Transfer news live: Chelsea bid £73m for former Coventry striker, Man Utd target Barcelona defender plus Arsenal latest

Manchester United could rival Arsenal for Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee this summer.

Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg says the 22-year-old is a summer target for both clubs after scoring seven goals and adding a further two assists.

United have already enquired about a January move but Bologna are not willing to accept an exit this month. Zirkzee will be available in the summer for €40m (£34.5m) due to a release clause.

The Merseyside club, who were docked 10 points in November for breaching profit and sustainability rules (PSR) for the 2018-22 period, have been referred to an independent commission by the Premier League for their accounts for the time from 2019-23.

Everton are appealing against their current sanction and are aggrieved at a case of double jeopardy when they have already been punished for 75 per cent of the accounting period. They are frustrated this latest case has been brought before the outcome of the appeal is known and when it could have a considerable impact on a new commission, as well as on Everton’s own PSR calculations.

Chelsea have reportedly ruled out a January move for Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres.

This comes after reports in Portugal claim the Blues had made a £73m bid for the striker which got rejected. Chelsea have denied any interest in the 25-year-old.

Gyokeres has scored 20 goals in 24 games for Sporting this season after moving to Portugal from Coventry for £20m in the summer.

Chelsea have made a new forward their transfer priority but apparantly Gyokeres is not one of their targets, with Sporting demanding his £87m release clause be paid in full.

Manchester City hope to sign another wonderkid in Serbia’s Jovan Mijatovic.

The 18-year-old, who plays for Red Star Belgrade, is expected to cost around £10m though there is rival interest from Bayer Leverkusen.

Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Mijatovic will immediately be sent on loan to New York City FC to continue his development in the City Group family should the deal get made.

Raphael Varane and his representatives are in conversation with Manchester United over a new contract as the defender’s current deal expires in the summer.

The club opted against triggering the one-year option in his current contract though with no defensive reinforcements on the horizon Varane may have a strong chance of remaining at Old Trafford.

The club refused the automatic extension as it would have seen Varane remain on his eye-watering £300,000-a-week wages. Sky Sports report that Varane could now remain at Old Trafford if the two parties can agree on a suitable reduction in wages.

Jose Mourinho has been sacked by Roma, ending his spell in Italy during its third season.

Mourinho joined the Giallorossi in 2021 and won the Europa Conference League in 2022, before guiding the team to the Europa League final last season.

But defeat to Milan last weekend leaves the club in ninth in Serie A, and with his contract set to expire this summer, the club has made the decision to make a change.

There are rumours that Arnaut Danjuma may be cutting his loan spell at Everton short after he did not receive a guarantee of minutes.

Lyon are reportedly interested in bringing in the winger but Villarreal and Everton would need to come to an agreement to release him from his current deal.

Sean Dyche reiterated his position on Danjuma after rumours of a January exit surfaced this week.

“He’s an Everton player. There isn’t really a story there,” Dyche said. “I don’t know where these quotes come from. He’s a part of our plan and will be a part of what we do.”

Manchester United have discussed a summer move for Crystal Palace forward Michael Olise which would also see defender Aaron Wan-Bissakka return to Selhurst Park.

Palace have been rumoured to want Wan-Bissaka back ever since he left the club and it seems as though he’s linked with them every transfer window.

ESPN report that Palace are open to the deal but would demand cash plus the defender to let Olise move to Old Trafford.

Sky in Germany are reporting that Manchester United have their sights on Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo.

Any potential deal would probably be made for the summer – as a possible replacement for Raphael Varane – but the club have opened discussions with the Spanish giants over the availability of a move in January.

One hold-up may be due to United’s financial restraints. Barca have reported issued a £69m price tag in order to sanction a winter move.

The 24-year-old Argentina international has played 20 times for Barcelona this season and apparantly does not want to leave the club.

Elsewhere, United are said to be interested in Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee though this interest is in the early stages.

The Bundesliga champions have confirmed the signing of Eric Dier in a deal that, initially, is on loan for the remainder of the season though there is an option to make it permanent.

Dier has made 365 appearances for Spurs in all competitions in nine-and-a-half years with the club. A Spurs statement read: “We wish Eric and his family all the best for the future.”

Dier said: “This move is a dream come true for me, because as a child you want to play for a club like Bayern one day.

“Bayern is one of the biggest clubs in the world and has an incredible history. I want to help the team with my versatility in defence.

“I’m really looking forward to my new teammates and the fans at the Allianz Arena, which in my eyes is one of the best stadiums in the world.”