The summer transfer window is into its final month for the major European leagues, which means the biggest clubs are looking to make a splash in the market before the new season begins. Check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.
TOP STORY: Mbappe, Ronaldo transfer futures intertwined
Cristiano Ronaldo‘s time in Serie A could be coming to an end with reports that the 36-year-old wants to leave Juventus before the transfer window closes on Aug. 31.
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However, any deal hinges on the future of Kylian Mbappe, with Ronaldo confident that Paris Saint-Germain would see him as the first-choice replacement if Real Madrid acquire the services of the 22-year-old this summer.
But if the €150m-rated France international stays in Paris, Ronaldo wishes to re-join Los Blancos and team up with former manager Carlo Ancelotti in the Spanish capital.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was in strong form last season, scoring 29 times in 31 league starts for Juventus, and would still command a hefty transfer fee if the club were to let him go now.
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09.41 BST: Munir El Haddadi has no intention of leaving Sevilla this summer, according to his agent.
Munir, 25, has played 80 minutes in Sevilla’s four warm-up games this summer and his agent, Francesc Valdivieso, has denied reports that the player is considering leaving.
“As he has always done, Munir is working very hard so that the coach can count on him,” Valdivieso told ABC. “No one from Sevilla has said that they are not counting on him and that they want him to leave. It’s impossible that Munir would leave the club this summer as no one can pay what Sevilla would demand for a player of the characteristics of Munir.
“The player has no intention of leaving Sevilla. Munir’s aim is to honour the contract he has with Sevilla. He is very happy at the club although he would like to play more because when he has done so, he’s felt important and given good performances.”
Munir has scored 22 goals in 88 appearances since joining Sevilla from Barcelona in January 2019. The Morocco international has a contract until June 2023.
09.20 BST: Brazilian club Santos have confirmed they have reached an agreement with Juventus for the transfer of teenage striker Kaio Jorge to Turin.
“Juventus reached the conditions we requested and which we believe were the best at that time for the Club, given the scenario we found. Good luck to Kaio Jorge,” said Santos FC president Andres Rueda.
Santos did not reveal the transfer fee but Juve could reportedly pay up to €4m for the Brazilian starlet.
Kaio Jorge, 19, is expected to undergo a medical in Turin on Wednesday before putting pen to paper on a five-year contract with the Italian giants. He arrived at Santos in 2013 and has scored 17 goals in 84 professional appearances for the club.
08.47 BST: After Monday’s no-show at training, The Athletic reports that Tottenham striker Harry Kane “does not plan to return to Hotspur Way until he is granted his wish to leave.”
Kane, 28, was due at Hotspur Way on Monday for COVID-19 testing and routine blood work after an extended break following England’s run to the final of Euro 2020.
However, Kane chose not to attend, a move that represents an escalation in the stand-off between the striker and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy. Kane had previously expressed his desire to leave the club this summer.
The report says that Kane does not plan on playing for the club again and wants to join Manchester City, while sources at the club also insist that no “gentleman’s agreement” was ever made between the striker and Levy for him to move.
08.30 BST: LAFC moved to fill a roster vacancy Monday, signing forward Cristian Arango from Millonarios FC in Colombia.
According to MLSsoccer.com, LAFC will pay a $2.5m signing fee.
Since 2019, the 26-year-old Arango has scored 22 goals with six assists in 58 games with Millonarios. He is expected to provide offense for a team that is 6-5-5 (23 points) and tied for fifth place in the Western Conference heading into Wednesday’s home game against Sporting Kansas City.
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Craig Burley and Steve Nicol discuss possible moves Chelsea could make to have a better chance at winning the Premier League.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)
– Gianluca Di Marzio writes that Internazionale have rejected an approach from Chelsea for star striker Romelu Lukaku. The deal, which reportedly included €100m plus Marcos Alonso was turned down with the Serie A champions keen on keeping hold of their hitman that scored 24 goals in 36 league appearances last season. The 28-year-old recently said that he intends to stay at Inter, and it looks as though that stance has not changed despite serious interest from Thomas Tuchel’s side.
– The injury to Alex Telles has done nothing to dissuade left-back Brandon Williams from his intention of leaving Manchester United on loan to get regular first-team experience. The Manchester Evening News writes that the 20-year-old wishes to be sent on a season-long loan after only starting five games last campaign, as cover for both Luke Shaw and Telles. The defender is capable of playing on both sides of defence and has impressed in a handful of outings since breaking into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
– Fabrizio Romano says that Tottenham are just one step away from landing Atalanta defender Cristian Romero. Spurs have been linked with the 23-year-old recently and it now looks as though their bid of around £50m will be accepted. The Italian journalist also says that Atalanta have identified their replacement for Romero, with the club targeting Juventus defender Merih Demiral.
– Joe Hart’s future has been confirmed with Celtic agreeing on a deal with the former England international. Fabrizio Romano says the 34-year-old will head to Scotland on a contract worth £15,000-a-week, with the club set to make the announcement later in the week. The goalkeeper spent last season with Tottenham Hotspur, but only made two FA Cup appearances against Wycombe Wanderers and Marine.
– PSG are one of the clubs interested in Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, according to Le10 Sport. The Serie A star has been on the radar of a number of teams across Europe with Napoli failing to qualify for the Champions League last season. Sporting director Leonardo is reportedly keen on the 30-year-old who would join Sergio Ramos at the Parc des Princes if the Ligue 1 runners-up can strike a deal.
