Transfer Gossip

Roberto Martinez has denied claims that John Stones has handed a transfer request in to Everton in order to force through a move to Chelsea.
Taye Taiwo jets off to conclude a Move with Helsinki in Finland.
Mourinho has asked Victor Moses to forget about joining Everton, Stokes and Totenham but stay and fight for a place with Hazard.
Brown Ideye may soon be on his way to join Newcastle Utd.

Thomas Muller says he is "quite relaxed" about reports linking him with a "crazy" £71million move from Bayern Munich to Manchester United.

Chelsea have been pursuing 21-year-old central defender Stones all summer, with bids of £20million, £26million and, most recently, £30million, having been reportedly rejected by the Toffees.
The Sun reported on Friday morning that Stones was willing to hand in a transfer request in order to push through the move to Stamford Bridge.
When asked at his pre-match conference ahead of Sunday's clash with Manchester City whether he understood that to be the case, the Everton manager replied: "Not at all, no.
"The only focus is on Man City on Sunday," said Martinez. "I have no problems picking John for that game.
"I think the situation is going to be exactly the same. This has been the hot topic of this transfer window and I believe it will be a subject that is highlighted every day of this window.
"For us, the focus is the games and Manchester City this weekend. It's natural and positive that we have interest in our players from other clubs.
"It's not an area that we need to concentrate on, we need to concentrate on playing the team that is top of the league in 48 hours.
"Any individual matter is not an important issue."

Koeman: Mane not for sale

Southampton boss Ronald Koeman insists they have not received any bid for Sadio Mane and once again declared the forward would not be sold to Manchester United.

Roberto Martinez has denied claims that John Stones has handed a transfer request in to Everton in order to force through a move to Chelsea.

Roberto Martinez has said he is on the lookout for "quality additions" at Everton, but refused to discuss a reported £15million move for Andriy Yarmolenko.

Sadio Mane (l): Saints insist he is not

The Senegal international emerged as a transfer target for the Old Trafford club after they claimed to drop interest in Pedro, with the Spaniard instead moving to Barclays Premier League rivals Chelsea.
Southampton immediately played down reports suggesting United had made an approach for the 23-year-old, who played in their 1-1 Europa League play-off draw with FC Midtjylland on Thursday night.
Louis van Gaal has missed out on a number of main transfer targets this summer and fellow Dutchman Koeman is keen to add Mane to that ever-growing list of names who United have failed to recruit.
"The situation is so easy," Koeman said.
"We have to deal with that. I don't like it because maybe players think they are not then focused on what they have to do. There is no bid for any player, no bid by the club.
"We have to deal about rumours from the press and maybe from Manchester United - I don't know because there is no contact and no bid for nobody and we don't sell any more players. That is very clear in my opinion.
"I spoke to Sadio and I will speak to everybody we have to deal with those rumours, we made a statement and everyone knows that statement.
"We will always have rumours, but nobody is for sale. We like to continue with these players and that's the most important."
Koeman has seen a host of first-team regulars depart St Mary's since his appointment last summer, with Morgan Schneiderlin and Nathaniel Clyne leaving this year after Rickie Lambert, Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and Calum Chambers all departed 12 months ago.
But he is keen to keep hold of Mane, who joined from Red Bull Salzburg last year, and believes Saints are suffering because their players will always be linked with seemingly bigger clubs.
"That is the worst situation for the smaller clubs because no-one talks about the best players of City, United or Chelsea because they are in the best place to be," he said.
"But teams likes Southampton, they have to deal and that is not easy, that makes rumours and everyone is talking about it. We have to play and that is difficult. If they don't change the (transfer) window from (closing on) September 1st we will always have these rumours.
"Timing is always bad. Worse maybe one day before we play at home but it is always bad. We keep going, it is still not September 1st and there are still 10 or 11 days more, write all you like and we will see what happens."

Liverpool midfielder Lucas is set to leave Anfield and join Turkish side Besiktas on loan until the end of the season, according to reports.
Roberto Martinez has denied claims that John Stones has handed a transfer request in to Everton in order to force through a move to Chelsea.

