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"BBC Newcastle United are close to agreeing a deal worth more than ¬£60m to sign England centre-back Marc Guehi, 24, from Crystal Palace. (Telegraph - subscription required) Manchester United are turning their search for a midfielder away from Paris St-Germain's 23-year-old Uruguayan Manuel Ugarte. (Athletic - subscription required) Atletico Madrid have offered Portugal forward Joao Felix, 24, to Manchester City on loan as part of a deal for 24-year-old Argentina striker Julian Alvarez. (Mail) Tottenham have held talks about signing Bournemouth's English striker Dominic Solanke and are keen to make progress in a move for the 26-year-old, whose release clause is thought to be worth about ¬£65m. (Telegraph) West Ham's hopes of signing English defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka have been dealt a blow with the 26-year-old reported to be pushing for a multi-million pound pay-off from Manchester United to leave the club this summer. (Sun) Liverpool have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Juventus defender Gleison Bremer after the 27-year-old Brazilian agreed a new contract with the Italian giants. (Fabrizio Romano) But Liverpool's hopes of landing Federico Chiesa, 26, have been boosted with Juventus boss Thiago Motta revealing the Italian winger could move on. (Mirror) Chelsea are in discussions with Atletico Madrid over a deal worth around ¬£35m for 20-year-old Spanish forward Samu Omorodion. (Sky Sports) Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has told Barcelona he is not looking to leave the club after being linked with a move to Fenerbahce. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish) Chelsea have agreed a ¬£20.5m deal with Gremio to sign 16-year-old Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Mec. (Globo) Chelsea have also agreed a season-long loan deal for English defender Alfie Gilchrist, 20, to join Sheffield United. (Athletic - subscription required) Fulham remain in contact with Manchester United over a potential deal for 27-year-old Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay. (Sky Sports) Leicester City are leading the race to sign Ivory Coast forward David Datro Fofana, 21, on loan from Chelsea. (Fabrizio Romano) Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Joe Hodge is in talks with League One side Huddersfield Town about a potential loan move, but Scottish side Hibernian are also interested in the 21-year-old Republic of Ireland player. (Express and Star) Leeds United are set to make an opening ¬£7m offer for Norwich's 21-year-old English winger Jonathan Rowe. (Telegraph) Sky Paper Talk THE ATHLETIC Manchester United are switching the focus of their search to sign a new midfielder away from Manuel Ugarte and on to other candidates. Arne Slot says Liverpool have ""their eye open to see what's available"" in the transfer market - but insists it is hard to improve the squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp. Chelsea defender Alfie Gilchrist has agreed to join Sheffield United on a season-long loan. Fulham defender Tim Ream is traveling to the United States to complete a permanent transfer to Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC. Middlesbrough are in advanced talks to sign Micah Hamilton from Manchester City. DAILY MAIL Julian Alvarez is on the verge of leaving Manchester City for Atletico Madrid in a deal worth around ¬£70million. The new England boss could be a foreign manager, after it emerged that the FA board had 'given approval' to expand the search beyond just English names. English rugby is set for a windfall of more than ¬£100million after signing a stadium naming rights deal with Allianz. Manchester United's new shirt sponsors Snapdragon would be interested in buying the naming rights to Old Trafford if the club build a new stadium. Spurs are pushing to sign Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth who has a ¬£65million clause. THE SUN Aaron Wan-Bissaka is demanding a multi-million-pound pay-off from Manchester United to leave the club this summer. DAILY TELEGRAPH Newcastle United are close to finalising a deal to sign England international Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace for a fee well in excess of ¬£60 million. Atletico Madrid are close to finalising a deal to sign Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez. Conor Gallagher has agreed to join Atletico Madrid from Chelsea for ¬£33.7 million after Diego Simeone pushed hard to convince the midfielder to move to Spain. Chelsea are in pole position to sign striker Samu Omorodion from Atletico Madrid after Conor Gallagher agreed to move to the Spanish club. Leeds United are set to make an opening ¬£7 million offer for Norwich City winger Jonathan Rowe, as the Championship club target a replacement for Crysencio Summerville. Tottenham Hotspur are attempting to make progress in a move for Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke. THE TIMES Julian Alvarez has agreed personal terms with Atletico Madrid as he tries to secure his departure from Manchester City this summer. The