West Ham United have reportedly seen their opening offer for Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria rejected by the Old Lady.
The former Borussia Monchengladbach man has been unable to lay down a marker in Turin and is expected to be on the move once again this summer.
Zakaria joined Chelsea on loan last year in a bid to reignite his career, but the 26-year-old was only a bit-part player at Stamford Bridge and managed just one goal in 11 matches.
West Ham are now rumoured to be willing to take a punt on Zakaria, as David Moyes's side search for replacements for Declan Rice, whose £105m transfer to Arsenal was announced on Saturday.
According to Sky Sports News, the Hammers recently put an opening offer of €13m (£11.2m) on the table, but Juventus knocked back the bid and are hoping to receive as much as €20m (£17.2m).
Zakaria is still under contract with the Bianconeri for another three seasons, but he has recorded just one goal and one assist from 15 appearances in black and white.
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Meanwhile, Newcastle United have apparently hit a roadblock in their efforts to poach up-and-coming full-back Valentino Livramento from Southampton.
The 20-year-old hit the ground running at St Mary's after leaving Chelsea in 2021, but his development was hampered by a devastating ACL injury.
After ending the 2021-22 season with one goal and two assists from 28 Premier League contests, Livramento only played in the Saints' final two matches last term, by which point their relegation had already been confirmed.
A summer exit has unsurprisingly been suggested for the now-recovered Livramento, and Newcastle were reported to have entered advanced talks over the signing of the right-back last month.
However, Football Insider claims that Eddie Howe's side are now struggling to come to an agreement with Southampton, who have Livramento under contract until the summer of 2026.
Chelsea are rumoured to possess a buyback clause of at least £40m for the 20-year-old, but he is said to be reluctant to return to Stamford Bridge or indeed make the move to St James' Park this summer.
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However, one player that could welcome an exit from Southampton is striker Che Adams, who is said to have attracted interest from both Fulham and Crystal Palace.
The Scotland international was often tasked with leading the line for the Saints last season, but he only contributed five goals and three assists from 28 Premier League affairs as the Saints plummeted to the bottom of the standings.
Unlike Livramento, Adams is only under contract with the Championship outfit until the end of next season and could be sold this summer before he walks away on a free transfer in 2024.
According to Sky Sports News, both Fulham and Palace have come forward to enquire about Adams, but they could face competition from as many as four other top-flight teams.
The 27-year-old is believed to be open to leaving Southampton ahead of Euro 2024, which Scotland are in a strong position to qualify for, but the Saints will only sell on their terms.
Southampton paid £15m to sign Adams from Birmingham City in 2019, and the attacker has since accrued 31 goals and 15 assists in 145 games for the Saints across all tournaments.
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Sticking with South Coast teams, Bournemouth are alleged to be readying an improved bid for Bristol City wonderkid Alex Scott.
The 19-year-old was named the Championship's Young Player of the Season last year after amassing one goal and five assists from 42 matches, also earning a place in the Team of the Season.
Scott - who is comfortable in deep-lying or advanced midfield roles - is said to have been the subject of a £15m bid by Bournemouth last week, which was rejected by Bristol City.
The Cherries are not throwing in the towel, though, and the Daily Mail claims that Bristol City are bracing themselves to receive a new offer from their Premier League counterparts.
Robins head coach Nigel Pearson has already stated that he believes Scott is worth at least £25m, although he is unlikely to pen an extension on his current contract, which runs until 2025.
Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Ham and Inter Milan are also said to have taken a liking to Scott, who has earned nine caps for England's Under-20s.
Ben Knapton
