Transfer news LIVE: Man Utd get £80m boost, Arsenal plot £35m sale, Chelsea deal close

Manchester United icon Andy Cole hasn’t been surprised by Rasmus Hojlund’s struggles in his first season at the club.

United splashed £72m to sign Hojlund, then 20, from Atalanta last summer.

He has scored 14 goals in all competitions, a commendable maiden tally, but has gone lengthy stretches without finding the net.

And the legendary Premier League striker wants to see him gain some support at United, with Anthony Martial missing most of the season through injury.

Cole said: “I have said many times, for such a young man to come to a club like Man United and be expected to score goals, it’s difficult. To come to Man United and know that you have no one to learn off, it’s difficult.

“When I came to Man United, I had Sparky [Mark Hughes], Eric [Cantona], they moved on. [Dwight] Yorkey comes in, Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer], Teddy [Sheringham], and I genuinely like to believe that we took something from each other’s game. We learned from each other.

“You have a young man coming in, he has come to Man United and everyone is saying he is Man United’s number nine. And you are like, ‘he doesn’t have the experience to be Manchester United’s number nine’.”

Michael Edwards has brought Julian Ward back to Fenway Sports Group just a year after leaving his post at Liverpool.

Ward has been named FSG’s technical director as part of a new model overseeing football operations at Liverpool and beyond.

Pedro Marques, who recently joined from Benfica, has become director of football development.

Kylian Mbappe has confirmed that he will leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season.

The widely-expected decision is now official, with Real Madrid set to sign the Frenchman on a free transfer.

Paris Saint-Germain are not planning on making a move for Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes this summer, according to the Mail.

It’s claimed there is surprise within the PSG hierarchy about how strongly they have been linked with Guimaraes.

The Brazil international has a £100m release clause in his Newcastle contract but won’t be landing in the French capital.

Arsenal are planning to cash in on Eddie Nketiah this summer if they sign a new striker, according to 90min.

Nketiah has featured 37 times this season but hasn’t established himself as a regular starter.

A striker is at the top of Mikel Arteta’s transfer wishlist, with Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres linked.

Arsenal are said to value Nketiah between £30m and £35m.

Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell has confirmed the club will sell players this summer to stay in line with financial regulations.

Jarrad Branthwaite and Amadou Onana have been linked with big-money transfers.

“It is also important that I am completely candid with you,” Thelwell said in a statement.

“The reality is, given the regulations in place and the Club’s current financial position, we have to trade well. Working within such tight financial parameters makes the job extremely difficult. Whilst we want to ensure the team is as competitive as possible, we cannot lose sight of our central objective to protect the long-term stability of the Club.

“That does mean players will be sold, and also that every tool at our disposal will be used to secure new additions to the squad, including utilisation of the loan market. Both Sean and I understand the responsibility we have – and that is a responsibility which has to be our priority. That may not be exciting to hear but, under our current circumstances, it is the right thing for Everton.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has admitted he hasn’t been involved in the club’s search for a new sporting director but is keen for someone to come in before the summer transfer window opens.

“Ideally [the club will get someone in before the transfer window opens],” he told the media today. “With any transfer window, whether it’s January or the summer, if you can be best prepared with the best tools you’ll have better results. So yes, but I don’t think it’s absolutely imperative because we will work regardless within the same systems and the same way we’ve always done.

“If you look back at our transfer windows since I’ve been here, I’ve been pleased. I’ve spoken to respective people involved in the process. I haven’t been involved in any of the early stages. I’m coming in from the side, so it’s difficult for me to give an opinion. But I have been consulted and I think that’s important.”

Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite is reportedly willing to leave the club this summer, amid interest from Manchester United and Tottenham. The defender has enjoyed a sensational breakout season at Goodison Park, with his performances not going unnoticed around Europe.

According to the Evening Standard, Branthwaite is open to the idea of leaving the Toffees, despite having a contract with the Merseyside outfit which runs until 2027.