Premier League is considering a fresh bid to close the loophole that has allowed Chelsea to sell two hotels to a related company, enabling them to comply with financial rules. Napoli are expected to make a fresh bid for Billy Gilmour this week after a ¬£8.6million offer was rejected by Brighton & Hove Albion. THE SCOTTISH SUN Brighton are prepared to go over the Scottish transfer record to sign Matt O'Riley from Celtic. Dujon Sterling has been spotted in Rangers training in a major boost ahead of their crunch Champions League clash with Dynamo Kyiv. Philippe Clement has admitted Champions League football would help him complete his Rangers rebuild. Ben Doak could be headed for the Anfield exit door, just months after being called up by Steve Clarke for Euro 2024. Ianis Hagi has been subjected to B-team duty whilst his team mates prepare for the huge Champions League qualifying tie with Dynamo Kyiv. DAILY RECORD Brighton and Southampton remain in talks with Celtic over a deal for Matt O'Riley - but neither are getting close to the Hoops' valuation. Harvey Barnes has revealed he could switch allegiances to Scotland if he fails to revive his one-cap England career. DSPORTS Argentina @DSportsAR GUIDO RODRIGUEZ SIGNED WITH WEST HAM ‚úç ?üá¶?üá? The 30-year-old Argentine will have his first experience in the Premier League, coming from Real Betis as a free agent. ?üìã Contract until 2027. The Athletic Niclas Fullkrug to West Ham: The Athletic 500 transfer ratings West Ham United have confirmed the signing of Niclas Fullkrug from Borussia Dortmund for ¬£27million ($34.4m). The 31-year-old striker has signed a four-year deal with the Premier League side. Our writers ‚Äî experts in transfers, tactics, data and football finance ‚Äî have come together to rate this summer‚Äôs senior Premier League transfers in five categories, with each aspect given a score out of 100 to reach a total score out of 500. Hence, The Athletic 500. The ratings are explained in more detail here (not all transfers will be rated as there may be a lack of data to support an analysis). Below is our rating for this move. Tactical fit: 73/100 A look at how the player fits into his new club tactically, using Sentient Sports‚Äô bespoke tactical-fit model, explained by our tactical expert. Fullkrug is a 6ft 2in (188cm) traditional No 9, known for his physical presence and aerial dominance. He wins 3.5 aerial duels per game on average, placing him in the 85th percentile in Europe‚Äôs major leagues, significantly higher than his new team-mate Michail Antonio, who wins only 1.9 per match. His close control is also superior, with only 1.9 miscontrols per game compared to Antonio‚Äôs 3.7. Most of Fullkrug‚Äôs shots come from inside the box, an unsurprising detail given his build. In this example against Spain in the European Championship in July, Florian Wirtz plays a ball for Fullkrug to run onto. Nacho Fernandez makes his presence known by holding onto him, but Fullkrug is able to get his body across and takes control. His subsequent shot hits the post. Despite not being particularly quick, Fullkrug‚Äôs intelligent off-ball movement allows him to find and exploit spaces. He is able to use his body to shield the ball, hold off defenders, and link play with midfielders. At 31, Fullkrug is either at his peak or moving beyond it, which, while he is slightly younger than Antonio (34), is still a concern. Even though he can press and cover space to some extent, he is not designed for a high-pressing system. Julen Lopetegui prefers a balanced 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, with a focus on possession and creating overloads in central areas. Fullkrug‚Äôs aerial presence would be beneficial for West Ham, especially during set pieces and crosses from wide areas. His ability to hold up the ball and link play would complement players such as Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus, who can make runs off him and exploit the space created by his presence. His intelligent movement helps create spaces for midfielders and wide players, fitting well with Lopetegui‚Äôs emphasis on creating numerical advantages and overloads, while his ability to combine with midfielders and wingers can be important in executing Lopetegui‚Äôs tactical setups, which often involve short passing combinations. Here, in a game for Werder Bremen against Bayern Munich in August 2023, Fullkrug moves out wide to receive a pass from Mitchell Weiser. Fullkrug then plays a smart ball between Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano. Leonardo Bittencourt‚Äôs run into the box meets Fullkrug‚Äôs pass but he narrowly misses his shot on goal. With a tactical fit rating of 73, Fullkrug should be a decent fit for West Ham under Lopetegui. His aerial ability and link-up play match well with most of the tactical demands of the new manager‚Äôs system, although it remains to be seen how he will adapt to the physical stress of the Premier League. Season rating: 65/100 Borussia Dortmund signed Fullkrug on a three-year contract last summer. The 31-year-old striker then went on to feature prominently for them, making 29 league appearances