/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F21%2F37%2Fwelcome-to-sports-mole-transparent-click-area.png "Welcome to Sports Mole")
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F20%2F31%2Fsports-mole-favicon-32x32.png "Sports Mole FAVICON"){kind=small}
Pep goes to Iceland: City 'identify' ideal Haaland backup
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F24%2F34%2Forri-oskarsson.jpg "Copenhagen's Orri Oskarsson pictured in May 2024")
Manchester City are reportedly admirers of 19-year-old Copenhagen striker Orri Oskarsson, whom they view as an ideal backup to Erling Haaland.
The reigning Premier League champions have been working with two-time Golden Boot winner Haaland and Julian Alvarez as their central options for the past two years, but the latter joined Atletico Madrid in a club-record deal earlier this summer.
A lack of starts in the centre-forward role was believed to have been a primary motivation for Alvarez leaving, and City have also sold Liam Delap to newly-promoted Ipswich Town.
As a result, Haaland is currently the only recognised centre-forward in Pep Guardiola's ranks, meaning that Bernardo Silva or Kevin De Bruyne could be shoe-horned into that position should the Norwegian suffer an injury.
Osimhen to Chelsea off? Napoli 'close' to £55.1m Saudi sale
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F24%2F29%2Fvictor-osimhen.jpg "Napoli's Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen during SSC Napoli's 2024-25 preseason training camp on July 18, 2024")
Saudi Arabian giants Al-Ahli have reportedly stolen a march on Chelsea in the race for Napoli's Victor Osimhen, whom they are close to reaching a £55.1m agreement for.
The Blues have been pursuing Osimhen's signature all summer long, although a deal initially proved unfeasible as Napoli demanded that his release clause of circa £113m was paid in full.
However, with Osimhen's desire to leave now out in the open, and the Nigeria international now frozen out of Antonio Conte's squad, Napoli have relented on their previous price demands.
With Romelu Lukaku on the verge of joining Napoli in a deal that could fetch up to €45m (£38.1m), the door was seemingly open for Osimhen to head to Stamford Bridge, even if a swap or part-exchange involving Lukaku did not come off.
Fourth time lucky? Nketiah's next escape route 'revealed' after £30m collapse
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F23%2F43%2Feddie-nketiah_1.JPG "Arsenal's Eddie Nketiah celebrates scoring their third goal on October 28, 2023")
Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah is reportedly back on the radar of London rivals Crystal Palace after a proposed £30m switch to Nottingham Forest broke down.
With the Hale End graduate seeking regular minutes at this stage of his career, Arsenal will not stand in his way of an exit for the right price, but they are yet to strike a deal with any interested party.
As many as three clubs have pulled out of negotiations to sign Nketiah, with Marseille having several bids knocked back before bringing Elye Wahi to the Orange Velodrome from Lens instead.
Bournemouth also could not come to an agreement with Arsenal and subsequently struck a deal to sign Evanilson from Porto, but a £30m move to Forest appeared to be on the cards, with Nketiah also said to have agreed personal terms with the Tricky Trees.
Olympic medalist to Leicester? Foxes 'in talks' over midfielder signing
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F24%2F34%2Fbilal-el-khannous.jpg "Bilal El Khannous of Morocco on December 17, 2022")
Leicester City have reportedly opened talks with Genk over the signing of midfielder Bilal El Khannous, with an initial bid of £12.7m rejected.
The 20-year-old spent the majority of the summer at the Paris Olympics, where a young Moroccan side were gunning for a gold-medal standing.
El Khannous was a regular fixture in the engine room for the Atlas Lions, starting five matches, including the 6-0 win over Egypt as the North Africans clinched a bronze medal.
Focusing on club football, the midfielder has been on the books of Genk for over three years after making the switch from Anderlecht's youth setup in 2021.
Achilles' heel: Chelsea striker's move to Premier League rival collapses?
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F23%2F41%2Farmando-broja.jpg "Armando Broja in action for Chelsea in September 2023")
Chelsea striker Armando Broja has reportedly failed a medical at Ipswich Town ahead of a proposed loan move.
The 22-year-old is a product of the Blues academy, enjoying loan spells at Vitesse in the Eredivisie and on the South coast at Southampton before making a real impact on the first team at Stamford Bridge.
Broja featured on 13 occasions in the Premier League last season for Mauricio Pochettino, scoring once, before being loaned out to Fulham for the remainder of the campaign in January.
Struggling with a knee issue and falling behind the likes of Rodrigo Muniz in the pecking order at Craven Cottage, the forward only made eight appearances for Marco Silva's troops.
