[ad_1]
With most of the major 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: Barcelona want De Ligt
Barcelona president Joan Laporta is looking to recruit Matthijs de Ligt this summer, according to Le10 Sport. The report suggests that the Catalan club are keen on the centre-back who opted to join Juventus from Ajax for €75 million in 2019.
2 Related
Barca have been looking for a centre-back since the transfer window opened and could prioritise their spending on the Netherlands defender after reinforcing the attack with the free transfer of Sergio Aguero.
But persuading Juve could be difficult, with Gazzetta dello Sport reporting that De Ligt is a big part of Massimiliano Allegri’s plans for next season, as the Italian manager prepares for his second stint at the club.
The 21-year-old centre-back featured 36 times for Juventus last season as the Turin club missed out on the Serie A title to Internazionale.
– Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
– Euro 2020 on ESPN: Stream LIVE games and replays (U.S. only)
LIVE BLOG
14.51 BST: Wales midfielder David Brooks is hoping to play his way back on to the radar of the Premier League’s top clubs at Euro 2020.
The 23-year-old attracted attention from Manchester United and Liverpool for his performances at Bournemouth while the Cherries were in the Premier League, scoring eight goals and registering five assists in 39 top-flight appearances. That run was punctuated by a serious ankle injury, and when he returned he was unable to stop the club getting relegated to the Championship at the end of the 2019-20 season.
“I think every player will see it as a chance to impress,” Brooks said. “I’m not going to sit here and disrespect Bournemouth. Obviously, I’m contracted to them. I’m very happy there.
“I’m just looking forward to the Euros to try to showcase what I can do to everyone. However many minutes I get in the Euros, I want to take the opportunity to impress those watching.
“The Euros being pushed back meant I was able to take my recovery at an easy, steady pace.”
13.58 BST: Spain defender Aymeric Laporte is putting pressure on Manchester City to let him join Barcelona this summer, according to Diario Sport.
The centre-back lost his place in the City side last season to Ruben Dias and John Stones and has told City he wants to leave for regular football elsewhere.
Sport say it will be “difficult but not impossible” for Barca to sign Laporte this summer. The club’s financial situation would not allow them to spend a huge amount of money but a possible swap deal is mooted in the report.
Barca have already signed two players from City this summer, with Eric Garcia and Sergio Aguero both joining on free transfers. They have also been linked with Riyad Mahrez, Ilkay Gundogan and Joao Cancelo.
City, meanwhile, are said to maintain an interest in Sergi Roberto and Ousmane Dembele, two players who are out of contract next summer.
13.11 BST: Marseille are in talks with Barcelona over a move for United States men’s national team player Konrad De La Fuente, sources have confirmed to ESPN’s Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.
De La Fuente, 19, is likely to join the French side on loan initially with a clause included for them to make the deal permanent next summer for around €5m. The two clubs are still negotiating the finer details of the transfer, including whether that clause will be optional or obligatory and if Barca will maintain an option to re-sign winger in the future.
ESPN reported in April that Barca were willing to listen to offers for De La Fuente this summer, with interest coming from Spain, Germany and France. The Miami-native has been on the fringes of the first team this season, making two appearances in the Champions League, but he’s yet to make his debut in La Liga.
Following the arrival of Sergio Aguero and the possible signing of Memphis Depay, who Barca hope to secure on a free transfer from Lyon, De La Fuente is set to slip further down the pecking order under coach Ronald Koeman. Sources told ESPN that both the club and the player agree that he’s outgrown the B team, who play in the Spanish third division, and needs to play regular football next season.
12.27 BST: Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher could be set for a move across London as Crystal Palace are ready to make a bid for him, according to The Sun.
Gallagher, 21, spent last season on loan at West Bromwich Albion. Although the Baggies were relegated after just one season back in the Premier League, Gallagher put in some impressive displays over the course of his 32 appearances in all competitions.
The England U21 international hopes to fight for a place in the Chelsea first team next season after proving his Premier League pedigree, but the European champions could be tempted into a transfer as Palace prepare a £15m offer.
11.40 BST: Tottenham Hotspur are expected to appoint Paulo Fonseca as their new manager this week after the Portuguese coach agreed a deal in principle to take the job, The Guardian reports.
Spurs are yet to hire a permanent replacement for Jose Mourinho, who was fired in April. Mourinho has since been appointed by Roma, filling the vacancy left by Fonseca’s departure at the end of the 2020-21 season.
The Guardian report adds that Fonseca could be unveiled as the club’s new boss as early as this coming Wednesday.
At the weekend, Tottenham confirmed the appointment of Fabio Paratici as “Managing Director, Football” from July 1.
Spurs announced in a statement that the 48-year-old will be “responsible for managing and developing the club’s sporting operations, facilities and footballing infrastructure.”
10.45 BST: New Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has already told Barcelona midfielder Miralem Pjanic he wants to take him back to Turin, according to Diario Sport.
