Transfer news live: Liverpool to sign Ekitike, Gyokeres to Arsenal delay explained, Man Utd in shock Martinez swoop – UK Times

Emiliano Martinez is determined to make the switch from Aston Villa to Manchester United, and he could be in luck after in emerged there is a clause in his contract for a €25m transfer.

That’s according to Clarín, the biggest newspaper in Argentina, via SportWitness, which reports that Man Utd retain strong interest in the goalkeeper.

The clause would be for a full, up-front payment but United would be willing to pay more in order to spread payments out over installments.

Viktor Gyokeres is almost certainly on his way to Arsenal, so what’s the hold up? It’s all about the add-ons, as transfer badger Fabrizio Romano explains:

“Gyokeres is fighting to go to Arsenal. But obviously it’s really important to agree on the add-ons. They are really on it on every single hour, every single minute – Arsenal and Sporting are working on this deal. So as soon as it will be agreed guys, I will let you know. But they are still working on the add-ons, showing to you that when on Sunday there were reports of deal done, that was not done, that was simply not done. They agreed the first part of the fee, but not the add-ons. Still working on the add-ons in London.”

The Premier League champions could make the French forward their fourth major summer signing if a deal can be agreed with the Bundesliga club. It is expected that Ekitike would want to make the switch to Anfield and that personal terms could be agreed with the 23-year-old.

The former Paris Saint-Germain player has a €100m (£86m) release clause though it is not yet apparent if Liverpool will trigger it or agree a lower price with Eintracht.

Manchester United have made a third bid for Bryan Mbeumo, raising their offer of up to £70m, including add-ons.

United are willing to pay Brentford an initial £65m for the Cameroon international, with the possibility of a further £5m, depending on how the forward fares at Old Trafford.

Arsenal’s history could have been very different without Harry Woods. Without him, there may have been no Herbert Chapman, no trio of league titles in the 1930s, no status as London’s biggest club.

Arsenal narrowly avoided relegation in 1923-24. They only won 12 league games that season. Woods scored in six of them. He was Arsenal’s top scorer.

He also got a mere nine league goals. Which had a renewed pertinence more than a century later when Kai Havertz emulated him: for the first time in 101 years, Arsenal had no player in double figures for league goals.

The 2023 Champions League winners will earn around £100m a year from the sportswear company in a long-term agreement that will last at least a decade.

It marks a big increase on City’s previous deal with Puma, which was signed in 2019 and was worth £65m a year to the former Premier League champions. And it provides a boost to Pep Guardiola’s transfer funds after the City manager has spent around £300m already in 2025 in acquiring eight new signings.

Liverpool see Diaz, who scored 17 goals last season to help them win the Premier League title and who flourished as both a left winger and a striker for Arne Slot, as a key player for this season and the rest of his contract, which ends in 2027.

Arsenal have broken the world transfer record by signing Liverpool forward Olivia Smith, making the 20-year-old the first £1m transfer in women’s football.

It is understood the Gunners beat competition from several clubs – including Women’s Super League champions Chelsea – to sign the 20-year-old Canada international, who arrives on an undisclosed seven-figure-fee.

It comes 46 years after Trevor Francis became the first male player to break the £1m barrier when he moved from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest in 1979.

Manchester United face a crucial summer as Ruben Amorim finally gets the chance to shape his squad and transform his failing team into contenders at the top end of the table.

The release of the Premier League fixtures shows a difficult start for United, with an opening game agasint Arsenal and fixtures against Manchester City and Chelsea within their first five matches of 2025/26, and the manager’s future could be called into question early should his side struggle.

Offloading high-wage players such as Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho seems key to funding the revolution, with a lack of movement causing frustration among fans as United lag behind their rivals.

Here’s everything you need to know about Manchester United’s summer transfer plans.