TRANSFER BATTLES: Higuain, Rooney, Alberto, Isco, Thiago Alcantarra, Ramires, Kevin De Bruyne, Wanyama, Mannone, Mignolet

Arsenal have finally joined the Premier League’s biggest spenders after finalising a record-breaking deal to sign Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain that could be worth a staggering £50million.

And the club’s billionaire shareholder Alisher Usmanov has also urged manager Arsene Wenger to keep splashing the cash with a move for Wayne Rooney.



It was earlier this month that Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis said the club were now in a financial position to be pursue Europe’s more expensive players, and so appease supporters long frustrated by Wenger’s more *Ijebueism' approach in the transfer market.

Higuain is the first real evidence of a shift. The Argentine has agreed to join Arsenal next season after successful talks between Arsenal chiefs and the Argentine’s representatives. It is understood the 25-year-old has agreed a four-year contract, which inclusive of bonuses is worth up to £150,000 per week.

And the clubs have now virtually agreed a £22million fee for the striker, who has scored 117 goals for Real since his arrival from River Plate in 2006. Only the fact the Spanish club do not have a manager in position to sign the deal off is delaying the completion of the transfer.

But if Gunners fans are happy at the prospect of seeing their transfer record shattered, there may be more exciting news to come, with billionaire shareholder Alisher Usmanov throwing his weight behind a move for Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney.

The Sun is just one of several newspapers to pick up on Usmanov’s quotes in an interview in America on the England forward, who said: [Rooney is a] great player. If he comes it would be a big success for Arsenal and for Rooney also.

“My point of view is that Arsene knows best. Of course, we as shareholders do point out some drawbacks in managing the club, in steering its way through. But I believe he is a great coach and he has already proven that last season.”

NOTE: Usmanov is the richest Russian richer than Chelsea's Abrahamovich and Monaco's Dmitry Rybolovlev



Sevilla's Luis Alberto will have a medical at Liverpool today after a £6.8million deal was agreed between the two clubs. The 20-year-old, who will sign on a four-year deal, has been on loan at Barcelona B and had expected to stay at Sevilla, but the cash-strapped club have had to let the striker leave.

Barcelona decided not to take up their option to sign him permanently at the end of his loan stint, and Alberto could be Liverpool's second striker signing of the summer after a deal was agreed for Iago Aspas from Celta Vigo.



Manchester City hope to complete a £21million deal for Malaga midfielder Isco in the next 48 hours.

There were fears Real Madrid could hijack the transfer, and City were said to have grown increasingly concerned that the player seemed undecided. But the 21-year-old looks to have chosen Manchester and indicated on Thursday that a deal could be tied up over the weekend

‘I prefer not to comment about my future but the matter could be closed this Sunday,’ Isco said



Manchester United are on the verge of signing Barcelona midfield star Thiago Alcantara in a £17million deal.

The Premier League champions have stolen a march on rivals Manchester City by agreeing personal terms of £5m-a-year with Thiago, 22, and his father Mazinho. They still have to finalise a deal with Barcelona and sources say that it is unlikely there will be any announcement on Friday, but discussions between the two clubs will continue over the weekend.



Jose Mourinho has started contacting some Chelsea players by telephone to assure them of their value to the club ahead of the new season.

The Portuguese boss has contacted midfielders Ramires and Kevin de Bruyne as he begins to form his plans to wrestle back the title from Manchester United.

Ramires said Mourinho told him that he had tried to sign him while managing at Inter Milan and Real Madrid.



'I am eager to start working with Mourinho, my phone rang recently and it was Mourinho,' he told Globo Esporte.

'It surprised me. We talked a lot and he said nice things.

'He said that he requested Inter Milan and Real Madrid sign me when he was coaching those teams, he said that he is happy that I am in Chelsea's squad.

'That made me very happy, and I told him that he can count on me, that I'll do what I can to help him be a winner at his new spell at the club.

'I was already eager to work with him and I am now even more motivated after finding out that he wants to work with me. I am feeling we will have a great season.'



De Bruyne has been linked with a move away from the club to a German side - he has been on loan at Werder Bremen - but Mourinho assured him that he can be useful at Stamford Bridge.

His agent, Patrick De Koster said: 'Mr Mourinho gave a phone call to Kevin, explaining a little bit the situation for next season.

'Afterwards, Kevin played the game (for Belgium against Serbia), received congratulations from the coach and then he left on holiday.

'A year and a half ago when he signed a contract at Chelsea, it was like a dream which became reality.

'Afterwards it was important for Kevin to put the right steps at the right moments.

'Kevin wants to play. Playing football, he became a better football player. I think he proved it staying six months more in Genk and last season in Bremen.

'He did very well. Now it's up to him to prove the same thing at Chelsea.'

Mourinho offered no assurances to De Bruyne over game time, though.

De Koster added: 'We didn't receive any guarantees, but it's normal in a team like Chelsea. It's up to him to prove like he did in the last 18 months.'

Southampton have agreed a £10million fee with Celtic for Kenyan midfielder Victor Wanyama.

The Saints are among a number of clubs interested in Waynama – including Arsenal, Liverpool and Inter Milan – and there are now likely to be a number of rival bids for him. 

The 21-year-old has become one of Celtic’s top players since joining the Scottish champions from Belgian club Beerschot for just £900,000 two years ago. But Wanyama only has one year left on his contract and Celtic know they have little choice but to accept a hefty profit and let him leave.

Sunderland want Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone to replace Liverpool-bound Simon Mignolet.

Liverpool are close to signing Mignolet, 24, after tabling a bid of £8m for the Belgium international.

Former Italy Under-21 keeper Mannone, 25, accepts he will never be a first-team

regular at Arsenal having played just 15 times in seven years at the Emirates



Mignolet is set to replace Pepe Reina at Liverpool but the Spaniard claimed on Thursday that it is not certain that he will leave Anfield for his old club Barcelona.

‘In principle my plan is to continue with Liverpool,’ said Reina. ‘I have three years left on my contract and I want to fulfil that and even go further.