Football transfer rumours: Asensio to Manchester United? Maupay to Everton?

There is not long to go until the transfer window “slams shut” for a few months but while summer is still with us, so too is the scent of cash being readied to thrash out last-minute deals. The first whiff we got this morning took us to the London Stadium, where David Moyes is desperate to bring in a midfielder good enough to keep Declan Rice happy at West Ham for another season. The Brazil and Lyon trickster Lucas Paquetá is the target, but they will have to raise an opening bid of £42m to make it a reality. Arsenal and Newcastle also have the hots for the 24-year-old. Moyes recently bemoaned his bad luck in this window and after Club Bruges rejected a £10m bid for experienced Belgium midfielder Hans Vanaken he will have had more reason to feel sorry for himself.

In the most tedious transfer saga this summer, Chelsea are preparing a 1,374th bid for Leicester centre-back Wesley Fofana. They’re also going to try to snaffle Anthony Gordon from Everton for an improved offer of £60m because the last time they signed a talented young scouse midfielder from Goodison Park it went so well. Isn’t that right, Ross? If Gordon does make the move south, Everton will try to replace him with Brighton’s Neal Maupay.

Sticking with midfielders, Manchester United have been asked by Real Madrid if they want to sign Marco Asensio for £26m. The Spaniard would probably be worth bringing in if it was 2017. But it’s not. In any case United are more focused on bringing in the zippy Brazil winger Antony from Ajax, but they will have to raise their initial bid of £76m to give Erik ten Hag his man. Other United-related fluff links the club with moves for Bayern Munich right-back Benjamin Pavard, PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo and Newcastle’s