BBC
Mexican forward Raul Jimenez, 29, is on his way to Manchester United after Wolves agreed a £27m deal to sign Braga's 27-year-old Portuguese striker Paulinho. (RTP, via Express)
Jadon Sancho's anticipated move to Manchester United has moved closer, as Borussia Dortmund are willing to agree on an initial £60m fee for the 20-year-old England winger. (Independent)
Chelsea have tabled an offer for Barcelona's 28-year-old German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen. (Cadena Ser, via Mail)
Gareth Bale, 31, has told Wales boss Ryan Giggs he intends to stay at Real Madrid next season even if the forward's lack of games leaves him rusty for the Euros. (Mirror)
Chelsea and Manchester City are among a number of leading clubs who are monitoring whether Austrian utility player David Alaba, 28, signs a new contract at Bayern Munich. (Telegraph)
Leeds United are planning two English signings - Everton midfielder Fabian Delph, 30, and Tottenham full-back Danny Rose, 30 - as boss Marcelo Bielsa looks for players with Premier League experience before their top-flight return. (Star)
Argentine goalkeeper Sergio Romero, 33, wants to hold talks with Manchester United over his future - with Englishman Dean Henderson, 23, heading back to Old Trafford after a loan spell with Sheffield United. (Sun)
Bayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says 29-year-old Spain midfielder Thiago Alcantara, who has been linked with Liverpool, has told the German club he wants to leave. (Sky Germany - in German)
West Ham could make a move for 26-year-old Manchester City and England defender John Stones, who could be available for £20m. (Sun)
Brighton are looking at making a move for Arsenal's 22-year-old English midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who can also play in defence. (Mirror)
Leicester City are set to make a move for Bournemouth midfielder David Brooks, with Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and West Ham also interested in the 23-year-old Wales international. (Express)
Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha's hopes of leaving the club could rest on the Eagles being open to a loan deal with an obligation to buy for the 27-year-old Ivory Coast international. (Telegraph - subscription required)
Inter Milan are expected to agree a deal to sign Chile forward Alexis Sanchez, 31, permanently from Manchester United this summer. (Manchester Evening News)
Southampton are still waiting on Tottenham to make an appropriate for 24-year-old Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. (Daily Echo)
Midfielder Mesut Ozil, 31, will stay at Arsenal this summer with his agent revealing that the former Germany international is keen to see out his contract at Emirates Stadium. (Mail)
Liverpool are preparing a move for Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly, 21, after missing out on the English defender 12 months ago when he was at Bristol City. (Express)
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp will also make a decision on 20-year-old English striker Rhian Brewster's next move following his successful loan
Sun
ROLLING STONES John Stones set for £20million reunion with David Moyes as West Ham leapfrog Arsenal in race for Man City defender
Exclusive Charlie Wyett
JOHN STONES could be set for a reunion with former boss David Moyes at West Ham as Manchester City begin a clear-out.
City have seen their £40million bid for Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake accepted.
That means England defender Stones, 26, looks certain to leave City - and he could be available for just £20milion.
That has sparked interest from West Ham, who are managed by ex-Everton chief Moyes.
Stones joined Everton from Barnsley in a £3m deal in January 2013 but Moyes moved to Manchester United a few months later.
Despite signing for City for £47.5million in 2016, Stones’ career at City looks over and his contract runs out in 2022.
Arsenal are also interested but the London club will have to sell before they can buy.
Good job then that it has been reported up to TEN Gunners stars face the chop.
Relegated Bournemouth have accepted the £40m offer for Ake, 25, from City which includes £1m in adds-odds.
Sport Witness
West Ham ‘very attentive’ to signing – And feeling transfer will happen soon
Two weeks ago, we carried a report from Mundo Deportivo, who explained that West Ham United have initiated negotiations to sign Barcelona’s Moussa Wagué.
The La Liga side took the right-back from KAS Eupen in 2018, and he spent his first season with the Catalan club’s B team.
Last summer, Ernesto Valverde promoted him to the first team, but the right-back failed to impress, which is why the Blaugrana allowed him to spend the second half of the season on loan at OGC Nice.
