Gakpo picks Manchester City as Liverpool push for Sarr after Barcola deal

Cody Gakpo is heading to Manchester City in one of the most striking moves of this summer window, with the two Premier League giants agreeing a deal worth around £85m. The Dutch winger chose Pep Guardiola's side over Tottenham and the option of staying at Anfield, and the decision came directly after Liverpool reached an agreement in principle with Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola.

• Gakpo leaves Liverpool for Manchester City in a deal worth around £85m.
• Liverpool agree a £100m fee plus £20m in add-ons with PSG for Bradley Barcola.
• The Reds want Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr as a second attacking addition.
• Atletico Madrid give Julian Alvarez until Sunday to decide his future amid interest from Arsenal.
• City stay in talks for Enzo Fernandez while Chelsea agree a £7.5m fee for Emiliano Martinez.

Gakpo picks Manchester City over Tottenham and Liverpool stay

The decision over Gakpo's future was taken after Liverpool's home match against Nottingham Forest, in which the winger provided an assist. Key meetings took place after full-time at Anfield, with Manchester City and Tottenham both pushing for the Dutchman. In the end, Gakpo chose the Etihad despite the intense competition for attacking places in Guardiola's squad.

Liverpool were only prepared to sell Gakpo if they found a top-class replacement. The arrival of Barcola cleared the way, and the Reds are now working to bring in another winger before the transfer deadline closes.

Barcola deal agreed: £100m up front to PSG

Liverpool reached an agreement in principle with Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola, the club's top attacking target. The deal will be worth £100m fixed, with £20m in add-ons, after the French side lowered their initial demands for the forward. Barcola is set to sign until 2031 and becomes the centrepiece of the Reds' attacking project.

The Merseyside club is not finished in the wide positions. With Gakpo on his way out, the sporting direction wants a second winger before the window closes, and Ismaila Sarr of Crystal Palace is now the preferred option after Liverpool moved on from Brighton's Yankuba Minteh.

Atletico Madrid set Sunday deadline for Julian Alvarez

Julian Alvarez has missed a third consecutive day of training with Atletico Madrid and will be absent from the squad to face Sevilla this weekend. The club has told the Argentina forward that he must decide by Sunday whether to stay in Madrid or consider a move to Arsenal, who have made him their top target.

The Gunners continue to monitor the situation closely and could launch a late bid before the window closes. Atletico's chief executive has already stated that Alvarez will never be sold to Barcelona, though he did not rule out a transfer to another club before deadline day.

Enzo Fernandez in City talks as Chelsea sign Aston Villa keeper

Manchester City remain in negotiations to sign Enzo Fernandez, who was left out of Xabi Alonso's squad for the Carabao Cup match against Luton. If the Argentine midfielder leaves Stamford Bridge, Chelsea could turn back to Bournemouth's Alex Scott to strengthen the middle of the park.

Chelsea have meanwhile agreed a £7.5m deal with Aston Villa for goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. The Argentine arrives following a costly run of mistakes from Robert Sanchez in Monday's 3-2 win at Fulham, and is expected to take over as the number one at Stamford Bridge.

Manchester United still searching for a left-back

Manchester United enter the final days of the window with left-back as their main priority. Alejandro Balde, Lewis Hall and Jorge Salinas are all under consideration. A deal for Hall looks impossible due to the cost involved and Newcastle's firm stance on keeping the youngster.

Balde was left out of Barcelona's opening squad after Hansi Flick asked him to clarify his future. The 22-year-old would prefer to stay at the Camp Nou, but United view him as their primary defensive target and Barcelona are open to serious bids, with a fee of around £40m mooted. The alternative is Jorge Salinas of Racing Santander, whose release clause stands at around £13.7m.

Other late-window moves taking shape

Nottingham Forest lead the race for Tottenham midfielder Pape Matar Sarr and are also closing in on the £22m signing of Daniel Munoz. Celta Vigo right-back Javi Rueda and Fiorentina's Dodo remain on their radar, alongside Corinthians midfielder Dodo.

Leeds have announced the signing of Michael Zetterer from Eintracht Frankfurt as back-up to James Trafford on a three-year deal, while Lucas Perri has joined Torino on a season-long loan. Rafael Leao has bid an emotional farewell to AC Milan with Galatasaray his likely destination, and Marcus Rashford has not ruled out leaving Manchester United with Arsenal and Barcelona monitoring his situation.