Manchester United have lost out in the race to sign Thiago Alcantara after the Spaniard agreed to join Bayern Munich from Barcelona for £22million. The midfielder will sign a four-year deal with the Champions League winners and undergo a medical in the coming days.
The deal also included an agreement that the two clubs play a friendly at some point in the next four years while Tiago has waived payments due to him to ensure the move.
'Thiago Alcantara was the great desire of our new coach Pep Guardiola,' said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. 'We are pleased that we succeeded in this great transfer. Thiago has only just been elected the best player of the U21 European Championship. He is a fantastic player with great perspective, which will strengthen Bayern.'
Bayern director of sport Matthias Sammer had earlier played down reports suggesting that Thiago was heading to the Allianz Arena.
However, the European champions confirmed the Spain international is set to make a move which will see him link up with former boss Pep Guardiola.
'The Spanish midfielder will travel in the coming days to Munich to attend the medical examination and signing a four-year contract until June 30, 2017,' read a statement on Bayern's website.
Rummenigge added: 'Thiago has only just been named the best player at the European Under 21 Championship. He is a fantastic player with great perspective, which will strengthen Bayern.'
Barcelona has also been dealt with another blow as Thiago Silva’s agent is adamant the centre-back will remain at Paris Saint-Germain and see out his contract despite interest from the Catalan club.
The Brazil international, who helped his country win the Confederations Cup earlier this month, is reported to be a target for the Spanish champions following an impressive first season in Ligue 1.
Silva joined PSG from Milan for a fee of £36 million last summer and finished the 2012-13 campaign as a champion of France.
Despite suggestions that a move to Camp Nou could be on the horizon, agent Paulo Tonietto says Silva has no intention of leaving Parc des Princes.
"Thiago Silva is a Paris Saint-Germain player," the agent told PSG's official website. "He has a contract and is going to respect it.
"Rumours are circulating today, just as they were last summer, but Thiago Silva is a Paris Saint-Germain player and he will see out his contract with the club."
Arsenal are determined to land Luis Suarez and will make a £35million offer for the wantaway Liverpool star this week. The Uruguayan is fast emerging as Arsene Wenger’s No.1 target this summer and a mega-money swoop is gathering pace at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal have seen an initial enquiry rejected out of hand by the Merseysiders, who want at least £40million for the South American. And having seen their £30million enquiry rebuffed, the Gunners will make a formal bid for Suarez this week.
There is a growing belief among the Arsenal hierarchy that a deal to bring the controversial striker to London is a strong possibility and the club are prepared to use a hefty chunk of their £70million transfer fund to land Suarez.
Wenger is under growing pressure to sign a bona-fide world class player this summer after various statements claiming the club are now in a financial position to compete for top talent.
A £23million deal to sign Gonzalo Higuain, who will return to pre-season training at Real Madrid today, is agreed in principle.
Nicklas Bendtner is being offered an escape route from Arsenal by newly-promoted Hull City.
Tigers chief Steve Bruce had the Gunners striker on loan for a season when he was in charge of Birmingham City. Bendtner, 25, spent the 2006/07 season at St Andrews when Bruce's side were chasing promotion from the Championship.
Now Bruce wants the striker, who once boasted he would be the best player in the world, to join him at the KC Stadium. Arsenal are so desperate to offload the Denmark international forward that they will pay up part of his contract as an incentive.
The Tigers will have to pay up to £3m for Bendtner, but Arsenal are desperate to get him out of the Emirates.
Hull will have to pay him more than £30,000 a week to make up the rest of the package, but Bruce wants him in his forward line.
Paris Saint-Germain have expressed interest in Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic but the Serbian wants to stay at Stamford Bridge. The 29-year-old is wanted to play at right back by Laurent Blanc, however he would prefer to extend his contract with the Blues.
Daniele De Rossi is also thought to be close to signing for Chelsea, as Jose Mourinho looks to build a strong side worthy of competing for the Premier League title this season.
The combative midfielder played for Italy at the Confederations Cup and is set for an extended break after the tournament.
De Rossi, 29, is likely to cost the Blues around £11million to procure and he would take Oriol Romeu's place in the squad.
Brazilian defender Wallace, who has just joined Chelsea, could also move on loan to Roma as part of any potential De Rossi deal.
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini is on the verge of adding Stevan Jovetic to his squad for the new season, according to Shaun Custis of The Sun.
The Fiorentina forward will cost City £27 million, according to the report, with only personal terms now needing agreement before the Montenegro international makes the move to the Etihad Stadium.
Jovetic, 23, had also been linked with Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, as James Dickenson of the Daily Express highlighted.
But Jovetic will now link up with fellow City newcomers Jesus Navas and Fernandinho ahead of the new Premier League campaign, according to Custis.
Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed that Maicon has played his last game for the club.
The Brazilian defender, who turns 32 next week, has had a desperately disappointing career at City, making just 13 appearances since arriving from Inter Milan for £3.5million last summer.
Pellegrini said: 'Maicon didn't come here to the pre-season and he will not stay in the squad at Manchester City this year.'
However its been reported that Maicon has touched down in Italy ahead of completing a move to Roma.
The former Inter Milan defender arrived at Fiumicino airport at around 7am this morning.
The right-back will undergo his medical this afternoon before linking up with his new team-mates in their pre-season retreat of Riscone.
The 31-year-old, who started just four Premier League games last term, is expected to sign a two-year contract at the Stadio Olimpico.
While the Wayne Rooney saga rumbles on, Manchester United manager David Moyes has been given the green light to chase the players he wants throughout Europe, as reported by Sky Sports.
The Old Trafford boss refused to reveal the names of the players he is looking at, but Charlie Wyett of The Sun added the names of Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Tottenham star Gareth Bale to his report, while another source reported a link between United and former Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas.
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric was also linked with the Old Trafford side by Jack Wilson of the Daily Star this weekend.
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