Welcome to this new initiative by Times of Malta's sports desk. We are looking to keep our readers and social media followers updated with all the latest news and gossip regarding the summer transfer window from the Maltese Premier League as well as all the major football leagues around the continent. We hope that you will follow us throughout the next two months so you can keep up to date on the latest transfer news.

20.25 That's it for tonight! We thank everyone for staying with us and we will be back on Monday morning with much more news from the local and international scene, as we approach a new week of transfer news and rumours. Happy weekend to all.

19.53 Celtic have have made a huge step towards the next qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, as they defeated minnows Linfield 2-0.

Scott Sinclair and Tom Rogic bagged the goals for the Hoops. 

19.43 Bizarre news from Sampdoria, as the Blucerchiati are seeking to bring in England international Jack Wilshere.

Wilshere spent last season at Bournemouth after his playing time at Arsenal was hampered by continous injuries. 

19.40 Brazilian Piazon has returned to Fulham

Chelsea forward Lucas Piazon has returned to Fulham on a season-long loan for the 2017/18 campaign.

The 23-year-old Brazilian spent last season on loan at Craven Cottage.

18.48 Crucial news from Chelsea..

Chelsea have granted permission for Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic to miss the club's pre-season tour of the Far East.

Sky sources understand there is no way back for Costa at Chelsea and his career at Stamford Bridge is now over.

He has been linked with a return to Atletico Madrid.

Meanwhile, Matic has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United.

18.46 It's half-time in Belfast, with Celtic marching on against Linfield as they win 2-0. 

18.22 Celtic are 2-0 up and they seem to have already sealed the deal.

Australian Tom Rogic notched the ball past Linfield's goalkeeper to put the Scottish side two up. 

18.20 ''I would like Nainggolan, but Vidal could be a more ideal operation''.

Walter Sabatini, coordinator of the Suning team which comprises both Inter and also Jiangsu Suning, spoke during Inter's pre-season camp about the possible signings.

While he would like to bring his former Roma prodigy Radja Nainggolan, he underlined that an operation for Arturo Vidal, is 'more possible'.

18.18 Almost 20 minutes gone and Celtic are leading by one goal to nil.

Former Manchester City man Scott Sinclair has scored his first goal of the season.

17.59 Away from the transfer market, Scottish champions Celtic are set to kick start their European campaign away at Belfast, as they meet Linfield in the first leg of the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.

Stay tuned as we will provide updates from time to time about this fierce tie.  

17.12 England full-back Kyle Walker has joined Manchester City from Tottenham in a deal worth an initial £45million. 

Press Association Sport understands Pep Guardiola's side agreed a fee with Spurs for the 27-year-old which could rise to £50million if the add-on clauses are met.
Walker, who has signed a five-year deal at the Etihad Stadium, therefore becomes one of the most expensive defenders of all time.

Paris St Germain broke the world record for a defender when they signed David Luiz for £50million in 2014, while City made £47.5million John Stones the most expensive Englishman of all time in that position two years later.

17.10 With Leonardo Bonucci now crossed from Turin to Milano, Juventus are looking to add another defender.

Premium Sport are reporting that Giuseppe Marotta is looking to recall Mattia Caldara who was signed by Juventus in January but was left at Atalanta on loan for the rest of the season and for the 2017/2018 campaign, to complete his growth. 

16.14 Napoli are looking to bring in another goalkeeper while maintaining former Liverpool Pepe Reina.

According to SKY Sport Italia, Aurelio De Laurentis is interested in acquiring Claudio Bravo of Manchester City. No talks have started yet between the two clubs.  

16.00 Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry has joined Hoffenheim on loan, the Bundesliga champions have announced. 

The 22-year-old Germany international, who left Arsenal for Werder Bremen last August before joining Bayern earlier this summer, is being loaned to Hoffenheim until June 2018. 

A statement on Bayern's official website said: "Serge Gnabry is moving from Bayern Munich to fellow Bundesliga side Hoffenheim on loan with immediate effect.

15.30 AC Milan have issued a video showing Leonardo Bonucci arriving at Casa Milan ahead of his €40 million move. You can watch it here.

15.20 Lazio have moved quickly to replace the Milan-bound Lucas Biglia when they have reportedly reached a deal to sign Lucas Leiva from Liverpool.

15.00 Chelsea appear close to completing the transfer of Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco, with the French midfielder posting a photograph from the Premier League club's training ground on Friday.

Bakayoko, 22, helped drive Monaco to the Ligue 1 title last season and also into the semi-finals of the Champions League.

The Blues have started pre-season training back at their Surrey base, with the squad set to embark on their tour of the Far East next week, which will include a game against Arsenal in Beijing on July 22.

Bakayoko uploaded a photo to his social media accounts on Friday of the Chelsea training pitches, with the caption "soon".

2.40pm SportMediaset is reporting that Leonardo Bonucci has arrived at Casa Milan and is set to complete his transfer from Italian champions Juventus. The defender is set to put pen to paper on a five-year contract.

2.30pm Japan attacking midfielder Keisuke Honda has joined Mexican side Pachuca, the CONCACAF Champions League holders announced on Friday, two months after leaving AC Milan as a free agent.

"I have just signed for Pachuca and I'm very happy," Honda said in Spanish in a video on the club's Twitter feed.

