Transfer news live: Man Utd ‘hijack’ Arsenal’s Gyokeres bid, Sesko boost, Isak to Liverpool update – UK Times

Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike has flown to London to complete his big-money move to Liverpool.

Arne Slot’s Premier League champions reached a deal with the German club on Monday to sign the 23-year-old for a guaranteed £69million plus a potential £10m in add-ons.

Frankfurt granted Ekitike permission to travel to England to complete the deal and the frontman is understood to have headed to the capital rather than Merseyside to complete the deal.

The striker is due to undergo his medical and sign a six-year deal before heading to Asia to join his new Liverpool team-mates on their pre-season tour.

Chelsea are interested in Xavi Simons, the Leipzig midfielder, who is also interested in joining the Blues, according to multiple reports.

Chelsea are hopeful of reaching a verbal agreement with the player before speaking to the club.

Simons is already an outstanding performer for club and country aged only 22. He can play in a number of positions across the middle of the pitch and his ability to pick a key pass is elite.

Chelsea are set to open talks with the Bundesliga club this week, but one stumbling block, writes the Telegraph, is that Chelsea feel they need to offload players before they can sign another midfielder.

Rangers head coach Russell Martin hopes to have almost a full squad at his disposal for his first game in charge against Panathinaikos.

Former Wigan and Luton midfielder Thelo Aasgaard is a fitness doubt while Rabbi Matondo was not included in Rangers’ Champions League squad because of injury.

But strikers Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane and winger Djeidi Gassama could all be unleashed from the bench in the first leg of the second qualifying round at Ibrox on Tuesday.

Gassama is behind his team-mates in pre-season after arriving from Sheffield Wednesday last week while injury and visa issues respectively hampered the preparations of Dessers and Igamane.

West Ham have signed Kyle Walker-Peters on a three-year deal after his departure from Southampton.

The 28-year-old, a Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate, made more than 200 appearances for the Saints.

“I’m really excited,” he said. “It feels like it has been a long-time coming – I’ve been linked with a move to the Club in the past – and I’m just happy to be here now.

“I spoke to Graham Potter and he was a big, big part of me making the decision. I’ve always liked his style as a coach, and I think it will suit me well.

“He spoke about the family feel at the Club, and that’s what I’m all about. I’d like to think I’m going to be a good fit for West Ham United.”

Joao Palhinha didn’t have the season he had hoped for after leaving Fulham for Bayern Munich – could a move back to London be on the cards for the Portuguese midfielder?

Reports in Germany suggest Thomas Frank is keen, though a mooted fee of £26m may be steep.

Israel goalkeeper Daniel Peretz is joining promoted Hamburger SV from Bayern Munich on loan for next season.

“Daniel has continued to develop at FC Bayern over the past two years, and we are very pleased with him,” Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund said Monday. “He has really good skills and an outstanding character. He’s always reliable in our goalkeeping team led by Manuel Neuer. Now he’ll gain further experience and plenty of Bundesliga minutes at Hamburger SV.”

That’s not a given, as established goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes is a club favorite at Hamburg after helping it to promotion last season. The 32-year-old Heuer Fernandes showed he’s in fine form with several saves in a friendly game at Austrian team Sturm Graz on Saturday.

The 25-year-old Peretz made seven competitive appearances for Bayern since joining from Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2023, but found it hard to break through with Neuer still preferred as No. 1 and Bayern signing the 21-year-old Jonas Urbig from Cologne in January.

Peretz has also played seven games for Israel.

Manchester City’s James McAtee heads a list of ambitious summer plans for Everton, who can spend up to £150m under the new Friedkin ownership.

David Moyes wants a right-back, a number-six, a number-eight and a right-winger, having already secured Mark Travers as goalkeeper on a £4m deal from Bournemouth.

Other options for Everton are Juventus’ Douglas Luiz, Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche and Freiburg’s Merlin Rohl in midfield, Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo on the right, and Panathinaikos’ Georgios Vagiannidis for right-back.

Senior football reporter Richard Jolly writes:

The other goal in the demolition of Paris Saint-Germain went to Joao Pedro: 11 days into his Chelsea career, the Brazilian had already scored twice in the semi-final. The Golden Glove was awarded to the much-maligned Robert Sanchez, the unlikely scourge of PSG’s feared forward line. Of 15 players used in the final, three were academy graduates and the other 12 all bought under the new regime.”

Marcus Rashford is seemingly on the move to La Liga both figuratively and literally.

Rashford posted a photo of himself on a private plane with the caption: ‘Downtime’ as rumours abound over an exit from Manchester United.

The forward has interest from Barcelona and looks set to complete a year-long loan move with the Spanish giants who will have an option to buy included in the contract.

Barcelona have allegedly agreed to cover all of Rashford’s £375,000 per week wages and, though United prefer a permanent move, they have agreed to this deal.

The fee could rise to £79m if add-ons are triggered and the French forward is set to become their fourth summer signing.

Ekitike will travel to Merseyside for a medical and will sign a six-year deal, with personal terms not expected to be a problem.

Liverpool hope the 23-year-old will be able to fly to Asia to link up with his new teammates on their pre-season tour. Sporting director Richard Hughes has remained behind in England to complete the deal, along with some of Liverpool’s medical staff.