Premier League Football - Latest news, results, stats & transfers - BBC Sport (2024)

Chelsea have made a move to sign Leicester City midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who Brighton are also interested in.

Albion are keen to sign Dewsbury-Hall in a cash-plus-player swap deal involving Poland midfielder Jakub Moder.

Moder is ready to switch but there are concerns that Chelsea's enquiry, made on Thursday, could cause Dewsbury-Hall to reject the move to the south coast.

Chelsea believe they would be the preferred choice for the 25-year-old, particularly as they can offer the chance to link up with manager Enzo Maresca, who joined the Blues this summer after delivering Leicester's Championship title and promotion to the Premier League last season.

The situation is complicated further by Dewsbury-Hall's general reluctance to leave his boyhood club, who he joined when he was eight.

In an interview with BBC Sport this week, Dewsbury-Hall said: "I have been here since I was a kid. I love everything about the club. I grew up and managed to play in the first team. I am happy.

"I have never said I am actively wanting to leave. That sort of stuff is not up to me. You never know with football - the season is about to start, so we will see."

The Foxes, who hired Steve Cooper to succeed Maresca, are in a poor position under the Premier League profit and sustainability rules and it is thought they need to sell the academy graduate to satisfy the regulations.

Brentford are also reportedly interested in Dewsbury-Hall.

Representatives from Everton's prospective new owners have visited the city of Liverpool this week as they continue their due diligence on the club.

A team from the US-based Friedkin Group have been to Goodison Park, the new stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock and the club's offices as their takeover edges closer.

BBC Sport understands chairman Dan Friedkin, who owns Roma, and son Ryan, president of French club Cannes, were not in attendance.

Last week, the Friedkin Group were granted a period of exclusivity by Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri as they aim to purchase the British-Iranian businessman's 94% stake in Everton.

The due diligence process involves a thorough, forensic analysis of the business to see how resilient it is and whether the group still want to proceed to complete the deal.

Although a majority purchase of the club is still not guaranteed, BBC Sport understands there is cautious optimism that it remains on track and completion can be achieved within a timescale of weeks rather than months.

They have already taken steps by making a £200m cash injection which includes paying off a £158m loan and contributing to short-term running costs.

The Friedkin Group will analyse the club's finances as well as examining the legal side including contracts that the club have signed, sponsorship deals and cost of the new stadium.

On the sporting side, the firm will assess the strength of the squad and the training ground to see what sort of investment needs to be made.

Manchester United are interested in Paris St-Germain's Manuel Ugarte, with the Uruguay international among midfield targets being looked at.

The FA Cup winners are likely to need a replacement this summer for Brazil international Casemiro, who is expected to leave Old Trafford amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

No formal bids have yet been made for Ugarte and other options are being discussed as United look to extend manager Erik ten Hag's contract.

The French champions are believed to have interest from clubs across Europe, including one other English club, and are holding out for a substantial fee.

However, they are open to selling Ugarte despite signing him ahead of Chelsea in a £51m deal from Sporting Lisbon last summer.

Ugarte was a rotation option under manager Luis Enrique as PSG won a league and cup double while also reaching the Champions League semi-finals.

Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea are due to have their medicals with Aston Villa as the deal to take Douglas Luiz to Juventus edges closer.

The pair are part of the players-plus-cash deal which will take Luiz to Italy, with Juventus also reportedly paying 25m euros (£18.5m).

England Under-21 wing-back Iling-Junior was due for his medical on Tuesday, with midfielder Barrenechea pencilled in for his checks on Wednesday.

Midfielder Luiz, on Brazil duty at the Copa America, is also set to have his medical in the United States this week.

Luiz, 26, has been with Villa since a £15m move from Manchester City in 2019, scoring 22 goals in 204 games.

Juventus' USA international Weston McKennie was initially part of the deal, but his wages became a problem and Villa were not able to find a resolution so turned to Barrenechea.

Forward Matias Soule was also discussed as part of the swap but Juve's 40m euros (£34m) asking price for the 23-year-old Argentine made that impossible.

Iling-Junior, 20, came through the Chelsea academy and joined Juventus in 2022. He helped them win the Copa Italia last season as they finished third in Serie A.

Barrenechea was on loan at Frosinone, who were relegated from the top flight.

Defender Ian Maatsen is also due to join Villa for £37.5m from Chelsea as they continue to prepare for the Champions League next season.

Omari Kellyman, 19, is poised to move to Stamford Bridge for £19m - just two years after being bought from Derby County for £600,000 - on a six-year deal, while Tim Iroegbunam joined Everton this week for £9m.

Southampton defender Romain Perraud has joined Spanish club Real Betis, bringing his three-year spell with the Saints to an end.

Left-back Perraud made 60 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring five goals.

He spent last season on loan in France at Nice.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney says his "main focus" is on doing well for England and not speculation about his future.

The 28-year-old is in Germany but is yet to feature for Gareth Southgate's side at Euro 2024.

There has been a lot of speculation around the forward's future, with a number of top-flight clubs said to be interested. When Bees boss Thomas Frank was asked about Toney while working as a pundit for the BBC, he said the club have "prepared" for the striker to leave by signing Igor Thiago from Club Bruges.

When asked about his manager's comments, Toney said: "I didn't hear him say that. I can't predict the future and if I could I wouldn't be sat here in front of you guys. What will be will be and my main focus is playing well and doing well for my country."

Toney was linked with a move away from Brentford in January and he added: "I've been through it [transfer speculation] before. There's been lots of talk of me going here, there and everywhere before in my career and I just don't let outside noise get to me.

"I'm here with England now, and the main focus is doing well for England and whatever happens, happens. I can't control it.

"From 18 when I was supposed to go to Wolves and I was all excited and getting involved in all of it, then it didn't happen, it hurt me.

"So since then I thought 'why am I trying to take control of things when I don't need that pressure?' I just let people who take care of those things to do it and I focus on the pitch."

Chelsea and Aston Villa are set to complete their separate moves that see Villa midfielder Omari Kellyman and Blues defender Ian Maatsen switch clubs.

Kellyman, 19, will move to Stamford Bridge for £19m as he signs a six-year deal with an option for an extra season on Monday.

Meanwhile, Maatsen's move is worth £37.5m and, like Kellyman, he will complete his medical on Monday.

Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton is attracting interest from a number of clubs this summer.

The 21-year-old has been with the Reds since the age of seven and is valued at about £20m by the Anfield club.

Morton, who has been linked with RB Leipzig, external, Eintracht Frankfurt, Feyenoord and Sevilla, had a stint on loan at Hull City last season, while he also had a temporary spell at Blackburn Rovers during the 2022-23 campaign.

He has made nine first-team appearances for Liverpool, all in the 2021-22 season.