The club did not disclose the details of his contract.

2.07pm Swansea's American owners say they will not be "bullied" into selling Icelandic playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Sigurdsson dropped out of the Swans' 10-day tour to the US on Thursday morning just hours before the squad's departure across the Atlantic.

Press Association Sport understands that Swansea have turned down a £40million offer from Everton for the 27-year-old.

Swansea value Sigurdsson at £50m and, in a statement released to WalesOnline, club owners Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien said: "At this time we have not received an offer from any club which represents a fair valuation of Gylfi given his importance to our club.

"We will not be bullied or forced into a decision until a club meets our valuation of the player, no matter whether they believe they have an agreement with the player."

 

1.45pm Atalanta have signed Italy Under-20 winger Riccardo Orsolini on a two-year loan from Juventus.

The deal features an option for an outright purchase of the player who won the golden boot at last month's Under-20 World Cup with five goals in seven games.

Orsolini scored eight goals in Serie B last season for Ascoli, signing for Juve in January and being immediately loaned back to his boyhood club.

1.20pm West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says he is "pretty close" to adding to his squad.

The Hammers have been linked with a move for England goalkeeper Joe Hart, who is out of favour at Manchester City and spent last season on loan with Torino.

They are understood to have had a £20million bid for Stoke winger Marko Arnautovic turned down, and have reportedly dropped their interest in Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud.

"Make no mistake, we are working hard every day, but it is not easy. Some clubs, like Everton, are signing a lot of players, some are signing a couple of players, and some haven't signed any.

"But that doesn't mean they are not trying. I'm sure everybody is working, and everybody is trying to sign players."

1pm Ronald Koeman has admitted Everton midfielder Ross Barkley's future remains unclear.

The Toffees boss has repeatedly warned the 23-year-old that if he did not sign a new deal this summer he would have to be sold given his current contract expires next year, yet Barkley has not penned fresh terms and is still an Everton player.

A groin injury prevented him from travelling with the team to Tanzania for a friendly this week, and Koeman was unable to provide any clarity regarding Barkley when asked for the latest in Africa.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, the Dutchman said: "At the moment it is not a clear situation.

"He is not fit, that's the reason he didn't travel with the team.

"We will see when he is fit and back, but everybody knows his situation, and we will see what will happen."

11.30am As reported earlier Real Madrid have signed Spain U21 midfielder Dani Ceballos from Real Betis.

The 20-year-old has put pen to paper on a six-year contract with Madrid and will be presented at the Bernabeu next Thursday, the European and Spanish champions announced.

Ceballos, who was named player of the tournament at the European U21 Championship last month as Spain finished runners-up, will then link up with his new team-mates on their pre-season tour of the United States.

11.20am More news coming out from Italy on Leonardo Bonucci's transfer to Milan. Journalist Mario Giunta is claiming that the transfer is all but sealed with the Italian defender set to head to Milan to undergo a medical and put pen to paper on a five year deal.

10.50am Breaking news from SkySports Italia saying that Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci has arrived at the club headquarters with his agent to finalise his move to Milan. 

10.40am The Daily Mirror reports that Queens Park Rangers defender Stephen Caulker looks set to rebuild his career at Celtic. The 25-year-old, who won a solitary England cap in 2012, previously worked under Brendan Rodgers during a season-long loan spell with Swansea.

10.20am Real Madrid have just announced that they have signed Dani Ceballos from Real Betis on a six-year deal.

10.04am Leonardo Bonucci is unlikely to be the last major piece of business for Milan as SportMediaset is reporting that the Rossoneri had reached an agreement with Lazio to sign Lucas Biglia. 

Milan are set to have reached an accord to fork out 17 million euros for the Argentine midfielder with a further three million euros as adds on.

9.50am Watford have completed the signing of Nathaniel Chalobah from Chelsea.

The midfielder has signed a five-year deal at Vicarage Road and has joined for an undisclosed fee.

Chalobah has played 97 times for England at different youth levels and played in the Under-21s' run to the semi-final of the European Championships in Poland last month.

9.45am Manchester City could announce the signing of England right-back Kyle Walker from Tottenham as early as Friday.

The deal, reported to be worth up to £50million, is set to be completed by the end of the week, Press Association Sport understands.

It comes after City missed out on the signing of Dani Alves.

The Brazilian defender worked under City boss Pep Guardiola at Barcelona and had been expected to follow him to Manchester but instead joined Paris St Germain.

9.40am Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter has signed a new four-year deal to extend his stay at the Premier League club until 2021, the south coast team said on Thursday.

The Republic of Ireland international joined Bournemouth from non-league side Woking FC in 2010 and has since scored 28 goals in 238 matches as the club progressed from the third tier of English football to top flight.

9.35am The Los Angeles Galaxy are on the lookout for a "world-class" signing, but head coach Curt Onalfo would not confirm whether Zlatan Ibrahimovic was in their crosshairs.

Ibrahimovic has long been linked with a move to the StubHub Center, with a £6million-a-year deal reported to be on the table for the injured striker following his exit from Manchester United.

Galaxy coach Onalfo was coy on such talk - "our policy is not to comment on players that are not part of our team" - but was more forthcoming about their grand plans.

