Romeo Lavia of Southampton is up for grabs, with Chelsea competing with Arsenal for his signature while Manchester United and Liverpool keep an eye on developments.
Although the highly-regarded Belgian international is still seen to have the best chance of joining Mikel Arteta's team, the progress of the transaction has sparked a flurry of interest.
Following their relegation to the Championship, Southampton has a minimum asking price of £45 million for Lavia, although that sum might increase if a bidding battle breaks out.
The 19-year-old was first chosen by Arsenal because Brighton's Moises Caicedo was thought to be far more tough to do, but he may now face stiff competition.
Lavia perfectly fits Chelsea's new philosophy, which is to sign the most highly regarded young players in order to put together a team for the future that can compete right away. The midfielder's relationship with Chelsea's Joe Shields, who brought him to Southampton in the first place and is now at Stamford Bridge, is an additional factor.
Although they continue to be interested in Khephren Thuram of Nice and Nicolo Barella of Internazionale, Liverpool has also been exploring a move as they look to add a second midfielder alongside Alexis Mac Allister this summer.
Due to the expensive cost of a striker, United are reevaluating their alternatives, and Lavia is considered as one of those young players who have the potential to fill a team position for many years.
Manchester City, who transferred Lavia to Southampton last summer, has an option under the terms of his contract that would expire in 2024, although they do not currently intend to exercise it.
After Bayern decided to take a different approach with their summer transfers, one journalist suggested that Manchester United would finally put an end to their search for a striker by signing a dangerous attacker.
Bayern seems to have been following Man Utd's every move lately. Man Utd was in a strong position to sign Napoli center-back Kim Min-jae, with some rumours even stating that the deal was already "done." Kim, though, is close to being signed first by Bayern, who started courting him on Thursday.
As a result of the South Korean's contract agreement with Bayern, Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag is now forced to consider other defensive targets including Axel Disasi, Jean-Clair Todibo, and Gleison Bremer.
Bayern has also been keeping tabs on every move Manchester United makes in their search for a new center-forward. Goncalo Ramos of Benfica and Rasmus Hojlund of Atalanta have previously been linked to Manchester United, but on Monday, German outlet Sport1 announced that Bayern also had those two players on its shortlist.
Additionally, Randal Kolo Muani of Eintracht Frankfurt has been mentioned in connection with both teams.
Hojlund is said to be Man Utd's first choice out of those strikers. Hojlund, 20, has publicly expressed his passion for Manchester United, and Red Devils midfielder Christian Eriksen has previously said that he 'can see' Hojlund excelling at Old Trafford.
Hojlund is available for transfer at £52 million, but prior targets like Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen would have cost over £100 million.
The good news for Man Utd today is that it appears Bayern will not challenge them for the Danish international.
The Werder Bremen attacker Niclas Fullkrug is who the German champions are reportedly after, according to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg.
Bayern executives and Fullkrug's agents are in "regular contact" regarding a transfer after holding a fresh round of negotiations.
Bayern has been informed that they can sign the 30-year-old if they offer at least €15 million (£13 million).
Fullkrug has a strong scoring record despite not being one of the most well-known attackers in Europe. He notched 16 goals in 30 games the previous season and scored 19 goals in 2021–22 to help Werder Bremen return to the German top division.
Fullkrug has made seven appearances for the German national team and scored seven goals, two of which came in the World Cup in Qatar.
If Bayern pursues their interest in Fullkrug and ends up signing him, Ten Hag will be overjoyed. Hojlund would then be available for Man Utd to capture.
Hojlund's prodigious goal-scoring prowess has earned him the moniker "the Danish Erling Haaland." He thrived with the Austrian team Sturm Graz, which led to his summer transfer to Atalanta. Hojlund has also adjusted admirably to life in Italy, scoring 10 goals in 34 appearances in his first season.
Ten Hag will work to help Hojlund realize his full potential and develop into an unstoppable goal machine, much like Haaland, should Man Utd be successful in bringing him to the Premier League.
The Red Devils will reportedly make another proposal for the England international with an excess of £50 million, according to journalist Rudy Galetti. Erik ten Hag's team recently had a £40 million offer for the player rejected by their Premier League opponents.
Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider stated: "#Mount, talks between #Chelsea and #ManUTD are progressing. MUFC are ready for the new bid: as told, they are confident to convince #CFC with ~£50m. The Blues - who are working also on some exists - want to sell to unlock the incoming market."
The west Londoners are reportedly asking for roughly £70 million for the academy product, despite the fact that the 24-year-old has only one year left on his present deal. It is unclear if that prospective new offer would be sufficient to persuade the Blues to sell.
Although, Mason Mount had a dismissal 2023/2024 season but his talent is undeniable. Described as a "complete player" by Stamford Bridge icon Gianfranco Zola, Mount may wind up becoming United's answer to Martin Odegaard, the captain of Arsenal, who can also excel in an advanced midfield position or as a number eight.
The former Real Madrid player, who was praised as a "super footballer" by former Red Devils player Owen Hargreaves, played a pivotal role in the Gunners' unsuccessful title bid last season after scoring 15 goals and providing seven assists in 37 league appearances.
The Englishman has an exceptional record of 5.95 progressive passes per 90 over the last 365 days, according to FBref, while Odegaard is just ahead with an average of 7.74 per 90 for that same metric. Their similarities to Mount can be seen in their immense creative quality and their ability to provide incisive, forward passes.
Both players began their professional careers on loans at Eredivisie team Vitesse Arnhem. Mount initially made a name for himself with the Dutch team during the 2017–18 season, scoring 14 goals and dishing out ten assists in just 39 games across all competitions.
The young player was selected the club's Player of the Year as a result of such impressive play, which apparently drew Ten Hag's attention at the time. Vitesse then lined up Odegaard as his obvious successor for the ensuing season.
The current Emirates star, who scored 11 goals and contributed 13 assists of his own in that 2018–19 season before agreeing to another loan deal with Real Sociedad, surely managed to imitate Mount's brilliance to help jumpstart his professional career.
Ten Hag may have his own version of Odegaard on his hands next season if an agreement with Todd Bohely and company can be reached, as the latter player is now excelling under Mikel Arteta's guidance. A move to United could also help the Chelsea magician to regain the type of form that he displayed in the Netherlands.