[ad_1]
With the European seasons now complete, the rumour mill has been sent into overdrive as clubs ponder their moves ahead of what will be a busy transfer window. Check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.
TOP STORY: Atletico to beat Liverpool to De Paul
Atletico Madrid are so confident of adding Rodrigo De Paul to their midfield that they are setting up a medical for the Argentine, according to Fabrizio Romano.
De Paul, 27, has been linked with various clubs ahead of the summer transfer window, including Liverpool and Juventus, with Atleti constantly in the conversation when it comes to the Udinese talisman.
2 Related
While Liverpool will be looking for a midfielder after Georginio Wijnaldum’s departure to join Paris Saint-Germain upon the expiry of his contract, it seems they are set to miss out on De Paul. Atleti have almost reached a €35m agreement with Udinese, with only some final details needed before he can be part of Diego Simeone’s squad.
De Paul has made 36 Serie A appearances for Udinese this term, scoring a total of nine goals and contributing a further 10 assists.
It isn’t all incomings for the champions of La Liga, though, as Saul Niguez is seemingly on his way out of the club he has made more than 300 appearances for. There have been various top clubs interested in the 26-year-old, who signed a massive nine-year contract back in 2017, and it is expected that he will leave the Wanda Metropolitano in the coming weeks.
– Euro 2020 on ESPN: Stream LIVE games and replays (U.S. only)
– European Soccer Pick ‘Em: Compete to win $10,000
LIVE BLOG
22.00 BST: Tottenham are interested in signing Brighton wing-back Tariq Lamptey, Sky Sports understands.
The 20-year-old, who came through the Chelsea academy, has impressed the last two seasons in the Premier League and would replace Serge Aurier at Spurs. The veteran Aurier is widely expected to leave the club, with the Ivorian linked with a return to PSG.
Lamptey, an England Under-21 international, scored a goal and added four assists this season in 19 Premier League games before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury in March.
21.22 BST: Everton are close to naming Rafa Benitez their next manager, Sky Sports is reporting.
The 61-year-old, who last managed in China with Dalian Pro (2019-21), would replace Carlo Ancelotti, who left for the vacancy at Real Madrid earlier this summer. The move would see the former Liverpool boss (2004-10) move across to the blue side of Merseyside. The two-time UEFA Manager of the Year has managed the likes of Valencia, Liverpool, Inter, Chelsea, Napoli, Real Madrid and Napoli, most notably winning the Champions League in 2005 with Liverpool, and La Liga in 2002 and 2004 with Valencia.
Everton are understood to have considered former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo, Belgium boss Roberto Martinez, and West Ham and former Everton headman David Moyes.
20.39 BST: Here’s a big one…
Real Madrid have announced that captain Sergio Ramos will leave the club at the expiration of his contract.
The clubs adds that Ramos, alongside president Florentino Perez, will hold a new conference on Thursday at 12:30pm to say farewell. The announcement will end a trophy laden, 16-year run for the 35-year-old centre-back at the club. In all, Ramos made 671 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring 101 goals from central defence and winning four Champions Leagues, five La Liga titles and two Copa del Reys.
The 2010 World Cup winner has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
19.55 BST: Is Arjen Robben about to hang up his boots?
The 37-year-old, who played last season at boyhood club Groningen, is still considering his future, ESPN Netherlands can confirm.
“Ultimately, Arjen has to say something about it. What I can share is that we are talking about it with each other. Arjen also went away a week or two or three ago, a few days with Bernadien (his wife) to also think carefully about it. He is not completely out yet,” said Mark-Jan Fledderus in TV program ’50 years FC Groningen’ which was made by the club in collaboration with RTV Noord.
Fledderus continues: “On the one hand, he really wants to play football and you notice that in everything. He really wants to play in front of a full stadium again. On the other hand, he is getting older and there are some aches and pains in the stadium. body. He’s had a really tough year and that’s the struggle I think there is.”
Robben played just seven games and 263 minutes last campaign for Groningen due to injury.
19.02 BST: Arsenal are set to bolster their attack, agreeing to a deal for Lyon and England international forward Nikita Paris, Sky Sports has learned.
