Chelsea

The current Premier League champions continue to be linked with Radamel Falcao, with the BBC suggesting that a loan deal will be announced as soon as the player returns from the Copa America. 4 goals in 29 appearances for Manchester United hardly set the league alight, but 70 goals in 2 seasons for Atletico Madrid followed 72 goals in 2 seasons for Porto, so it’s fair to say he can find the back of the net if he’s fit and on the pitch.

Meanwhile The Express are reporting that Jose Mourinho is ready to gazump Manchester United in order to land Belgian defensive midfielder Axel Witsel as a replacement for Jon-Obi Mikel. He would cost Chelsea around £24 million from Zenit St. Petersburg and could be tempted by a move to the Bridge as his countrymen Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard have already set up a mini-Belgium in West London.

Finally, with Petr Cech on the way out of Stamford Bridge in order to head to Arsenal, The Daily Star reckon that Mourinho has decided to target QPR’s Robert Green as his back up ‘keeper. Green would doubtless love the move from QPR to Chelsea as he wouldn’t even need to get the movers in, and it would keep him out of the Championship. Mourinho has long been known to give his reserve ‘keepers a run out in the League Cup and FA Cup, so Green would still get some game time at Chelsea.

Manchester City

 Manchester City’s determination to release Raheem Sterling from his hellish prison on Merseyside saw them approach Liverpool with a £40 million offer earlier this week. Liverpool, though, are very aware of the fact that they need to give QPR 20% of any sell-on fee, so they won’t let him leave for anything less than £50 million, apparently. City claimed their offer was ‘take-it-or-leave-it’. Not quite sure how that differs from normal offers, but there you go.

Arguably the best news for City fans this week comes in the form of Sergio Aguero confirming he will stay at Manchester City amid rumours of interest from Real Madrid. The Daily Mail have quoted Aguero as saying, “The only reason to change club is to achieve something. I can achieve everything I want here at Manchester City”. Presumably the £150,000 a week he gets paid helps, too.

Finally, The Guardian reckon that Jack Wilshere is a target for City, especially if the Manchester club fail to lure Sterling away from Liverpool. They need to improve the amount of English players in their squad if they hope to meet UEFA’s home-grown players quota.

Arsenal

 Arsenal are ready to call it Cech-mate in their search for a new goalkeeper, with the Czech international hoping to make the move from Stamford Bridge to The Emirates in the coming days. Mourinho would prefer his former Chelsea number one to go to PSG, but will not stand in Cech’s way should he choose to move to North London in an £11 million deal, according to The Daily Mail.

Manchester United

 The Telegraph say that Louis Van Gaal is heading to Lazio in the hopes of removing Felipe Anderson and Stefan De Vrij in his swag bag. Lazio will probably demand large fees for the pair, but Edward Woodward is willing to splash the cash around this summer to support Van Gaal’s attempts to return United to the top of the league.

TalkSport, meanwhile, are claiming that Manchester United are well and truly in the hunt for Paul Pogba. The Juventus midfielder is almost certain to move on from Italy this summer, and the Premier League seems his most likely destination. Can United really outmuscle both City and Chelsea when it comes to a financial battle? There’s no way to tell, but according to TalkSport they’re definitely going to give it a go.

Spurs

 Tottenham have already performed a veritable swoop with the imminent signing of Kieran Trippier from Burnley. Sky Sports say he’s already passed his medical at White Hart Lane and an official announcement should be made soon. The right-back had been linked with a possible move to Liverpool, but it seems likely that that was just a bluff by the Merseysiders in their chase for Nathaniel Clyne.

Back to TalkSport, and they’re reporting that Arsenal and Spurs are going to go head-to-head over Paris Saint-Germain’s midfielder Adrien Rabiot. PSG are keen to keep hold of the 20-year-old, but mum’s the word and Rabiot’s mother has let slip that he favours a move to the Premier League this summer.

And The Times (£) are saying that Spurs intend to make a move for former Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye. The Frenchman remains unsettled in the French capital since his £20 million move to Paris Saint-Germain and would favour a return to the ‘best league in the world’. It seems surprising that none of the big clubs are interested in Cabaye, but that could play into Spurs’s hands as the summer progresses.

Liverpool

 The mini-saga that is Liverpool’s attempts to sign Nathaniel Clyne from Southampton appear to be nearing an end, with The Liverpool Echo suggesting that the South coast club’s decision to sign Cedric Soares from Sporting Lisbon has paved the way for a move. The only stumbling block appears to be the price, with the Saints hoping for £15 million for him and Liverpool wanting to keep it closer to £10 million.

Another defender that remains on Liverpool’s radar is Lucas Digne, with The Metro suggesting that the Reds are clear to sign him after his agent said he will leave PSG this summer.