Asked if they had room for a marquee player, he said: "Absolutely. We always have.

"The DNA of the Galaxy is to attract world-class players, so we're always looking for one."

9.30am It's done according to SkyItalia. Leonardo Bonucci is set to join Milan from Juventus after the two clubs reached an agreement late last night. Massive news and what repercussions it will have on the Italian champions preparations of the season!

9.15am Barcelona late last night announced that they have agreed a deal to sign Portugal defender Nelson Semedo from Benfica.

The 23-year-old right-back will undergo a medical with Barcelona on Friday ahead of what Spanish media are reporting will be a 30 million euros transfer.

09.10am We kick off as usual by having a look at the back pages of the UK papers who are reporting that Juventus is challenging Manchester United for the signing of Nemanja Matic. For more click here.

9.07am Goodmorning everyone and welcome to timeofmalta.com live football transfer news. Today it looks like it will be another day of transfer activity with some major stories expected from both England and Italy so stay with us.

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22.12 That's it for tonight! We thank everyone for staying with us and we will be back tomorrow morning with much more news from the local and international scene. Good night folks!

22.07 Roma end their interest for Matija Nastasic.

The giallorossi were almost finalising the deal to bring the Serb defender to the Italian capital, but Schalke 04 have decided to make a U-Turn and remove their player from the transfer list. 

21.55 Big news for West Ham United as they are on the verge of signing goalkeeper Joe Hart. 

West Ham are hoping to finalise a deal to sign Man City goalkeeper Joe Hart in the next few days, according to Sky sources.

SSN HQ revealed on Tuesday that the Hammers were stepping up their efforts to secure the signature of the England international.

It is understood Hart would join initially on loan with the option of making the move permanent next summer.

21.14 Meanwhile on the field, notable gesture by the FC Utrecht fans, whose team is currently playing against Valletta in the Europa League.

The fans showed their support for Abdelhrak Nouri, of Ajax in the 34th minute of their pre-season friendly game against Valletta with a minute of applause. 

The player has been declared to have a severe brain damage and he will not recover to the full following his incident last weekend against Werder Bremen. 

21.00 Milan are set to finalise another impressive transfer, as according to SKY Sport Italia, they have completed the operation to bring aboard Lazio's midfielder Lucas Biglia.

The Argentine midfielder would be their eighth signing and they hope to make it nine before their Chinese tour, with the acquisition of Leonardo Bonucci.

20.54 Andre Schembri's debut with Apollon Limassol was an impressive one as he scored in their 3-0 defeat of Zaria Balti, virtually sealing their qualification into the next qualifying round. 

20.45 Away from the transfer market, Valletta are holding their own against FC Utrecht in the Europa League as the Citizens are holding the Dutch giants to a goalless draw at the Hibs Stadium.

20.30 Barcelona are still looking for a right-back to complete their defensive department.

They have seemingly moved on from Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin and have sent a delegation to Portugal in order to seal a deal for rumoured Manchester United transfer target Nelson Semedo, reports Sport.

Barca's first offer for the 23-year-old was €30m and they are confident face-to-face negotiations can sort out an agreement.

20.14 SkySports are reporting that Kyle Walker is set to undergo a medical at Manchester City. Tottenham have accepted an offer of £50 million for the wingback as Pep Guardiola looks to strengthen his backline.

19.41 Well, what a start for Malta international Andre Schembri at Apollon Limassol. 

He netted after just 10 minutes, putting his side ahead against Zaria Balti, in their Europa League tie. 

19.19 Former Milan midfielder Urby Emanuelson was named among the substitutes for FC Utrecht for this evening's Europa League match against Valletta at the Hibs Stadium.

19.05 Andre Schembri to play from the first minute for his new club in their Europa League campaign. 

Stay tuned with us, as we bring you more updates on Schembri's debut with the Cypriot club. 

18.25 Andre Schembri is set to make his competitive debut for Apollon Limassol in their Europa League second qualifying round match against Zaria Balti, of Moldova.

The Malta striker joined the Cypriot club after parting ways with Boavista last June after only one season in the Portuguese league.

This is Schembri's second adventure in Cyprus, after featuring for Omonia Nicosia before joining the Portuguese club. 

18.22 Mario Rui is reunited with his former coach at Empoli, Maurizio Sarri, as he put pen to paper with Napoli following his short spell at Roma.

The defender is set to compete with Faouzi Ghoulam and Mario Strinic for the left back role. 

18.00 Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers believes Olivier Ntcham's physical attributes can play a key part in their European campaign.

The France U21 international was left behind in Glasgow to work on his fitness as Celtic flew to Belfast for their opening Champions League qualifier against Linfield, but Rodgers expects him to play a key role this season following his reported £4.5m transfer from Man City.

"Mentally, it's just a case of him taking the next steps in his career, coming to play at a huge club with big demands and opportunity to play in the Champions League. For us, it's a very big signing," said Rodgers.

17.15 Monaco defender Djibril Sidibe has signed a contract extension with the French champions.

The 24-year-old right-back was only 12 months into the five-year deal he signed after joining from Lille last summer but he has now put pen to paper on terms to keep him at Monaco until 2022.

The Ligue 1 club will hope the new contract will fend off interest from the Premier League, with north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham reportedly having shown an interest in signing Sidibe.

