All the very latest football news and gossip across Europe!

The 2017/18 Premier League season has been underway for just two weeks and with the England summer transfer window closing at 23.00 on 31st August, as players and agents look to secure moves and/or more lucrative contracts, while clubs are working hard behind the scenes to strengthen their squads before the window slams shut.

At the start of the 2016/17 campaign, FIFA introduced new rules which mean that the emergency loan window would no longer exist. All 92 clubs will be forced to abide by the fixed transfer window which exists in the Premier League. A club can no longer request to sign a player on emergency basis, e.g. if several goalkeepers are injured at the same time. It also means fringe players or youth team players won't be heading out on loan outside the usual transfer window.

Free agents can be signed by a club at any time during the season, if they had been released by their previous club before the end of the transfer window.


Here is a round up of all the latest football news/gossip across Europe today, which includes the likes of: Paris St-Germain, Barcelona, AC Milan, Everton, Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester City, Diego Costa, Julian Draxler, Yohan Cabaye, Davinson Sanchez, Robert Snodgrass, Jonny Evans, Real Madrid, Juventus, Crystal Palace, Leicester, West Brom, Watford, David de Gea, Alex Sandro, Kevin Wimmer, Gabriel, Ivan Perisic, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal to name but a few!

Barcelona will "fight" to sign Liverpool and Brazil international Coutinho up until the transfer window closes, with the growing expectation that they will soon submit a new offer - The Telegraph

Barcelona are closing in on the transfer of Paris Saint-Germain winger Angel Di Maria - The Sun

Everton are considering a loan move for Diego Costa. Costa released a statement saying how he has no intention to return to Stamford Bridge and Ronald Koeman is reportedly to test their resolve on the Chelsea striker - The Sun

Chelsea have had a £63m bid for Juventus' 26-year-old wing-back Brazil Alex Sandro rejected - The Mirror

Real Madrid could try again to sign David de Gea from Manchester United before the transfer window closes - The Sun

Manchester United have not given up hope of signing winger Ivan Perisic, 28, despite only offering £39m to Inter Milan - The Mirror

Tottenham have had a bid accepted by Ajax for defender Davinson Sanchez that could be worth up to a club-record £40m - skysports.com and The Telegraph

Manchester City are ready to offer West Brom £22m for their 29-year-old captain Jonny Evans after having an £18m bid rejected. City are prepared to almost double the Northern Ireland defender's £75,000 a week wages - The Mirror

AC Milan have three Premier League-based midfielders on their shortlist. The Serie A giants have had a busy summer of transfer activity and are not yet done, with three midfielders on their radar.
The trio of players includes Crystal Palace’s Yohan Cabaye, Watford’s Etienne Capoue and Leicester’s Nampalys Mendy - Sportitalia (an Italian terrestrial and satellite television channel)

Crystal Palace are weighing up a move for Red Bull Leipzig youngster Oliver Burke - The Mirror

Bojan Krkic could be on the way out at Stoke after falling out of favour with manager Mark Hughes - The Telegraph

Southampton are closing in on the signing of Dutch defender Wesley Hoedt, 23, from Lazio after making a £15m bid - Daily Mail

Paris St-Germain attacker Julian Draxler has been offered to Barcelona. The French club are reportedly under pressure to generate funds to appease Financial Fair Play after breaking the transfer world record to purchase Neymar from Barcelona - Mundo Deportivo (Spanish nationwide daily sports newspaper published in Barcelona)

Arsenal are considering renewing their long-standing interest in Julian Draxler after PSG decided that the winger is surplus to requirements following the arrival of Neymar - The Times

Paris St-Germain are still keen to sign Monaco's 23-year-old Brazilian defensive midfielder Fabinho - L'Équipe (French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sport)

PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi, 30, has completed a medical at Juventus but the two clubs are yet to agree on how any transfer fee will be paid. PSG boss Unai Emery did not want to sell the player - Le Parisien (French daily newspaper)

Tony Pulis has played down reports that Kevin Wimmer is close to joining West Brom from Tottenham. He said: "Whoever's telling you we are close, is miles away from that fact. We have a lot of irons in the fire with a lot of targets." - skysports.com

Spurs defender Kevin Wimmer, 24, is in talks with West Brom over a £15m move - The Telegraph

Toby Alderweireld's contract talks have stalled at Spurs and he wants parity with the club's top earners - Daily Mail

Arsenal and Brazil defender Gabriel, 26, is close to a £10m move to Spanish club Valencia - London Evening Standard

