Football’s transfer machine continues to grind away and speculation is rampant as Premier League clubs and those across Europe look to finalise their squads for the new season.
Lisandro Martinez is headed to Old Trafford after Manchester United confirmed they have agreed a deal with Ajax worth up to £57m and the Argentine international defender will link up with his former boss Erik ten Hag.
Arsenal were also interested in the Argentina international but missed out on the left-sided centre-back despite the prospect of playing for Mikel Arteta appealing to him.
In other news, Cristiano Ronaldo could be on the verge of a shock move to Atletico Madrid, Armando Broja is edging closer to leaving Chelsea for West Ham, Arsenal are looking to tie up at least one of Oleksandr Zinchenko or Youri Tielemans and Matthijs de Ligt is Bayern Munich-bound from Juventus.
Follow all the latest transfer news with our live blog below:
LIVE football transfer updates
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Lisandro Martinez is headed to Manchester United after deal agreed
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Cristiano Ronaldo being linked with Atletico Madrid
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Matthijs de Ligt on verge of joining Bayern Munich from Juventus
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Mikel Arteta confirms William Saliba is in Arsenal’s plans
How the Premier League top six are shaping up – Manchester City
12:51 , Luke Baker
Most clubs would panic when losing the goal threat of Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling in one summer but the reigning champions won the race to sign Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund to remedy any issues.
Pep Guardiola also raided Leeds to bring in England midfielder Kalvin Phillips with back-up goalkeeper Stefan Ortega added to the squad, too.
They face Club America on Thursday before matches against Bayern Munich and Liverpool in the Community Shield.
PA
Oleksandr Zinchenko moving closer to Arsenal move
12:42 , Luke Baker
Arsenal are reportedly making further progress in their negotiations with Manchester City over a move for Oleksandr Zinchenko.
According to Sky Sports, talks are still ongoing between the Gunners and the Premier League champions over a deal thought to be in the region of £30m.
It is believed there is a growing sense of confidence optimism that the move will be concluded as a matter of priority, with both clubs eager to finalise an agreement over the coming days.
If Zinchenko does head to north London, Arsenal’s pursuit of Youri Tielemans may well be over.
Robert Lewandowski explains leaving Bayern Munich for Barcelona
12:33 , Luke Baker
Robert Lewandowski said a desire for a new challenge motivated his decision to leave Bayern Munich and sign for Barcelona, while also fulfilling his “dream” of playing in LaLiga.
Barcelona have confirmed an agreement with Bayern Munich over an initial £38 million transfer of the 33-year-old Poland international, who is expected to sign a three-year contract with the option of an additional year.
Although the deal is not yet complete, Lewandowski has joined Barcelona on their pre-season tour of the United States and has met his new team-mates. It brings a protracted transfer saga to a close after Lewandowski announced plans to leave Bayern at the end of last season.
Lewandowski, who won eight Bundesliga titles in as many seasons with Bayern as well as the Champions League in 2020, becomes Barcelona’s fourth transfer of the summer, following Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen and Raphinha
‘I’m finally here’: Robert Lewandowski explains leaving Bayern Munich for Barcelona
Armando Broja edging closer to West Ham move
12:26 , Luke Baker
Chelsea striker Armando Broja is moving ever closer to a transfer to West Ham and it looks likely to be a permanent deal.
Broja was on loan at Southampton last season and, after impressing at St Marys Stadium, he looks set to head to the London Stadium to provide David Moyes with another striking option outside of Michail Antonio.
Personal terms were really close to getting over the line and appear to have now been sorted according to Fabrizio Romano.
Paulo Dybala set to join Roma on a free transfer
12:14 , Luke Baker
Argentina international forward Paulo Dybala has agreed a deal in principle to sign for Serie A side AS Roma on a free transfer following his departure from Juventus, a source close to the club told Reuters on Monday.
Dybala, who was linked with a transfer to Inter Milan after his deal with Juventus expired, will sign a three-year contract with Roma worth 6 million euros ($6.09 million), Italian news agency ANSA said.
