Wednesday's transfer news: Jadon Sancho to Man Utd latest, plus Chelsea’s Willian in Arsenal talks and Liverpool eye defenders

Good morning and welcome back to The Independent's transfer news live blog!

With the longest ever Premier League season finally wrapped up and consigned to the history books, attentions once again turn to the summer transfer window, which opens nearly two months later than normal.

Clubs are set for a busy 10 weeks until the 5 October transfer deadline, with a number already confirmed to be in the market to reinforce their squads ahead of the 2020/21 season - which will begin on the weekend of 12 September in fewer than seven weeks' time.

Without further ado, let's take a look at the headlines this morning.

We begin this morning with the news that emerged late last night, with Manchester United warning that they will not be afraid from pulling out of their pursuit of Jadon Sancho if Borussia Dortmund do not lower their valuation.

Dortmund currently price the England international at £108m, but United believe that in the post-coronavirus world that fee represents far too much for a sport that has haemorrhaged money in recent months. 

United are hoping to talk the Bundesliga club down from that fee, but have stressed that they will not hesitate in abandoning talks to pursue other targets - which they have already outlined with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Northern Football Correspondent Mark Critchley has the latest:

Not long after United warned of pulling out of talks, it was reported that an official bid had been lodged from the Premier League club - for a whopping €100m (£90.3m).

The fee would surpass not only Gareth Bale's record as the most expensive British player in history (£86m) but also the club's record buy, beating the £89m that United paid Juventus to re-sign Paul Pogba four years ago.

According to Italian outlet Tutto Mercato Web, United made the offer yesterday and are currently waiting to hear back from Borussia Dortmund, though it's expected that the German club will want to discuss bonuses that will take the fee up towards their current valuation.

Liverpool are looking at Norwich City left-back Jamal Lewis with a view to a £10m offer in order to provide competition for Andy Robertson.

Senior Football Correspondent Melissa Reddy reports that Liverpool are looking at ways of keeping their Premier League-winning squad on their toes by bringing in young and ambitious talents, with Lewis eyeing the next step up at 22 years old.

Furthermore, Lewis is represented by the same agency who look after Trent Alexander-Arnold and Robertson himself, which could help smooth over talks after Norwich were relegated at the end of the season.

Chelsea are growing increasingly resigned to losing Willian after the Brazilian let his contract run down, and it now appears that the winger could be the latest to make the short move from Stamford Bridge to north London.

Arsenal are understood to have opened talks with Willian's team, with The Mirror reporting that he has already told friends that he will be playing for the Gunners next season.

It means that he will become the latest player in a fairly long line to move from Chelsea to Arsenal or vice-versa, following in the footsteps of Petr Cech, David Luiz, Lassana Diarra, William Gallas and Yossi Benayoun, while Olivier Giroud recently moved in the opposite direction.

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a deal in principle with Southampton to sign Denmark midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg with full back Kyle Walker-Peters going the other way, it was reported on Tuesday.

Hojbjerg is set to move for a fee in the region of £15m while right back Walker-Peters, who joined Southampton on loan in January, will make a permanent switch for £12m, according to Sky Sports.

Hojbjerg, who moved to the Premier League from Bayern Munich in 2016, was stripped of the Saints captaincy in June when the 23-year-old made his intention to leave the south-coast club clear to manager Ralph Hasenhuettl.

Walker-Peters, who is also 23 and moved to Saints for more first team action, has played 10 times in the Premier League under Hasenhuettl since his loan move earlier this year.

Spurs boss Jose Mourinho had said last month there was a place at the north London club for Walker-Peters to return but would not stand in the defender's way if he wanted to leave in search of more playing time elsewhere.

Manchester United have said that they will not be bullied into buying Jadon Sancho at an inflated transfer fee or wage packet, which is a warning in itself to the player and his management team ahead of personal negotiations.

It is a sign of how the club have learnt from the error of their ways in a similar pursuit - the one for Alexis Sanchez.

More than two years ago now, Sanchez became United's must-have signing - one that not only featured a player at the top of his game but who would represent a coup over rivals Manchester City, who had come close to signing him the previous transfer window.

However, his wage packet has completely disrupted the United's salary scale, and even though he is in talks to join Inter Milan, the effects of that signing will remain at Old Trafford for years to come.

United are determined not to make the same mistake with Sancho, as Northern Football Correspondent Mark Critchley writes.

Relegated Watford are expecting a player exodus this month as a number of star names look to return to the Premier League, and one name who keeps cropping up is Ismaila Sarr.

Sarr enjoyed a good maiden season at Vicarage Road but was unable to help keep the Hornets up in the top flight, which has alerted a number of clubs to his availability including Premier League champions Liverpool.

The Watford Observer reports that as well as Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Wolves have already expressed an interest in the Senegal forward, with a transfer battle now set to unfold over his signature.

Danny Rose has said he is very much eager to make a Tottenham return.

The defender spent the second half of last season on loan at Newcastle and does not appear to be in Jose Mourinho’s plans in north London, but Rose hasn't given up hope just yet.

Here's all he had to say:

Danny Rose reveals he ‘would love’ to play for Tottenham again

Manchester United are also being linked with Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish, whose future remains uncertain after helping to keep the club in the Premier League.

Villa are determined to keep Grealish at Villa Park for at least another season, but know that sooner or later he is going to look for a move to bigger and better things.

However, they will not allow him to leave to United or any other side without a fight, and The Sun reports that Villa will offer Grealish a new contract in the coming days worth £100,000 a week, representing a large pay rise for the 24-year-old.