AS Roma will try to sign Barcelona’s Munir El Haddadi after giving up on Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez, according to sources in Italy. Roma are willing to spend €20m to sign the 21-year-old - La Gazzetta dello Sport (Italian sports newspaper)

West Ham have told Robert Snodgrass that he is surplus to requirements - skysports.com

Scotland international Robert Snodgrass is ready to escape from the West Ham wilderness by moving to Newcastle - Daily Record

Manchester United are close to extending Luke Shaw's contract as the left-back nears a return to fitness - The Times

Borussia Dortmund's chief executive says Barcelona are "not even close" to meeting their valuation of 20-year-old France forward Ousmane Dembele - Kicker (Germany's leading sports magazine)

West Ham are ready to hand Manuel Lanzini a new four-year contract and will resist any moves from Liverpool to lure the Argentine to Anfield - Daily Express

Huddersfield boss David Wagner says their pursuit of Barnsley full-back Andy Yiadom has now ended and Huddersfield will not be going back in for him.

Sunderland risk losing record signing Didier Ndong, 23, as Lyon could make an offer for the midfielder if they miss out on Celta Vigo's Pape Cheikh Diop - Daily Star

Celtic have announced that Stuart Armstrong has signed a new-two year contract that will see him remain at the club until at least the summer of 2019 - skysports.com

Fiorentina have told their 29-year-old Croatia striker Nikola Kalinic, a target for AC Milan, that he will be fined after failing to report for training on Thursday - The Sun

Leeds United offer Chris Wood a three-year contract extension - skysports.com

All the very latest football news and gossip across Europe!

With the current domestic football season nearing its close, clubs across Europe are planning for next season, as they scout for new players and in some cases new managers and backroom staff, both at home and abroad, in an attempt to strengthen their clubs for the 2017/18 season.

Here is a round up of all the latest football news/gossip across Europe today, which includes the likes of: Inter Milan, Tottenham Hotspur, Mauricio Pochettino, Jamie Vardy, Alexis Sanchez, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Alvaro Morata, Gareth Bale, Diego Costa, Arsene Wenger, Antonio Conte, Harry Redknapp, Arsenal, Barcelona, Leicester, West Ham and Brighton to name but a few!


Inter Milan are ready to double the salary Mauricio Pochettino earns at Tottenham Hotspur to make him their new head coach - Football Italia (Italian Football website)

Arsenal will join Chelsea and Manchester United in the £50m race to sign Real Madrid's Spanish striker Alvaro Morata this summer. Morata, 24, has managed just 13 La Liga starts this season - The Sun

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has fired a warning ahead of talks over a new contract by telling Chelsea to pay him what he is worth - Daily Mail

Wales forward Gareth Bale, 27, is willing to move to Manchester United if Real Madrid decide to sell him in the summer - Independent

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho’s No.1 summer transfer target is a left-back, according to Le10 Sport, who claim Manchester United are plotting a move for Monaco star Benjamin Mendy - Le10 Sport (French Sports News publication)

Chelsea's Diego Costa and Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez are wanted by Atletico Madrid if Antoine Griezmann leaves - The Sun

Atletico Madrid are interested in Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, 30, and Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez - Independent and Daily Star

Turkish giants Galatasaray are keen on signing Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck - Daily Mail

Arsenal are set to reassure manager Arsene Wenger they do not have plans to restrict his power - Daily Telegraph

Everton manager Ronald Koeman says Ross Barkley has a week to decide whether to sign a new contract - skysports.com

Everton want to sign Swansea City midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson in the summer. Sky Sports News HQ understands the Toffees are hoping to strike a deal in the region of £25m for the Iceland international. Everton are likely to face competition from Southampton -skysports.com

Hull City defender Harry Maguire has shelved all contract talk until the club's Premier League survival battle has been decided. The 24-year-old defender, who has a year left to run on his current deal, has been linked with a host of Premier League clubs, while the Tigers have two games left in their bid to retain their top-flight status.