16.00 Breaking news from the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City have reportedly agreed a fee with Tottenham Hotspur for wingback Kyle Walker, SkySports said.

15.45 Sevilla have signed French full-back Sebastien Corchia from Lille on a four-year contract. The 26-year-old has passed a medical in Andalusia and will follow his new team-mates to Japan, where Sevilla are set to play Kashima Antlers.

15.30 French striker Anthony Modeste has become the first big name European signing of the Chinese Super League's close season transfer window, as Bundesliga side Cologne announced his departure to Tianjin Quanjian on Thursday.

"Striker Anthony Modeste departs 1. FC Koln," said the club in a statement.

"The 29-year-old will continue his career in the Chinese Super League with Tianjin Quanjian. All relevant parties have reached an agreement.

"1. FC Koln would like to thank Tony for his performances in the FC jersey whilst wishing him all the best for the future."

14.57 Pep Guardiola is striving to bolster his defensive department with another big-spending acquisition.

Sky sources understand Manchester City are close to finalising a deal for Monaco left-back Benjamin Mendy.

Monaco value the player at more than £50m, and as we reported on Tuesday, are not willing to sell unless they receive an "exceptional offer".

City are thought to have been offering nearer to £40m.

Sky Sports News HQ believes significant progress has been made in negotiations between the clubs in the last 24 hours and the deal could be agreed before the end of the week.

Mendy is keen on a move to the Premier League and earlier this week, posted a picture on Instagram wearing Union Jack shorts with the caption: ”See You Soon”.

Monaco look to have already found Mendy's replacement, following the signing of Feyenoord’s Terence Kongolo for £12million.

14.16 Ajax midfielder Abdelhak Nouri has suffered "serious and permanent brain damage" after collapsing during a pre-season friendly on Saturday, the Eredivisie club have announced.

The 20-year-old Dutchman required emergency ambulance treatment on the field during a meeting with Werder Bremen in Zillertal, Austria and he was subsequently airlifted to hospital.

Ajax, who earlier in the week revealed Nouri had experienced heart arrhythmia, tweeted on Thursday that he had been "diagnosed with serious and permanent brain damage."

14.13 Liverpool might have to switch targets, after Red Bull Leipzig warned them that Naby Keita is not for sale. 

Jurgen Klopp's long-held interest in the Guinea international is well known and has led to much speculation about the 22-year-old's future.

However, all summer Leipzig have been steadfast in their stance that he will not be sold and, according to Press Association Sport, they have contacted the Merseysiders to re-emphasise this.

That would leave Keita, who returned for pre-season training today, having to agitate for a move just one year after joining from sister club Red Bull Salzburg.

13.45 Stoke manager Mark Hughes has confirmed his interest in signing Kurt Zouma and is “very hopeful” about agreeing a loan deal for the Chelsea defender.

It has been reported that Zouma will sign a new contract with his parent club before immediately being sent out on loan.

 “There is genuine interest. We’d like to make it happen if we can,” Hughes told the Sentinel following Wednesday night’s pre-season friendly against Young Boys in Switzerland.

“The boy himself has to make a decision. We are one of many interested parties but we’re very hopeful. We’re still doing a number of deals.”

13.05 Leonardo Bonucci did little to dampen his speculation over his future as the defender has posted a tweet on his account without making any reference to his club Juventus. The Italy international, sporting a black shirt, wrote getting ready for the 2017-18 season. 

Bonucci is being linked with a sensational move to Serie A rivals Milan.

13.00 Newcastle are attempting to thrash out a deal with Norwich for England Under-21 international Jacob Murphy.

Press Association Sport understands fresh discussions were due to take place on Thursday with the Magpies having failed in an earlier bid to sign the winger.

It is understood the player has indicated his willingness to hear what Newcastle have to say as manager Rafael Benitez attempts to secure a third summer signing, but that the two clubs have markedly different valuations.

12.55 Enner Valencia has left West Ham United and has agreed to join Mexican side Tigres.

12.45 Everton have made a bid of £40million for Swansea midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, Press Association Sport reported.

The offer has not been accepted by Swansea, but Sigurdsson has withdrawn from Swansea's pre-season tour to the United States and headed back to Wales.

"Swansea City can confirm that Gylfi Sigurdsson will not travel with the squad to America for the pre-season tour," said a statement on the official club website.

12.30 Monaco defender Kamil Glik has signed a one-year contract extension with the French champions. The 29-year-old Poland international, who had been linked with Tottenham, has committed his future to Monaco until June 2021.

11.13 Gylfi Sigurdsson will not travel with Swansea for their tour in the United States amid speculation that he is keen on a move to Everton. The Toffees are reportedly asking for at least £50 million for the Icelandic international.

11.00 Liverpool will not be influenced by their Premier League rivals’ moves in the transfer market and will stick to their own signing plans, manager Juergen Klopp has said.

Klopp’s side have added winger Mohamed Salah and England under-20 striker Dominic Solanke so far, but their spending has been put in the shade by local rivals Everton, who have splashed out more than 100 million pounds.

Manchester United and City, as well as Arsenal, have also spent heavily, but Klopp has urged his team’s supporters not to get caught up in what the opposition are doing.

