The transfer rumour mill is in full swing with daily stories of players coming and going.
Each weekday we'll bring you the best transfer gossip and the likelihood of those transfer stories bearing fruit.
Manchester United aren’t ready to give up on Mason Mount, and will meet with Chelsea this week to discuss the deal further, according to the Daily Mail. Chelsea have been looking for a fee of around £65 million before they consider selling the 24-year-old England midfielder, but there is hope from United that they could convince them to lower their demands if they alter the payment structure of their recently rejected £55m proposal.
Ousmane Dembele’s agents will meet with the Barcelona hierarchy on Friday as they look to negotiate his current contract, according to Sport. The 26-year-old France international is understood to have made his intentions of staying at the club clear, having enjoyed a promising campaign working under manager Xavi Hernandez last season. Dembele’s current deal that has one year left includes a £50m release clause, but it looks as though his future remains with the Catalan club.
Bayern Munich have reached an agreement over personal terms with Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae, reports Fabrizio Romano. The 26-year-old Korea international has accepted a five-year contract at the Allianz Arena, and the move will be made official if the Bundesliga club activates the release clause in his current deal with Napoli. That has previously been reported to be worth a figure in the region of €50m.
Liverpool are looking at signing RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, understands The Athletic. The Reds are reported to have already met with the 22-year-old Hungary international’s representatives this week, but while he has a release clause in his contract worth €70m, it is believed that it will expire soon, allowing them to negotiate a fee with the Bundesliga club over a potential move.
Juventus are ready to cut their losses on midfielder Paul Pogba, writes Gazzetta dello Sport. After a campaign in which the 30-year-old Frenchman played just 172 minutes, the Bianconeri are reported to be willing to sell him if they receive the right offer this summer, and are already looking at potential replacements. Pogba joined on a free transfer after his contract expired with Manchester United last summer.
Croatia international midfielder Marcelo Brozovic is looking to negotiate the current personal terms offered to him by Al Nassr, reveals Calciomercato. The Saudi Pro League side have already reached an agreement to sign Brozovic from Inter Milan for a fee of €23m, but it is reported that he is looking for more than the €20m-per-season salary he has already been offered. Barcelona have also been linked with interest in landing him.
Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli are keen on signing Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie, according to Sport. It is reported that the Spanish champions are willing to sell him if they receive an offer of €30m, with manager Xavi not including the Ivory Coast international in his plans for next season. There is also interest from the Premier League and Serie A in the 26-year-old, who arrived at the Camp Nou from AC Milan last summer.
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
THE SPECS
Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 518bhp
Torque: 625Nm
Speed: 0-100kmh 5.3 seconds
Price: Dh633,435
On sale: now
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
