Alvaro Morata makes it 1-0 for Chelsea against Manchester United

Football transfer news and rumours: Wednesday 23rd May

11:20 · THU May 24, 2018

Transfer season is in full swing, and despite the World Cup, there are a number of deals being done by clubs across Europe.

Here, Sportinglife.com round-up the latest transfer rumours from around the media, as well as looking at some of the confirmed transfer deals done on Wednesday 23rd May.

Confirmed transfer deals for Wednesday 23rd May

Takuma Asano (Arsenal - Hannover) - Loan
Eddie Clarke (Tranmere - Fleetwood) - Free
Louis Dennis (Bromley - Portsmouth) - Free
James Finnerty (Aston Villa - Rochdale) - Free
Lukas Hradecky (Eintracht Frankfurt - Bayer Leverkusen) - Free
James Montgomery (Gateshead - Forest Green) - Free
Leon Legge (Cambridge - Port Vale) - Free
Connell Rawlinson (New Saints - Port Vale) - Free

Rumours round-up

Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan are interested in signing West Brom striker Salomon Rondon, according to Sky Sports.

West Ham are also keen on the Venezuela international striker, who played under new manager Manuel Pellegrini at Malaga.

But they are set to face competition from abroad for a player who has a £16.5m release clause in his Albion contract following their relegation.

The Hammers are 4/1 favourites with Sky Bet to secure his signature.

Meanwhile The Mirror says that Andres Iniesta will reportedly announce his move to Japanese side Vissel Kobe on Thursday.

The Spanish midfielder played his final game for Barcelona last Sunday as he brought an end to his 22-year career in Catalonia.

Iniesta was initially expected to move to the Chinese Super League but will instead head to the J-League.

Kobe are currently seventh in the table and can count on former Germany international Lukas Podolski among their ranks.

#ChelseaFC striker Alvaro Morata photographed in Milan with his agent and #Juventus director Fabio Paratici today https://t.co/IoERLaV4Dg #CFC via @AgentiAnonimi pic.twitter.com/jwJcz1hQ5Y
— footballitalia (@footballitalia) May 23, 2018

One player who could be on the move this summer is Alvaro Morata and Sky Italy say that he 'looks near certain to move on this summer'.

AC Milan have emerged as a potential destination, although pictures surfaced on social media of the Chelsea forward in Milan 'meeting' Juventus officials.

The Serie A champions remain the 5/4 favourites for his signature this summer.

A move to link up with Gennaro Gattuso at the San Siro can also be backed at 8/1.

Mundo Deportivo says that Antoine Griezmann has given Barcelona his word that he will sign for them this summer.

Barca are odds-on 1/2 favourites to sign the French international, and he has been linked with a move to the La Liga champions for a number of months.

In France, L'Equipe report that Gianluigi Buffon is set for a move to PSG after his representatives were in Paris on Tuesday for meetings with the Ligue 1 winners.

PSG are as short as 1/10 to sign the former Italian goalkeeper, who leaves Juventus following the conclusion of the season.

Staying with Juventus, midfielder Claudio Marchisio has been told that he can leave the Serie A side this summer.

Clubs in the MLS have reportedly contacted Marchisio, although Chelsea have long been linked with a move and that could be boosted by the arrival of another Italian in Maurizio Sarri as the Stamford Bridge club's new boss.

L'Equipe also say that Montpellier defender Nordi Mukiele is on his way to Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

The fee is reportedly €16m for the 20-year-old, who has previously been linked with a move to Tottenham.

On the topic of the Bundesliga, one goalkeeper who could be on the way out is Bernd Leno, who has fallen further down the Bayer Leverkusen pecking order after the arrival of Lukas Hradecky from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Leno has been linked with a move to Arsenal, with reports saying that the club's head of recruitment Sven Mislintat spotted the stopper as a potential replacement for Petr Cech prior to Unai Emery’s appointment on Wednesday.