Luis Diaz has informed Liverpool of his desire to leave; Manchester United are keeping tabs on Morten Hjulmand; Inter and Atletico are still frontrunners for Ademola Lookman, but keep an eye on Arsenal. These are some of the main stories over the last few days of the transfer market, courtesy of Tribal Football's transfer expert Rudy Galetti.
Diaz informs Liverpool of desire to leave, but Bayern are far from agreement
Luis Diaz has informed Liverpool that he wants to leave this summer. The Colombian winger is looking for a new challenge, and Liverpool are open to a sale. This is why, starting from a base of around £65m fixed, LFC is open to discussing his possible farewell. Bayern Munich have already made moves, presenting a proposal close to £57-58m.
The German club is now considering raising their offer, especially leveraging on performance-related bonuses to get closer to Liverpool's valuation. On the player side, there is still no agreement between Bayern and Diaz yet.
While the Bavarians have received permission to open talks with the player's camp, a contract deal still needs to be negotiated, and discussions are ongoing. In general, there's still a lot of work to do for Bayern on both the club and player sides before any move can happen.
There is also interest from Saudi Arabia in Diaz, but for now, Luis is not considering that option and prefers to stay in top-level European football. If Diaz leaves at the end, Liverpool will turn their focus to Rodrygo as a possible high-profile replacement.
Man Utd keeping tabs on Hjulmand amid Juventus talks
Manchester United remain interested in Morten Hjulmand, with manager Ruben Amorim eager to work again with the midfielder he previously coached at Sporting CP.
While Juventus are in advanced talks with Hjulmand on personal terms, the fee gap between the Italian club and Sporting could open a door for United. Juventus are willing to purchase the player for around €35m, well below Sporting’s current demand of €50-60m.
The Bianconeri also hope the negotiation for Alberto Costa with Sporting, which is still ongoing, can reduce the cash payment. However, Sporting remain firm, also remembering that there is an €80m release in his contract and that the possibility of evaluating lower offers is already considered a great flexibility. In general, Hjulmand would prefer a move to Juventus, where he sees an ideal step forward in his career.
Still, if Juventus cannot close the deal soon - and it certainly won't be a quick negotiation - United could step in and make a serious attempt, especially with Amorim’s backing. At the same time, Sporting are planning to offer Hjulmand a new contract with improved wages in an attempt to convince him to stay.
Inter and Atleti still frontrunners for Lookman, but Arsenal in the race
The future of Ademola Lookman is still to be decided. In addition to Inter and Atletico Madrid - the two clubs that have shown the most interest so far - a Premier League team, Arsenal, have asked for info about the Atalanta player.
The Gunners - who had already tracked the Nigerian international last summer, but Atalanta succeeded in keeping him in Serie A - have reignited their interest in Lookman, asking for fresh info in recent days. However, there have been no further moves so far.
Lookman, for his part, would be open to a return to the Premier League, even if, in general, his main target is to leave Atalanta. On the contrary, despite reports, Napoli are not in the race - the Italian champions had asked for information at the end of June, but have now focused on other targets.
So, to date, Inter and Atletico Madrid remain the clubs most interested: Inter has already made a €40m offer, which was rejected, while Atletico Madrid has yet to submit a bid, despite their intention to do so as soon as they resolve some exits. Atalanta continue to have a clear position: €50m is the non-negotiable asking price.
Galatasaray begin talks for Ederson with City after personal terms agreed
The future of Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson is becoming clearer, as Galatasaray have officially entered talks to sign the Brazilian.
The Turkish club have made their first approach to City, confident in their chances after agreeing personal terms with the player - around €6m per season. Ederson has given his full availability to join Galatasaray, even lowering his salary to make the move possible.
The keeper was positively impressed by Galatasaray’s sporting project and is now keen on making the switch this summer. The Turkish club has already sent an opening offer to Manchester City - a fee of around €10/15m could be enough to reach a full agreement, as Ederson has just one year left on his current contract.
However, Gala hope to negotiate a significantly lower price transfer fee, using the player's desire to leave and the contract situation as leverage. This is a very hot track in the market right now, with both the Turkish club and the player optimistic about completing the deal soon. Ederson, after many successful years in England, seems ready for a new challenge, and Istanbul could be his next destination.
Everton ready to raise bid for Douglas Luiz, remaining in a strong position
Everton are preparing to increase their offer for Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz, moving from their initial €30m proposal to a new package worth around €35m, including bonuses. The Premier League club is pushing to secure the Brazilian as a key part of their midfield rebuild.
Juventus, however, would prefer the €35m to be fixed, rather than bonus-based, plus add-ons. The Bianconeri are confident of obtaining a higher amount, leveraging on the growing interest from other clubs, including West Ham, who have recently made contact to inquire about Luiz’s situation. Despite this, Luiz has given priority to Everton, as he considers their sporting project more in line with his ambitions.
This gives the Toffees a clear advantage in the race, even though the deal still needs some steps before an agreement is reached. Everton remain in a strong position, with positive discussions ongoing. Juventus are open to a paid loan with an obligation to buy, and negotiations are now focused on reaching the right amount and structure for both sides.
Luiz, eager to return to the Premier League, may soon find his new home, and Everton are currently leading the race.