Friday News (includes West Ham)

[Alan]

BBC

Liverpool are poised to make a British record bid for Newcastle and Sweden striker Alexander Isak, 25. (Mail+ - subscription required), external

But Saudi side Al-Hilal are also currently preparing a bid, understood to be more than £130m, for Isak after he was omitted from Newcastle's squad for their pre-season tour of Singapore. (Talksport), external

Chelsea and Manchester United have ruled out a move for Isak, with the latter having already spent big on Brazil forward Matheus Cunha, 26, and Cameroon international Bryan Mbeumo, 25. (Mail), external

Newcastle have turned their attention to Slovenian international Benjamin Sesko with the 22-year-old RB Leipzig striker the main target should Isak leave. (ipaper), external

Aston Villa have told Manchester United striker Ollie Watkins is not for sale, despite interest in the 29-year-old Englishman from the Old Trafford club. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Newly promoted Leeds United have agreed a deal with Lyon for goalkeeper Lucas Perri worth £15.6m, with the 27-year-old Brazilian expected to undergo a medical at the Whites' pre-season training camp in Germany. (Mail)

Bayern Munich are set to bid again for Liverpool and Colombia winger Luis Diaz. The Merseyside club are aware of the 28-year-old's desire to leave and talks will continue. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Liverpool have offered French defender Ibrahima Konate, 26, a new contract to fend off interest from Real Madrid, who are keen to sign him this summer or next. (Footmercato - in French), external

Brazil international Douglas Luiz, 27, failed to report for the first day of pre-season training at Juventus on Thursday as West Ham, Everton and Liverpool all have interest in the midfielder. (Gazetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

Chelsea's English winger Raheem Sterling, 30, has emerged as one of a number of forward targets for Italian champions Napoli. (Calciomercarto - in Italian), external

Liverpool attacker Harvey Elliott is open to leaving the Anfield club, with interest in the 22-year-old England youth international from West Ham. (Metro), external

Spurs are considering a £15m offer from LAFC for captain Son Heung-min as the 33-year-old South Korean mulls over his future. (Sun), external

Real Madrid are open to loaning 19-year-old forward Endrick to another team to avoid hindering his progress, but the Brazilian would prefer to fight for his place at the Bernabeu. (ESPN)




Sky Paper Talk

DAILY MAIL

Liverpool are poised to make a British record bid for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak.

THE GUARDIAN

Alexander Isak is open to a move away from Newcastle, with Liverpool his preferred destination.

THE INDEPENDENT

Eddie Howe had already privately told prominent figures at Newcastle this summer that he was concerned about Alexander Isak's situation.

THE ATHLETIC

Alexander Isak's absence from Newcastle's pre-season friendly at Celtic and tour to Asia was a preference of the 25-year-old striker despite the club insisting he was left behind because of a minor thigh problem.

Aston Villa have made an offer to sign highly-rated centre-back Jaydee Canvot from Toulouse.

Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz is set to face disciplinary action after not reporting to training on Thursday.

Rangers have made an offer for Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.

THE TIMES

Newcastle have held talks with Alexander Isak this summer to make him the best-paid player in the club's history. Isak is seeking a new deal worth about £300,000 a week.

Heung-Min Son is increasingly likely to leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer and has an offer to join Los Angeles FC in addition to renewed interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia.

David Rozman, the senior staff member of the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team, has left the Tour de France after being notified that he is the subject of an investigation by the International Testing Agency.

THE SUN

Luke Shaw faces a Manchester United exit and the injury-hit star could be gone by January with interest from Saudi clubs.

Tottenham are considering a £15m offer for captain Heung-Min Son.

Chelsea fans are in uproar after failing to secure tickets for the club's opening game of the Premier League season.

DAILY EXPRESS

Celtic and Ajax supporters clashed inside the stadium following their pre-season friendly with Ajax.

DAILY RECORD

Brendan Rodgers insists Celtic need to show ambition in the transfer market after suffering a pre-season reality check against Ajax.



Guardian Rumour mill

David Tindall

If anyone spots Eddie Howe appearing to be rehearsing lines on the steps of St James’ Park over the next few days, there’s an obvious explanation. It was from said vantage point 30 years ago that another Newcastle boss, Kevin Keegan, had to explain to angry and bewildered fans why they had sold Andy Cole to Manchester United. The modern-day version, of course, is Howe having to talk his way out of why the club could be letting Alexander Isak go to Liverpool.

To be honest, it doesn’t seem a very Howe thing to do, although rumours suggest the current Magpies manager wouldn’t be averse. And, if Howe knows his history, he might benefit, just as Liverpool once did, from the Coutinho Effect – flogging a player at peak value and rebuilding key parts of the squad with the hefty proceeds.

Isak going to Liverpool (anything from £125m to £150m appear to be the latest quotes) would spark a different sort of effect, one involving dominoes. So if the Swedish striker topples towards Anfield, what other currently static deals might fall into place as the chain reaction spreads?

