While talks with Tottenham Hotspur over a deal to bring Harry Kane to Manchester City remain unresolved, City are considering whether to sign Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo.
A L'Equipe report says the five-time Ballon d'Or player is determined to leave the Italian champions and says that, while City are ready to pay their £ 26m annual salary, their largesse is not expanding to pay Juve for his services. Ronaldo seems determined to leave Turin and City could send Bernardo Silva and Aymeric Laporte alternatively as part of an exchange deal.
Having failed to make any summer signing for the first time since 1980, Real Madrid hopes to reclaim this season by bringing Kylian Mbappé to the Bernabéu. Despite being in financial trouble with debts of more than $ 300m, the Spanish club have confirmed they have applied for a £ 137m deal in Paris Saint-Germain with the 22-year-old striker with less than a year left on his contract. PSG have greeted the gift with Gallic shrug and are believed to be very much in favor of the poor Spanish.
Chelsea and Manchester United take out loan deal with Saúl Ñíguez of Atlético
With both Chelsea and Manchester United plotting late loan shots at Atlético Madrid midfielder Saúl Ñíguez, the Spanish champions have named PSG midfielder Pablo Sarabia as a substitute. Kieran Trippier is another potential target for Atléti and while Arsenal's interest in his services is well documented, England's right-back is believed to want to return to Manchester United. Or somewhere other than Arsenal.
With their first-choice transfer agent Jesse Lingard looking set to stay at Manchester United, West Ham are looking at alternatives and are considering whether to sign CSKA Moscow Croatian midfielder Nikola Vlasic. In need of the support of striker Michail Antonio, David Moyes has been giving Montpelier striker Gaetan Laborde a happy eye, while Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma is one of the potential Iron Man in the West Ham fire.
Tottenham Hotspur have held "informal negotiations" with Lyon, with the intention of signing midfielder Housem Aouar, according to Sky Sports, but he may need to hold on to Arsenal in the fight to secure his contract. Should Aouar choose to go to the Emirates, he could find his dressing pins, what - with great breath - Willian, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Eddie Nketiah, Hector Bellerin, Lucas Torreira, Reiss Nelson and Sead Kolasinac all panicked at the door marked "Do One".
With Arsenal's dead pay stakes, it is no surprise that Edu's position as technical director is believed to be under threat and the Brazilian may not be too happy to see Marc Overmars linked to his job.
Finally, Burnley has been offered a £ 15m fee to play for Lyon defender Maxwel Cornet and is now on the run as they wait to see if the 24-year-old gets the idea of living on Turf Moor.