“We cannot buy players because other teams buy players,” said Klopp after his team’s 4-0 win over Tranmere Rovers in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday.

“We do our business as good as we can do it and we are convinced about the way we are going.

10.40 Genoa have signed Andrea Bertolacci on loan from Milan. For the 26-year-old this will be his second spell with the RossoBlu having played for the club between 2012 and 2015.

10.17 Major news coming from London as SkySports are reporting that Chelsea have agreed a fee of £40 million with Monaco for midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko.

10.10 Encouraging news for Manchester United as Ivan Perisic wants to quit Inter and join the English Premier League side.

Talks between the two clubs are ongoing with Inter requesting £48 million for the winger. United have so far offered £39 million but it is understood a deal could be struck if the Red Devils improve their bid to £45 million.

United are trying to complete the deal before Inter fly to China for their pre-season tour next week.

09.55 Roma have reached an agreement with Sassuolo to sign Gregoire Defrel. The Giallorossi will fork out 20 million euros for the striker and the clubs have only have to decide how the payments will be effected before the transfer is completed.

09.40 What we described yesterday as a potential pure fantasy transfer story may well come to reality as SportMediaset is reporting this morning that Leonardo Bonucci may well be heading to Milan. 

The Rossoneri have made an audacious offer to Juventus for the Italy international by offering Alessio Romagnoli and Mattia De Sciglio in a straight swap deal.

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri is reportedly not against letting Bonucci go, given the defender's desire of seeking pastures new and the player's agent is reportedly already working hard to complete the transfer.

Stay with us as more developments are likely to happen throughout the day.

09.30 The first transfer of the day has been completed by newly-promoted Brighton. The English Premier League side have signed Markus Suttner on a three-year deal from Bundesliga side FC Ingolstadt.

09.29 SkyItalia are reporting that Roma want to sign Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez.

The Algerian winger handed in a transfer request in May, insisting he wanted a new experience after his glittering spell at the King Power Stadium.

Mahrez was named PFA Player of the Year during Leicester’s title-winning season, which yielded 17 goals and providing 11 assists.

09.23 As reported late last night, Real Sociedad have signed Manchester United winger Adnan Januzaj for a reported fee of 9.8 million pounds ($12.6 million).

United have installed a buy-back clause in the deal for the 22-year-old Belgian, Spanish media reported.

Januzaj has agreed a five-year contract with the Basque side and will be presented officially on Thursday after attending his first training session.

09.14 As usual we kick off with a view on today's back pages of the UK papers. Chelsea are again linked with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang while Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud is wanted by Borussia Dortmund. Watch all transfer gossip here.

09.12 Good morning to everyone and thanks for all your support. We have another day of busy transfer dealings ahead of us so stay with us to follow all that is happening from the transfer circles from around Europe.

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22.00 That's it for tonight we thank everyone for staying with us and we will be back tomorrow morning. Good night.

 

21.22 Manchester United have confirmed that Adnaj Januzaj is moving to Real Sociedad. The English side posted a tweet, wishing well the Belgian winger.

21.05 West Ham United lose out on striker Anthony Modeste...he will pursue his career in China. 

Tianjin Quanjian, coached by Fabio Cannavaro, have agreed a deal worth up to €35m to sign Cologne striker Modeste.

The arrangement is believed to be a €6m loan with a €29m option to buy.

Tianjin have previously been linked with moves for Diego Costa and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

West Ham tried to sign Modeste at the end of last month but had a £20m offer rejected.

20.36 Some news from local football, as winger Ayrton Azzopardi who currently plays for Tarxien Rainbows is being chased by Hamrun Spartans.

The Rainbows are asking for Spartans duo Luke Sciberras and Luke Grech to be included in the deal for the former Hibernians product.

Monitoring the situation are Sliema Wanderers, with the Blues interested in acquiring the services of the pacey winger in case the talks between Tarxien and Hamrun collapse. 

20.15 Positive news from Sydney for the Arsenal fans, as Mesut Ozil says he wants to remain in North London. 

Ozil says he wants to stay at Arsenal amid summer exit rumours and will reopen contract talks after the pre-season tour of Australia.

"It is definitely my preference to stay," the Germany midfielder said at the launch of Arsenal's third kit in Sydney. "It is such a great club and I have always said that I feel very good at Arsenal."

19.15 Confirmation of an earlier news... Stoke have rejected a bid of £20million from West Ham for forward Marko Arnautovic.

The 28-year-old asked to leave the bet365 Stadium earlier his week, handing in a transfer request, and Press Association Sport understands that the Hammers have made a move.

However, with Arnautovic only 12 months into a four-year contract, the Potters have a strong bargaining position and have turned down the London club's advances.

19.00 Milan continued their spending when they reached a deal to sign Polish attacking midfielder Przemyslaw Bargiel. The 18-year-old, dubbed the new Dybala, comes from Ruch Chorzow and is expected to form part of the Rossoneri youth team.  

 

18.20 Speaking of Juventus the Italian champions have just confirmed that they have signed Douglas Costa from Bayern Munich.

