TRANSFER RUMOURS: Aston Villa eye Vlahovic, Arsenal close in on Zubimendi, others

Here is a round-up of the latest transfer rumours in European football.

• Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez, who recently signed a contract until 2028, is seen as the ideal replacement for Karim Benzema by Real Madrid. (Fichajes)
• Liverpool are in advanced negotiations with representatives of Brighton and Argentina midfielder, Alexis Mac Allister. The Reds are eager to secure the 24-year-old’s services quickly to stave off other Premier League suitors. (The Guardian)
• If Newcastle returns to the Champions League, they may table an offer of £70 million for former Leeds United and current Barcelona winger Raphinha (The Sun)
• Barcelona forward Ferran Torres, who has been with the club for less than 18 months, may be allowed to leave Camp Nou and is being considered by Arsenal and Aston Villa for a summer transfer. (talkSPORT)
• While Chelsea still retain an interest in Lionel Messi, who is set to leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer, Barcelona is in a prime position to make a comeback to Camp Nou. (football.london)
• Manchester United is considering a bid of €50 million plus Anthony Martial in exchange for Inter’s Argentine forward, Lautaro Martinez, and is ready to go all out to sign him. (Calciomercatoweb)

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• Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi is close to accepting an offer from Arsenal for next season. (AS)
• Despite Real Madrid’s impending acquisition of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, Liverpool will be unable to entice Aurelien Tchouameni, as the 14-time Champions League champions view the Frenchman as “untransferrable.” (FootMercato)
• Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson has turned down the club’s latest contract offer, which expires at the end of the season. (The Guardian)
• Mauricio Pochettino will be willing to give Romelu Lukaku another chance at the club if he is named Chelsea’s new manager (Gazzetta dello Sport)
• Manchester City could move for Aston Villa left-back Alex Moreno, who has made an impression in his first season in English football. (FootMercato)
• Chelsea has expressed interest in Leeds teen sensation Wilfred Gnonto, who is also being pursued by Juventus and Inter. (Fichajes)
• Liverpool and Bayern Munich will need to offer at least £50 million to have any chance of signing Joao Palhinha, a midfielder for Fulham. (Football Insider)
• Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is interested in strengthening his center-back options with Andreas Christensen from Barcelona. (Fichajes)
• Bayern Munich will not pursue Mateo Kovacic, a midfielder for Chelsea who has been linked to a move to the Allianz Arena, although other Premier League clubs are known to be monitoring his situation. (Sky Sports Germany)
• Unai Emery’s ambitious transfer plans for Aston Villa may include a move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic. (Telegraph)