Claude Puel's days at Southampton look numbered - with Hull City boss Marco Silva already approached about replacing the under-fire Frenchman - Daily Express

Eddie Howe says Jack Wilshere will return to Arsenal following his loan spell at Bournemouth - skysports.com

Slaven Bilic has confirmed Andy Carroll will miss West Ham’s Sunday clash with Liverpool, but denied claims the striker had played his last game for the Hammers - skysports.com

Slaven Bilic says it's great Michail Antonio has signed a new four-year contract at West Ham - skysports.com

Harry Redknapp has signed a one-year contract to stay on in his role as manager of Birmingham City, the club have announced - skysports.com

Jesus Navas has been offered a new deal to stay at Manchester City after impressive recent performances - Daily Mirror

Brighton are among a host of clubs considering signing Crystal Palace striker Fraizer Campbell on a free transfer this summer. The 29-year-old’s contract at Crystal Palace expires in June and the Eagles are yet to offer him an extension - skysports.com

Burnley may cash in on striker Andre Gray, who has one year left on his current deal and could demand much more than his current £30,000-per-week if he were to agree a new contract - Daily Mail

Craig Shakespeare wants his Leicester stars to stay, irrespective of any verbal gentlemen's agreements they may have with the club. Riyad Mahrez, Kasper Schmeichel and Jamie Vardy are all set to be in demand again this summer - Daily Mirror

Barcelona are reportedly eyeing a move for Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu. He moved to St Mary’s in 2015 but Marca claim Spaniard could be on his way back to the Camp Nou, six years after he left - Marca (Spanish national daily sport newspaper) and Daily Star

Everton boss Ronald Koeman is interested in signing Ajax captain Davy Klaassen. The Netherlands attacking midfielder has enjoyed an exceptional season, scoring 18 goals in 43 matches - skysports.com

Chelsea are keeping tabs on Bournemouth defender Adam Smith and sent a scout to watch him play in the 2-2 draw with Stoke last Saturday - The Sun

Paul Lambert could quit as Wolves manager over plans for agent Jorge Mendes to handle the club's transfers - Daily Telegraph

Manchester United are considering approaching Paul Mitchell, who found Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli, after he resigned from his role as Spurs' head of recruitment - Manchester Evening News

Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes, 23, has been offered to rivals Real Madrid, according to reports in Spain - Don Balon (Spanish weekly sports magazine)

Newly promoted Brighton want to sign Liverpool's long-serving Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva, 30, for their first season in the Premier League - Daily Mirror

Fabian Johnson has signed a new two-and-a-half-year deal at Borussia Monchengladbach. The 29-year-old USA international, who moved to Gladbach from Hoffenheim in 2014, will remain at the club until 2020 - skysports.com

Chelsea want to bring Germany Under-17 star Jann-Fiete Arp to Stamford Bridge this summer. The Blues have been keeping tabs on the Hamburg forward for over six months - Daily Mirror

Stoke City boss Mark Hughes has confirmed midfielder Gianelli Imbula – the Potters' £18.3m club-record signing – can move on if a deal can be reached that satisfies all parties - skysports.com

West Brom hope to agree a compensation fee with Leeds for Charlie Taylor rather than go to a tribunal. Baggies boss Tony Pulis has confirmed his interest in Taylor, who is out of contract at Elland Road, and is prepared to offer between £3million and £5million for the left-back - Daily Mirror

Middlesbrough have made a £300,000 bid for Hartlepool winger Nathan Thomas, 22, after Sheffield United had an offer accepted earlier in the week - Daily Mail

Brentford have triggered the clause in Florian Jozefzoon's contract that will keep him at the club until next summer. The winger signed from PSV Eindhoven in January on a short-term deal with the option of a further year - skysports.com

Stevenage have completed the signing of youngster James Ferry from Brentford on a two-year contract - skysports.com

FIFA 2014 World Cup - The Worst XI Players

On the pitch the 20th World Cup finals held in Brazil was in the main one of the best tournaments in living memory. It pretty match had everything:- goals a plenty, drama, passion, tears, shocks, surprises, many memorable moments, great individual performances along with several teams that exceeded expectations.
However as with any team event there were players that were quite simply awful and contributed little to their respective teams.

As a result I have compiled a team of what I would consider to be the worst eleven players that took part in the tournament this summer.

Goalkeeper:
Iker Casillas (Spain)
South Africa’s Golden Glove winner had a terrible tournament. In the opening game, Casillas’s errors were costly: his absence for a free-kick led to the Dutch going 3-1 up, while a comical attempt to control the ball in his box allowed Robin van Persie to get his second of the game. In Spain's following must-win game, the Spanish captain inexplicably punched away a free-kick to gift Chile their second goal and send the reigning champions packing.

Left-back:
Leighton Baines (England)
If you are able to recall a positive contribution of the Everton player to The Three Lions’ cause, you must be a biologist specialising in micro-organisms.
Baines was toasted by the canny movements of Matteo Darmian and Antonio Candreva versus Italy, and he wasn't much better against Uruguay.


