£42m-rated defender 'agrees personal terms' with Arsenal as Real Madrid look to raid Newcastle…

Liverpool fans can start to get excited after new sporting director Richard Hughes confirmed that the club would spring into transfer window in August, following a quiet period across June and July. The Reds have a number of targets on their list already but based on what was discussed in Arne Slot’s first press conference, we could be in for a few more weeks of inactivity before the Reds really get things going.

In the meantime, others have wasted no time with their own business. As another thrilling Premier League season approaches, let’s take a look at what Liverpool’s rivals are up to. We’ve rounded up some of the latest transfer headlines on the rumour mill to see who the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle United have been linked to recently.

After another season of falling short to Manchester City in the Premier League title race, Arsenal are looking to get a strong summer haul under their belts as they prepare for another competitive run. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners have ‘agreed personal terms’ with Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori and the player is ‘only waiting’ for them, rather than any other club.

The transfer expert has reported that the Emirates is Calafiori’s ‘favourite destination’ and no talks are being held between him and other interested parties including Paris Saint-Germain, Bayer Leverkusen and Premier League rivals Chelsea.

The 22-year-old is under contract with Bologna until 2027 and the Italian side initially rejected a £40 million offer from Arsenal as they are holding out for the slightly higher fee of £42 million.

Real Madrid set sights on Newcastle star

Real Madrid are headed into something of a period of transition following Toni Kroos’ decision to retire from the professional game. Los Blancos are on the market for a similar midfield powerhouse who can replace the iconic German and according to Fichajes, they have set their sights on Newcastle’s Bruno Guimarães.

Madrid are looking for a midfielder who can ‘integrate well’ with new signing Kylian Mbappé, who has finally made the switch from PSG. Guimarães has been ‘strongly mentioned’ in their search following his impressive performances for both the Magpies and Brazil.

However, the report claims that it’s not going to be an issue mission to sign the 26-year-old. Newcastle had previously been open to selling Guimarães but have since turned back on that decision, with recent reports claiming that a potential sale this summer could cost as much as €120 million (£101m).