The 28-year-old won five league titles and four Coppa Italia trophies with Juventus after joining the Turin-based club from Palermo in 2015, scoring 115 goals in 293 appearances across all competitions.
Dybala will become Roma’s fourth signing of the transfer window after the arrivals of midfielder Nemanja Matic, goalkeeper Mile Svilar and defender Zeki Celik.
Roma finished sixth in Serie A last season and won the Europa Conference League under Jose Mourinho.
Reuters
Cristiano Ronaldo ignoring calls as speculation over his future continues
12:07 , Luke Baker
Cristiano Ronaldo has taken to ignoring phone calls as speculation over his future continues this summer, including from former Manchester United and Portugal team-mate Nani.
Ronaldo has told United that he intends to leave the club this summer in order to play Champions League football but the 37-year-old has been informed by manager Erik ten Hag that he is not for sale.
Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are among clubs to have been linked with Ronaldo, who has yet to join United’s pre-season tour of Asia and Australia due to “personal reasons”.
The uncertainty it set to continue despite United’s stance while Ronaldo remains silent, and Nani has revealed that even those close to Ronaldo are not aware of his plans ahead of the upcoming season.
“When he’s on vacation he doesn’t answer the phone to anybody!” said Nani, who has joined Melbourne Victory and played against United in a friendly last week. “I tried to talk to him, but he said ‘I’m so busy now, we’ll talk soon’.”
Cristiano Ronaldo ignoring calls as speculation over his future continues
Can a different, deep-lying Christian Eriksen transform Manchester United?
12:01 , Luke Baker
In the ambulance that delivered Christian Eriksen from Parken to the emergency department of Copenhagen’s largest hospital, he told the attendant paramedics that they could take his boots because he would no longer be needing them, writes Mark Critchley.
The cardiac arrest that almost tragically ended his life while he was playing in last summer’s European Championship had surely ended his career, he thought. And yet a little more than a year later he has signed for Manchester United.
Eriksen’s recovery and extraordinary return to play was the feelgood story of last season, especially as it ended with him helping newly promoted Brentford to avoid relegation comfortably. Thomas Frank’s side were only three points clear of the drop before his first start in early March, but in his 11 appearances they averaged two points per game. It was more than enough to steer Brentford to safety. In fact, that sort of average over the course of an entire season would have been enough to finish in the top four.
Now the question is whether his signing can have a similarly galvanising effect at Old Trafford, his presence lifting another team up to Champions League standard.
Can a different, deep-lying Christian Eriksen transform Manchester United?
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite secures PSV Eindhoven loan move
11:55 , Luke Baker
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite will spend the season on loan at Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.
The 20-year-old, who has played 13 times for the Toffees since joining from Carlisle in 2020, will join up with Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s team for the 2022/23 campaign.
The centre-back remains part of Everton’s long-term plans, having signed a new contract at the club last December, but gets the chance to develop his game in the Dutch Eredivisie.
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite secures PSV Eindhoven loan move
Who are Bayern Munich now? Robert Lewandowski’s imminent exit raises identity question
11:47 , Luke Baker
Timing is part of the striker’s art. Robert Lewandowski can time his arrival into the penalty box better than virtually anyone else. First to the ball so often, he was reportedly last to training recently, apparently late three days in a row, writes Richard Jolly.
A sulking striker seemed to be sending a message. It was heeded. A day later, Bayern Munich announced a deal had been agreed. Lewandowski will join one of the worst Barcelona teams in the last four decades.
Not, perhaps, that he would phrase it that way. But if Bayern Munich’s status as a destination club may feel under threat when talismen decamp to Spain’s superpowers, with Lewandowski following in the footsteps of David Alaba, who joined Real Madrid last year, it suggests they can be bored by winning the Bundesliga.
In that context, the summer signing Sadio Mane and the probable recruit Matthijs de Ligt assume an importance that goes beyond the addition of an attacker to bolster a forward line that will soon be deprived of Lewandowski and a defence in which first Alaba and then Niklas Sule have gone on free transfers in successive summers.
