Transfer News LIVE: Barca block Messi to PSG; Lukaku set for Chelsea medical; Inter eye…

The transfer window is a game of opinions as much as it is a process of teams strengthening their ranks. No two views from football fans will be the same.  Ask any individual and they will tell you a variety of contrasting answers: their team has either signed too few players, or too many average arrivals when quality over quantity is needed, or perhaps the wrong players entirely. Yet when it comes to Liverpool this summer, it appears to be universally agreed that more could be done on the red half of Merseyside. So, with just weeks remaining in the transfer window, are Liverpool really adequately equipped? Sportsmail took a deeper look…

Bayern Munich’s sporting director, Hasan Salihamidzic, has confirmed the club is interested in signing Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.  The 20-year-old has become one of the most fought after players in the world recently with some of Europes elite clubs including Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United all linked with him.  Bayern Munich have now become the latest club to be linked to the Norwegian with Salihamidzic claiming they would be ‘amateurs’ to not go after him.   

Hundreds of excited Paris Saint-Germain fans are waiting outside the Parc des Princes and one of the city’s airports in order to catch the first glimpse of Lionel Messi. After a tearful farewell to Barcelona on Sunday, the Argentine superstar is expected in the French capital to capital to complete his transfer to PSG in the next few days. But they could be in for a long wait with Messi filmed on Monday wearing swimming trunks by the pool at his house in Barcelona. 

Tottenham expect talisman Harry Kane to be available for the season-opener against Manchester City this weekend, despite his desperation to join Pep Guardiola’s side. Kane has made clear his intentions to leave north London, and is yet to return to full senior training with his Spurs team-mates. Both clubs remain locked in negotiations with Spurs refusing to sell their star man, and now it has emerged that the club expect Kane to be ready for Sunday after confirming that ‘all players in the squad are available.’

Paris Saint-Germain will reportedly let 10 players go in their efforts to finance the blockbuster signing of Lionel Messi. The French giants are the only contenders to sign the 34-year-old, who said goodbye to Barcelona in an emotional press conference on Sunday as his 21-year association with the club. Now The Athletic have reported that PSG are planning a major overhaul of their squad in order to balance the books after what will be their biggest-ever transfer.

Romelu Lukaku is closing in on completing his stunning return to Chelsea as he was spotted arriving at an airport prior to a flight to London to finalise his move. The Inter Milan striker has completed the first part of his medical ahead of his £98million return to Chelsea and dropped a big hint that a deal is close to being over the line. The Belgian forward was recorded leaving Milan’s Columbus clinic on Monday afternoon and appeared to be holding a Chelsea shirt in the back of the car as he was whisked away, in a video published on fcinternews.it. 

Signing a player like Lionel Messi is a once in a generation moment and presents huge commercial possibilities for PSG, hence their acceleration in trying to get a deal done. Messi confirmed he has been in talks with the French giants but was unwilling to go beyond them being an ‘option’ when quizzed in his press conference. Messi’s arrival would be all-worldly iconic as the six-time Ballon d’Or winner would form a devastating attacking trident alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe (left). But with PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi (inset) already sanctioning statement moves this summer – including Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi and Sergio Ramos – how can they make it work with Financial Fair Play? Do they have to balance the books? Will Messi’s arrival trigger a fire-sale for a bloated squad? Sportsmail looks to answer all that and more in a Q&A.

Manchester City have been eyeing a move for Kane all summer after he expressed his desire to leave Spurs in his bid to win the biggest silverware in European football, and the Premier League champions are continuing their pursuit despite their £100million arrival of Jack Grealish last week. Despite Lionel Messi now being on the market following his bombshell Barcelona exit, City are refusing to enter the race for the six-time Ballon d’Or winner with Kane their top priority still. And according to the Standard, City remain convinced they can wrap up a mega-money move for the England captain even if they can’t strike a deal before the season starts.

Southampton have agreed a fee worth up to £15m with Blackburn for Adam Armstrong as they close in on a double striker deal. Sportsmail reported in June that Southampton were frontrunners along with Norwich to land the prolific frontman Armstrong, 24. And after weeks of negotiations Southampton are now set to win the race for the 24 year-old after the two clubs agreed a deal.

The 34-year-old Barca legend said an emotional goodbye to the club on Sunday after 21 trophy-laden years at the Camp Nou, with PSG the frontrunners for his signature. Yet a number of different clubs have sounded out the possibility of signing the Argentine with Spurs one such interested party, according to ESPN in South America as reported by The Express. It is unclear whether Spurs were realistically looking to sign Messi or if they were just ‘exploring the finances involved’ in any potential deal.

Lionel Messi’s teary farewell to his beloved Barcelona captivated the attention of sports fans worldwide, and it has inevitably dominated the front pages of Spanish newspapers on Monday morning.  Messi was inconsolable as he held a press conference at the Nou Camp on Sunday – in front of family, team-mates and the media – to say his goodbyes to everyone associated with Barcelona and the reasons behind his bombshell departure after 21 years with the club. The Argentine is the club’s greatest ever player and the news of his exit has rocked crisis club Barcelona to its core – having won an astonishing 34 trophies while scoring 672 goals in 778 appearances.

Toni Kroos says he ‘would not be surprised’ if French superstar Kylian Mbappe became his team-mate at Real Madrid. With Paris Saint-Germain inching closer to the signing of Lionel Messi after he left Barcelona, they may have to offload other stars in order to ease their wage bill. Mbappe, who earns around £375,000-a-week before bonuses, could be one. Spanish newspaper Marca reported that Real are braced for a call from PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi about Mbappe in what would be a second sensational transfer of the summer.

Jurgen Klopp (inset) has hinted that Liverpool could make some more signings before the transfer window closes as they look to reclaim the Premier League title. The Reds have endured a quiet transfer window so far, with their only major signing coming in the shape of centre back Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig in a £36million deal. The club were also given a scare on Sunday after left-back Andy Robertson (left) hobbled out of their friendly against Athletic Bilabao with an ankle injury. Liverpool’s title rivals have been rather active in the transfer window recently, with City snapping up Jack Grealish (right) for £100m while they are also in hot pursuit of Tottenham talisman Harry Kane. Manchester United have also been busy, signing Jadon Sancho for £73m and Raphael Varane for £42m while Chelsea are on the brink of bringing back Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan in a £98m deal.