And it seems like it’s all about the defence for Liverpool this week, as The Liverpool Echo confirmed that Joe Gomez is due at Melwood today for his medical after the Merseyside club triggered his £3.5 million release clause. That comes on the back of defensive stalwart Martin Skrtel denying he has signed a new contract with the club. A fake Facebook profile seemed to claim that he had signed a new contract in order to keep him out of the clutches of Inter Milan, but Skrtel has denied it.

 Southampton

 As we’ve just said, the Saints this week confirmed the signing of Cedric Soares from Sporting Lisbon, almost certainly as a replacement for the soon to depart Nathaniel Clyne. Meanwhile The Mirror are reporting that Southampton will want at least £24 million for Morgan Schneiderlin who is being chased by both Manchester United and Arsenal. Why clubs keep buying from Southampton rather than buying the players they bring in as replacements remains something of a mystery.

The Mirror also say that Southampton plan to make a play for Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez. The Mexican international spent last season on loan at Real Madrid, but has found it difficult to find his place in the pecking order at The Bernabeu and may want to make a move away to get some game time. Koeman is meant to be keen to bring in some extra firepower this summer, and Hernandez could be a good back-up to Shane Long and Graziano Pelle.

Swansea

Swansea have confirmed their second signing of the summer, as Franck Tabanou has joined from St. Etienne for an undisclosed fee. The 26-year-old is primarily a left back but has been used on the wing during his career. He becomes the second player to sign for Swansea from a French club in as many weeks, following on from Andre Ayew, who joined on a free from Marseille last week.

There’s also been a bit of a reshuffle behind the scenes at the Swans, with Arsenal’s goalkeeping coach Tony Roberts leaving The Emirates for the warmer climate of the Liberty Stadium. He is a former international goalkeeper for Wales so the thought of returning to his homeland was too much for him to ignore, according to the Mirror.

And he’s not the only new arrival on the coaching staff, with James Beattie joining Gary Monk’s backroom team with the specific aim of getting the best out of Swansea’s array of attacking talent. Or Bafetimbi Gomes. He told Wales Online he’s looking forward to the start of the new season, and Monk was delighted to be able to welcome him on board.

Stoke

 Not particularly brilliant news for Stoke fans hoping that the Potters will make a host of summer signings, with the club’s chief executive Tony Scholes admitting that they won’t be doing much business during this transfer window. Scholes is quoted by the BBC as saying, “We’re happy with the core of our squad”.

That said, it may not be an entirely unused chequebook in the Stoke boardroom, and they have already signed Hannover 96’s 25-year-old forward Joselu for £5.75 million. He scored 10 goals in 32 appearances last season and has previously played for both Celta and Real Madrid. Phillip Wollscheid and goalkeeper Jakob Haugaard have already been brought in.

Crystal Palace

 Palace are reportedly interested in taking Loic Remy off Chelsea’s hands, with the Blues feeling he’ll be surplus to requirements should Falcao come in on loan. Palace are almost certain to let Dwight Gayle go this summer, so they’ll need someone else to fill his goal scoring boots.

Meanwhile London24.com are saying that Palace are in the hunt with Tottenham and Newcastle to sign Yohan Cabaye. Palace doesn’t seem like a natural destination for the Frenchman, but he was rumoured to have a good relationship with Alan Pardew and may want to be reunited with his former Magpies boss.

The other name that continues to be linked with Palace is Yevhen Konoplyanka. The Ukrainian winger is out of contract this summer, following his decision to leave Dnipro. The 26-year-old was close to signing for Liverpool in the January window of 2014 but has now fallen out of favour with the Reds’ transfer committee.

Everton

 Despite a rather amusing story emerging on Twitter this week that claimed Everton’s deal for Deulofeu was on hold because the club’s translator misinterpreted £30 million as £3 million, it looks as though the signing is just days away from being confirmed. The Daily Star is claiming that Barcelona’s chief has said that the winger will definitely be joining the Blues this summer.

Meanwhile The Liverpool Echo say that Everton are keen on bringing in Troy Deeney from Watford. The Hornets are rumoured to want up to £20 million for the striker, and that is sure to give Everton’s notoriously tight-fisted chairman Bill Kenwright pause for thought.

The Echo are also reporting that another of Everton’s rumoured targets, Patrick Bamford, has reported for duty with his parent club Chelsea after turning down the Toffee’s overtures.

West Ham

 The Express have said that West Ham are one of the clubs hoping to acquire the services of QPR’s Charlie Austin, with the English frontman keen to return to the Premier League following Rangers’ relegation to the Championship last season. The 25-year-old will cost around £15 milion, which is quite a lot for a player with just 1 year left on his contract. That said, he did net 18 goals in 35 appearances last season in a truly terrible QPR team, and a player who scores 1 in 2 in the Premier League is not to be sniffed at.

Meanwhile London24.com are reporting that West Ham haven’t yet given up hope of signing Demba Ba from Besiktas. Slaven Bilic snapped up the Senegalese forward when he was manager of the Turkish club and would be keen to bring him with him to London.