The 27-year-old returns to England after two productive seasons in France in which she scored 31 goals in 47 total games. Paris, who previously played in England with Everton and Manchester City, has 50 caps for the Three Lionesses, and has scored 14 international goals.
18.18 BST: Inter are considering a move for Getafe and Uruguay left-back Mathias Olivera, La Gazzetta dello Sport has learned.
The 23-year-old, who was a mainstay last season at left-back for Getafe, is reportedly valued at €20 million
17.26 BST: Arsenal have had a £40 million bid rejected by Brighton for centre-back Ben White, ESPN can confirm.
Talks between the clubs regarding the defender remain ongoing, with Brighton holding out for £50m for the 23-year-old. Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester United are also reportedly monitoring White, who is currently on England duty at the Euros.
The Gunners are also reportedly trying to extend central midfielder Emile Smith Rowe and continue to monitor Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
16.45 BST: Former LA Galaxy forward Giovani dos Santos is now a free agent after terminating his contract with Club America.
“Thank you Giovani dos Santos for wearing these colours. We wish you the best in your next challenge, you will always be an Americanist,” the Mexican club confirmed on Twitter.
The former Barcelona and Tottenham forward joined America in 2019 from LA Galaxy but has failed to make the impact expected during his two years at the club, scoring just four goals in 42 appearances.
16.07 BST: Will Cristiano Ronaldo stay at Juventus this summer?
1:42
Gab Marcotti debates whether Cristiano Ronaldo will leave Juventus in the summer transfer window.
15.50 BST: Ever Banega has emerged as a target for Boca Juniors as club vice-president Juan Roman Riquelme continues to work on reshaping the squad ahead of the new campaign, according to ESPN Futbol 12.
The former Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan midfielder only joined Al-Shabab from Sevilla last year but Boca manager Miguel Angel Russo has asked Riquelme to make an effort to bring the 32-year-old back to his homeland.
Riquelme, meanwhile, is also considering the possibility of bolstering the midfield with another veteran like Nico Gaitan. The 33-year-old versatile midfielder is currently at SC Braga but ESPN Argentina reports that Boca will try to step up the negotiations with both him and Banega in the coming days.
15.32 BST: Fabrizio Romano reports that Atletico Madrid have turned down an offer from Manchester United for full-back Kieran Trippier.
Trippier, 30, won La Liga last season and has impressed for England at Euro 2020 but it will reportedly take around €40m to persuade Atletico to let him go this summer.
15.05 BST: Aston Villa have made a £25m bid for Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe, says The Athletic.
Smith Rowe, 20, has impressed this season and the Gunners “are in the process of trying to renew his contract” and have rejected the bid, but have yet to persuade him to sign.
Villa have already completed the signing of Arsenal target Emiliano Buendia from Norwich City for around £33m.
15.01 BST: Netherlands forward Memphis Depay has confirmed he is close to joining Barcelona and said he is looking forward to working under head coach Ronald Koeman.
Depay’s Lyon contract expires on June 30 and he has long been linked with a move to the La Liga giants on a free transfer.
Depay, 27, is playing for the Netherlands at Euro 2020, but speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, he confirmed his interest in joining Barcelona and hinted the move was close.
“Everyone knows I have been linked to Barca for a while now, and I want to play for Ronald Koeman,” Depay said. “Just wait, and then the news will come.”
14.42 BST: Uruguay’s Luis Suarez and Argentina’s Lionel Messi were friends at Barcelona, but things are different when countries are involved.
0:47
Luis Suarez speaks ahead of Uruguay’s clash with Argentina and former teammate Lionel Messi in the Copa America.
14.10 BST: Stuttgart striker Nicolas Gonzalez is closing on a £25m move to Brighton, says The Guardian.
Gonzalez, 23, has also been the subject of a similar bid from Italian side Fiorentina, while he has been linked with Leeds and Tottenham, but the Argentina forward is reportedly keen to move to England.
He scored six goals in 15 Bundesliga appearances last season and is playing for Argentina at the Copa America in Brazil this summer.
