Football transfer news and rumours – 'Bayern Munich hoping to beat Manchester United and Chelsea in race to capture signing of Everton striker Romelu Lukaku' 

Bayern Munich are the latest club to have shown an interest in Romelu Lukaku, the Everton striker, who now appears certain to leave Goodison Park during the summer transfer window, according to a report in the Manchester Evening News.

After already turning down a contract with Everton understood to be worth around £140,000 a week, Lukaku has been told he is free to leave the club providing their valuation of £100 million is met.

It had been widely reported that Chelsea, the Belgium international's former club, had been the favourites to sign the 24-year-old before Manchester United, who are desperate for a proven goalscorer given Zlatan Ibrahimovic's long-term injury problem, joined the transfer party. 

However, it now appears that Bayern Munich, the five-time European Cup winners, are hopeful of taking Lukaku to the Allianz Arena. In a report in the Manchester Evening News, it is claimed that Lukaku's father is particularly keen on his son joining the Bundesliga champions while they also report the ongoing transfer saga 'will soon be fixed'.

Following reports that Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, and his chief executive Ivan Gazidis had been spotted in Nice over the weekend the rumour mill, understandably, has been grinding out the stories about the north London club closing in sealing a world-record deal for Monaco striker Kylian Mbappé. So far, so good for Arsenal fans who want to see their venerable leader open up his chequebook. According to the Sun, though, European champions Real Madrid have already made a £118m bid for the player. 

However, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale already in Zinedine Zidane's squad at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, the 18-year-old Mbappé may have to be prepared to forego regular first-team football while his older, more experienced, potential team-mates carried on where they left off last season: winning La Liga and the Champions League trophies. Which is where Arsenal, may, come in. 

Wenger, who is a long-term admirer of Mbappé, may be able to offer the young Frenchman regular first-team football over Real Madrid and will, we are sure, be hoping the player has been listening to the overtures coming from north London in which the Arsenal manager has purred over the Monaco striker.

“Well, I approached him last year because I really believe that he has an exceptional future ahead of him, that he has all the qualities," Wenger said earlier this year. 

“He reminds me of a young Thierry Henry with the same clever look about him, the same qualities of intelligence in his movements and cat-like finishing. I think he’s an exceptional talent who promises to have a great future.”

Christian Eriksen, the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, has refused to rule out a move to Barcelona after the Danish midfielder had been linked with the Catalan club.

Speaking to Danish publication Ekstra Bladet, Eriksen said there are few players who could say 'no' to Barça, but admitted he could stay at Tottenham where the 25-year-old has been named the club's player of the year twice now.

“I still have a contract with Tottenham a few more years,” Eriksen said. “There are always rumours about footballers, but Barcelona are a great club and I don’t think there are many who say no to Barcelona.”

“In the future I see myself at the highest level. That’s what I dream about. It can be in about two to three years. It may be at another club or it could be Tottenham if we have come all the way up.”

Joe Hart, the Manchester City goalkeeper who spent last season out on loan to Torino, has emerged as a surprise transfer target for rivals Manchester United, according to a report in the Daily Mail. United are understood to be looking at potential replacements for David De Gea who, once again, has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.

And the rest . . .

The waiting game

Alexandre Lacazette, the Lyon striker who has been linked with moves to Liverpool and Manchester United, has hinted that he may be prepared to join Atlético Madrid before sitting on the sidelines as he waits for the club's transfer ban to expire at which point he will be free to play for the Spanish club.

No way back

“[Cristiano] Ronaldo has made it clear that he won’t ever come back to United," a source at Old Trafford has reportedly told the Express just in case anybody realistically thought there was any chance of the Portuguese returning to Manchester United. “It could have happened at one stage, but not now." 

History repeating?

James Rodríguez, he of Real Madrid fame, has once again been linked with a move to Old Trafford. Could this, finally, be the window in which the Colombian makes the move to the Premier League? Watch this space . . .