Paper Talk
John Stones is 'definitely interested' in joining Chelsea.
Furious West Brom fans have demanded the club sack James McClean for snubbing the English flag.
Nemanja Matic has taunted Manchester United, claiming their summer spending could backfire.
Andriy Yarmolenko has been told to snub Stoke as he can do better.
Crystal Palace have clinched a loan deal for Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford.
Loic Remy has snubbed a reunion with Alan Pardew at Crystal Palace to fight for his Chelsea place.
Fenerbahce want Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon to follow Robin van Persie and Nani to Turkey.
Manchester United have denied making a £70m bid for Germany and Bayern Munich striker Thomas Muller.
Chelsea are set to move for Ausburg left-back Abdul Baba Rahman this week after finally agreeing to sell Filipe Luis to Atletico Madrid.
Paris Saint-Germain are convinced they are winning the fight to snatch Angel Di Maria from Manchester United after just one season.
Sunderland are determined to land Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembele - despite the north Londoners' insistence that he is not for sale.
Norwich boss Alex Neil is leading the chase to snap up in-demand Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert.
West Ham will return for Kevin Mirallas this week after their £6million bid was rejected over the weekend.
Steve Bruce has threatened to quit Hull if he is not given the funds to take the Tigers back to the Premier League.
Chelsea will ignore Everton's insistence John Stones is not for sale and will consider paying a record £34m for the defender in an attempt to weaken their resolve.
Wayne Rooney has vowed to score 30 goals for Manchester United this season - providing he is played up front every week.
Norwich have joined the race for Liverpool's Rickie Lambert as they prepare for life back in the Premier League.
Crystal Palace are set to sign QPR goalkeeper Alex McCarthy or £3.5million - and Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford on a season-long loan.
Lyon defender Samuel Umtiti has snubbed Chelsea and Arsenal by signing a new deal with the French club.
Arsenal have seen a £31.3m bid for Real Madrid's Karim Benzema rejected, according to reports. Meanwhile, the Gunners are said to be lining up Monaco midfielder Joao Moutinho.
Spurs will consider allowing Emmanuel Adebayor to join Aston Villa on a season-long loan which would effectively end his White Hart Lane career.
Chelsea remain confident of signing John Stones from Everton, but may need to pay as much as £34 million for the central defender.
Tony Pulis will make a £3million bid for Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert this week as he steps up his search for signings at West Bromwich Albion.
West Ham are preparing to make a second bid for Kevin Mirallas after an initial £6m offer was rejected by Everton.
Chelsea are refusing to relent in the battle to sign Everton's John Stones and will make an improved bid of around £26m while Loic Remy has been told he still has a future at Stamford Bridge.
Arturo Vidal is joining Bayern Munich after Juventus agreed a £25.9m fee for the midfielder with a further £2.1m in add-ons.
Crystal Palace are set to sign the QPR goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, which should pave the way for the Eagles' Wayne Hennessey to join West Brom.
Manchester United do not wish to allow Jonny Evans to leave until they have another centre back lined up.
Chelsea's move for £15million-rated Augsburg left back Baba Rahman can now go ahead after the Barclays Premier League champions agreed that Filipe Luis can return to Atletico Madrid.
Chelsea will make a fresh £26million offer for Everton defender John Stones after the champions' initial £20m bid was rebuffed.
Alexandre Pato is ready to play in English football, has been offered to a number of mid-level clubs in the Premier League and here's the surprise: he's still only 25.
Brendan Rodgers expects Jordon Ibe to play a key role in Liverpool's first team this season, but says he has a long way to go before fulfilling his potential.
Manchester United will not sign Robert Lewandowski or Thomas Muller, claims former Red Markus Neaumayr.
Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette has insisted he does not want to join Arsenal or Manchester United after being linked with the Premier League duo.
Joe Hart insists Manchester City are not just signing Englishmen for the sake of it.
Inter Milan are expected to submit a bid for Chelsea's Filipe Luís, rivalling Atletico Madrid who want to re-sign their former player.
Chelsea are pushing to conclude a £14m deal with Augsburg for left-back Abdul Baba Rehman after finally selling Felipe Luis back to Atletico Madrid.
