De Laurentiis will also allow Sarri to move to Stamford Bridge and waive all compensation. (Tuttosport)
Monaco owner Dimitry Rybolovlev is in talks to buy AC Milan for €415m with club president Yonghong Li trying to stop US hedge fund Elliott Management taking over. Li's failure on Friday to pay back a €32m loan to Elliott will allow them to take control of the Rossoneri this week but the Chinese businessman hopes if he can secure significant investment, the US firm will have to sell. Rybolovlev's plans, which include keeping Li as a partner, could be delayed by UEFA due to rules over owning two European clubs. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
GERMANY
Andriy Yarmolenko is in London to complete his move from Borussia Dortmund to West Ham with an announcement of a €20m transfer "imminent". Dortmund released the Ukrainian international winger from pre-season training on Saturday to allow him to fly to England and he will undergo a medical in the next 24 hours. Yarmolenko, 28, enjoyed a fine start at Dortmund after signing from Dynamo Kiev last summer but lost form in the second-half of the season while injury also caused him to fall down the pecking order at the Westfalenstadion. (Kicker)
Vfb Stuttgart are assessing possible replacements for Manchester City-target Benjamin Pavard, fearing the France defender's form in Russia will attract huge offers this summer. Sporting director Michael Reschke has always said Pavard is staying put in Stuttgart, at least for another 12 months, but secretly the club will sell the versatile 22-year-old for around €50m. Reschke is therefore drawing up a list of centre-backs to sign in the even of a big bid from one of Europe's elite clubs. (Bild)
FRANCE
Ajax want to bring Manchester United midfielder Daley Blind back to Amsterdam. The Dutch giants remain in negotiations to sign Boca Juniors centre-back Lisandro Magallan, 24, but are also keen on adding Blind to their squad this summer as he has fallen down the pecking order under Jose Mourinho. Blind signed for United in 2014 but made just seven Premier League starts last season. (L'Equipe)
Newcastle United have failed with an attempt to sign Lille midfielder Thiago Maia on loan. The Brazilian rejected the move while Lille are only prepared to let the 21-year-old leave on a permanent deal. Defensive midfielder Maia made 28 appearances in Ligue 1 last season as Lille narrowly avoided relegation. (Le 10 Sport)
Monaco have identified St Etienne right-back Ronael Pierre-Gabriel has replacement for former Arsenal transfer target Djibril Sidibe, who is heavily linked with joining Atletico Madrid. Monaco will pay St Etienne €6m for the 20-year-old, who will be back-up to Almamy Toure. France U21 international Pierre-Gabriel will sign a five-year contract at Stade Louis II. (L'Equipe)
