Thursday’s Transfer Gossip: De Jong, Perisic, Fofana, Sesko, Neto, Udogie, Cucurella, Henderson

• Chelsea have opened talks with Barcelona for 25-year-old Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United this summer.

• De Jong would prefer a move to Chelsea over Manchester United.

 

• Croatia winger Ivan Perisic, 33, reached out to former Tottenham star and compatriot Luka Modric for advice before deciding to leave Inter Milan for north London this summer.

 

• Manchester United have held initial talks with RB Salzburg over the signing of 19-year-old Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko.

 

• Bournemouth are close to signing Barcelona’s 33-year-old Brazilian goalkeeper Neto.

 

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• Tottenham have opened talks with Udinese over Italian left-back Destiny Udogie, 19, with the potential to loan the defender back to the Serie A club.

• Barcelona want to sign 31-year-old Athletic Bilbao and Spain defender Inigo Martinez, who has a buyout clause of 80m euros (£67m) and whose deal with his current club runs out next summer.

 

• Brazil midfielder Arthur Melo, 25, has moved closer to leaving Juventus to join Valencia on loan, which could see the Serie A side step up their interest in Chelsea’s Italy midfielder Jorginho, 30.

• Chelsea are willing to offer French defender Wesley Fofana £200,000 a week if they can strike a deal with Leicester City, who want £85m for the 21-year-old.

 

• Chelsea have told Spain defender Cesar Azpilicueta that they do not want to let him join Barcelona and lose the experience the 32-year-old provides.

 

• A number of Championship and League One clubs are interested in taking Manchester United’s Welsh midfielder Charlie Savage, 19, on loan.

 

• England goalkeeper Dean Henderson, 25, will not play for Manchester United again after joining Nottingham Forest on loan, says former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara.

 

• Nottingham Forest are interested in 24-year-old Dutch striker Jizz Hornkamp, who would become the club’s 13th signing of the summer if he joins from Willem II.

• Chelsea’s English defender Levi Colwill, 19, is set to join Brighton, with the Seagulls’ Spanish defender Marc Cucurella, 24, on the verge of moving the other way.