Welcome to the Times of Malta football transfer blog. With the 2019-20 football campaign just weeks away, clubs around the European continents will be stepping up their efforts to try and strengthen their squad ahead of the upcoming season...

8.45pm That's all for today! Thank you for joining us and we invite you to tune in to our transfer blog tomorrow. 

8.30pm Patrick Cutrone is considering his future at boyhood club Milan amid interest from Wolves, Sky Sports News understands. 

Negotiations continue on all sides over a deal for the striker, who is understood not to be in a hurry to leave San Siro. 

Sky Sports News reported last week that Wolves had opened talks with Milan over a deal for the Italy international. 

8.15pm Hertha Berlin are interested in a loan move for Arsenal youngster Reiss Nelson, according to Kicker in Germany.

The report claims Hertha are out to boost their attacking options and will also contact Watford over a deal for Dodi Lukebakio, who starred on loan at Fortuna Dusseldorf last season. 

8pm Reports defender Kurt Zouma has handed in a transfer request to Chelsea are incorrect, according to Sky Sports.

Zouma is currently on a pre-season tour with the club after spending last season on loan at Everton. 

The France international started last Friday's friendly defeat against Kawasaki Frontale alongside David Luiz in central defence.

7.15pm Toby Alderweireld says he expects to be playing for Tottenham this season as the clock ticks down on his transfer clause.

A £25m release clause in his deal expires this Thursday and the Belgian has been of interest to Roma.

But after being made captain for Spurs 3-2 friendly win over Juventus, the defender said: ““Yes (I expect to still be a Spurs player at the start of the season).

7pm Emerson Marcelina is set for a return in Maltese football as he is currently in talks with two clubs from the Premier League.

In fact, Times of Malta understands that the Brazilian midfielder will arrive to Malta in the coming days to speak to Floriana and Gżira United.

Last season, Marcelina was at Floriana with whom he played 24 league games scoring two goals and registering one assist.

6.25pm Qatari side Al-Rayyan have confirmed Algeria winger Yacine Brahimi will join the club after undergoing a medical on Monday.

The 29-year-old, a free agent after his contract at Porto expired in June, was in talks with Arsenal over a move to the Emirates, according to Sky sources.

6pm Senglea Athletic have bolstered their squad with the signing of midfielder Justin Micallef.

Micallef, who is Australian with a Maltese descendent, was recently playing with Aussie side Parramatta Eagles.

5.45pm Bahrain U-23 internationals Jamel Saaba and Ahmed Alsherooqi left Birkirkara to return to their native country as they signed with Al-Muharraq SC.

Al-Muharraq SC are one of the oldest clubs in the Arab region and are one of the clubs in line to participate in the 2020 AFC Cup, which is equivalent to the UEFA Europa League.

While Saaba failed to make an appearance with the Stripes last season, Alsheerooqi featured once against Valletta in February 2019. 

5.30pm Manchester United are making good progress in their talks with Lille for the transfer of their forward Nicolas Pepe, according to reports in The Times.

The Ligue 1 club are believed to be demanding more than £70m for the player.

5pm Inter striker Mauro Icardi is reportedly now open to joining Napoli as opposed to Juventus.

Juve left their No 9 jersey vacant for preseason, which was picked up by some as a sign that it was reserved for Icardi.

However, Corriere dello Sport writes the Argentine is ‘thinking long and hard’ about an offer from Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis.

The newspaper adds he will speak to Coach Carlo Ancelotti sometime this week and that agent-wife Wanda Nara is also coming around to the idea.

4.30pm RB Leipzig have signed Chelsea midfielder Ethan Ampadu on a season-long loan. 

The 18-year-old has made 12 appearances for Chelsea's first team since joining the club from Exeter two years ago, with the move to the Bundesliga side his first loan departure while at Stamford Bridge.

Ampadu signed a new five-year Chelsea contract in September 2018, and has made eight senior appearances for Wales.

4pm Fenerbahce midfielder Ejlif Elmas will complete his transfer to Napoli on Tuesday.

Sky Sport Italia reports the deal is done and Elmas will undergo his medical tomorrow before signing his contract and joining up with the Napoli squad in Dimaro.

The Partenopei are understood to have agreed a fee of around €15m for the 19-year-old, who will replace Bologna-bound Marko Rog.

3.30pm Hertha Berlin are interested in a loan move for Arsenal youngster Reiss Nelson, according to Kicker in Germany.

The report claims Hertha are out to boost their attacking options and will also contact Watford over a deal for Dodi Lukebakio, who starred on loan at Fortuna Dusseldorf last season. 

3pm Tarxien Rainbows are in advanced talks to sign goalkeepers Rudy Briffa and Maverick Buhagiar and midfielder Brooke Farrugia.

The Rainbows are in need of a new shot-stopper after Andrea Cassar left the club to join Floriana earlier this summer.

Rudy Briffa, who has struggled for first team football at Hibs in the last few years, has left the Paola club and is set to join their neighbouring rivals.

Buhagiar, on the other hand, will return to Tarxien after his loan spell last season.

Farrugia, on the other hand, is set to return to top flight football after spending last season at Żejtun Corinthians.

2.30pm Newcastle are back in for Nice winger Allan Saint-Maximin, according to L'Equipe.

The Magpies' interest has reportedly been reignited after the Ligue 1 side dropped their asking price to £23m. Watford have also been linked with the Frenchman. 