Roberto Martinez has said he is on the lookout for "quality additions" at Everton, but refused to discuss a reported £15million move for Andriy Yarmolenko.

Lucas: Liverpool's longest serving playe

Lucas is Liverpool's longest-serving player but has fallen out of favour at Anfield and failed to make either of Brendan Rodgers' starting line-ups for their opening two Premier League wins over Stoke and Bournemouth.
According to Sky sources, the Turkish side say they are confident of signing the Brazilian midfielder, who has two years remaining on his current contract, within the next two days.
Besiktas are in the market for a midfielder following injuries to Toglay Arslan and Veli Kavlak.

Besiktas have made an 'enquiry' for Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil, according to a former board member of the Turkish club.

Roberto Martinez has denied claims that John Stones has handed a transfer request in to Everton in order to force through a move to Chelsea.

Roberto Martinez has said he is on the lookout for "quality additions" at Everton, but refused to discuss a reported £15million move for Andriy Yarmolenko.

Ozil has endured plenty of criticism since joining the Gunners for a club-record £42.5million in the summer of 2013, with the likes of Juventus reportedly showing an interest.
However, the 26-year-old, of Turkish descent, has been the subject of an "enquiry" from Super Lig side Besiktas - according to a former club board member.
"Erdal [Torunogullari, Besiktas transfer chief] met with Mesut Ozil's representatives last week and made an enquiry," Erol Kaynar told reporters.
If Ozil's move to the Turkish club seemed unlikely at first, consider too that he is a boyhood fan of their bitter rivals Fenerbahce.
The German international revealed last month that he wishes to play for Fenerbahce at some point during his career.
"In the future I want to wear a Fenerbahce shirt. It would be an honour. Everyone knows I am a Fenerbahce fan."

Newcastle's £13million winger Florian Thauvin says he wants to be the best player in the world and already has his sights on Euro 2016.

The club’s hierarchy will be hoping his confidence is not misplaced, as was the case with Hatem Ben Arfa, who declared his ambition to win the Ballon d’Or during his time at St James’ Park.

Thauvin was named in the worst XI of last season by French newspaper L’Equipe and, like Ben Arfa, has previously gone on strike to force through a move.

But the 22-year-old was rated as one of France’s most exciting young players – winning comparisons to Franck Ribery and Michel Platini – before last year’s dip.

Florian Thauvin has set his sights on becoming one of the best players in the world

He will make his debut at Manchester United this lunchtime and believes he can rediscover his best form at Newcastle.

‘I hope to be one of the best players in the world,’ said Thauvin, who was joined at his unveiling by girlfriend Charlotte Pirroni, last year’s Miss Cote D’Azur.

‘Newcastle have signed some very good players, young players like me, and hopefully it can be a springboard for themselves, for the club and for me to go on to big things.

‘Last year was hard for me. I’m here now and I think I can have a fantastic season and give 100 per cent to this club.

Roberto Martinez has warned Chelsea that Everton will not sell John Stones even if the England defender hands in a transfer request.

Chelsea are continuing to pursue Stones aggressively and, having had three offers rejected, they are expected to make a fourth in the region of £35million in an attempt to land a player they regard as John Terry's long-term successor.

It has been reported that Stones has told Martinez he wants to leave but Everton's manager insisted he had not had any such conversation with the 21-year-old. More significantly, he stressed it would not make any difference.

Roberto Martinez has told Chelsea to forget about signing 21-year-old Everton defender John Stones

Chelsea are pursuing Stones aggressively after three rejected bids and will go in one more for the defender

Everton manager Martinez has told Chelsea that he will not allow Stones to leave during this transfer window

Asked if a transfer request would force the issue, Martinez said: 'No. When you got a long-term contract those things don't change at all. If someone comes in from nowhere and puts in a transfer request that is a different situation.

'In a saga of I don't know how many weeks now, we are very clear. I speak to John every day. As a footballer, unless two clubs reach an agreement, you can't do anything.'