13.36 BST: Reports continue to emerge regarding Aymeric Laporte‘s future at Manchester City, with Mundo Deportivo the latest to suggest the defender wants to move to Barcelona.
Laporte has fallen out of favour under Pep Guardiola in England, with Ruben Dias and John Stones often preferred ahead of him in the middle of the back four. Mundo Deportivo claims Laporte is unhappy at City and does not understand why he’s been used so sparingly by Guardiola.
“It’s a complicated situation: he wants to feel important, but it seems at City he is always going to have someone ahead of him,” a source close to the player told the Catalan newspaper.
The report adds that a return to Spain would interest the former Athletic Bilbao centre-back, with Barca the most likely destination. However, the Catalan club’s financial situation makes a deal difficult for the time being.
Another defender linked with Barca is Borussia Monchengladbach’s Matthias Ginter, who is valued at around €30m. Diario AS, citing reports in Italy, say the Blaugrana could go for him if they manage to move on Samuel Umtiti.
13.13 BST: Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek has offered himself to Barcelona, according to Diario Sport.
Van de Beek, 24, only joined Manchester United last year from Ajax for an initial £35m. However the Netherlands international has found minutes hard to come by at Old Trafford and is open to a change of scenery this summer.
Barca, meanwhile, are on the hunt for a new midfielder after missing out on Georginio Wijnaldum to Paris Saint-Germain last week.
Van de Beek’s representatives, therefore, have put two and two together and approached Barca about a possible season-long loan in Spain.
Barca, who have also been linked with Napoli’s Fabian Ruiz, Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini and Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino as midfield options, have not yet responded to the offer, but are said to be looking for a “different profile” of player.
12.50 BST: This is the kind of impact that a player like Cristiano Ronaldo can have…
Ronaldo’s removal of two Coca-Cola bottles at a Euro 2020 news conference coincided with a $4 billion drop in the market value of the American drink giant.
The Portugal captain was visibly troubled when he saw two bottles of the carbonated soft drink in front of him as he sat down to speak to the media on Monday in Budapest ahead of his national team’s Group F opener against Hungary.
Ronaldo, an advocate of a healthy diet, moved the glass bottles out of the camera frame and instead held up a bottle of water and said in Portuguese: “Water!”
Coca-Cola saw its share price drop by 1.6% to $55.22 soon after Ronaldo’s actions. The market value went from $242bn to $238bn — a $4bn drop.
11.43 BST: Arsenal have made Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale a shock target, says The Sun.
Ramsdale, 23, was called up to the England squad for Euro 2020 after a hip injury to Dean Henderson but the former Bournemouth stopper is rated at around £20m by his club.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has a major goalkeeper issue to solve this summer, with No. 1 Bernd Leno reportedly keen to return to Germany and no reliable backup after Mat Ryan went back to Brighton after his loan spell.
11.11 BST: Alvaro Morata is having some issues up front for Spain, but he has extended his loan contract at Juventus from Atletico Madrid for another season.
0:48
Chris Coleman thinks Alvaro Morata’s confidence is too shaken for Luis Enrique to keep him in Spain’s XI.
10.50 BST: Manchester United are ready to offer Paul Pogba to Juventus in exchange for Cristiano Ronaldo this summer, says Gazzetta dello Sport.
Both players’ contracts expire in 2022 and both are reported to be keen to move on from their respective clubs. The Italian newspaper claims United are willing to offer Ronaldo £17m-a-year in wages — a £10m-a-year drop from his current status.
Former clubs Sporting Lisbon and Real Madrid are also monitoring Ronaldo’s situation, alongside Inter Miami in MLS, and Juventus reportedly want to land Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus to replace him.
United would likely get some cash as part of the swap, given Pogba is 28 and Ronaldo is 36, but the report doesn’t detail what that could be.
10.35 BST: Watford have signed Danny Rose on a free transfer after he left Tottenham. The left-back has penned a two-year contract.
09.45 BST: Deals that would previously have cost more than €100m, like Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho‘s transfer to Man United, could be done for dramatically less money this summer, and there is a market to pick up some good players if you know where to look.
