Arsenal ready to battle for £43m dream midfielder transfer as Man Utd identify strong potential next manager

The dust is still settling on what was a fairly underwhelming transfer window, but in typical unrelenting fashion, thoughts are already starting to turn to the summer transfer window. It's fair to say we can expect big deals to be done and in our round up of some of the transfer headlines out there, we'll start with arguably the biggest.

Kylian Mbappe has reportedly decided to sign for Real Madrid in the summer, when his deal with current club Paris Saint-Germain is due to expire.

ESPN are reporting the decision with the story aiming an announcement could be made on his next step in the coming days, once both clubs have been informed. The France international has long been linked with a move to the Bernabeu and while pen still hasn't been put to paper, it seems his mind is made up.

The 3AM verdict: Let's be honest, this deal makes total sense for all parties involved as the one of the biggest stars in world football collides with the biggest club in world football. The thought of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Mbappe working together in an attacking line-up is a frightening prospect and if the reports are true, Madrid may have just pulled off the biggest deal of the summer already.

Ten Hag replacements sounded out

Manchester United seem to be content with Erik ten Hag as manager at present but that hasn't stopped them reaching out to potential replacements. That's according to Caught Offside, who claim the club have made contact with Antonio Conte and Julen Lopetegui recently in order to discuss the possibility of taking over at the end of the season.

Conte has been out of work since parting ways with Tottenham Hotspur last season but has regularly been linked with the Old Trafford hot seat. Lopetegui on the other hand, left Wolves at the start of the season but has the experience of managing Real Madrid, albeit briefly, and Spain on his CV.

The Red Devils are sixth at present, eight points behind the top four pace, which can be considered someway below expectations.

The 3AM verdict: You wouldn't blame the new ownership for assessing their options as they look ahead to a summer in which they'll hope to make real change at Old Trafford. Ten Hag has hardly had United firing on all cylinders and a disappointing finish to the campaign might just push Jim Ratcliffe into making a change. The choices of managers sounded out are a little surprising, though, especially Conte, given the way his spell at Spurs came to an end.

Arsenal to 'push hard' for midfielder

Arsenal are preparing for a heavy push to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi this summer, per Fabrizio Romano. The Gunners are said to be keen on adding to their midfield ranks this summer and they're ready to battle Bayern Munich and Barcelona for his signature.

Zubimendi, who has four caps for Spain, has been a key man for the Basque club this season, recording four goals and an assist in 22 league outings. He's been with Sociedad throughout his professional career, making 175 senior appearances in total.

The 3AM verdict: Arsenal could probably do with more quality and depth in the middle of the park, that much is clear. Zubimendi won't come cheap, though, given his international and Champions League pedigree, plus the standard of teams being linked. He's valued at €50m on Transfermarkt but Arsenal could have to pay more than that to secure his services and with obvious improvement needed in other areas, such as up front, they may have a decision to make, depending on how much they have to spend.