Amid all the action at the Euros and Copa America, the summer transfer window has opened for some leagues with Europe’s biggest clubs looking to make a splash in the transfer market. Check out the latest gossip below, and see see all official deals here.
TOP STORY: Barcelona look to Coman as Dembele replacement
Barcelona are interested in signing Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman as a potential replacement for Ousmane Dembele, reports Le 10 Sport.
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With just one year left on his deal, the man that signed for Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 for £135.5 million could be on his way out as Barca look to recoup part of the substantial fee that they paid. And with talks continuing to stall, the Catalan club have wasted no time in eyeing up a potential replacement in Coman.
The 25-year-old has enjoyed spells with Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, but played a big role in Bayern’s Bundesliga title success last season, scoring five and assisting 10 goals in 23 starts. And such form has seen interest in the winger from the Premier League, with both Manchester United and Chelsea also linked with the winger.
Ronald Koeman’s side was previously linked with Coman last summer, but Barcelona president Joan Laporta could soon escalate the France winger to the top of the shortlist as Dembele continues to look likely to leave Camp Nou.
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LIVE BLOG
11.42 BST: It will be “very difficult” for Real Madrid to sign Pau Torres this summer, Diario AS reports, with a likely €50m transfer fee a potential obstacle and Villarreal in no hurry to lose the defender.
According to the newspaper, the 24-year-old centre-back is keen to play for Madrid in the future and the club “are willing to wait” in the belief a move would be “more viable in the summer of 2022.”
AS claims that even the possible departure of Raphael Varane wouldn’t help speed up a deal, as the money that brings in would be destined to help fund a bid for Kylian Mbappe.
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10.49 BST: Tottenham Hotspur are back to square one in their increasingly chaotic managerial search after deciding not to appoint Gennaro Gattuso following a strong fan backlash, sources have told ESPN’s James Olley.
Spurs will now reassess the possible candidates — which sources have said still include Ajax’s Erik ten Hag despite him signing a contract extension to 2023 — after opting against pursing a deal with Gattuso, who on Thursday backed out of a deal to join Fiorentina on July 1, just 23 days after his appointment was announced.
Gattuso’s sudden availability was a contributing factor in Tottenham ending lengthy negotiations with Paulo Fonseca, who is a free agent, having left Roma after not having his contract renewed. Sources have told ESPN that a positive virtual meeting took place between chairman Daniel Levy and Fonseca. However, at a second meeting with Fabio Paratici, Tottenham’s incoming managing director of football, there was less alignment in their visions of the club.
ESPN has also learned that Fonseca would have had to pay €3m ($3.6m) in tax were he to take up a job outside of Italy before the end of next month due to the country’s laws regarding elite sportspeople, although this was not seen as a major obstacle to an agreement. In fact, Spurs got as far as sending a contract – a two-year deal with an option of a third – to Fonseca on Thursday morning before Paratici led the move to approach Gattuso.
09.56 BST: Real Madrid have decided not to exercise their €4m right to sign forward Hugo Duro, according to Marca.
Duro joined Madrid on loan last summer — preferring to play for their B-team Castilla rather than in La Liga with Getafe — and scored 12 league goals in the third tier of Spanish football.
The 21-year-old also made three substitute appearances for the first team, including in the Champions League against Atalanta.
Marca reports that Madrid were keen on another year’s loan for Duro, but weren’t willing to pay the €4m fee to sign him permanently.
09.00 BST: Manchester United are being deterred in their pursuit of Kieran Trippier and Raphael Varane because of high transfer fees being quoted by their clubs, sources have told ESPN’s Rob Dawson.
United are interested in signing a right-back and a centre-back this summer with Trippier and Varane among the players on a list of targets drawn up by the recruitment department and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Trippier is keen to return to the Premier League after two seasons at Atletico Madrid to be closer to his family but the fee being quoted by intermediaries is more than £30m, which United consider to be too much for a 30-year-old with very little sell-on value.
Solskjaer already has a regular right-back in Aaron Wan-Bissaka — who cost £50m from Crystal Palace in 2019 — and when Alex Telles was signed last summer as competition for Luke Shaw at left-back, the Brazilian cost around £15m from Porto.
Sources have told ESPN that Atletico are not willing to listen to any offers for Trippier as coach Diego Simeone considers him to be a key member of the squad, and doesn’t have enough faith in backup option Sime Vrsaljko.
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PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)
– BILD journalist Tobi Altschäffl says that Florian Neuhaus is likely to stay with Borussia Monchengladbach for another year. Reports on Thursday suggested that a bid is expected from Liverpool, but after a chat with Gladbach manager Adi Hütter, the highly-rated 24-year-old now looks set for another season in the Bundesliga.
– Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Nicolas Gonzalez looks set to join Fiorentina for €27 million. The Stuttgart winger has been in demand recently and has been linked with a move to a number of Premier League clubs, but it now looks as though the Serie A club have won the race to sign the 23-year-old.
– Newcastle United will sign Liverpool youngster Remi Savage, reports Chronicle Live. The 19-year-old has been on Merseyside since the age of nine, but after contract talks have broken down with the Anfield hierarchy, the defender is now ready to swap Liverpool for Tyneside after receiving a contract offer from the Magpies.
– Kieran Tierney will be rewarded with a new five-year contract at Arsenal, writes the Daily Mail. The defender has impressed since arriving from Celtic for a fee of £25m and has played a prominent role on the left side of Arsenal’s defence. The 24-year-old featured 38 times for Mikel Arteta’s side last season and is currently on duty with Scotland at Euro 2020 where he started in a 0-0 draw with England on Friday.
– Everton