Chelsea are ready to sell £26.1m flop Juan Cuadrado - just six months after he arrived.
BBC
Liverpool are set to be disappointed in their attempts to make Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus, 26, their record £46m signing, with Real Madrid set to beat them to the Germany international's signature. (Liverpool Echo)
Manchester United have had a record bid turned down for Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller, 25, according to Sport1 in Germany. (ESPN)
But United have dismissed rumours linking them with a £70m bid for midfielder Muller. (Daily Mirror)
And the club will not sign Pole Robert Lewandowski, 26, either, according to former Manchester United youth player Markus Neumayr. (Daily Star)
Chelsea will make a fresh £26m offer for Everton defender John Stones, 21, after the Premier League champions' initial £20m bid was rebuffed. (Daily Mail)
But Everton are likely to demand more than £30m for Stones, which would make him the most expensive English defender ever. (The Guardian)
Stones is keen on a move to Chelsea, despite being quoted as saying he was happy at Everton. (The Sun - subscription required)
Chelsea are also pushing to conclude a £14m deal with Bundesliga side Augsburg for left-back Abdul Baba Rahman, 21. (Evening Standard)
Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood wants a reunion with Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor, 31, as a replacement for Liverpool-bound Christian Benteke, 24. (Daily Telegraph)
Manchester United are interested in bringing Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero, 28, to Old Trafford to replace Victor Valdes. (Manchester Evening News)
Crystal Palace are to sign England under-21 striker Patrick Bamford, 21, on loan from Chelsea after deciding against a move for Stamford Bridge team-mate Loic Remy, 28. (Sun - subscription required)
West Ham are to increase their £6m offer for Everton winger Kevin Mirallas after an initial bid for the Belgium international, 27, was rejected. (Daily Telegraph)
Newly promoted Norwich are interested in signing Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert, 33. (Daily Mirror)
Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini, 31, is on the verge of sealing a move to Galatasaray in a deal worth about £2.8m. (Evening Standard)
Former Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert says Christian Benteke's £32.5m move from Villa to Liverpool will prove to be money well spent. (Sky Sports)
The future of Manchester City and Barcelona target Paul Pogba depends on his club Juventus, according to the 22-year-old's agent. (talkSPORT)
Nemanja Matic has become the first Chelsea player to express his disappointment that goalkeeper Petr Cech, 33, was sold to rivals Arsenal. (Independent)
Juventus are set to assess Arsenal target Julian Draxler, 21, before entering talks with Schalke. (Daily Express)
Stuttgart and Borussia Monchengladbach have expressed an interest in taking Chelsea defender Nathan Ake, 20, on loan next season. (Daily Mail)
England captain Wayne Rooney, 29, believes being elevated to Manchester United's main striker could allow him to surpass his best ever tally of 34 goals for the club. (The Guardian)
Valencia have signed Australia goalkeeper Matt Ryan, 23, from Belgium side Club Brugge for a reported £4.9m. (AS)
Former Liverpool defender John Arne Riise has gone to extreme lengths to ensure he does not forget his old club by having the club's slogan 'You'll never Walk Alone' tattooed on his leg.
"Proud to show my new tattoo," he wrote on Instagram. "A tribute to the amazing club and fans of @liverpoolfc."
Andrea Pirlo, 36, said his goodbyes to former Juventus team-mates as he visited the Turin club's training base before leaving to play for New York City in the MLS.
The Serie A club said on its official Instagram account: "The Maestro swings by Juventus Centre to wish us good luck for the season ahead!"
And finally
Liverpool defender Kolo Toure has revealed he is terrified of animals, including his own dog who he hasn't touched in seven years. (Metro)
Guardian Rumour Mill
Paul Doyle
Suggestions that the new-look Liverpool risk being exposed as all fur coat and no knickers will gather strength if it is true, as some reports claim, that the Anfield side is preparing to shed the sturdy pair of underpants that is Mamadou Sakho. With Lazio apparently eager to try the French defender on for size, Liverpool are said to be contemplating effectively going commando at the back, with only Dejan Lovren and Martin Skrtel retained as token protectors against obscenity.