and finishing as the club‚Äôs second-highest scorer with 12 league goals. He also registered eight assists. While Dortmund finished in a disappointing fifth place in the Bundesliga, 27 points adrift of champions Bayer Leverkusen, Fullkrug‚Äôs performances were a bright spot. Fullkrug scored an important equaliser against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals in April, helping Dortmund progress to the semi-finals of the competition for the first time in 11 years. He then scored the only goal in Dortmund‚Äôs 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the semi-finals in May. Overall, Fullkrug‚Äôs big moments endeared him to the Dortmund faithful, who embraced him as a modern-day cult hero ‚Äî a throwback centre-forward whose performances were a source of joy during a season filled with highs and lows. There‚Äôs now every chance he could become a similarly revered figure at London Stadium in 2024-25. Gaming rating: 74/100 Rating the player according to Football Manager 2024‚Äôs data across both current and potential ability. Fullkrug is a Premier League-calibre starting centre-forward according to the estimations of Football Manager‚Äôs extensive scouting network. The German has a current ability rating of 147 on FM24, comparable to Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson‚Äôs 151. Among West Ham attackers, Fullkrug is ahead of Michail Antonio and Danny Ings (both 135) and is behind the much younger duo of Mohammed Kudus (150) and Jarrod Bowen (155). Due to his age, FM24 does not believe Fullkrug will improve much in the future, giving him a potential ability rating of 150. This is ahead of Antonio‚Äôs 148 but behind Wilson (155), Ings, Bowen (both 160) and Kudus (162). Fullkrug should thus be able to contribute to West Ham‚Äôs attack at a decent level from the start. Financial value rating: 52/100 A four-category summary of the player‚Äôs transfer in financial terms ‚Äî and whether it makes sense for his new club Market value ‚Äî 15/25 An international centre-forward signed from a Champions League runner-up for ¬£27million screams strong business in a market where far greater sums are being exchanged. Fullkrug‚Äôs age brings obvious reservations over the fee, though, given it was twice what Borussia Dortmund paid 12 months ago. Squad cost ‚Äî 19/25 West Ham have been crying out for a new attacking focal point to lead their line and Fullkrug has all the capabilities to fit the bill at a cost that does not inhibit other business this summer. A signing for the here and now as Lopetegui looks for a big first season. Contract sensibility ‚Äî 10/25 He was unlikely to have left Dortmund unless it was for improved terms with West Ham and any four-year deal handed out to a 31-year-old brings an element of risk. Fullkrug will be 35 in the final months of his West Ham deal. Resale value ‚Äî 8/25 Every season that passes will see Fullkrug‚Äôs value diminish and without selling in the first half of his deal, it would be difficult to see West Ham recouping much of the fee they have just paid. Not a primary motivation when signing any 31-year-old, but his financial stock might just have peaked. Risk or reward? 70/100 Is there a history of injury or other problems that could crop up and make this deal a bad one in retrospect? Or does the player come with a clean bill of health? Our expert takes a look. Fullkrug brings experience and goals, but there are a few risks with this signing. He is on the wrong side of 30 and has had a few niggling injuries over the years. The German most notably suffered an ACL injury that kept him out for virtually the entire 2019-20 season, while also nursing multiple calf problems since 2020 after struggling with ankle issues before that. Encouragingly for West Ham, the last two seasons have been excellent for Fullkrug on the injury front. He missed only one of Dortmund‚Äôs 47 matches across the Bundesliga and Champions League last season due to injury, featuring in 42. He also came on as a substitute in all five of Germany‚Äôs Euro 2024 matches, scoring twice. Given his age, it is unlikely West Ham will be able to sell him again for a big fee and Fullkrug could also face some difficulties adapting to the Premier League and to Lopetegui‚Äôs system at Wolves. However, he has scored 56 goals in 157 Bundesliga games for three different clubs and as a short-term signing, this has value for both parties. Overall rating: 334/500 EPL Index Kurt Zouma‚Äôs Future at West Ham in Doubt Amid Interest in German Star West Ham‚Äôs Transfer Conundrum: The Future of Zouma and the Hunt for Hummels West Ham United‚Äôs transfer saga continues to unfold, with the club urging Kurt Zouma to find a new destination. The podcast from Hammers Chat, featuring contributors such as Geo Mackie, delved into the intricacies of this situation, shedding light on the club‚Äôs decisions and future plans. Zouma‚Äôs Departure: A Necessity or a Gamble? In a surprising twist, West Ham‚Äôs management, reportedly influenced by concerns over Zouma‚Äôs recurring knee issues, has asked the player to seek a new club. As Mackie discussed, ‚ÄúWest Ham have urged Kurt