The Premier League transfer window officially opened on Saturday, 1st July 2017. Several players are being linked with high profile transfers to top flight clubs, as the £1billion transfer barrier broken last summer looks to be on the verge of further dwarfed this year.

Arsenal close to record transfer

Name: Alexandre Lacazette
Fee: £44million
Arsenal are reportedly close to agreeing a club-record transfer fee in the region of £44million for French and Olympique Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette. The forward who has continuously been linked with the Gunners for quite some time, looks to be a direct replacement for want-away Chile Star Alexis Sanchez, who has stated he will reveal plans as regards his future at the conclusion of the FIFA Confederations Cup, which ended on Sunday in Russia.

Name: Antonio Rudiger
Fee: £30million
German international defender Antonio Rudiger is reportedly on his way to Premier League champions Chelsea. He dropped a strong hint of his imminent transfer to England a few days ago, when he liked a Chelsea post displaying the 2017/18 Nike kits. The big central defender is viewed by the west London club as a long term replacement for John Terry, and an upgrade on Kurt Zouma. He joined Italian side AS Roma two seasons ago, and has tremendously improved in Serie A, better technique and passing abilities which are vital qualities in a three man defence.

Name: Ivan Perisic
Fee: £34million
Manchester United are desperate to complete a signing for Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic. The Croatian international is valued by the Nerazzurri in the region of £34million, but the Red Devils appear to be ready to offer £26million in cash plus Matteo Darmian to soften the deal. It does appear both Perisic and Inter Milan might have their association dissolved earlier than expected, with the club expressing its displeasure at pictures which surfaced on the internet of the player featuring in a volleyball tournament in his homeland, during the summer vacation.

Name: Kelechi Iheanacho
Fee: £20million
Nigerian international forward and Manchester City outcast, Kelechi Iheanacho is reportedly the subject of two bids from Premier League duo, West Ham United and Leicester City. The immensely talented left-footed ace endured a difficult 2016/17 under Pep Guardiola, despite having an impressive minutes per goal ratio in the league. West Ham United have been linked with a £20million bid for the player for over a month, while Leicester City look to scuttle the deal with a rumoured £25million offer of theirs. Bizarrely, the only major stumbling block to the conclusion of any potential deal is a management dispute as regards who his bona fide representatives are.

Name: Naby Keita
Fee: £70million
RB Leipzig have slammed an outrageous £70million valuation on Liverpool target, Naby Keita. The box-box midfielder, who is in the mould of N’Golo Kante sees his future away from the modest Bundesliga club despite their heroics last season, in their debut campaign in the top flight. In a recent video released by RB Leipzig, showcasing their kits for the 2017/18 season, Keita was conspicuously missing, a major pointer to the Guinean internationals imminent transfer.

Name: Dani Alves
Fee: £5million
Legendary Brazilian right back, Dani Alves is on his way to Manchester City to reunite with former mentor Pep Guardiola. Alves rolled back the years last season in his lone season at Juventus, churning out impressive displays-both domestically and on the continent. At the age of 34, he appears not to be slowing down anytime soon and the recent departures of Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaleta has cleared the coast for the energetic and likeable player.

Name: Tiemoue Bakayoko
Fee: £35.2million
Chelsea have agreed in a deal in principle with AS Monaco as regards the transfer of midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko. The two clubs appeared to be keen on waiting for the European transfer window to be opened, before rubber stamping a potential £35.2million deal. The 23-year-old French international had a breakthrough season with Monaco in a title winning campaign, just a year after he was mentored by Chelsea and France legend Claude Makelele, who coincidentally was also a defensive midfielder. These days, Makelele serves as an assistant at Swansea City, and he certainly will be one of the first individuals to ring up his former prodigy at the conclusion of the transfer, uttering the French words Bienvenu and Bonne Chance.

Name: Alvaro Morata
Fee: £61.5million
One of the longest transfer sagas of the summer looks to be heading for an amicable end, with both Manchester United and Real Madrid reportedly settling on a fee of £61.5million for Spanish international striker Alvaro Morata. Real Madrid wanted £70million for the forwards, while Manchester United were prepared to offer £10million less of that sum. Now it does appears the transfer has been ratified by the kingmakers at the Spanish giants, to pave the way for Morata to begin a new challenge in his career, linking up once again with Jose Mourinho after the pair worked together for three years at Real Madrid.