"We will see" - Van Dijk discusses Liverpool future after Brentford win
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F24%2F34%2Fvirgil-van-dijk.jpg "Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk pictured on August 25, 2024")
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has revealed that there has been "no change" to his contract situation after the Reds' 2-0 win over Brentford in the Premier League.
The Reds skipper is one of three high-profile players now in the last year of his deal with the Merseyside giants, the other two being Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and his future has been the topic of uncertainty ever since Jurgen Klopp confirmed he would be leaving his post.
Van Dijk sent tongues wagging about his next career move when he admitted that he was not sure if he would be part of the post-Klopp era, but he quickly clarified his comments and reaffirmed his commitment to the Reds.
The 33-year-old remains as important as ever at the heart of Arne Slot's defence, helping Liverpool keep two clean sheets from their opening two matches in the 2024-25 Premier League season against Ipswich Town and most recently Brentford.
Will Sancho join Juventus before end of transfer window?
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F24%2F34%2Fjadon-sancho.jpeg "Manchester United's Jadon Sancho on August 10, 2024")
Juventus are reportedly working on a loan deal for Jadon Sancho but would need Manchester United to cover part of the attacker's salary in order for a late switch to go through.
Sancho was again left out of the Man United squad for Saturday's Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion, and he is expected to depart the Red Devils before the transfer window closes.
Barcelona have recently been credited with an interest in the ex-Manchester City youngster, but it is understood that Juventus are at the head of the queue for his signature.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus are keen on Sancho, but the Old Lady are not in a position to take on his full £250,000-a-week pay packet.
One in, one out: Man United 'close in' on permanent deal for top target
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F24%2F25%2Ferik-ten-hag.JPG "Manchester United's Erik ten Hag celebrates in August 2023")
Manchester United are reportedly expecting to close a deal for Paris Saint-Germain's Manuel Ugarte in the near future, and the midfielder is set to arrive at Old Trafford on a permanent basis.
Ugarte has been Man United's leading transfer target this summer, but the negotiations with PSG have been difficult due to the French club seemingly being unwilling to drop their £51m asking price.
The midfielder has not been involved for PSG in the early stages of this season, though, and he is believed to have made it clear that he only wants to join the Red Devils despite interest from other clubs.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, a move for the 23-year-old is now close to being completed.
Imminent departure: Scott McTominay on verge of Serie A move?
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F24%2F34%2Fscott-mctominay.jpg "Manchester United's Scott McTominay warms up before the Premier League match on August 24, 2024")
Manchester United have reportedly reached an agreement to sell Scott McTominay to Napoli.
McTominay has been heavily linked with a move away this summer, having entered the final year of his Man United contract.
While the club have the option to extend his deal by a further year, they are willing to bid farewell before Friday's transfer deadline.
Fulham were among McTominay's suitors before they failed with a couple of bids and subsequently turned their focus to signing Sander Berge from Burnley.
Arsenal given hope in Lookman purusit?
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F24%2F26%2Fademola-lookman.jpg "Atalanta's Ademola Lookman celebrates after the match with the Europa League trophy on May 26, 2024")
Arsenal have reportedly received a boost to their hopes of signing Atalanta BC forward Ademola Lookman.
The 26-year-old has built an impressive reputation since joining Lookman from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2022.
Lookman was particularly strong in the 2023-24 season, scoring 17 goals and providing 10 assists in 45 competitive appearances.
The Nigeria international netted a hat-trick in May's Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen to guide Atalanta to their first European trophy.
Hansi Flick drops hint over Ansu Fati plans
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F23%2F52%2Fansu-fati.jpg "Barcelona's Ansu Fati pictured during the warm up before the match on October 20 2022")
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has indicated that he will keep Ansu Fati at the club for the 2024-25 campaign.
The Blaugrana have been working to offload players to improve their economic situation so that they can register Dani Olmo with La Liga.
Olmo joined Barcelona from RB Leipzig earlier this month but is yet to make his debut due to the issue surrounding his registration.
Barcelona recently sanctioned Ilkay Gundogan's return to Man City, before they confirmed the departure of young defender Mikayil Faye.
Arsenal 'on brink' of signing priority transfer target
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F24%2F27%2Fmikel-merino_1.jpg "Spain's Mikel Merino celebrates scoring their second goal on July 5, 2024")
Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino has reportedly completed a medical ahead of his proposed switch to Arsenal.
The Gunners have already bolstered their squad in the defensive third, having recruited goalkeeper David Raya and defender Riccardo Calafiori.
Raya converted his loan move from Brentford into a permanent deal, before Calafiori arrived from Bologna in a £42m deal.
Arsenal soon turned their focus to bolstering their midfield options and swiftly identified Merino as one of their main targets.