Central defender:
Pepe (Portugual)
The Real Madrid defender came into the World Cup as a Champions League winner, but his tournament will forever be remembered for an idiotic, thuggish headbutt on Germany’s Thomas Muller in the 37th minute of the opening game, that got him sent-off and helped condemn the Portuguese to their heaviest ever defeat in the competition.


Central defender:
Gerard Pique (Spain)
As one of many to play below his best for Spain, his dismal centre-half pairing with Sergio Ramos led to a shaky defence which incorporated a dodgy offside trap and lazy attempts to man mark the opposition. At least Shakira (right) was on hand to give him a cuddle and the opportunity off the pitch to make up for his pitiful performances on the pitch!


Right-back:
Glen Johnson (England)
Liverpool fans have been frustrated for ages about their longtime right-back's inability to man-mark or defend properly, but now their pain is shared by the nation after three below par performances during England's limp World Cup presence. He did tee up Wayne Rooney for his first goal at FIFA's big event, but it wasn't enough to mask his inability to defend, the key reason for him being on the pitch.


Midfield:
Steven Gerrard (England) 
Although he was praised for his mature adaptation into a deep-lying, restrained playmaker for Liverpool, Gerrard's attempt to reprise this role for England looked more headless chicken than fearless leader. He spent much of the World Cup chasing shadows or being overrun. His role in Luis Suarez's second goal, an unwittingly perfect flick-on for his club teammate's well-timed run, added further bitterness to a difficult campaign - and surely his last in an England shirt. Gerrard is not the only English player to make the list, so rest assured Steven, at least you'll never walk alone!

Midfield
Paulinho (Brazil)
Few Brazilian players covered themselves in glory during the finals, but Tottenham's Paulinho proved to be the pits. Toothless and insipid in the middle of the field best describes his performances. At the 2013 Confederations Cup Paulinho received the Bronze Ball as the competition's third best player. Not sure if it was the same player at the World Cup?


Mildfield:
Alexander Song (Cameroon)
After a close fight with Kevin-Prince Boateng of Ghana, Song claims the position. Not long ago, Song was deemed to be one of the most promising defensive midfielders in Europe. But he left Brazil a beaten man with a red card to boot following a boneheaded elbow to Mario Mandžukić's head in Cameroon's second group game. Croatia went on to win the game 4-0 and Song later apologized to Mandžukić, and to the people of Cameroon for being sent off.
FIFA punished Song with a three-match ban, as well as fining him. The match was further tainted following an investigation into possible match-fixing, after allegations in a German newspaper claimed that the convicted match fixer, Wilson Raj Perumal, correctly predicted the final outcome of Cameroon-Croatia match, which included the scoreline and the sending off of a player.


Midfield:
Antonio Valencia (Ecuador)
Given his credentials AV was supposed to be the best player on the Ecuador national team. However The Manchester United man was completely overshadowed by his namesake Enner Valencia this summer. After being largely invisible in Ecuador's first two group stage games, Valencia topped off a torrid tournament by being sent-off for a foul on Lucas Digneh in is side's final but crucial group stage match against France.


Forward:
Diego Costa (Spain)
La Liga winner and symbol of Atletico Madrid’s greatest domestic triumph, Diego Costa was one of the World Cup’s biggest flops. Having opted to represent Spain over Brazil, Costa looked like a fish out of water and after three matches scoring no goals and Spain’s early exit, they aren’t complaining. His World Cup stats read: 50 touches of the ball in the tournament, no goals, no shots on target and just ten touches in total in the opposition penalty box.


Forward:
Fred (Brazil)
The ignominious Fred departed the pitch in his last World Cup game after his every touch was being met by jeers by his home crowd in Belo Horizonte. A single goal to his name in six games, the hapless and erratically Fred remains the most impressive non-striker at the World Cup. The definition of peripheral.


Other dishonourable mentions:

Stipe Pletikosa (Croatia)
Sergio Ramos (Spain)
Dani Alves (Brazil)
Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Cameroon)
Philippe Senderos (Switzerland)
David Luiz (Brazil)
Wilson Palacios (Honduras)
Shinji Kagawa (Japan)
Xavi (Spain)
Joao Moutinho (Portugal)
Kevin-Prince Boateng (Ghana)
Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon)
Hulk (Brazil)
Edinson Cavani (Uruguay)
Wayne Rooney (England)