Round-up: Zouma set for Stoke as Chelsea youngsters move
Stoke City are set to finalise the loan signing of Kurt Zouma from Chelsea.
Several other clubs, including West Brom, have expressed an interest in the 22-year-old defender.
Zouma returned to action last season after nearly a year on the sidelines with a knee injury.
His first-team prospects at Chelsea currently look limited, particularly following the recent signing of Antonio Rudiger, and Blues boss Antonio Conte is prepared to let him move elsewhere.
Ugbo joins Barnsley on loan
Chelsea youngster Ike Ugbo has joined Barnsley on a season-long loan.
Ugbo, 18, gets the chance to show what he can do at senior level having impressed for Chelsea’s youth sides.
He scored 10 goals in Chelsea’s FA Youth Cup campaign last season, helping the club win the trophy for the fourth year in a row.
Vitesse sign youngster Ali
Vitesse Arnhem have signed youngster Mukhtar Ali from Chelsea on a permanent deal.
The 19-year-old midfielder has left Chelsea after being offered the chance to stay in the Netherlands, where he ended last season on loan at Vitesse.
Caulker to Celtic looking likely
Steven Caulker looks increasingly likely to join Celtic.
QPR are looking to offload the defender on a free transfer, possibly with a sell-on clause in the deal.
The 25-year-old, who played under Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers at Swansea City, is now in the final year of a four-year contract at Loftus Road.
Rodgers recently played down the prospect of him moving to Parkhead, suggesting he had merely spoken to Caulker about the player’s personal problems.
However, discussions between QPR and Celtic have taken place and there now is a growing expectation that the move will happen.
Removing Caulker’s lucrative contract from their wage bill would help QPR’s efforts to add to their squad within the club’s budgetary restrictions.
Rangers are keen to sign a striker and remain interested in Barnsley’s Andy Yiadom despite reports of Premier League interest in the right-back.
Borysiuk could have QPR future – Holloway
Ian Holloway has suggested that Ariel Borysiuk could yet have a future at QPR.
The Polish midfielder, signed from Legia Warsaw a year ago, failed to impress manager Holloway last season and joined Lechia Gdańsk on loan in January.
Rangers have been looking to offload him on a permanent basis and are keen to bring in another defensive midfielder.
But Holloway says he was impressed with Borysiuk’s performance during Saturday’s pre-season friendly at Peterborough and might not need to bring in an alternative after all.
“I thought Ariel did really well,” said Holloway, who wants to make a number of signings in the next couple of weeks.
“I had to make some decisions last year and I’ve said to him ‘If you come back and pass it the way I want you to do and run around the pitch a bit…’
“He showed me that he wants to play for this club. What more can I ask? Hopefully that might solve a few things if I can get him in there (midfield) as well.”
Another new contract for Manning
QPR have given Ryan Manning a new three-year contract – his second new deal in six months.
The Irish midfielder, who in January signed a deal until 2019, has had his contract extended by a further year.
Murphy deal agreed
Newcastle and Norwich have agreed a deal potentially worth £12m for Jacob Murphy to move to St James’ Park.
Norwich recently rejected an offer from Newcastle for the 22-year-old but talks between the two clubs continued.
Winger Murphy, from Wembley, has been with Norwich since the East Anglian club snapped him up along with his twin brother Josh in 2006.
