Nottingham Forest eye Tijjani Reijnders, Tottenham want Savinho and Nicolas Jackson, Real Madrid resume Vinicius Jr contract talks and Chelsea close in on Pep Chavarria.
United States striker Folarin Balogun, 25, has been offered to Tottenhamvia intermediaries, with the former Arsenalforward’s future at Monaco uncertain. (Sun, external)
Spurs are in contact with Manchester City about Brazil winger Savinho, 22, while they are also interested in Liverpooland Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo, 27, and Eintracht Frankfurt’s French attacking midfielder Jean-Matteo Bahoya, 21. (Athletic – subscription required, external)
Real Madrid are set to resume contract talks with Vinicius Jr’s representatives this week but the club are not prepared to increase their most recent offer to the 26-year-old Brazil winger, who is linked with Arsenal. (ESPN, external)
Chelseaare close to finalising a deal with Rayo Vallecano for 28-year-old Spanish left-back Pep Chavarria, who has agreed personal terms with the Premier League side. (Athletic – subscription required, external)
Tottenhamare interested inChelseastriker Nicolas Jackson but are yet to make a formal approach for the 25-year-old Senegal international, who is valued at £65m by the Blues. (Mail, external)
Chelseaare eyeing a move for 26-year-old Porto and Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who was previously linked with Manchester United and has a 60m euro (£51m) release clause. (Mirror, external)
Tottenhammake an approach for Victor Osimhen, Atletico Madrid consider a move for Manchester Citywinger Jack Grealish, and Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo has positive talks with Spurs.
Tottenham have made an initial approach worth up to £55m for Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen, 27, but the Turkish champions are looking for closer to £65m for the Nigerian. (Caught Offside), external
Tottenham have held positive talks with Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo, but the Reds have no intention of selling the 26-year-old Dutchman. (Teamtalk), external
Braga goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek, 24, has completed a medical and is set to join Newcastle after the Czech Republic international’s release clause of £25.7m was met. (Mail – subscription required), external
Hull City are close to an agreement to sign Nice striker Mohamed-Ali Cho, 22, with a transfer fee of about £17m set to secure the French forward. (L’, externalEquipe), external
Chelsea have submitted an improved offer for left-back Pep Chavarria, 28, after Rayo Vallecano responded to the Blues’ opening bid of £12.8m by asking for £21.4m for the Spaniard. (Teamtalk), external
Hull City are close to signing Australia defender Lucas Herrington, 18, from MLS side Colorado Rapids for £17m. (Sun), external
Real Madrid duo Gonzalo Garcia, 22, and Cesar Palacios, 21, have been having medicals with Fulham after an agreement over permanent moves for the Spanish striker and midfielder were agreed. (Sky Sports), external
Those close to the Dutch national team speak of a unified squad and, after a difficult domestic season, Gakpo has started the tournament impressively.
His World Cup record – including the 2022 tournament – is impressive, with five goals in seven games. Twenty-three goals across 52 international caps in total since his debut five years ago bears further testimony to his quality.
For now, his focus is entirely on the national team, where he also plays an important role off the pitch too in helping fellow Christians within the squad.
“Cody is our pastor – he leads the prayers,” said Crysencio Summerville.
Netherlands and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk needs no convincing of Gakpo’s qualities on the pitch.
“He is an outstanding footballer,” he said after the 5-1 win over Sweden. “He works so hard for the team, he’s disciplined and his quality stands out – his crosses, his assists, his goals.”
Continuing to impress at the World Cup may well enhance Liverpool‘s desire to retain Gakpo for at least another season.
One need only consider the relative struggles of Isak and Wirtz in their debut campaigns at Anfield to be reminded of just how challenging it can be for new signings.
But as Iraola and Liverpool‘s recruitment team reshapes an attack that laboured last season, the Gakpo conundrum is one to keep an eye on this summer.
Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey both scored twice as the rampant Netherlands thrashed Sweden 5-1 in a World Cup warning to the favourites.
The big win on Saturday in front of nearly 69,000 at Houston Stadium put the delighted Dutch on the cusp of the knockout rounds and gave them lift-off after being held by Japan.
Ronald Koeman’s side top Group F with four points from two games, ahead of Sweden on three, Japan (one) and Tunisia (zero).
Despite the sobering loss, the Swedes had plenty of chances but were denied by good goalkeeping and wasteful finishing.
Sunderland striker Brobbey got his first start of the tournament and repaid Koeman with predatory goals after five and 17 minutes.
Before that, the 24-year-old had scored only once for his country since making his debut three years ago.
Brian Brobbey scored the first two Dutch goals in the space of 12 minutes [Phil Noble/Reuters]
In a game full of top Premier League talent, Liverpool’s Gakpo – who set Brobbey up for the opener – scored twice early in the second half.
Substitute Anthony Elanga from Newcastle United pulled one back for Sweden just before the hour with a classy finish.
West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville had the last word for the five-star Dutch.
Two crew members from the historic Artemis II lunar mission were among the VIP guests, a nod to Houston’s place as the home of space flight.
There was no problem here as the Dutch, twice pegged back in a lively 2-2 draw with Japan to start their title bid, made the brighter start in front of their orange-clad fans and King Willem-Alexander.
Brobbey, who came in for Summerville despite the winger scoring against Japan, started and finished the first goal.
It was made in the Premier League, with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and Gakpo all involved.
Brobbey exchanged passes with Gakpo, before the Anfield attacker crossed in low from the left for his team-mate to stab in from close range.
Sweden, who thrashed Tunisia 5-1 in their first game, could not handle Brobbey’s muscular presence.
Up front, the much-vaunted attack of Liverpool’s Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal were feeding on scraps for Sweden.
Houston Stadium was a sea of orange [Pedro Nunes/Reuters]
Gakpo’s half
Twelve minutes after his opener, Brobbey made it 2-0 when a deflected Denzel Dumfries cross from the right fell perfectly into his path and he toe-poked past Kristoffer Nordfeldt.
Sweden’s English coach, Graham Potter, was in deep discussions with his backroom staff as the game threatened to run away from them.
At the unpopular hydration break, Potter made a beeline for left-sided defender Gabriel Gudmundsson of Leeds United, who was being overrun by the flying Dumfries and Donyell Malen.
Sweden then had their best chance, Gyokeres crossing for an unmarked Yasin Ayari, who completely miscontrolled the ball with his chest.
Gyokeres was next to fluff a good chance, failing to make proper contact after being played in by the largely anonymous Isak.
Gyokeres and Ayari both had further sights of goal, only to be denied by the increasingly overworked Verbruggen.
The Netherlands were hanging on by the end of the half.
Koeman sent on Summerville for Malen at the break and two minutes later it was mission impossible for Sweden, Gakpo prodding in from close range after yet another dangerous low cross from Dumfries.
All three goals were strikingly similar.
Gakpo scored a lovely fourth on 54 minutes, turning inside his defender before firing low into the bottom corner.
Elanga pulled one back five minutes later when he raced clear of the Dutch defence and rattled the ball past Verbruggen.
Summerville made it five in the dying minutes with his second goal in North America.
Sweden are still in with a good chance of progressing into the last 32.
Japan and Tunisia play later Saturday in Monterrey, Mexico.
Sweden face Japan next, while the Netherlands play Tunisia.