A report in the Catalan newspaper claims the two recently exchanged messages, with Pjanic congratulating Allegri on his return to Juve two years after leaving the club. Allegri is said to have replied by telling the Bosnia & Herzegovina international by telling him he has an important role waiting for him in Italy.
Pjanic, 31, swapped Juve for Barca last summer, a year after Allegri had left the Serie A side, but has found regular football hard to come by at Camp Nou. He made just 13 starts under Ronald Koeman in all competitions and reports says he’s open to leaving.
09.49 BST: Marseille are negotiating the signing of former Arsenal centre-back David Luiz, La Provence reports.
The Brazilian is looking for a club after failing to reach an agreement with Arsenal to sign a new contract. Luiz, 34, spent two seasons at Arsenal and made 30 appearances for the Gunners in the 2020-21 campaign.
Marseille coach Jorge Sampaoli is a big admirer of the former Chelsea star. The French club sees the possibility to sign Luiz as a free agent as a great opportunity to land an experience player. Marseille have already agreed to sign Brazilian midfielder Gerson from Flamengo for a reported transfer fee €30m.
08.53 BST: Atletico Madrid are looking to bring playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu to the Wanda Metropolitano this summer if they cannot sign their top target, Udinese’s Rodrigo de Paul, according to Sky.
Calhanoglu, 27, has an offer to renew his contract with AC Milan, with his current deal expiring this summer. Milan have offered wages of €4m per season to the Turkey international, who scored nine goals and set up 12 more in 43 appearances in all competitions this past season.
La Liga champions Atletico have been keen to strengthen their attack and are willing to offer €3m per season for the Turkish star and a payment of €3m once the signature is complete. Calhanoglu is currently on international duty with Turkey at Euro 2020.
Sky reports that Atletico have lodged a €20m bid for Argentina international De Paul, who has already held talks with the Spanish club.
08.00 BST: Eden Hazard has said that “it didn’t occur to me for a second” to leave Real Madrid this summer after two injury-hit seasons at the Bernabeu, insisting that “I won’t leave there as a failure.”
Hazard played a part in Belgium’s 3-0 win over Russia in their Euro 2020 group opener on Saturday in St Petersburg, coming off the bench after 72 minutes. He has only started two matches for Real Madrid since January, the last being a 2-0 Champions League semifinal defeat to Chelsea on May 5, after a series of muscular injuries severely limited his impact in 2020-21.
“I’m only myself when I can enjoy myself on the pitch,” Hazard told Belgium’s Het Nieuwsblad. “That hasn’t happened in the last two years at Madrid. If you have one or two injuries you can flip the switch, you recover to come back stronger, but if it’s five, six, seven it’s much more difficult mentally. But I keep going.”
The 30-year-old’s debut season at the Bernabeu was affected by two ankle fractures — the first in November 2019, before a second which required surgery in March 2020 — which saw him play just 16 La Liga games, scoring once.The 2020-21 campaign was just as frustrating for the midfielder, as hamstring, calf and thigh muscle injuries left Hazard unable to find his best form.
“It didn’t occur to me for a second that it would be better for me to leave,” Hazard said. “I won’t leave there as a failure. I only want to show that I’m made for Real Madrid. The last two years have been difficult, I’ve been at Madrid without really being at Madrid, you know… We’ve played in a stadium without fans, and I signed to play at a full Bernabeu.”
PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)
– Lyon’s Maxwel Cornet is continuing to attract looks from the Premier League, with Leeds United interested in the Ivory Coast international’s services. The Sun writes that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are keen to sign the 24-year-old, but the Ligue 1 club are looking for a fee of £20m. Cornet has spent the majority of his career playing as a winger, although he started 21 times as a left-back for Lyon last season.
– Hampshire Live reports that Liverpool right-back Neco Williams is one of the players on Southampton’s shortlist for the summer. The club are expected to strengthen in a number of areas, with the Wales international at the top of the list to strengthen the right side of defence.
• Barnwell’s best moves: 100-51 | 50-1
• January transfer grades
• Latest completed major transfers
– The race for Borna Barisic is heating up, with a number of Premier League clubs now keen on the left-back. Football Insider reports that Arsenal, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers have all joined the race for the Rangers man. The news comes after Leeds United’s interest was reported on Saturday, which means a bidding war between four Premier League clubs might not be far away for the 28-year-old.
– AC Milan are keeping tabs on Zenit St. Petersburg’s Sardar Azmoun, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The 26-year-old Iran forward was prolific in front of goal last season, scoring 19 from 21 starts in the Russian Premier League.
– West Ham United and Southampton are monitoring the situation of Junior Firpo, according to Mundo Deportivo. The 24-year-old featured seven times for Barcelona last season, but the Premier League clubs will need to move fast, with AC Milan also interested in the defender’s signature.
– Leonardo Spinazzola won’t leave AS Roma this summer, writes Calciomercato. The left-back, who was a standout performer in the opening game of Euro 2020 against Turkey, is reportedly an “untouchable” player in Jose Mourinho’s squad as the Portuguese manager prepares for his first season in charge.
[ad_2]
Source link
