Transfer News: Defender Rules Out Liverpool Move | Chelsea Braced For £35m Bid

With the summer transfer window now open, there is plenty of gossip doing the rounds in the newspapers so we’ll keep you up-to-date with the latest transfer rumours. Today, Liverpool have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Kurt Zouma while Barcelona are ready to table a £35m bid for David Luiz.

Zouma rules out move

First up and talkSPORT are reporting that France Under-20 defender Kurt Zouma has dismissed reports linking him with a move to Liverpool by insisting he will still be at Saint Etienne next season.

The report claims that Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is lining-up possible defensive targets with Martin Skrtel linked with a loan move to Napoli and Daniel Agger being tracked by Barcelona, and Zouma is believed to be on his hit-list.

The 18-year-old has emerged as one of the most highly-rated defenders in French football since breaking into the Saint Etienne first team in 2011/12 and talkSPORT claim that as well as Liverpool, the player has also attracted interest from the likes of Atletico Madrid and Anzhi Makhachkala.

However, despite being touted for a big-money move, Zouma insists he will still be at Saint-Etienne next season.

“There was a lot of noise this summer about a transfer for me. I can only say one thing – I will be at Saint-Etienne this season, for sure.” Zouma is quoted as saying by talkSPORT

Barca line-up £35m Luiz bid

Next up and the Daily Mail are reporting that Barcelona will submit a fresh £35m offer for Chelsea defender David Luiz this week.

The Catalans are understood to be in the market for a central defender this summer as they look for a long-term replacement for the ageing Carles Puyol. The report claims they’ve already had an opening offer for Luiz rejected last month but will test Chelsea’s resolve with an improved £35m bid before the end of the week.

Director of football Andoni Zubizaretta confirmed a centre-back is Barca’s priority and the Mail suggest that the La Liga champions are also considering a move for Liverpool’s Daniel Agger if a deal for Luiz can not be agreed.

The Brazilian international’s future at Stamford Bridge has surprisingly come under scrutiny following the arrival of Jose Mourinho this summer but the Europa League champions insist they are not interested in selling the 26-year-old this summer.

Read more Chelsea transfer news | Liverpool transfer news

So there’s another dose of transfer news. What centre-back would Liverpool fans like to see the club sign? Would Chelsea fans be disappointed if Luiz was sold? Share your views below.