Mourinho rejected as Bailly finds new club: Latest transfer

Newly-promoted Premier League sides Burnley and Sunderland are both chasing a deal for Copenhagen defender Gabriel Pereira, according to a report.

The two clubs came out on opposite ends of 3-0 scorelines on the opening weekend of the season, as the Black Cats thrashed West Ham United while the Clarets were overwhelmed by Tottenham Hotspur.

Dan Ballard excelled for Sunderland with a goal and goal-line clearance against the Irons, but Burnley’s record-breaking defensive numbers in the 2024-25 Championship season counted for nought in North London.

Now, TEAMtalk claims that both sides are pursuing a deal for Copenhagen’s Pereira and have already held talks with his representatives to gauge his interest in a move.

However, Burnley and Sunderland are also facing competition from German side Koln and Serie A outfit Sassuolo for the 25-year-old, who has a long-running contract with Copenhagen until 2029.

The 6ft 2in defender joined the Danish giants from Portugal’s Gil Vicente in a £4.3m deal last summer and has since made 51 appearances for the club, scoring four goals.

Another two-team Premier League transfer battle could be brewing between Bournemouth and Brentford, who are supposedly vying for the signature of Lorient youngster Arthur Avom.

The 20-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough 2024-25 season with Les Merlus, managing two goals and six assists in 32 Ligue 2 appearances to help propel Lorient back into the top flight of French football.

Avom has drawn comparisons to France legend N’Golo Kante thanks to his relentless style of play, and the Cameroon international is now being eyed up for a marquee Premier League move.

Football Insider claims that Bournemouth and Brentford are both in for Avom, but they are facing intense competition from two Championship giants and two Ligue 1 stalwarts.

Southampton, Leicester City, Nice and Rennes are also said to be showing interest in the 2004-born lynchpin, and Lorient are ‘braced’ to receive official bids before the transfer window slams shut.

Avom played the full 90 minutes as Lorient suffered a 1-0 loss to Auxerre on Sunday; their first game back in Ligue 1 since promotion.

Elsewhere in England, Leeds United new boy Dominic Calvert-Lewin supposedly rejected the chance to sign for a Premier League and Champions League winner before heading to Elland Road.

The former Everton centre-forward was announced as the Whites’ newest recruit on Friday, joining on a free transfer after running down his contract with the Toffees.

Calvert-Lewin has been plagued by injuries and inconsistency since scoring a personal-best 16 Premier League goals in the 2020-21 season, after which he was linked with big-money moves to Manchester United and Arsenal.

However, the 28-year-old could have supposedly been in line for an £18m payday in Turkey, as The Sun claims that he was offered a three-year contract worth £6m per season by Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.

Calvert-Lewin turned down the chance to move to the other side of the continent for familial reasons, though, and he was content to accept a much lower wage at Elland Road in order to stay in the UK.

Since his 16-goal haul in 2020-21, Calvert-Lewin has only managed 17 Premier League strikes across the last four campaigns combined, netting only three times in 26 appearances during his final season with Everton.

Eric Bailly to link up with ex-Arsenal star as move ‘agreed’

However, Eric Bailly will not be making a miraculous return to English football, as the former Manchester United defender has supposedly agreed to sign for Real Oviedo.

The 31-year-old became a free agent earlier this summer following the expiry of his contract with Villarreal, but he will be continuing his career in La Liga for at least one more season.

Fabrizio Romano has given Bailly to Real Oviedo his trademark here we go, and the journalist claims that the Ivory Coast international will undergo his medical on Monday after rejecting a move to the Saudi Pro League.

Bailly’s switch to Real Oviedo will see the defender share a dressing room with former Arsenal playmaker Santi Cazorla, who is still going strong at 40 years old and captained the club to top-flight promotion last season.

Bailly made just 12 La Liga appearances for Villarreal in the 2024-25 campaign, but his last game for the Yellow Submarine ended in disgrace as he was given a straight red card in the first half of a 3-0 loss to Celta Vigo in April.

The Ivorian is best known for his time at Man United, where he played 113 times in all competitions and won one Europa League, one EFL Cup and one Community Shield.

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