Premier League Transfer News: Arsenal want La Liga midfielder, Manchester United plan £50m bid for left-back & more - 3 June 2018

Yet another day, yet another round of reports and rumours that keep the transfer mill busy this summer. While a number of targets may not be signed until the 2018 FIFA World Cup is complete, there are many who aren't participating and have a busy summer ahead with respect to negotiations.

Here's a look at all the major transfer news, rumours, and reports from tabloids and media houses in England as the race hots up to secure signings before the Premier League transfer window closes on 9 August.

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Manchester City close to £60m signing of Riyad Mahrez

According to Manchester Evening News, Manchester City are poised to secure the signing of Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City for a fee in the region of £60m. This could well be on the cards considering the Foxes have probably held on to him for one season too long.

There is no doubt that Riyad Mahrez is still a supremely talented winger that can give defenders a tough time in the right circumstances. Sadly, Leicester is not the place for him to hit his peak anymore - they conceded more goals than they scored this season.

We've come a long way since that 2015/16 season where the Foxes won the Premier League league title when Mahrez was adjudged the Player of the Year. Back then the Algerian winger had managed to score 17 goals and grabbed 11 assists.

He had stayed one season since the Foxes had qualified for the Champions League but the last two seasons have ended in disappointment and the jury is out on whether the 27-year-old will stay another season at the King Power Stadium.

Despite Leicester's disappointing ninth-placed finish in the league, Mahrez still had 12 goals and 10 assists. He was only one of five players to hit double digits for both this season.

The only question is: why does Pep Guardiola want Mahrez when he already has Raheem Sterling (18 goals and 11 assists) and Leroy Sane (10 goals and 15 assists) on the wings?

New Arsenal boss Unai Emery wants Steven N'Zonzi

Could Steven N'Zonzi move to Arsenal?

According to Mirror, new Arsenal boss Unai Emery is poised to sign Sevilla's Steven N'Zonzi as he looks to shore up his midfield options.

The last thing most Arsenal fans would have wanted was a Stoke City player but N'Zonzi has come a long way since his stint with the Potters. His move to Sevilla saw him become one of the best central midfielders in the league.

The 29-year-old Frenchman could be the defensive midfielder Arsenal have craved for years and, having worked with Emery during Sevilla's 2015/16 Europa League triumph, N'Zonzi knows how the Spaniard operates.

Emery had signed him for just £8m when he was at Sevilla. He will cost upwards of £30m now since he has two years left on his contract.

With Santi Cazorla leaving the club and Jack Wilshere no closer to signing an extension before his contract expires this month, N'Zonzi will be the need of the hour.

Real Madrid end interest in Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino

Pochettino to stay at Tottenham

According to Sky Sports, Real Madrid have ended their interest in prising Mauricio Pochettino away from Tottenham Hotspur. After Zinedine Zidane resigned as Real Madrid manager - a decision that shocked many including club president Florentino Perez himself - the La Liga giants have been on the lookout for a new boss.

Pochettino had been linked in the past but, having recently signed a new contract worth £42.5m to stay at Spurs for five years, Real were always going to find it difficult to negotiate with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, according to Guillem Balague.

"What they had in front of them was the possibility of negotiating with Daniel Levy for perhaps a month, even longer, with no guarantees whatsoever that they were going to get him," Balague said.

"They know that Levy is a very tough negotiator, with Florentino [Perez] having been in touch with him in recent seasons. They've decided to abandon the possibility of signing Mauricio Pochettino."

Spurs fans can celebrate if this is indeed true.

Manchester United plot Ryan Sessegnon bid

Ryan Sessegnon

According to Metro, Manchester United are all set to test Fulham's resolve with a £50m bid for Ryan Sessegnon. The 18-year-old is a rising star and set the Championship alight with 16 goals and 8 assists as he led The Cottagers to promotion to the Premier League.

Sessegnon is originally a left-back but he is capable of playing as a left winger as well. This season saw him play 21 times as a winger and 19 times as a left-back. It was his assist that saw Fulham beat Aston Villa 1-0 in the Championship Playoff final to gain promotion.

Fulham have repeatedly said that Sessegnon is not for sale. And having gained promotion to the top flight, they will be able to convince him to spend at least another season with the London club.

At United, Jose Mourinho is on the lookout for full-backs, especially on the left. Luke Shaw has failed to reach the levels the Portuguese manager desires while Ashley Young is not a specialist left-back. Young is also 32 now and has just one more year remaining on his contract.

Napoli reject Manchester City bid for Jorginho

Jorginho to stay at Napoli?

Pep Guardiola's pursuit of Jorjinho hit a snag when Napoli rejected Manchester City's bid for the Italian midfielder. The reigning Premier League champions had submitted a £44m bid that was shot down by Napoli.

The Serie A club's president Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed to Corriere dello Sport that a bid had indeed been rejected.

“Jorginho? I have refused an offer from Man City worth €45m (£39m) plus €5m (£4.3m) in bonuses,” said the president.

After a season where Napoli almost came close to toppling Juventus in Serie A, De Laurentiis has since appointed Carlo Ancelotti as the new manager while Marek Hamsik is also close to an exit.

The Naples club captain could be on the move to China and De Laurentiis does not want to rebuild his entire midfield - unless he can squeeze more out of City.