Barca departure: Young defender completes Ligue 1 switch
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F24%2F30%2Fhansi-flick_2.jpg "Hansi Flick is presented as Barcelona manager on July 25, 2024")
Barcelona have confirmed that Mikayil Faye has been sold to Ligue 1 side Rennes.
The Catalan giants have offloaded several players this summer, including Sergi Roberto, Sergino Dest, Chadi Riad, Julian Araujo, Estanis Pedrola and Marc Guiu.
Oriol Romeu has also departed on loan, while Ilkay Gundogan recently returned to Manchester City on a free transfer, bringing an end to his Barcelona stay after just one season.
Barcelona have been looking to sanction more departures as they look to improve their financial position so they can register Dani Olmo with La Liga.
Transfer news and rumours today: Koleosho to Wolves, O'Shea to Ipswich
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F23%2F39%2Fnewbur.JPG "Newcastle United's Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes in action with Burnley's Luca Koleosho on September 30, 2023")
Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly in discussions with Burnley over a deal for Luca Koleosho in the latter stages of the summer transfer window.
Koleosho has scored once in two Championship appearances for Burnley this season, but he was not involved in Saturday's game against Sunderland due to a slight knock.
The 19-year-old has scored twice and registered one assist in 17 outings for Burnley, having made the move to the club from Espanyol in the summer of 2023.
However, according to the Express & Star, his time at Turf Moor could be coming to an end.
Shock exit? Real Madrid superstar 'not ruling out' Saudi move
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F24%2F33%2Frodvin.jpg "Real Madrid's Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior pictured on June 1, 2024")
Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior has reportedly not ruled out a move to the Saudi Pro League in 2025, with the Brazilian currently not interested in entering into contract talks at Bernabeu.
Vinicius has scored 83 goals and registered 77 assists in 266 appearances for Real Madrid in all competitions since making the move to the capital giants from Flamengo in July 2018.
The 24-year-old signed a contract extension with Los Blancos in October 2023, with his current terms running until June 2027, but there has been speculation surrounding his future this summer.
Vinicius will not be leaving Bernabeu in the current market, but there have been claims that he could depart next year, as Kylian Mbappe, who has started his Real Madrid career through the middle, prefers operating off the left, which is the position currently held by Vinicius.
Transfer news and rumours today: Fernandez-Pardo to Liverpool, Mejbri to Rangers
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F24%2F34%2Fmatias-fernandez-pardo_1.jpg "Gent's Matias Fernandez-Pardo pictured in March 2024")
Liverpool are reportedly one of three Premier League teams keeping a close eye on the future of Belgian starlet Matias Fernandez-Pardo.
The 19-year-old - who primarily plays on the left wing but can also operate just off the striker - represents Gent in his homeland and already has 10 goals to show from 28 appearances for the Belgian giants.
Fernandez-Pardo has two goals under his belt from seven matches in the 2024-25 campaign, and he has won 10 caps for Belgium's Under-19 side, netting three goals and setting up one more in the process.
According to journalist Chris Wheatley - via the Liverpool Echo - the teenager's exploits have caught the eye of Liverpool, who are one of a handful of teams hoping to prise him away from his homeland.
Saudi switch: Liverpool star confirms interest from lucrative division
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F24%2F34%2Fliv.jpg "Liverpool players pose for a photo on April 18, 2024")
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker has revealed that he rejected the chance to move to Saudi Arabia this summer, with the Brazil international not yet ready to leave his Merseyside club.
The 31-year-old, who is widely regarded as one of the best stoppers in world football, was heavily linked with a switch to the Saudi Pro League earlier this summer.
Alisson has confirmed that there was "interest" from the lucrative division, but the goalkeeper is "really happy" at Anfield and wants to continue in English football, at least for the 2024-25 campaign.
"I want to honour my contract and finish my contract here or make a new one. I am really happy here. My family is happy," Alisson told reporters.
Brentford 'battling' Ligue 1 giants for Maupay
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2F24%2F01%2Fbrewol.JPG "Brentford's Neal Maupay celebrates scoring against Wolverhampton Wanderers on January 5, 2024")
Brentford are reportedly prepared to compete with Marseille to re-sign Everton forward Neal Maupay.
The Bees have made three additions to their squad in the summer transfer window, having recruited Igor Thiago, Fabio Carvalho and Sepp van den Berg.
Brentford are believed to be on the verge of making their fourth signing of the summer after reaching an agreement with Gremio for the highly-rated attacker Gustavo Nunes.
The Bees have agreed to pay around £10m for the 18-year-old, who is undergoing a medical before being unveiled as Brentford's latest summer addition.
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