18.15 Curious transfer speculation is coming out of Italy's SportMediaset with Milan being linked with an audacious move for Leonardo Bonucci. The Rossoneri, who have been very active during the summer transfer window, are ready to offer Mattia De Sciglio and Alessio Romagnoli in a straight swap deal for the Juventus defender. Will see if this is just pure fantasy football or something concrete can come out of it.

17.50 Dani Alves has apologised to Pep Guardiola if the Manchester City manager felt offended by the Brazilian's decision to snub the English club for Paris St Germain. 

“There was not only interest from Manchester City but from other English clubs,” he said at his unveiling, in quotes carried by L’Equipe.

“I have often said the Premier League intrigues me a lot and there is a very interesting project there, too. I did speak with City officials.

“But I have friends here (in Paris) and my wife loves this city. I was a little bit selfish when I went to Juve, I didn’t listen to my wife or friends. This time, I tried to be less selfish and to please everyone.

“I believe in happiness - that’s why I made the decision to come here. If Guardiola feels wronged, I apologise.”

17.15 West Ham are still seeking to secure the services of Marko Arnautovic.

SkySports reported that West Ham have made a second bid for the former Inter player.

Their opening offer of £15m was rejected by Stoke but the Hammers have returned with a £20m bid.

The Austria international has handed in a transfer request.

17.00 England Under-21 goalkeeper Christian Walton has agreed a new four-year contract with Brighton.

Walton joined from hometown club Plymouth in 2013 and has made four first-team appearances for the Premier League newcomers.

He has represented England at under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels, winning his first cap for the latter against Bosnia and Herzegovina last October.

16.30 Paris St Germain have announced the signing of Dani Alves. The Brazilian was a free agent after rescinding his contract with Juventus.

16.00 ESPN are reporting that Adnaj Januzaj is close to join Real Sociedad from Manchester United for a fee said to be £8.8 million.

15.30 Atletico Madrid have signed Vitolo from Sevilla on a five-year deal.

Vitolo will go on loan to Las Palmas for the first half of the season as Atleti cannot register new players until January due to current FIFA sanctions on the club's transfers.

15.10 Mesut Ozil has revealed it is “definitely my preference to stay” at Arsenal.

Like Alexis Sanchez, who has been linked with a move to Manchester City during the summer transfer window, German playmaker Ozil is entering the final year of his current contract.

The 28-year-old, signed from Real Madrid in September 2013, maintains he is hopeful of being able to continue his career at the Emirates Stadium.

14.48 Atalanta have secured the services of a striker who helped them qualify for the Europa League by tying Alejandro Gomez to a new five-year contract.

The Argentinian scored 16 Serie A goals last season as provincial club Atalanta finished fourth to book Europa League football.

His exploits in 2016-17 had reportedly attracted attention from Lazio and West Ham but a statement published on the Bergamo side’s official website on Wednesday said he had committed to the Nerazzurri until June 2022.

14.24 Fiorentina have announced that they have signed Martin Graiciar from Slovan Bratislava. The 19-year old enjoyed a spell with the Arsenal academy earlier in his career.

14.12 Borussia Dortmund have not received any official offers for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang this summer, SkySports reported. Aubameyang has been offered to Chelsea for £70m and his representatives have been in talks with Milan and PSG. Chinese clubs – including Tianjin Quanjian –are also interested in signing him. 

14.00 Reports are emerging that Juventus have completed the signing of Douglas Costa from Bayern Munich.

13.49 SkyItalia are reporting that Chelsea are in talks to sign Real Madrid right-back Danilo, with Juventus also said to be interested. 

The Brazilian would cost about €30m and is currently in LA with Real on their pre-season tour.

Real signed him from Porto two years ago for €31.5m and is currently the second choice right-back behind Dani Carvajal.

13.35 West Brom will hold talks with Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma over a possible loan move to The Hawthorns.

The 22-year-old will be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge on loan this season and the Baggies are keen to take him, Press Association Sport understands. 

Boss Tony Pulis has been looking for another centre-back after relying on Gareth McAuley, 37, and Jonny Evans last season. 

Zouma played 13 times for Chelsea in all competitions last term, earning a Premier League winners' medal after they regained their title in Antonio Conte's first season in charge.

13.30 Crystal Palace have announced that they have signed Ruben Loftus-Cheek on a season-long loan deal from Chelsea. 

The England U21 international is the first signing for new Crystal Palace manager Frank de Boer, and will spend the 2016/17 campaign at Selhurst Park.

13.00 Juventus provided an update on Douglas Costa's impending move to the Serie A champions.

"Douglas Costa is currently undergoing a routine medical ahead of a proposed transfer from Bayern Munich," Juventus said.

The Brazil international, capped 21 times, will join Juventus on a loan for a fee of 6 million euros ($6.88 million), according to Italian media.

The contract should also envisage the option to make the move of the 26-year-old permanent for 40 million euros.

12.45 SkySports is reporting that Manchester United have stepped up their interest for Ivan Perisic, of Inter. 

Perisic is with the rest of the Inter squad at their training camp in the north of Italy and United are trying to do a deal before Inter fly to China next week.

United's last offer was £39 million and it is thought that need to raise that to about £45m to get their man.

12.30 Everton midfielder Ross Barkley has not travelled with the rest of the squad to Tanzania due to a groin injury, SkySportsw reported. His absence from the 25-man squad had been reported by some sections of the media as an indication of his future lying away from Goodison Park, but sources understand injury is the cause of his unavailability.