The Senegal international didn’t have time to impress in France because Ligue 1 was cancelled due to the global health crisis.
Another report from Mundo Deportivo now claims the Hammers are ‘very attentive’ to the 21-year-old’s situation at Camp Nou.
Wagué’s failure to shine at Barcelona has seen Quique Setién’s side make him available in the transfer market.
It’s claimed West Ham are one of the sides who have shown ‘most interest’ in the fullback.
Mundo end their report by stating ‘Barca is about to close a transfer’, making it sound like Wagué is very close to a transfer.
FFC
Josh Maja: West Ham may have found their new Jermain Defoe
by Lewis Blain
West Ham boss David Moyes may have just found West Ham their next Jermain Defoe as he plots a move for one of his former players.
What’s the word?
According to Sky Sports, the Irons have an interest in Josh Maja who has impressed since joining Bordeaux in January 2019 from Moyes’ old club, Sunderland.
It’s claimed that the Ligue 1 outfit could look to sell the 21-year-old striker as their finances have been implicated by the global pandemic.
Scottish giants Rangers are also keen on Maja as a potential replacement for Alfredo Morelos.
The Sun have previously mooted a £10m fee for his signature, but it remains to be seen exactly how much he could command this summer.
Defoe 2.0
Moyes was the man to give Maja his debut at the Black Cats back in 2016 before he went on to bag 17 goals in 49 senior appearances for the club.
Interestingly, former Hammers legend Defoe became a bit of a mentor for the young Nigerian during their time together in the northeast, helping improve his finishing and how to become a better player overall.
There will undoubtedly be similarities between the two as a result.
This campaign, Maja bagged eight goals in 24 appearances, though he only played a total of 894 minutes via Transfermarkt, which makes it all that more impressive.
The young striker’s head coach at the Girondins, Paolo Sousa, claims that he’s a goalscorer with both “sharp and strong qualities” whilst Chris Coleman, the successor to Moyes’ successor at the Stadium of Light, believed Maja offered his side a “different threat”.
It would make perfect sense for the Hammers to pull the trigger on Maja, particularly with Sebastian Haller’s struggles this campaign, and if they get half the player Defoe was, then Moyes is onto a huge winner.
Sport Witness
With Liverpool offer on the table, West Ham now brought into picture for transfer chase
In news that shocked a few on Thursday, Liverpool reportedly made an offer for Real Betis’ Aïssa Mandi.
The defender probably wouldn’t be a starter at Anfield, but with Dejan Lovren now gone, he’d fill a much needed gap in the squad, as long campaigns need rotation options.
However, another club from the Premier League have come knocking (once again), and that’s West Ham.
The Hammers have a long history of interest in the Algeria international, and they’ve returned now that their top flight status is secured for at least another season.
El Desmarque are the ones reporting it, explaining West Ham have ‘asked about the player’, whose contract with the La Liga side ends in June 2021.
It’s because of this situation that Betis could be convinced to sell their centre-back, as they know that without a renewal (which seems unlikely at this point) they could lose the player for free next year.
Liverpool’s bid was said to be of €10m, and Cadena COPE stated the Spaniard could be tempted to let him go at that price.
That’s good news for West Ham, who are surely capable of offering more first-team football than Liverpool at this stage.
C&H
West Ham ‘bad boy’ right back Jeremy Ngakia has left the club and is set to join Watford.
By one of those bizarre football ironies, the 20 year old – having refused to help the Hammers in their relegation battle – will now be playing his football in the Championship next season.
The Hammers will pick up only a small fee at a tribunal but thankfully – as a scholar – are not duty bound to play his wages as is the case with those who choose to leave on a a professional contract.
ClaretandHugh have learned that the relegated Hornets are the club he is set to join which, given we relegated them with a 3-1 win at the London Stadium, seems a just outcome for the Hammers.
After refusing to sign a new deal at the club or see out the final games of the season he was seen by many – along with his representatives – of showing grave disloyalty to the club that weaned him.
