Transfer gossip round-up: Salah close to Trabzonspor move - Sunday's gossip

The latest batch of transfer chatter is a circus of big‑name names and a few surprising destinations, all swirling around the same deadline.

Egyptian talisman Mohamed Salah, 34, is reportedly on the verge of swapping Liverpool for Turkish side Trabzonspor, even though he’s said to have verbally agreed a move to fellow Istanbul club Besiktas, according to Foot Mercato. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich’s scouting radar is still trained on Manchester United’s 23‑year‑old Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko, a link floated by CF Bayern Insider that suggests the German giants see the forward as a catalyst for Harry Kane to drift into a deeper role.

At the other end of the Premier League spectrum, Aston Villa’s centre‑back Ezri Konsa, 28, is said to be interested in a switch to Arsenal, as reported by Caught Offside. In a parallel move, Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca is reportedly keen to reunite with Chelsea winger Pedro Neto, with the Sky Blues probing a £70m figure for the 26‑year‑old Portugal forward, according to Sun.

The defensive market is heating up as well. Sun claims that both Chelsea and Tottenham have joined Newcastle in the hunt for Atalanta centre‑back Giorgio Scalvini, 22, with the Magpies reportedly ready to open negotiations with a £34m offer for the Italy defender.

Across the continent, Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, 25, is reportedly pushing for a move to Inter Milan after a £25m deal was turned down, while talks continue over a package that could total around £30m to meet Liverpool’s valuation, as per Teamtalk. In the same vein, Teamtalk notes that Paris St-Germain have stepped up their pursuit of Ajax winger Mika Godts, 21, a player valued at £52m, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham all being told of the Belgian’s growing interest.

On the contractual front, Chelsea forward Joao Pedro, 24, is set to sign a new deal despite his current contract running to 2032, following earlier interest from Barcelona, according to The Athletic. Conversely, Manchester United are reportedly unlikely to snap up Everton attacker Iliman Ndiaye, 26, as Al‑Hilal stands ready to meet the £75m fee the Toffees demand, per Football Insider.

Fulham have entered the race for Republic of Ireland striker Troy Parrott, 24, from AZ Alkmaar, but will have to contend with Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Real Betis and Como, as reported by Talksport. Finally, Record says Benfica’s 22‑year‑old Croatian striker Franjo Ivanovic is close to a move to Hull City, with talks pointing to an initial loan arrangement.

All told, the market is buzzing with a mix of seasoned internationals and rising talents, each link adding another thread to the tangled transfer tapestry.