Zouma to find a new club,‚Äù highlighting the club‚Äôs intention to cut ties due to financial and health concerns. Zouma, who once stood as the club‚Äôs highest-paid player with a weekly wage of ¬£125,000, faces an uncertain future. The reluctance to leave, as explained in the podcast, stems from his established role as a key player and the support he received during the controversial ‚Äúcat gate‚Äù incident. Despite the emotional attachment, the decision appears financially motivated. ‚ÄúThe club feel his wages could be better spent elsewhere,‚Äù Mackie noted, suggesting that Zouma‚Äôs departure could free up funds for new signings. This sentiment was echoed by other contributors, emphasising the practicality of reallocating resources. The Search for a Replacement: Mats Hummels on the Radar As Zouma‚Äôs potential exit looms, West Ham‚Äôs eyes have turned towards Mats Hummels, the seasoned German defender. Hummels, who recently left Borussia Dortmund, offers a wealth of experience but raises concerns about the club‚Äôs direction. The podcast highlighted this with Mackie‚Äôs insight, ‚ÄúHummels was unlucky not to make it for Germany‚Ķ he had a really good Champions League campaign with Dortmund last season.‚Äù The prospect of signing Hummels has divided opinions. Some see it as a wise short-term solution, providing stability at the back while the club seeks a more permanent replacement. Others worry about the optics of West Ham becoming a ‚Äúretirement home‚Äù for aging players. However, Mackie argues that Hummels‚Äô addition could be a strategic move, allowing West Ham to ‚Äúreplace Kurt Zouma properly with the budget from next summer‚Äôs kitty.‚Äù The Broader Transfer Strategy: Balancing Youth and Experience West Ham‚Äôs transfer strategy, as discussed in the podcast, seems to oscillate between signing young talents and experienced veterans. This dual approach aims to balance immediate performance with long-term potential. The pursuit of Jean-Clair Todibo and Omar Solet exemplifies the club‚Äôs desire to invest in younger players while also considering experienced options like Hummels. The podcast further elaborated on this strategy, noting the club‚Äôs aggressive stance in the transfer market. ‚ÄúWest Ham have set the price‚Ķ Juventus want Todibo, but they‚Äôve yet to come up with the funds,‚Äù Mackie observed, indicating West Ham‚Äôs willingness to outbid competitors for key targets. This approach, though risky, could potentially pay off, securing the club‚Äôs defensive future. Conclusion: A Critical Summer for West Ham As the summer transfer window progresses, West Ham faces crucial decisions that will shape their upcoming season. The potential departure of Kurt Zouma, the possible arrival of Mats Hummels, and the ongoing negotiations for other targets mark a transformative period for the club. The podcast from Hammers Chat provided an insightful analysis of these developments, offering fans a glimpse into the club‚Äôs strategic thinking. For West Ham supporters, this period is a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. The hope is that the club can navigate these challenges and emerge stronger, ready to compete at the highest levels. As always, the passionate fanbase will be watching closely, eager to see how their team evolves in the coming weeks. HITC West Ham star set for medical ahead of Saudi move, it will make space for new signing HITC can reveal that the Saudi Pro League are in advanced talks with West Ham over a deal for Kurt Zouma. The 29-year-old defender has been told by new manager Julen Lopetegui that he is not in his plans for the upcoming season. Kurt Zouma is now ready to leave the Hammers this summer and is open to joining a Saudi Arabian side. The Saudi Pro League have a long-standing interest in Zouma and tried to sign him last summer. However, the French defender decided against the move. Talks between both clubs are now progressing quickly and HITC can confirm that a medical has already been scheduled. The identity of the Saudi club has been kept quiet but it is understood that Al-Qadsiah is one possible destination after they spoke to him earlier this summer. West Ham target new defender West Ham initially offered Zouma to Nice as part of the proposed deal for Jean-Clair Todibo. However, the Ligue 1 side were not willing to match his wages, which are understood to be over ¬£100,000 a week. The Saudi Pro League are happy to match Zouma‚Äôs wages but are not offering a significant transfer fee. West Ham are ready to sanction the deal regardless. With Zouma on his way out of the club, the Hammers are still hopeful that they can land Jean-Clair Tobibo this summer. West Ham had a bid accepted for the 24-year-old defender but Juventus looked set to hijack the deal for Todibo last month. However, a potential move to Italy is now stalling and West Ham are hopeful of luring him to London ‚Äì they face competition from Newcastle United who have also held talks with Todibo. West Ham have already added Max Kilman to their centre-back department this summer but they are eager to bring in another first-choice defender to partner him at the back."