Football gossip: Griezmann, Guardiola, Sarri, Bale, De Ligt, Ndombele, Lukaku, Pogba

Football gossip

Atletico Madrid's chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin has confirmed France striker Antoine Griezmann, 28, will move to Barcelona this summer. (Sport)external-link

Manchester United want to make a late bid to sign Griezmann and are prepared to offer Atletico Madrid £95m for the forward. (Sun)external-link

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has dismissed suggestions he is considering taking a break from football at the end of next season. (Independent)external-link

Liverpool have renewed their interest in Lyon playmaker Nabil Fekir but will not pay the £53m fee they agreed with the Ligue 1 club for the 25-year-old France international last summer. (Le Progres, via Mail)external-link

Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici has arrived in London to conclude a deal for Chelsea's Italian manager Maurizio Sarri. (Calciomercato)external-link

Chelsea will refuse to let Sarri leave until the Italian champions meet the Blues' compensation demands. (Mail)external-link

Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri has been linked with a move to Juventus but the 24-year-old Italy international says he is happy at Stamford Bridge. (Star)external-link

Manchester United have finally ended their pursuit of Wales international Gareth Bale - ruling out a move for the 29-year-old Real Madrid winger. (Evening Standard)external-link

Matthijs de Ligt's agent Mino Raiola has met Paris St-Germain sporting director Antero Henrique over the transfer of the 19-year-old Ajax and Netherlands defender. The clubs are close to reaching an agreement of around 75m euros (£66.6m). (RMC Sport - in French)external-link

French champions PSG have offered De Ligt a a five-year deal worth 12m euros (£10.6m) a year. (ESPN)external-link

But Raiola has denied reports he travelled to France for talks with PSG to sort out a deal for De Ligt. (Express)external-link

West Ham are close to signing Villarreal attacking midfielder Pablo Fornals, and a £24m deal for the Spaniard could be completed by the end of the week. (Guardian)external-link

Tottenham's pursuit of Lyon and France midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, 22, is being complicated by his 75m euro (£66.6m) price tag. (Guardian)external-link

Chelsea will not take up the option to buy Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Real Madrid. The 25-year-old is instead set for a return to Inter Milan. (Mail)external-link

AC Milan are interested in signing Liverpool's Croatia centre-back Dejan Lovren, 29. (Sky Sports)external-link

Liverpool would only consider letting Lovren leave if they receive an offer of at least £25m for the defender. (Times - subscription required)external-link

Manchester United's Belgium forward Romelu Lukaku, 26, has said Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte is the "best manager in the world" and that, along with the Premier League, Serie A is the league he "always dreamed" of playing in. (ESPN)external-link

Manchester United will hold out for at least £150m for France midfielder Paul Pogba, 26, this summer. (Mirror)external-link

Arsenal are in advanced talks to sign Saint-Etienne's 18-year-old French defender William Saliba. (Le10Sport - in French)external-link

Chinese club Dalian Yifang's Belgium winger Yannick Carrasco, 25, says he hopes he can return to Europe this summer amid interest from Arsenal. (Mirror)external-link

Arsenal's Uruguay midfielder Lucas Torreira, 23, says there are not many things he enjoys about life in England after moving from Italian side Sampdoria last summer. (Ovacion, via Mirror)external-link

Wolves have contacted fellow Premier League club Burnley about 26-year-old England defender James Tarkowski, who could also be a target for Leicester City. (Times - subscription required)external-link

England defender Kyle Walker, 29, is set to open talks with Manchester City over extending his contract with the Premier League champions. (Sun)external-link

Manchester City look set to miss out on Sochaux midfielder Lucien Agoume, with the 17-year-old Cameroon-born France youth international expected to sign for Inter Milan. (Star)external-link

Championship play-off winners Aston Villa are set to make a £14m bid for Leeds United's 23-year-old English midfielder Kalvin Phillips. (Telegraph)external-link

Mirror
Thursday's backpage of the Mirror

Elsewhere on the BBC