Here’s our top summer transfer targets for 2021. Which players are on shortlists around Europe? Who is still available on a free transfer? And who could be a bargain because their contract is running down?
Including:
– Achraf Hakimi, RB, Inter Milan, €60m
– Bernardo Silva, AM, Manchester City, €70m
– Raphael Varane, CB, Real Madrid, €70m
09.12 BST: Arsenal have had a £12.9m bid rejected by Anderlecht for midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga, sources have told ESPN’s James Olley.
The Gunners have been told a fee of £17.2m will be enough to land the 21-year-old and talks are ongoing as they consider an improved second offer.
Manager Mikel Arteta is keen on strengthening his midfield options this summer with Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard now back at Real Madrid, Granit Xhaka in negotiations to join Roma and several others including Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira available for transfer.
Sambi Lokonga, who has two years remaining on his contract, is expected to leave Anderlecht this summer with other clubs also rivalling Arsenal for his signature.
08.30 BST: Achraf Hakimi will leave Inter Milan this summer while Lautaro Martinez is likely to remain, according to their agent.
Hakimi, 22, is a reported target of several European clubs following an impressive campaign with Inter Milan. The Morocco international right-back scored seven goals and set up 11 more in a total 45 appearances for the Serie A champions.
“Of the two [Hakimi and Lautaro], the only one that will leave Inter [this summer] is Hakimi,” their agent Alejandro Camano told Sky Italia. “Inter have told us they have to sell a player and they have chosen. Hakimi is the only one that can leave to several European clubs.”
Hakimi joined Inter on a permanent transfer from Real Madrid for €40m in September and is under contract with the Nerazzurri until June 2025. Both Chelsea and PSG have reportedly made bids to sign him, but Inter want around €80m.
However, Lautaro’s future is still to be discussed, with Barcelona keen to sign him. The 23-year-old is competing with Argentina at the Copa America and has yet to sign a new contract with Inter, with his current deal ending in June 2023.
“Regarding Lautaro I think Inter are in a strong position because they consider him a champion, a goal scorer. That is why they want him to remain,” Camano added. “But what rules the world are the book balances and if they were to let Lautaro leave it would be for no small fee.
“We have to work on Lautaro’s situation (contract extension) but there’s nothing clear. What two years ago were normal prices after COVID things have changed. We will have to wait and see what the player wants as his opinion is important. I think he can become one of the best players in Europe and in the world.”
1:54
The ESPN FC crew debate whether Memphis Depay would be a good signing for Barcelona.
PAPER GOSSIP (By Danny Lewis)
– According to Football Insider, Liverpool have made contact with FC Salzburg striker Patson Daka and the 22-year-old is keen on joining them. There have been various other Premier League clubs linked with the Zambia international, and it is stated that a deal would likely cost around €20m for the man who scored 34 goals across all competitions this term.
– Lille winger Jonathan Bamba has been linked with various clubs ahead of the summer window, and Le10 Sport have suggested that an MLS side is also making a move. The club is not named, though it is stated that they’ve offered €15m, but the 25-year-old is said to have aspirations outside of MLS.
– Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Rui Patricio, who played in Portugal’s 3-0 win over Hungary on Tuesday, has agreed personal terms with AS Roma, according to Football Insider. It is suggested that he will join Jose Mourinho’s side for three years, with the two clubs negotiating a fee and structure for a deal.
– Gazzetta dello Sport have detailed Lazio’s list of winger targets, as they look for somebody who can link up with Ciro Immobile. It is suggested that they’re looking at Bologna’s Riccardo Orsolini, Atalanta’s Josip Ilicic, AS Monaco’s Stevan Jovetic, Benfica’s Nuno Tavares, SC Freiburg’s Vincenzo Grifo and Borussia Dortmund’s Julian Brandt.
– AC Milan are looking to sign VfB Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic, according to Calciomercato, with the Austrian having scored 16 Bundesliga goals this term. It is even suggested that they have already met with his agents.
– Ashley Young is set to return to Aston Villa 10 years after he left them to join Manchester United, according to the Mail. The Englishman is allowed to leave Internazionale this summer and has also been linked with Watford and Burnley.
[ad_2]
Source link