West Brom

 West Ham aren’t the only team chasing Demba Ba, with West Brom also keen according to Besiktas’ President Fikret Orman. He has said that there are some “serious offers” for the striker and it’s thought that one of the clubs after him is West Brom.

The Hull Daily Mail are claiming that the Baggies have joined the race to sign Robbie Brady. Steve Bruce is desperate to keep hold of the 23-year-old left-winger, who he sees as a natural replacement for the ageing Chris Brunt. But he is a much sought after asset and West Brom are keen to prize him away from the North East.

Finally for West Brom, The Birmingham Mail claim that Leonardo Ulloa has turned down the chance to move across the Midlands from Leicester. He was rumoured to be the subject of an £8 million bid from the Baggies but would rather fight for his place at the Foxes.

Leicester

 Leicester City and their players have been in the news this week for all of the wrong reasons, after three of their players were sacked after a video emerged of them using racist language during their end of season ‘goodwill tour’ of Thailand. Adam Smith, Tom Hopper and James Pearson – son of manager Nigel – have all had their contracts terminated by the club.

Elsewhere, the Leicester Mercury are reporting that the Foxes are chasing SM Caen’s N’Golo Kante. The midfielder has impressed after a string of good performances in Ligue 1, earning him the moniker ‘the new Jean Tigana’. Leicester haven’t yet made an offer, but reports suggest they will be tabling an £8 million bid soon.

Newcastle

 The Liverpool Echo reckon Newcastle will battle Everton for the signing of Hornets striker Troy Deeney. The Magpies have reportedly already tabled a £10 million bid, with Watford believed to want more like £20 million for him.

Meanwhile the Chronicle Live are saying that Steve McClaren is close to making his first signing for the club, with Wolfsburg’s Bas Dost set to turn down interest from Borussia Dortmund in order to head to the Premier League with the North East club. McClaren would like to bring in two strikers this summer and is looking towards Charlie Austin after Patrick Bamford rejected Newcastle’s advances.

Sunderland

 The Chronicle Live are also reporting that Sunderland are set to miss out in their pursuit of Celtic’s Virgin Van Dijk. The Black Cats have been chasing the Dutch centre-back for a while, but that he won’t be allowed to leave Parkhead any time soon. That said, Celtic’s number two John Collins has said that he will be around until after Celtic have played their Champion’s League qualifying games – which are due to end on August 5^th. With the transfer window not due to close until August 31^st Van Dijk could yet be a Sunderland player by the start of September.

The Chronicle Live haven’t left their reporting of events at Wearside end with stories of the Dutch defender, though, as they’re also saying that Dick Advocaat is interested in Liverpool’s young centre-back Thiago Ilori. The youngster has failed to break into the first team at Anfield and the Reds could consider a loan move to Sunderland to help him gain some Premier League experience.

Aston Villa

 The Birmingham Mail reckon that Andros Townsend tops the list of targets for Tim Sherwood at Villa Park. Numerous bookies have slashed the odds of Townsend signing for the Villains down to 1/4, with the England winger looking increasingly likely to join Micah Richards who signed on for Villa earlier this week.

The Mirror think that Villa are joining the fight to sign Robbie Brady from Hull, with the rest of the Brady bunch thought to contain West Brom and Norwich. The same paper is also reporting that Tim Sherwood is keen to take advantage of the Tigers’ relegation into the Championship by targeting their midfield powerhouse Tom Huddlestone.

Bournemouth

 Bournemouth are interested in signing Dwight Gayle from Crystal Palace, according to reports on London24.com. Palace want £10 million for him, apparently, but the Cherries have put an £8 million cap on any transfers this summer. Even that would make him their most expensive ever player. It’s likely to be something of a game of brinkmanship between the two, with Bournemouth knowing that Alan Pardew doesn’t trust Gayle to perform the solo striker role that he prefers.

 Watford

 Never has the name Troy Deeney been typed so many times, but The Mirror are reporting that Watford are set to reject all offer for their captain, and prolific goalscorer. Deeney has scored 66 goals over the last 3 years in the Championship and is being chased by a whole host of clubs, but Quique Sanchez Flores is determined to keep hold of him.

Meanwhile The Daily Star is saying that Flores wants to add at least four new names to his club’s roster before the new season kicks off. He plans to start by bringing in former Manchester United and Arsenal target Pablo Sarabia. The 23-year-old is known to the Watford manager from his days as a Real Madrid youth coach, and he could be available for as little as £2 million due to the fact that he only has one year left on his contract.

 Norwich

 BBC Radio Norfolk are reporting that the Canaries are set to sign Youssouf Mulumbu sooner rather than later. The DR Congo international was released by West Brom earlier this month and could make a return to the top flight in the yellow strip of Norwich. The 28-year-old would join his former Baggies teammate Graham Dorrens at Carrow Road.