Arsenal have agreed terms over their first signing of the summer, Tottenham have made a first move for a playmaker with 29-goal contributions this season, while Leeds will reportedly sacrifice their star man for a 54-goal Bayer Leverkusen striker.

EDU AGREES DEAL TO BRING JOSHUA ZIRKZEE TO ARSENAL

Arsenal are moving closer and closer to the signing of Joshua Zirkzee – with reports in Italy explaining why it is adavantage Edu in the race to land the talented Bologna striker.

The Dutchman is enjoying a brilliant season under Thiago Motta, with the La Rossa very much on track to secure a place in next season’s Champions League. And with Serie A set to be granted a fifth place in next season’s expanded format, it would take a pretty hefty collapse for Bologna to miss out now.

However, the flipside of their success is that a number of top clubs are starting to pay close attention to a number of their prized assets – and reports in the Italian media widely expect one of Serie A’s smaller side to see their squad picked apart this summer – starting with in-demand coach Motta, who is wanted by Juventus.

But it is star attacker Zirkzee who is attracting the most attention with Juve, AC Milan and Inter Milan all making a beeline to Bologna’s games to track the brilliant 22-year-old.

Now according to Wednesday’s Tuttosport, it is Arsenal who lead that race, having recently met with the striker’s agent to offer him a deal worth €6m a year (£100,000 a week), which has already been accepted by his entourage.

And while his suitors could yet make an offer to match that, they won’t be able to compete with the Gunners when it comes to the Netherlands international’s transfer fee.

To that end, and amid claims Bologna would rather see Zirkzee move abroad than joining a Serie A rival, it’s suggested that Arsenal have also already negotiated a fee for his services for €60m (£51.6m).

Gunners sporting director Edu Gaspar has looked at a number of attacking options this summer to strengthen the Arsenal attack, with neither Gabriel Jesus or Eddie Nketiah seen as prolific enough.

And while the likes of Victor Osimhen, Ivan Toney, Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak have all been considered, it’s reported that Edu feels that Zirkzee best fits their profile and offers best value for money this summer.

As a result, it’s now reported that the 42-goal marksman will become the Gunners’ first signing of the summer as they look to build on their achievements of this season.

MAN UTD READY TO SPEND BIG TO SIGN INTER DEFENDER

Manchester United are prepared to go as high as €60m (£52m) in an effort to convince Inter Milan to sell star Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni. (various)

Bayern Munich are ready to launch a massive summer offer worth around €65m (£55.9m) for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who has long been on Manchester United’s radar. (Sky Germany)

West Ham are prepared to make a huge offer to tempt Julen Lopetegui back to the Premier League after identifying the former Wolves and Real Madrid coach as their top target to succeed David Moyes after their failure to convince Ruben Amorim. AC Milan are also keen, however, as they chase a successor to Stefano Pioli. (Corriere dello Sport)

Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez – a reported target for Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United – insists he is happy at the San Siro and is keen to sign an extension to his current deal, which currently ends in summer 2026. (DAZN)

Al-Ittihad sporting director Ramon Planes has offered his services to Manchester City amid claims Txiki Begiristain could be on his way out at the Etihad this summer. (various)

Barcelona are reportedly weighing up a surprise move to sign little-used Chelsea attacking midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka. (Mundo Deportivo)

Chelsea are focused on signing Jonathan David this summer with the Lille striker seen as a much more obtainable target than Napoli’s Victor Osimhen. (various)

Napoli, meanwhile, are expecting Osimhen to leave and are targeting a move to sign Genoa and Italy striker Mateo Retegui as his replacement. (Corriere dello Sport)

TOTTENHAM BID FOR PLAYMAKER WITH 29-GOAL CONTRIBUTIONS 

AC Milan are stepping up their quest to land Manchester United target Serhou Guirassy, with the striker having an affordable €17m (£14.6m) exit clause in his deal with the Bundesliga club. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

Tottenham are ready to launch an opening offer worth €20m for Fenebahce playmaker Sebastian Szymanski – though the Super Lig side are holding out for a fee nearer the €30m mark for the 24-year-old, who has 12 goals and 17 assists in all competitions so far. (various)

Paris Saint-Germain are chasing an ambitious move to sign 16-year-old Barcelona wing sensation Lamine Yamal as a replacement for Kylian Mbappe. (Le Parisien)

Real Madrid have made clear they are willing to listen to offers for former Arsenal loanee Dani Ceballos this summer amid links with both Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid. (Relevo)

AC Milan’s senior adviser Zlatan Ibrahimovic has recommended the appointment of Antwerp boss Mark van Bommel as the Rossoneri’s successor to Stefano Pioli after his recent dismissal. (Calciomercato)

Chelsea defender Thiago Silva, 39, has reached a verbal agreement to sign for Fluminense this summer, with the Brazilian out of contract at the end of the season and the Blues deciding against offering him an extension. (Goal)

Veteran French striker Olivier Giroud has agreed a lucrative move to join Los Angeles FC when his deal with AC Milan expires this summer. (RMC Sport)

LEEDS USE SUMMERVILLE AS BAIT TO SIGN 54-GOAL STRIKER

Leeds United are keen to sign Bayer Leverkusen striker Adam Hlozek this summer and are prepared to sacrifice star winger Crysencio Summerville as bait to land the 21-year-old Czech international. (SportsBild)

Manchester United loanee Alvaro Fernandez looks certain to finalise a permanent €6m move to Benfica after expressing his contentment with life in Portugal. (A Bola)

Bernardo Silva has decided to leave Manchester City this summer with Barcelona giving serious thought to triggering the 30-year-old’s £50m (€58.2m) release clause in his Etihad deal. (Sport)

Real Madrid plan to extend Lucas Vazquez’s deal with the 32-year-old’s current contract at the Bernabeu due to expire in June. (AS)

Athletic Club legend Iker Muniain has announced he will leave the club after 15 years as a first-teamer this summer. (Marca)

Former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has held extensive talks with Eredivisie side Heerenveen as he closes in on his first senior management role in football. (Algemeen Dagblad)

Real Madrid are ready to test Manchester City’s resolve to keep star midfielder Rodri with Florentino Perez ready to launch a giant move for the 27-year-old. (various)