Takumi Minamino is poised to leave Liverpool for Monaco after the clubs agreed a fee of €15m (£12.9m) plus add-ons for the Japan forward.
Minamino has been offered a five-year deal and provided he settles the final details and passes a medical his Liverpool stay will end after two and a half years.
The 27-year-old, signed from Red Bull Salzburg for £7.25m, has been unable to hold down a place and spent four months of the 2020-21 season on loan at Southampton. Minamino has played 55 times for Liverpool and scored 14 goals.
His departure would continue a summer of change in Jürgen Klopp’s attacking options. Sadio Mané has left for Bayern Munich, Divock Origi has gone and is in line to join Milan and Darwin Núñez has been bought from Benfica for a fee rising to £85m. Another attacking player, Fábio Carvalho, has signed from Fulham.
Newcastle have secured a deal to buy the goalkeeper Nick Pope from Burnley, with an announcement due once the paperwork has been completed. A move for the 30-year-old was anticipated after Burnley’s relegation.
The England international was a key target for Eddie Howe and should become the manager’s second summer signing after Matt Targett’s loan from Aston Villa was turned into a permanent deal for £15m.
Newcastle are also working to bring in the striker Hugo Ekitike from Reims. A fee of €30m plus up to €5m in add-ons has been agreed by the clubs but delays relating to the player’s agent need to be resolved.
Arsenal are trying to push through a deal for Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus after confirming the arrival of Fábio Vieira from Porto. Negotiations are advanced but there is competition for the Brazil forward and details have not been settled, including with the player and his agents. Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain are among the clubs monitoring developments.
City’s purchase of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund has led the German club to negotiate a €35m deal to buy Sébastien Haller from Ajax. The former West Ham striker is due to have a medical.
