Transfer news LIVE: Arsenal open Sesko talks, Liverpool close in on £125m Wirtz deal and finalise medical – UK Times

This one has been brewing for a few months now but it appears Arsenal will seal their move for Martin Zubimendi sooner rather than later.

It is being widely reported that Arsenal have met the conditions of the £51m release clause in Zubimendi’s contract with Real Sociedad and that personal terms won’t be an issue for the defensive midfielder.

He’ll shortly undergo a medical in north London to complete the deal and after nearly joining Liverpool last summer, will be headed to the Gunners instead.

Chief executive Omar Berrada says Manchester United will balance “ambition” with the need to be “prudent” in the transfer market having been given permission to wrap up a deal for Wolves’ Matheus Cunha.

The Red Devils are looking to rebuild the side after their worst top-flight season since they were relegated in 1973-74, which was compounded by last week’s Europa League final loss to Tottenham in Bilbao.

That damaging defeat meant United missed out on silverware and Champions League qualification, worth an estimated £100m, and the club have wasted little time trying to improve Ruben Amorim’s side.

Lyon’s Rayan Cherki isn’t the only No 10 that Man City are considering, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the club are also interested in Morgan Gibbs-White.

The 25-year-old has starred in Nottingham Forest’s remarkable season that culminated in a Conference League spot and an FA Cup semi-final.

He could end up being a replacement for Kevin de Bruyne.

Telegraph Sport reports that Manchester City are eyeing Lyon’s Rayan Cherki, who has confirmed he will leave the club this summer.

The 21-year-old is believed to have a release clause of around £20-25 million, and signing him would provide City with a cheaper but similar talent to Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, whose hefty fee has reportedly dampened enthusiasm for him at the Etihad.

The price to take Florian Wirtz away from Bayer Leverkusen is reported £125m according to German publication BILD.

A recent report claimed the 22-year-old is ‘about to’ move to the Premier League champions with talks ongoing.

Additionally, BILD say that Liverpool want the transfer dealt with before Wirtz joins up with the German national team for their Nations League semi-final against Portugal on June 4.

That’s just a few days away and Liverpool are not the type of club to rush through a deal with such a high fee. Chalk this rumour down to possible but more concrete details are needed for sure.

Arsenal’s search for a prominent new striker will be one of the ongoing transfer stories of the summer.

Viktor Gyokeres has been mentioned as a target but the latest mumurings are that the Gunners have opened talks with RB Leipzig over Benjamin Sesko.

Sesko has long been linked with a move to the Emirates and transfer guru Fabrizio Romano says that the two clubs have ‘started initial talks’ over a move.

The Slovenian forward is expected to leave Leipzig this summer and Arsenal came close to signing him in May 2024 so they will want to get this deal over the line as soon as possible.

Al-Nassr director Fernando Hierro has expressed his desire to keep Cristiano Ronaldo beyond the summer

“Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence from the beginning is a national project,” he said.

“He is a huge phenomenon in the history of football, has helped the league grow. We are in contact to renew his contract and hope he continues with us.”

This comes after he indicated his time with Al-Nassr was coming to an end, saying that this “chapter is over”.

Everton have activated a £12.6m buy option to sign midfielder Charly Alcaraz from Flamengo, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The ex-Southampton prospect has starred for the Toffees since his January arrival, making this one a no brainer for Everton bosses.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Ipswich are after Chelsea striker Marc Guiu as Liam Delap goes the other way.

It would be a separate transfer – not a swap deal – but the two clubs are on good terms given how Delap has favoured a move to Stamford Bridge.

Brentford midfielder Yehor Yarmoliuk has committed his future to the club by signing a new long-term contract until the summer of 2031, with the option to extend for another year.

The likes of Napoli were reportedly interested in the 21-year-old.