Tottenham and Chelsea in race for Simons - Friday's gossip

Tottenham and Chelsea chase £60m-rated Xavi Simons, Wolves are fighting to keep Jorgen Strand Larsen, Napoli want Rasmus Hojlund and Aston Villa are set to re-sign Marco Asensio.

Tottenham are close to agreeing a deal in the region of £60m with RB Leipzig for Netherlands attacking midfielder Xavi Simons, 22, after racing to try to minimise the threat of Chelsea hijacking their move. (Telegraph - subscription required)

After agreeing a fee for Manchester United and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, 21, Chelsea are also prepared to make a £60m bid for Simons. (Metro)

Wolves are ready to reject Newcastle's third bid of £60m for Jorgen Strand Larsen and remain adamant that the 25-year-old Norway striker will not be sold during this transfer window. (Telegraph - subscription required)

Tottenham have made contact with Manchester City about a move for Netherlands defender Nathan Ake, 30. (Givemesport)

Aston Villa are close to signing Marco Asensio on a permanent deal from Paris St-Germain after the 29-year-old Spain forward impressed while on loan at Villa Park last season. (L'Equipe - in French)

After losing Romelu Lukaku to injury, Italian champions Napoli are ready to sign Manchester United's 22-year-old forward Rasmus Hojlund on loan, with a verbal aggrement already reached for the Denmark international. (Gianluca DiMarzio)

Manchester United's 26-year-old Dutch left-back Tyrell Malacia is set to join Elche on a season-long loan after choosing the La Liga side over Lille. (Voetbal International - in Dutch)

Newly promoted Serie A side Cremonese are interested in 38-year-old Jamie Vardy, the former England striker who has been without a club since leaving Leicester City at the end of last season. (Times - subscription required)

Vardy's former Leicester team-mate and France international N'Golo Kante is set for a return to Europe after the 34-year-old former Chelsea midfielder was offered to AS Monaco and Paris FC by Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad. (L'Equipe - in French)

Crystal Palace are bracing themselves to lose captain Marc Guehi, 25, to Liverpool before Monday's deadline and want £45m for the England defender. (Express)

Burnley are interested in signing Benfica's Florentino Luis, 26, but Marseille and Roma have also shown interest in the Portuguese defensive midfielder this summer. (Sky Sports)

Rangers have made contact with Everton over a loan deal for 21-year-old Portuguese striker Youssef Chermiti. (Sky Sports)

Paris FC's 19-year-old French defender Dimitri Colau will undergo a medical at West Ham on Saturday before signing a four-year contract with the Hammers. (Footmercato - in French)

Lions reject striker move, Ipswich eye £20m teen - Friday's EFL gossip

Millwall have turned down a £7m offer from Italian club Parma for Serbian striker Mihailo Ivanovic, 20. (Sky Sports)

Ipswich are set to break the Championship transfer record with a move of up to £20m for 19-year-old Norway international striker Sindre Walle Egeli from Nordsjaelland. (Farzam Abolhosseini)

Middlesbrough are closing in on a £1.5m deal for 24-year-old Senegalese striker Kaly Sene from Swiss club Lausanne. (Sky Sports)

Southampton are working on a deal with German side Heidenheim for 26-year-old Brazilian midfielder Leo Scienza. (Fabrizio Romano)

Blackburn are keen on 30-year-old Sunderland midfielder Alan Browne, who is surplus to requirements at the Stadium of Light. (Alan Nixon)

Leicester are interested in signing Portsmouth winger Josh Murphy, 30, before Monday's transfer deadline. (Pete O'Rourke)

Luton have agreed a fee of just under £1m for Aberdeen winger Shayden Morris, 23. (Sky Sports)