West Ham United have been handed a lifeline in their pursuit of Club Brugge midfielder Ardon Jashari.

He has been strongly linked with a move to AC Milan, but Gianluca Di Marzio reports that the Serie A giants are struggling to meet Brugge’s demands.

That paves the way for West Ham to reignite talks for the midfielder.

The transfer story surrounding Jashari is quickly becoming one of the summer’s most talked-about sagas, as Brugge stand firm on their €40 million (£34.6m) valuation of the Swiss midfielder.

Jashari has made it clear that he wants to join Milan this summer. He has already agreed personal terms, which means the Italians are still in pole position to land his signature.

However, Milan haven’t done enough in terms of transfer offers to convince Brugge to let their prized asset take on a new adventure.

After watching his side come from behind to beat Union Saint-Gilloise 2-1 in the Belgian Super Cup, Brugge head coach Nicky Hayen opened up about Jashari’s transfer saga.

“The situation is very clear,” Hayen said. “He should return to training on Monday. However, in football, things can be very difficult, and this is a truly complex situation.”

He also confirmed that Jashari has agreed to return to training if a deal with Milan cannot be completed and admitted that the Italian giants are not the only club interested in the midfielder.

West Ham should be prepared to pounce

West Ham are one of several teams hot on Jashari’s trail. His head has been turned by a potential move to Milan, but West Ham should be preparing to pounce as that deal hangs by a thread.

Jashari has four years left on his contract with Brugge, so the club are in no rush to sell.

There’s also no release clause in his contract, which has given the club the confidence to stand firm on their demands.

After selling Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham finally have some wiggle room to work with in the transfer market.

Brugge’s demands wouldn’t be a problem for the Hammers, but they need to convince Jashari that a move to East London is in his best interest.

Update on Sunderland’s pursuit of Leicester City star

Leicester City remain in talks with Sunderland for Bilal El Khannouss as the Premier League club hopes to pay less than his release clause, reports Loic Tanzi.

Leicester City are aiming to push forward with their pre-season preparations following the appointment of Marti Cifuentes as its new manager. The Spaniard makes the move from QPR, where he had been on gardening leave since the final month of last season.

After a turbulent period, the Foxes’ faithful are desperate for a sense of stability, something they’ll be hoping Cifuentes can deliver. But real change must begin at the top, with the club’s ownership and board facing growing criticism in recent years.

Off-field challenges remain a concern, with financial difficulties and the threat of a points deduction looming. Retaining top talent could prove difficult, and one player strongly tipped for a departure is Bilal El Khannouss.

Many sides have been interested in El Khannouss, but Sunderland are thought to be leading the race. Now L’Equipe reporter Loic Tanzi has reported via X that the Black Cats are in negotiations with Leicester City over a deal.

They are hoping to secure a deal of less than his relegation release clause. Sunderland are looking to include a sell-on clause in any deal in order to lower the up-front fee.

AS Monaco remain keen on the Moroccan but are awaiting a sale before making a move. Other Premier League clubs, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa, are also in the race.

Quick resolution needed

Given the financial situation at Leicester City at the moment, they cannot afford deals like this to drag on until the end of August. The money they receive could be crucial for the rest of this window.

In an ideal world, the Foxes would be keeping El Khannouss, but that does appear to be an option. Of all the LCFC squad from last year, the Moroccan looked far too good to play in the Championship.

This is not just about El Khannouss, with speculation mounting over several of the Foxes squad. Cifuentes will want their futures sorted as soon as possible.

Worth the move to Sunderland?

El Khannouss is certainly a Premier League player. However, moving to Sunderland could very easily leave him in the same position this time next year.

The last two Premier League seasons have seen the promoted sides come straight back down. As the top flight grows stronger each year, there is every chance that it could happen again this year.

Sunderland have had a very strong start to the window, but still need a lot more to fight for survival. Perhaps El Khannouss will buy into that project and attempt to break the recent streak.