Meanwhile, Brendan Rodgers’ attempt to add even more snazz to his attacking options have been dealt what the Liverpool Echo describes as a “crushing blow” as Marco Reus indicated that he would prefer to play for Real Madrid rather than Liverpool, which, of course, only underlines what a fine successor to Raheem Sterling he could have been. Rickie Lambert, meanwhile, could become a successor to Justin Fashanu, Mick Channon and Roberto Rosario, amongst others, as Norwich City want him in their budgie colours.
All has been quiet on the Arsenal front since their capture of Petr Cech but there could soon be a noisy renewal down Emirates way of the long argument over Olivier Giroud’s worth. Those that maintain the Frenchman is a tip-top forward who can shoot the Gunners to glory may be aghast if it turns out that Arsène Wenger does not share their optimism, which is what a mooted £45m bid for Karim Benzema would indicate. All Arsenal fans, on the other hand, will join together and heave one giant sigh of relief if it turns out that Wenger has indeed decided to buy another holding midfield – and not just anyone, but João Moutinho, last seen helping Monaco inflict a humiliatingly comprehensive defeat on Arsenal at the Emirates. The French side are willing to let the Portuguese go for €20m, which, if the Mill has been following the news correctly, equates to about 0.79p.
If Wenger wants Schalke’s silky-skilled Julian Draxler, then he’ll have to better the bid of Juventus. Mathieu Flamini’s days at Arsenal are numbered, with the number being exactly the same as the number of days it takes Galatasaray to come up with a fee of around £2.5m for the midfielder.
Paris Saint-Germain’s sporting director, Olivier Létang, is currently in Manchester. It could be that he is on a personal pilgrimage to the house where Judy Finnigan was born, but the Mill suspects he’s up to some Ángel Di María-related business.
Manchester United, meanwhile, will definitely not be up to any Robert Lewandowski-related business, according to Markus Neumayr, who used to play for the club. No word yet on what Arthur Albiston or Russell Beardsmore think of the situation. William Prunier, however, is thought to be unmoved by suggestions that United are poised to make Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero their new No2.
If you are Augsburg left-back Abdul Baba Rahman, then head home immediately and wait by your front door because Chelsea are going to come knocking any minute now, apparently.
Stoke are willing to smash their transfer record to sign Dynamo Kiev winger Andriy Yarmolenko.
And if Hull want Southend goalkeeper Daniel Bentley to help them get back to the Premier League, they’ll have to offer Southend a darn sight more money than they’re currently dangling.
HITC
West Ham resurrect interest in free agent Lassana Diarra, player wants move
Olly Dawes
According to the Daily Mail, West Ham have rekindled their interest in midfielder Lassana Diarra - and the player wants a move to Upton Park.
Diarra, 30, is known for having played for the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Portsmouth in the Premier League, as well as Spanish giants Real Madrid during a successful career.
Yet for the last year, Diarra has been sat on the sidelines having been left mired in a contractual battle with Lokomotiv Moscow, with the Frenchman claiming that he is a free agent and Lokomotiv saying they still own his contract.
FIFA have now stepped in and have allowed Diarra to become a free agent this summer, which could be music to the ears of West Ham, after former boss Sam Allardyce admitted to BBC Sport in February that their move for Diarra had been blocked.
The Daily Mail report that West Ham are indeed rekindling their interest in the holding midfielder, and the player is keen to make the move to Upton Park having spent time training with the club earlier in 2015.
What can Diarra bring to West Ham?
Having seen Alex Song return to Barcelona upon the expiration of his loan deal at Upton Park, the Hammers could try to bring in another veteran midfielder with Premier League experience.
Diarra may not be quite as physically impressive as his former Arsenal team-mate Song, but he possesses great passing ability and relentless work rate - aspects that could be appealing to new manager Slaven Bilic.
Factor in that Diarra would be available on a free transfer, and this potential deal for Diarra begins to make a ton of sense for West Ham, who have already been busy in the transfer market this summer.
Touchline Talk
West Ham and Crystal Palace in hunt for ex-Milan star
Two Premier League sides are considering an audacious move to bring former-AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato to England’s top-tier, according to the Daily Express.
