The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Defender Tierney to become a Gunner as Celtic agree £25m deal
Gunners seal £25 million deal for Celtic full-back
English Premier League clubs were busy finalising their squads yesterday as the clock ticked down on their transfer window.
The top-flight clubs have until 5pm today to make signings and a number of those were trying to tie up late deals.
Reports last night claimed that Arsenal have agreed a Scottish transfer record fee of £25 million for Celtic fullback Kieran Tierney.
The Scottish champions have already rejected two bids from the Gunners but a deal looks to have been struck for the 22-year-old Scotland internationalist.
Tierney last played for Celtic on May 4 due to injury and is expected to travel to London to complete the deal.
Arsenal are also believed to trying to land David Luiz from Chelsea.
The 32-year-old was at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground, but it is understood he did not take part in the main training session with Frank Lampard’s men.
Luiz signed a new two-year contract in May, with Chelsea straying from their standard practice of handing one-year extensions to players aged 30 or older.
Arsenal boss Unai Emery is expected to push to lure Luiz away from Stamford Bridge before the transfer window shuts at 5pm today.
New Chelsea boss Lampard preferred Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen for his centre-back pairing in the final pre-season friendly at Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend.
Lampard has brought Zouma back into the first-team fold after the 24-yearold France defender spent last term on loan at Everton.
Luiz enjoyed a central role under Maurizio Sarri last season, as Chelsea secured a third-place Premier League finish and lifted the Europa League title.
But now Zouma and Christensen could be in line to pair up for Sunday’s trip to Manchester United in Chelsea’s opening league fixture.
Inter Milan have submitted a new and improved bid for Romelu Lukaku in the hope of finally signing the wantaway Manchester United frontman.
The 26-year-old is hoping to leave Old Trafford just two years after his bigmoney switch from Everton.
Having seen a swap deal with Juventus collapse due to Paulo Dybala’s reluctance to go the other way, Lukaku surprisingly started the week training with former club Anderlecht.
Those developments have seen Antonio Conte’s Nerazzurri redouble their effort to sign Lukaku.
It is understood Inter had a 60m euros (£54m ) opening offer rejected last month and have now upped terms.
The Belgian looks to be at the point of no return with United, whose manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was understandably annoyed to see the striker’s Twitter video showing internal data of the players’ maximum speed in training.
Eyebrows were raised on Monday when the striker was pictured training with boyhood club Anderlecht.
The player joined the Old Trafford giants on their pre-season tour of Australia and Asia but failed to feature in any of their four matches due to knocks. He was also absent for the friendlies against Kristiansund and AC Milan upon returning to Europe.
Manchester United have discussed a deal for Christian Eriksen, but the Tottenham playmaker is understood to favour a move to Spain.
The Old Trafford giants have been long-time admirers of the 27-year-old, who indicated earlier in the summer that he was ready to “try something new”, but the Denmark international is believed to have set his sights on a switch to Real Madrid.
Discussions have come to an end so it looks unlikely that Eriksen will be heading to United.
Manchester City have completed the signing of Portugal right-back Joao Cancelo from Juventus, with Brazil fullback Danilo heading the other way.
Cancelo, 25, has signed a six-year-deal at the Etihad Stadium.
While partly a swap involving Danilo, figures released by Juventus indicated that the Italian club have also received 28m euros to complete the deal.
Watford have signed former Manchester United and Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck on a free transfer.
The striker had been without a club following his release by the Gunners at the end of last season, but he has now arrived at Vicarage Road ahead of the new campaign.
The 28-year-old, who has won 42 England caps, has seen his career hindered by injury, but is fit again after breaking his ankle before Christmas.
Welbeck, who left Manchester United to join Arsenal in 2014, will challenge Troy Deeney, Gerard Deulofeu and Andre Gray for a place in Javi Gracia’s side.
Everton have signed Monaco rightback Djibril Sidibe on a season-long loan deal.
The 27-year-old becomes the sixth new arrival at Goodison Park this summer after goalkeeper Jonas Lossl, midfielders Andre Gomes, Fabian Delph and Jean-Philippe Gbamin, and striker Moise Kean.
Crystal Palace have signed Spanish midfielder Victor Camarasa on loan from LaLiga club Real Betis and midfielder James McCarthy from Everton on a permanent deal.