Manchester City looks set to make Napoli midfielder Jorginho its first signing of the summer for a fee of around $56 million.
The Premier League champions have chased the Brazil-born Italy international for months and, according to the Manchester Evening News, the player's agent is due to fly to Manchester in the coming days to finalize the deal and Jorginho could complete his move to the Etihad Stadium by next week.
Across the city, meanwhile, West Ham forward Marko Arnautovic has emerged as a surprise target for Manchester United. According to Sky Sports, Jose Mourinho has been impressed by the Austria international's performances for West Ham and was in attendance as Austria beat Russia 1-0 on Wednesday night.
West Ham, however, is said to be reluctant to part ways with the 29-year-old and is likely to demand a fee of around $66.6 million to allow him to leave.
According to The Sun, Mourinho has also warned United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward against blowing the club's transfer budget on Gareth Bale. The 20-time champions of England have been linked with the Welshman, who could cost an eye-watering $266 million.
While Mourinho would not be against signing Bale, he does not want Woodward to fund the transfer by using the budget set aside for other players. The Times, meanwhile, suggests United is considering paying over the odds to clinch the signing of Porto right-back Diogo Dalot, to prevent any of its rivals from swooping for the 19-year-old.
Elsewhere, according to the Express, Chelsea are plotting an audacious $106 million bid for Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, after his agent, Pini Zahavi, revealed the Poland international wants to leave Germany.
"Robert believes he needs a change and a new challenge in his career, Bayern officials know it," Zahavi, the man who brokered Neymar's move to Paris Saint-Germain, said on Wednesday.
PSG itself and Real Madrid are also said to be monitoring the situation, while The Telegraph suggests Bayern Munich officials are adamant Lewandowski will not be allowed to leave.
Meanwhile, the Mirror reports Liverpool will step up its chase of Lyon midfielder Naby Fekir in a bid to strike a deal before the World Cup. French newspaper Le Parisien suggested on Wednesday that the Reds have submitted a $70 million bid for the France international but that might not be enough to convince Lyon to sell.
Another midfielder who could swap Ligue 1 for the Premier League is Yacine Adli, with the Mirror reporting the 17-year-old has agreed terms with Arsenal after rejecting an offer from Paris Saint-Germain.
The Frenchman will reportedly sign a three-year deal with an option for two further seasons and will be reunited with Unai Emery, who managed him during his two-year spell in the French capital.
According to The Times, Arsenal have also offered a new five-year contract to Aaron Ramsey, while The Sun suggests Emery will also open talks with Jack Wilshere as early as next week.
Away from the Premier League, the Express and The Sun both report Stoke City will demand $40 million for England goalkeeper Jack Butland, while John Terry is now a free agent after leaving Aston Villa.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he was a news and business reporter at International Business Times UK. Dan has also written for The Guardian and The Observer.
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