12.25 Celtic have confirmed the signing of Olivier Ntcham from Manchester City. The France Under-21 international has signed a four-year contract. Ntcham has spent the past two seasons on loan at Serie A side Genoa.

12.20 England Under-21 goalkeeper Christian Walton has agreed a new four-year contract with Brighton. Walton joined from hometown club Plymouth in 2013 and has made four first-team appearances for the Premier League newcomers. He has represented England at under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels, winning his first cap for the latter against Bosnia and Herzegovina last October.

12.05 Paris St Germain will hold a press conference on Wednesday afternoon amid speculation they are set to sign Brazilian right-back Dani Alves.

The 34-year-old, who is available after parting company with Juventus last month, has been linked with both PSG and Manchester City.

The French capital club wrote on their official Twitter account: "The club will hold a press conference this afternoon at 4pm at the Parc des Princes."

PSG then posted a picture of Alves' Brazil team-mate Marquinhos under the words: "10:26. Another 5 hours and 34 minutes to wait."
11.05 Speaking of Juventus, Douglas Costa has arrived this morning to the Juventus headquarters to undergo his medical test before his transfer from Bayern Munich is completed.

11.00 La Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting this morning that Patrick Schick's transfer to Juventus is in danger of collapse after it is being reported that a number of issues have emerged from the player's medical test. It remains to be seen whether the Italian champions will give their go ahead to complete the deal.

10.55 Arsenal are currently in Australia on their pre-season tour and this morning they have unveiled their new third kit for the new season.

10.40 Midfielder Jack Cork has rejoined Burnley from Premier League rivals Swansea City on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee, both clubs confirmed on Tuesday.

Cork, 28, had two loan stints at Burnley starting with a three-month spell in 2009-10 and for an entire season during the 2010-11 campaign. He joined Swansea in 2015 and made 83 appearances for the club over two-and-a-half seasons.

10.30 We start off the day by having a look at the latest transfer gossip from the UK newspapers. Joe Hart is being linked with a move to West Ham while Eric Dier wants a move to Manchester United. You can have a look by clicking here.

10.23 Good morning everyone and welcome to the timesofmalta.com Live Football transfers news and rumours. Stay with us to follow all the latest deals from the European leagues including the BOV Premier League.

22.30 That's it for tonight thanks for staying with us and we will be back tomorrow morning.

22.26 Douglas Costa has arrived in Turin ahead of a move from Bayern Munich to Juventus.

Sky in Italy say he will undergo his Juve medical tomorrow.

It comes on the same day Bayern announced a deal to sign James Rodriguez from Real Madrid on a two-year loan.

21.14 Back to local football, as Birkirkara acquired their sixth signing in Brazilian defender Lucas Maia who signed a one-year contract with the Stripes.

The towering central defender from Brazil, is 24 years-old and is considered to be a solid defender when it comes to high-air balls while the club will strive to see him provide solidity at the back.

Maia started his football career at Brazilian Serie A club Gremio before moving to Resende. Last season, he featured for Vejle Boldklub in Denmark's second tier.

21.10 Away from the transfer world, Hibernians are trailing Red Bull Salzburg 2-0 after 40 minutes of the Champions League second qualifying round first leg at Corradino.

20.54 Michael Carrick has been confirmed as the new captain of Manchester United following Wayne Rooney’s exit.

All-time top scorer and captain Rooney’s return to boyhood club Everton after 13 years was confirmed on Sunday.

United boss Jose Mourinho has moved quickly to name a new skipper, with long-serving midfielder Carrick handed the captain’s armband.

20.30 Paris Saint-Germain are holding a news conference tomorrow where they are expected to announce the signing of Dani Alves. The 34-year-old Brazilian right back is a free agent after leaving Juventus - he had been in talks to join Manchester City.

19.30 Steve Mandanda has returned to Marseille, ending his brief stay at Crystal Palace. The French goalkeeper signed for Palace last year but rarely featured for the Premier League club. He returns to Marseille, where he made more than 400 appearances over nine seasons before leaving for Selhurst Park.

18.45 Big transfer news coming out of Italy saying that goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has agreed a contract extension with Milan. The Italy U-21 goalkeeper had initially rejected the club's initial offer but the Serie A club has just confirmed that the 17-year-old had a change of heart and put pen to paper on a four-year deal.

18.15 A small setback for Liverpool’s new signing Mohamed Salah who will not feature in their first pre-season friendly at Tranmere because of immigration protocol.

The Egypt international, a £34.3million signing from Roma, began training at Melwood on Saturday a few days later than the rest of the squad.

However, standard immigration procedure requires him to leave the country and then return.

17.45 A news from the Maltese transfer market, Valletta are handing a trial to a 25-year-old Oman international midfielder. Coach Zoran Popovic is running the rule on Raed Ibrahim Saed who arrived in Malta at the start of the week but no decision has been taken so far on whether the Citizens will offer him a contract.

17.00 Juventus look set to announce the signing of Dougla Costa this evening. Talks between Beppe Marotta and top officials from Bayern Munich have continued this afternoon with an agreement already reached between the two parties. The only issues remaining for the transfer to be completed is that all transfer papers are finalised.

