"Deal sealed," Romano affirms Man Utd's first summer move with four-year agreement, plus other top UK stories
Manchester United have finalised a deal for Watford's young talent, Harry Amass, who will pen a four-year contract with the club. United will compensate Watford as Amass was under scholarship terms there. The 16-year-old, who represented England at youth level and has featured for Watford's Under-18s and Under-21s, was offered a two-year professional contract by his former club. In contrast, Man United are likely to miss signing Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who is set to renew his contract with the Italian club.
John Henry, part of Fenway Sports Group (FSG), has expressed enthusiasm for their new venture: a franchise in the Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy-created virtual golf league, TGL. FSG, who own Liverpool and other sports teams, will base their team in Boston and have a 3% stake in TGL. They aim to introduce modern, tech-oriented golf to young audiences. More details, including the official team name, will be disclosed later in the year.
Marcus Thuram, a striker for Borussia Mönchengladbach and transfer target for Aston Villa, is set to join Inter Milan. The Champions League finalists are reported to have agreed on a five-year contract with the French player. Despite Aston Villa's interests, the allure of Champions League football drew Thuram to Italy. The player will now undertake medical tests before officially signing with Inter. His 2022/23 season, which saw 13 goals and six assists in 30 Bundesliga matches, had attracted attention from clubs including Paris Saint-Germain. Aston Villa will now need to search for a new forward elsewhere.
Inter Milan have outstripped Manchester United, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig, and AC Milan to sign Marcus Thuram. The French international turned down a new contract from Borussia Monchengladbach to become a free agent. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports Thuram has agreed a five-year deal with Inter, worth £5.5 million annually. Despite Newcastle United's interest, facilitated by Allan Saint-Maximin, and coach Eddie Howe acknowledging Thuram's talent, the forward chose to join Inter.
Celtic are poised to sign Australian winger Marco Tilio from Melbourne City, with the 21-year-old set to become Brendan Rodgers' second summer signing. Tilio has scored 18 goals in 79 league appearances for Melbourne and has won three A-League Premiership titles. Meanwhile, Rangers are reportedly close to securing a season-long loan deal for Brighton & Hove Albion's Senegalese forward Abdallah Sima. Sima spent last season with French Ligue 1 side Angers and failed to prevent their relegation. Both Glasgow clubs are expected to make further additions to their squads in the coming weeks.
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly advancing in negotiations for Leicester City midfielder James Maddison, overtaking Aston Villa and Newcastle United. Spurs have agreed personal terms with the player, according to transfer news journalist Fabrizio Romano. Both Villa and Newcastle must act promptly to intervene in the transfer. Maddison, who contributed significantly to Leicester's performance with a total of 22 goals and 17 assists in his last two seasons, is expected to leave after the club's relegation to the Championship. Spurs' chairman Daniel Levy is actively pursuing the deal, with a likely deal price over £50 million.
Following Sheffield Wednesday's promotion to the Championship, their managerial post remains vacant due to Darren Moore's departure. Ex-Aston Villa manager Dean Smith is in contention for the role. Smith led Villa from the Championship to the Premier League, then secured their survival against odds. Despite a subsequent 11th place finish, a string of losses led to his dismissal. Other contenders include Paul Ince, recently with relegated Reading, Giuseppe Iachini from Parma, and former Wolves boss Bruno Lage. Sheffield Wednesday are preparing for next year's Championship campaign.
Newcastle United are no longer pursuing James Maddison due to the £55m price tag and his personal demands. Maddison is close to joining Tottenham Hotspur from relegated Leicester City. Newcastle are instead considering other midfield options, including Hungary international Dominik Szoboszlai of RB Leipzig, despite his £61m release clause. The club are also looking forward to the arrival of Italy's under-21s captain Sandro Tonali from AC Milan. Fans reportedly prefer Szoboszlai over Maddison due to his younger age and potentially lower wage demands.
Despite reported interest from Newcastle United and Manchester United, young midfielder Chris Rigg has chosen to stay with Sunderland. The Hebburn-born player, who became Sunderland's youngest-ever outfield player at 15 years and 203 days, is set to sign a two-year scholarship contract with the club. Rigg, who has represented England at various youth levels, was offered further first-team opportunities before an injury interrupted his progress last season. His commitment to Sunderland reaffirms his high personal standards and goals for his football career.
Newcastle United are in talks to sign Southampton's Tino Livramento, with the club needing a full-back. Eddie Howe, the head coach, is interested in Livramento, who can play both full-back positions. While Newcastle have sufficient right-backs, they are lacking in left-backs. The club is negotiating with Southampton over the cost, which is disputed, and a potential swap deal involving Ryan Fraser is being considered. If successful, Livramento would be Newcastle's second summer signing, following Sandro Tonali.
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