2pm Qatari side Al-Rayyan have confirmed Algeria winger Yacine Brahimi will join the club after undergoing a medical on Monday.

The 29-year-old, a free agent after his contract at Porto expired in June, was in talks with Arsenal over a move to the Emirates.

1.40pm As reported by the Times of Malta a few weeks ago Italian defender Stefano Bianciardi will continue his career in Gozo.

The veteran Bianciardi, who left Sliema Wanderers after four seasons last May, has agreed to join Gozitan champions Victoria Hotspurs.

David de Gea makes trophy vow as he admits interest in being new Man Utd captain |@DiscoMirror https://t.co/0CFZAZidgp pic.twitter.com/g59HlljzEK

— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) July 22, 2019

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1.25pm David De Gea has thrown his hat into the ring to be Manchester United's next captain.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking for a new skipper after Antonio Valencia's departure and De Gea, who is set to sign a new six-year deal, said he is ready to do the job.

"I've been captain for some games," De Gea said. "Of course it is amazing to be captain of a club like Manchester United and defend this badge.

"It's amazing, so of course I'll be really, really happy to captain."

1pm Away from the transfer market, there were mixed news for Malta champions Valletta in the draws of the UEFA club competitions held a few minutes ago.

The Citizens, who face Ferencvaros in the second qualifying round of the Champions League on Wednesday, were paired with either Croatia's Dinamo Zagreb or Georgia's Subartalo should they progress to the the next round.

But an elimination could be sweetened as it may well open the door to a deep run in the Europa League for Valletta.

In fact if they are eliminated from the Champions League they would drop to the Europa League where they will face either Kazakhstan's Astana or Santa Coloma, of Andorra.

12.45pm Inter are reportedly in talks to bring Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale to the club.

Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane recently confirmed Bale was on his way out of the Santiago Bernabeu, admitting ‘if he can go tomorrow, it would be better’.

A return to Tottenham Hotspur and a lucrative move to China were quickly put forward, but Gazzetta dello Sport’s Nicolo Schira claims Inter now want to give Antonio Conte a ‘big signing’.

Conte has made no secret of his frustrations after the Nerazzurri’s failure to land Romelu Lukaku, and Schira writes talks are ‘in progress’ to take the 30-year-old.

Negotiations would be conducted by intermediary Nelio Lucas.

12.15pm More transfer news from the Maltese Premier League... this time from Santa Luċija.

The newly-promoted Premier League club have announced the signing of Colombian defender Camilo Del Castillo Escobar.

The powerful defender was on the books of Quartireinese in Portugal and Cortulua, America de Cali and Atletico FC in Columbia. 

The left-back is Sta Luċija's third signing of the close season as they bid to retain their place in the top flight.

12pm Floriana seem to be close to secure their last piece of jigsaw in their squad for the upcoming season as they are in advanced negotiations to complete the transfer for a new central defender.

In fact, the Greens have offered a contract to Moustapha Beye.

The 27-year-old Senegal centre back is expected to put pen to paper on a one-year contract. He is expected to form a powerful partnership with Enzo Ruiz.

Beye has played the majority of his career in Italy where he was on the books of Novara and Siena before enjoying a short stint in France with Pau.

11.45am Ivan Perisic’s camp are reportedly so annoyed with Inter boss Antonio Conte that a move to the Premier League could be back on.

Conte has made it clear that he will not be counting on Perisic as a wide option, explaining the Croat ‘is not suited to the role I am asking for’ after Inter’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester United on Saturday.

With that in mind, Gazzetta dello Sport said the coach’s comments were met with ‘some irritation’ by Perisic’s representatives and that the track to England could hot up again.

11.30am  Juventus are reportedly still planning to sell Gonzalo Higuain, despite the striker catching the eye in his cameo against Tottenham Hotspur.

Higuain appeared as a second-half substitute during Juve’s 3-2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the International Champions Cup on Sunday.

The 31-year-old wore the captain’s armband, scored a goal and impressed Bianconeri fans with his overall performance.

However, Gazzetta dello Sport writes that did not change his fate and he remains out of the Old Lady’s plans.

The newspaper explains Fabio Paratici and Pavel Nedved reiterated their stance to the Argentine, without confirming whether it was during the trio’s conversation before yesterday’s friendly.

11.15am West Ham midfielder Pedro Obiang is close to completing his move to Sassuolo for £7.2m plus bonuses, according to Sky Italy.

Obiang came off the bench in West Ham’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Premier League Asia Trophy last Wednesday, but did not feature in the 1-0 loss to Newcastle on Saturday.

The 27-year-old is expected to arrive in Italy to finalise the move in the coming days.

11.05am We start off with some news on Luis Edison, aka Tarabai. The former Hibernians striker is expected to arrive in Malta to hold talks with Birkirkara.

The Brazilian forward has been linked with a move to the Maltese Premier League club several times in the last few months but it is understood that he is now ready to make a return to Maltese football after stints in South Korea and Saudi Arabia.

Tarabai had left his mark in Malta with Hibernians with whom he won several trophies before moving to South Korea with Seoul E-Land.

From then, he moved to Saudi Arabia where he was on the books of Al Batin, Al Raed and most recently Shoalah.

11am Good morning everyone and welcome to another week of transfer news. Stay with us to follow all the latest news.