15.30 Inter have confirmed they completed the transfer of Borja Valero. The Spanish midfielder joins from Serie A rivals Fiorentina and has put pen to paper on a three-year contract.

15.00 Wayne Rooney will make his first appearance back in an Everton shirt in the club’s friendly against Kenyan opponents Gor Mahia in Tanzania on Thursday.

Manager Ronald Koeman has confirmed all players making the trip to East Africa, arranged as part of their partnership with new sponsors SportPesa, will feature for at least 45 minutes.

“I’m looking forward to it - it should be a good trip,” Rooney, whose return to his boyhood club was confirmed when he signed a two-year contract at the weekend to end his 13-year stay at Manchester United, told evertontv.

14.15 Antonio Cassano will be playing for Verona this season. The former Inter, Roma and Sampdoria striker has passed a medical and has joined the Serie A newcomers for preseason training.

13.45 Rodriguez's move effectively paves the way for Juventus to complete the signing of Douglas Costa. Reports say the Ukrainian striker is due to arrive in Turin tonight to complete the five million euro transfer.

13.30 Bayern Munich have just announced the signing of James Rodriguez on a two-year loan deal from Real Madrid. Rodriguez was linked with a move to Paris St Germain, Manchester United and Chelsea.

13.15 Inter have emerged as serious candidates to sign Nemanja Matic.

Corriere dello Sport reported that the Italian club are ready to fork out 40 million euros for the Serbian midfielder.

Matic was linked with a move to Manchester United but Chelsea are reluctant to let him join a Premier League rival.

13.00 West Ham United have stepped up their interest to sign goalkeeper Joe Hart. The England international was on loan at Torino last season and is seeking a new club as manager Pep Guardiola has made it clear to him that he does not form part of his plans for this season.

12.30 Real Madrid last night presented their latest signing Theo Hernandez.

The 19-year-old French left back is the first player in 17 years to join Real from their bitter city rivals Atletico where his brother Lucas, 21, still plays.

“I am thrilled and very happy to be at the best club in the world,” he told a news conference.

“I thank the fans for all the support they are giving me. Various teams wanted me but the best option was to go to Madrid to keep growing.”

12.00 Genoa owner and president Enrico Preziosi said on Monday he had sold the Italian top-flight soccer club, ending a sometimes turbulent 14 years at the helm.

“I’ve sold the club,” the 69-year-old businessman told the Telenord television station.

“The documents will be signed at the end of this season or the start of the next. In the next interview, I will no longer be president of Genoa.”

Preziosi, the head of one of Italy’s largest toy manufacturers, was the subject of fan protests last season as the team slumped to a 16th place finish in Serie A after a promising start.

11.30 Stoke City midfielder Marko Arnautovic has put in a request to leave the Premier League side after four seasons, but the final decision rests with the club, manager Mark Hughes said.

The Austria international has been a prominent figure at Stoke since 2013, scoring 26 goals and providing 32 assists in more than 100 matches.

He signed a new four-year deal last year. But media reports suggest he has been looking for a move - with West Ham the top suitor - since Stoke ended last season 13th in the league.

11.00 Juventus will not be holding talks with Fiorentina over the signing of Federico Bernardeschi today as they look to seal up a deal for Douglas Costa. Beppe Marotta has flown to Germany to wrap up the transfer of the former Shakthar Donetsk winger with Bayern director Karl Heinz Rummennigge sounding confident that the transfer will be concluded this week.

10.30 Inter coach Luciano Spalletti is planning to hold talks with wantaway duo Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic. Perisic has been linked with a move to Manchester United while Brozovic is on the radar of Arsenal and Everton.

10.15 Sevilla have completed the signing of Colombia striker Luis Muriel.

The 26-year-old has passed his medical with the Andalusian club and put pen to paper on a five-year contract, Sevilla announced on their website.

Sevilla have paid a reported 20million euros for the former Udinese hitman, who scored 13 goals for Sampdoria last season and has previously played in Spain while on loan at Granada in 2010.

09.45 Jurgen Klinsmann’s son Jonathan has signed for Hertha Berlin, the Bundesliga club have announced.

The United States Under-20 goalkeeper has been training with Hertha and earned himself a contract at a club that counts his dad as a member.

Hertha general manager Michael Preetz told the club’s website: “Jonathan convinced us with his ability, charisma and ambition. He’ll now settle with us and develop step by step.”

09.30 Arsene Wenger insists Alexis Sanchez has not told him he wants to leave Arsenal.

Speculation has mounted over the future of the Chile forward this summer, with Sanchez’s contract at the Emirates expiring at the end of the upcoming season

However, Wenger believes the 28-year-old - who last month said he knew where he would be playing next season but stopped short of announcing his plans - could still extend his stay in north London.

“The players come back and we expect them to respect their contracts,” Wenger said in quotes broadcast by Sky Sports News HQ.

Asked whether Sanchez had told him he wanted to leave, the Frenchman added: “No."

09.15 We start off with the back pages of the UK newspapers who are fool of transfer gossip. Manchester United and Chelsea are being linked with big money moves for Eric Dier and Alvaro Morata respectively.

09.00 Goodmorning to all. Stay with us to get the latest transfer news from the major European leagues.