Everton are looking to raise funds with alternative departures to ensure that they do not have to part ways with their No. 32, though they are said to be willing to entertain offers in the region of £80million.

Outgoing Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has denied there is speculation linking misfiring striker Darwin Nunez with a move away from the club. Nunez has regularly featured in the Reds frontline this season but has been guilty of missing a hatful of chances.

“There is no speculation,” Klopp told reporters earlier today. “That must be external. I’m not involved in that anymore, it’s just the situation we’re in. He has been unlucky in so many situations. There are no alternatives but going through it.”

Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney has suggested he may never play for the club again. The Scotland defender has spent the campaign on loan at Real Sociedad.

“There is every chance,” he informed The Athletic when quizzed about whether he had already played his last match for the Gunners. “Look at the squad depth in that position now. They have [Oleksandr] Zinchenko, [Jurrien] Timber, [Takehiro] Tomiyasu, [Jakub] Kiwior. Four players can play there. So if I go back and it’s the same as before then I’m not silly, I know the chances are I’ll be leaving.

“But you never know in football. You get the rare case with [William] Saliba, where he came back after a couple of good seasons [out on loan]. But you don’t see it too often with someone who has played for four years, left, and then come back to play again. Stranger things have happened. I could go back and there is a place for me. So I’m prepared for both.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has insisted Alexander Isak will not be going anywhere this summer. The in-form striker has been tipped to move away from St James’ Park at the end of the campaign,

“Judging by Alex’s performances in training and just how he is day to day, I don’t see him thinking about those things or dealing with those rumours,” Howe told reporters today. “It’s business as usual.

“When you’re in the position he’s in and he’s scoring goals, you get used to people talking about you. For us, we’re just focussing on our future with Alex. We’re focussing on trying to build our team with him in it. He’s going to be an integral part of our future.”

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has revealed that defender Kalidou Koulibaly could not adjust to the pace of the Premier League before being sold to Saudi Arabia.

Koulibaly joined the Blues as an exciting £33 million transfer as Boehly ushered in a new era at Stamford Bridge. But the Senegal international – like many of Chelsea’s recent signings – failed to live up to the billing.

“If you look at how these guys play, the speed with which they play the game,” Bohely said. “One of my players who I had a great relationship with is Kalidou Koulibaly. Koulibaly came over from Serie A and he told me one time, ‘In Serie A, I get to think and then run but in the Premier League, I have to run while I think, and I’m still adjusting to that.’”

Arsenal and Liverpool look set to see their summer transfer plans scuppered, with Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Chiesa reportedly close to signing contract extensions with Juventus.

Vlahovic has been regularly linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium, while Chiesa has reportedly attracted interest from the Merseysiders. However, Sportitalia have reported that both players will remain in Turin.

Liverpool have made contact over a potential move for Algeria international Mohamed Amoura, according to L’Equipe. The 24-year-old striker currently plies his trade for Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium and has netted 23 goals in 45 appearances for the club since joining them last summer.

Amoura featured against Liverpool in the Europa League this season and bagged a goal and an assist as his side defeated the Reds 2-1 in Belgium just before Christmas.

Chelsea have been chasing 17-year-old Palmeiras winger Estevao Willian in recent months, with reports suggesting the Blues have reached a verbal agreement to sign the ace. And transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has claimed on his Here We Go Podcast that Chelsea are confident of making a deal happen soon.

The player is highly regarded in South America and has already been compared to the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Manchester United have been given the green light to go after Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong this summer as the Catalan giants have put 17 of their players up for sale, according to El Desmarque.

Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag targeted the Netherlands international as his first signing when he took over at Old Trafford in 2022 and could reignite his attempts to bring the player to England this summer should he remain in the United hotseat.

Good morning and welcome to our live transfer blog on Friday, May 10. Premier League clubs will already have one eye on their summer transfer plans, with the current season set to end this month. So stick around throughout the day for the latest transfer news.