Who are Bayern Munich now? Robert Lewandowski exit raises identity question
Gareth Bale makes LAFC debut as team triumph over Nashville
11:40 , Luke Baker
In already-completed transfer news, Gareth Bale is now starting to settle in at LAFC – having made his debut for the Los Angeles-based club last night.
The Welshman helped LA triumph over Nashville Soccer Club 2-1 after being unveiled earlier in the month, having agreed to a one-year deal which will help his preparations for Wales’ World Cup finals appearance in Qatar.
He was brought on for the end of the game and impressed with his first touch at the club after only five minutes, pulling off a stunning backheel pass.
Bale, who turns 33 at the end of this week, earlier revealed he has longer-term ambitions with LA and sees no reason why he will not remain Stateside well beyond the terms of his current deal.
Gareth Bale makes LAFC debut as team triumph over Nashville
William Saliba ‘is in the plans’ for Arsenal
11:31 , Luke Baker
Arsenal centre back William Saliba has impressed on loan in Ligue 1 for the past few seasons but has targeted a breakthrough at the Emirates stadium this season as he looks to seal a spot in France’s World Cup squad.
And Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has confirmed the 21-year-old is part of his thinking this term, while urging him to seize his chance.
Speaking during Arsenal’s pre-season tour of the United States, Arteta declared: “He is in the plans. We cannot guarantee first-team football to anybody in this team – you can ask that question to anybody.
“What we guarantee is that the ones we really see and think are going to take us to the next level, they’re going to be playing a lot of minutes.
“He’s a proper talent and he’s shown in the last year what can do. But in football it’s about what you do the next day – what everybody did three months ago or a month ago, it doesn’t really matter. It’s about what you do tomorrow and he’s going to have the chance to play.”
Cristiano Ronaldo to Atletico Madrid?
11:14 , Luke Baker
A potential shock return to Madrid could be on the cards as Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly convinced Diego Simeone to sign him for Atletico.
Ronaldo has made no secret of his desire to leave Manchester United to play Champions League football and Atleti fit the ball, despite the 37-year-old being a legend for fierce rivals Real Madrid.
The market for Ronaldo has not been as robust as the Portuguese might have hoped for with Chelsea and Bayern Munich having ruled themselves out and the forward rejecting a lucrative offer from an unnamed Saudi Arabian club.
Spanish outlet Diario AS are now claiming he could be about to return to the Spanish capital with Atletico.
Matthijs De Ligt to join Bayern for £68m
11:06 , Luke Baker
A big move on the continent as Bayern Munich have agreed a £68m deal with Juventus to sign centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, according to reports from Sky in Germany among others.
The Bundesliga champions will pay an initial £59.5m plus a further £8.5m in add-ons with the contract lasting until the summer of 2027.
The Netherlands international is still only 22 years old and is expected to complete his medical in Munich today, with Fabrizio Romano also confirming the move.
Lisandro Martinez: Manchester United reach £47m agreement with Ajax for Argentina defender
10:58 , Luke Baker
Manchester United have reached an agreement with Ajax for the £47 million transfer of defender Lisandro Martinez that could rise to £55m.
The Argentina centre back will become new United manager Erik ten Hag’s third summer signing at Old Trafford, subject to a medical, and is set to sign a five-year contract with the option of an additional year.
Ajax confirmed in a statement that the deal includes another £8.5 million in potential add-ons for the 24-year-old international.
Ten Hag coached the defender at Ajax last season and Martinez follows Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen in joining the club this summer.
Manchester United said: “Manchester United is delighted to announce the club has reached agreement with Ajax for the transfer of Argentine international defender Lisandro Martinez, subject to medical, to player terms being finalised, and to UK visa requirements.”
Manchester United reach £47m agreement with Ajax for defender Lisandro Martinez
Football transfer news and rumours
10:56 , Luke Baker
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the latest football transfer news and rumours.
There’s plenty going on across Europe as Lisandro Martinez is Man Utd-bound, Matthijs de Ligt will be joining Bayern Munich and the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Armando Broja, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Youri Tielemans among others have their futures up in the air.
Stick with us as we bring you all the latest news.