Let’s start with Newcastle. If Isak does move on, several sources are suggesting Leipzig’s 22-year-old forward Benjamin Sesko is top of Howe’s wishlist. He’d cost £70m and upwards. The Slovenian’s Leipzig teammate Loïs Openda has also been linked while it seems pretty obvious that Brentford will want way more than the £25m that Newcastle are believed to have offered for frontman Yoane Wissa. The Congolese international is 28 so another, more youthful, option for Howe could be prolific Porto striker Samu Aghehowa (Howe and Aghehowa has nice symmetry; the equivalent of Pep Guardiola signing Josko Gvardiol, maybe). Aghehowa is just 21 although he has a reported release clause of €100m (£87m).

Liverpool’s financial house seems to be in excellent order so it appears there’s no desperate sell-to-buy necessity when it comes to Isak. That said, the astute bean counters at Anfield know that funds could be raised. A chunk could come from Harvey Elliott, who is reported to be on West Ham’s radar. He struggled to get minutes under Arne Slot last season although Elliott has stressed he would love to develop his career at Liverpool. The last reported rumour of Darwin Núñez leaving was in mid-July after Napoli apparently said no, but the Luis Díaz speculation won’t go away and Bayern Munich’s £70m bid for the Colombian could get the green light if Isak is brought in.

Arsenal rumours now and maybe turn away if you’re a Newcastle fan already resigned to losing Isak. The Gunners want an elite left-sided attacker and Newcastle wideman Anthony Gordon is on a select list of three. Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo (another supposed Liverpool target) are the others. Gordon would cost around £80m.

Aston Villa seem keen to rebuff Manchester United’s approach for striker Ollie Watkins but want to take Alejandro Garnacho away from Old Trafford. United want to sell but only at the right price. They also want rid of Antony, a flop at United but a hit at Real Betis. The Spaniards can’t afford turning their loan deal into a permanent one so several teams in Europe are keeping a close eye on the Brazlian winger. The very latest? Two Saudi Arabian Premier League sides are ready to swoop.

Chelsea have dominated transfer land in recent times but there’s not too much happening down at the Bridge right now. João Pedro and Liam Delap have beefed up the attack and there’s no great desire to sell Nicolas Jackson: Manchester United are sniffing.

But the Blues, despite being stacked in that department, can’t help themselves when it comes to a creative No 10 type. Leipzig attacker Xavi Simons is the main target while they still have eyes for Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers.




C&H

Man United Look to Hijack West Ham’s Move for Metz Starlet

Manchester United are aiming to sign young Metz striker Idrissa Gueye from under the noses of West Ham United, according to L’Équipe.

Clearly, the French publication hasn’t received the memo that the Hammers are supposedly not in the market for a striker—unless it’s Callum Wilson.

West Ham have been heavily linked with a move for the €13m-rated 18-year-old, who certainly fits Graham Potter’s striker profile far more than Wilson.

The Hammers will face Manchester United at midnight on Saturday in the opening game of the Premier League Summer Series, before taking on Everton and Bournemouth.

Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo are both said to have travelled to the States to face the Hammers at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday evening.

Crysencio Summerville has remained in London while his teammates travel to the US but Graham Potter has included a number of West Ham’s Academy graduates in the touring party.




Sport Witness

Player scraping around for club after West Ham exit – Agents offering him further and further away

Kurt Zouma has given the green light to explore a move to Brazil, with initial talks already underway with several local clubs, according to journalist Raisa Simplicio.

The 30-year-old defender, who previously played for Chelsea, West Ham and the French national team, is now a free agent after leaving the Hammers.

He spent last season on loan at Al-Orobah in Saudi Arabia but opted not to renew his contract there, and has now instructed his representatives to seek opportunities in Brazil.

Simplicio reports that intermediaries have already begun speaking to Brazilian sides, trying to find his next home after West Ham, although the names of the clubs involved have not yet been disclosed.

Zouma is being offered around in various markets, as we covered earlier this window. However, the player’s priority now appears to be South America, and Brazil is firmly in the picture.

Despite his extensive Premier League experience, Zouma has found it challenging to secure a new club, with concerns over his high wages and a past animal abuse conviction reportedly weighing on negotiations.

Whether a Brazilian club will move forward with a concrete proposal remains to be seen, but Zouma’s openness to the move suggests this is a scenario worth watching.



Sport Witness

Jose Mourinho to hold talks with West Ham forward ahead of offer – Director being sent to England

There’s a claim in the Turkish media that Fenerbahce are showing interest in West Ham United forward Crysencio Summerville.

Jose Mourinho is looking to bring in attacking reinforcements due to recent departures and the Dutchman has emerged as a target for the Portuguese coach.

The Yellow Canaries have been linked with a number of wide attackers over the past week as Jose Mourinho looks to fill the void left by the recent departures of Allan Saint-Maximin and Dušan Tadić.

Subsequently, they’ve turned their attention to the West Ham player and Yeni Safak today report the Istanbul side will enter into negotiations to sign him.

It’s claimed Fenerbahce sporting Director Devin Özek will travel to England to commence transfer talks with the Premier League side and that Mourinho will also contact Summerville to convince him over a move to Istanbul.

According to the Turkish media outlet, Fenerbahce are looking to loan the 23-year-old for the coming season, but there are no reports of an option to purchase.

Summerville made 22 appearances for the Hammers during the last campaign, scoring one goal. He’s contracted until June 2029, with an option for another season.

[With Kind Regards]

Thanks Alan.