West Ham and Crystal Palace are both in the market for a striker this summer, and reports suggest that Pato is high on the list for both clubs.
The 25-year-old is currently in his native Brazil, playing for Sao Paulo on loan from Corinthians until December.
He would though, be able to cut short his loan deal should a European club make a suitable offer for his services.
Rising star
Pato was once one of the brightest young strikers in Europe, and a future Brazilian star. He was destined for big things, reportedly on the brink of a move to French giants Paris Saint-Germain in January 2012.
However, at the start of the 2010-11 season, his career went into drastic decline courtesy of endless injury woes.
He spent six weeks on the treatment table for a hamstring injury, a problem he had already suffered twice that year.
His injury problems continued into the following campaign, limiting him to intermittent first-team appearances. However, when fit, he was still able to showcase his talent in front of goal – netting 14 league goals from 25 appearances.
Unfortunately, his injuries soon caught up with him, hampering his productivity in front of goal. In his final two seasons with Milan, he scored just six goals in 25 appearances.
Homeland
On 3 January 2013, the striker agreed a deal to return to his native Brazil. However, just four months later he was facing criticism from Corinthians’ fans, having missed several key chances in a league clash with Goias.
One month later, he missed four goal chances in a 1-0 defeat to Cruzeiro, once again landing him on the wrong side of fan abuse. Despite ongoing support from his manager, Pato clearly was not the same player that had threatened to dominate Europe only two years before.
Then in February last year, he was loaned to Sao Paulo in a deal that saw ex-Shakhtar Donetsk man Jadson move in the opposite direction.
Here he has had much more success, scoring 28 goals in 71 appearances for the club in all competitions; but while it is not quite the same return from his Milan days, he is showing glimpses of his long-lost potential.
Redemption
At 25-years-old, it is not the end for Pato by any means. He has plenty time to regain many of the plaudits he had as a youngster, especially if he signs for a Premier League outfit.
Both Crystal Palace and West Ham are willing to offer the striker a crack at England’s top-tier, but while his pace and mobility may be have declined over the years, he can still do a job.
He would be considered a gamble for both sides, but he could be worth the risk. With The Hammers set to be without Andy Carroll for the start of the season, Slaven Bilic is in desperate need of a replacement.
London24
West Ham chief gives vital Enner Valencia update on puts date on strikers’ return
Brad Pinard
West Ham chairman David Gold has confirmed striker Enner Valencia should be fit to play in around 10 days.
The Ecuadorian has been away at the Copa America this summer and then a short holiday break in order to get him back to West Ham in the best shape.
After his first year in the Premier League, where he was a regular for West Ham, Valencia may be a little jaded after back to back summer tournaments too.
However, with West Ham having so many games coming up, Valencia should have plenty of time to feature and Gold expects that to be in the Europa League third qualifying round next week, should the Hammers make it through.
Evening Standard
Dimitri Payet will cause 'defensive chaos' next season, says Diego Poyet
Sam Long
New West Ham signing Dimitri Payet has been tipped to cause "defensive chaos" in the Premier League next season by Hammers team-mate Diego Poyet.
The 28-year-old signed for the east London club from Marseille for a reported fee of £10.7 million earlier this summer and has enjoyed a blistering start to his career in England.
The Frenchman produced a superb display on his debut in a pre-season friendly victory against League One outfit Southend United last Saturday, scoring two goals, one of which was a beautifully curled free kick.
Although Payet's promising performance was produced in a non-competitive fixture, his arrival has sparked plenty of excitement amongst the Upton Park faithful, which Poyet has revealed is shared by the club's players.
"What a player. Some of us had seen him play in the past, for others it was the first time," Poyet told the club's official website.
"You can see what he can do. He’s a great addition to the team and I’m sure he’s going to create a lot of defensive chaos this year," declared the 20-year-old, who is the son of former Uruguay midfielder Gus.
“It’s very exciting for everyone, and it’s the last season at the Boleyn Ground, so I’m sure it’s going to be a great season for us," he told the club's official website.
The Irons scored a total of 16 goals from midfield last season and the presence of Payet, who found the net on seven occasions during his final campaign in Ligue 1, will help to improve the goal threat of Slaven Bilic's side.
