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TOP STORY: Man City ramp up Griezmann interest
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has made a personal call to Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann regarding a possible move to the Etihad Stadium this summer. That was reported in French title Footmercato, which states that City are in “good contact” with the France international’s agent.
City and Griezmann’s representatives were said to be in touch last summer, though City’s finances — not helped by the coronavirus pandemic — prevented them from making a tangible offer. However, Barcelona’s own financial situation is at a critical point and they are now looking to trim their own wage bill, but City are still targeting Harry Kane as a priority.
City’s interest in Kane is said to have “cooled” due to the huge transfer fee needed to prise the England skipper away from north London, and so Griezmann could be the perfect solution.
But Mundo Deportivo reports that Barcelona are considering a swap deal with Atletico Madrid for Saul Niguez. The proposed swap deal would benefit both parties and is in the initial stages.
Barca are looking to strengthen their midfield line and Saul wants to leave Atletico after seven seasons at the club. Atletico coach Diego Simeone would welcome the return of Griezmann, who left Atletico in the summer of 2019 in a €120m transfer.
Saul, 26, has a contract with Atletico until June 2026 and a release clause set at €150m. Atletico will only allow Saul to leave if the right offer comes along. Liverpool have made a €40m offer to Atletico for the Spanish midfielder but it is considered too low for the Rojibancos. Barcelona cannot afford to make any big-money signings this summer and a swap deal is their only option.
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17.50 BST: Former Fiorentina winger Franck Ribery has spoken of his sadness at leaving the club after they decided not to offer him a contract extension. Ribery, 38, spent two seasons with the club, making a total of 51 appearances, but they opted to release him this summer.
“The two years with Fiorentina, the fans and this city were wonderful because, despite the difficulties, I met many wonderful people,” Ribery told Toscana TV. “It’s a pity, as I wanted to continue for another year with Fiorentina, but this is my destiny. I have always been at the disposal of the squad and tried to give my all.
“I had wanted to stay in Florence, but the situation was not easy. I never criticised the club, I have good memories of the Viola jersey and would like to stay in Serie A, but I don’t know anything about my future yet.”
17.03 BST: Lazio are still waiting for Luis Alberto to turn up for training this season, and he has now missed a preseason camp in Veneto where the club will play friendlies against four local teams.
“Luis Alberto did not respond to a call, it’s a managerial and corporate problem,” Sarri told the reporters. “From a moral point of view, he must speak with me and with his teammates. And he must convince us about the reasons for his delay.
“Otherwise, he will have to apologise to me and to the others. In my teams, there’s no death penalty for those who don’t respect the rules, but certain situations must still be clarified.”
Gazzetta dello Sport says no one at Lazio knows when Luis Alberto will return, with both Atletico Madrid and Villarreal considering making a move for the 28-year-old.
It’s reported that Lazio will look for a transfer fee of around €50m for a player who still has four years remaining on his contract.
16.16 BST: The agent of full-back Achraf Hakimi says the player still hopes to one day be a Real Madrid player again. Haikimi made just 17 appearances for Real Madrid in his one season as a first-team player before being loaned out Borussia Dortmund for two years, and then switching permanently to Inter Milan. This summer the 22-year-old signed for Paris Saint-Germain in deal potentially worth €71m, but he could go back to the Bernabeu later in his career.
Agent Alejandro Camano told Marca: “We keep the excitement and the hope and the dream that Achraf returns to Real Madrid because he was born in Madrid, he grew up in Madrid and some day, he would like to play at Real Madrid.”
15.35 BST: Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas is likely to stay at the club when Italy No. 1 Gianluigi Donnarumma joins as a free agent, sources have told ESPN.
Italy international Donnarumma, 22, will join after turning down a new contract at AC Milan, where he made 251 senior appearances.
Navas is expected to start the campaign as the first-choice goalkeeper. French newspaper L’Equipe reported on Friday that Navas, who signed a new contract last month, was furious upon hearing that the club were set sign to Donnarumma this summer but has since been persuaded to fight for the No. 1 spot.
14.51 BST: The Daily Mirror says that Ben Davies is determined to stay at Liverpool and prove his worth to Jurgen Klopp, despite the Reds’ injured defenders on the road to recovery.
Davies, 25, joined Liverpool from Preston in January in a £1.6m move to add depth to Klopp’s squad, but while he made the bench eight times he failed to make a single first-team appearance.
Liverpool have signed Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig while Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip will soon return to fitness.
But Davies has rejected potential loan moves to Bournemouth and Celtic to remain at Anfield.
14.18 BST: Julien Laurens, Frank Leboeuf, Steve Nicol and Shaka Hislop join Sebastian Salazar on ESPN FC to discuss the possibility of Paul Pogba leaving Manchester United for Paris-Saint Germain, and whether United should push for a transfer this summer rather than losing the French midfielder on a free transfer in 2022. ESPN sources revealed earlier this week that Pogba is a target for PSG.
0:59
Julien Laurens breaks down the reality of Paul Pogba heading to PSG in 2022.
13.31 BST: Dani Ceballos says he would like to play for Real Madrid next season but does not know what his future holds. The Spanish midfielder, who spent the last two seasons on loan at Arsenal, is tied to the Bernabeu outfit until June 2023.
“I’m a Real Madrid player and I have two years left on my contract,” Ceballos told Diario As: “I have to talk to the new coach [Carlo Ancelotti] and from then on decide my future.”
Ceballos, 24, who will be in the Spain squad at the Olympics later this month, says he has not spoken to Ancelotti yet.
“I’ve only spoken to [director] Jose Angel Sanchez to know what day I have to begin preseason but then I had to come here [with Spain’s Olympic squad] and I have since not had any contact with anyone at the club. My wish is to continue.
“After the Olympics we will see what the club tells me and then I will decide. Of course, I would like to play for Real Madrid but I need to know what the coach wants and what the aims are. But my desire is to play next season at Real Madrid.”
Ceballos says he is a “more complete player” after his two seasons in England and could return to play in the Premier League in the future. “I don’t rule it out,” he said. “It’s a league that I like, I think anyone that truly likes football would be motivated to play there. It something you could regret if you don’t play there.”
12.42 BST: Calciomercato reports that Napoli are not prepared to pay the transfer fee Chelsea want for Italy international Emerson Palmieri. The report states that Chelsea are looking for an initial fee of €20m, with a further €5m in bonuses for the left-sided wing-back. Another sticking point appears to be the €3m-a-season wage he earns at Chelsea, with two years still remaining on his contract.
The 26-year-old, who has played just 32 Premier League games in three seasons in west London, will look to sort out his future after Sunday’s Euro 2020 final against England.
12.00 BST: And another done deal for a Saturday! Barcelona have sold Spanish midfielder Carles Alena to Getafe for an undisclosed fee. Alena, 23, spent the last six months on loan at Getafe from Barcelona.
The Catalan club announced that they have a 50% sell-on clause should Alena move on, and have also included a buy-back option in the deal, plus first right of refusal.
Getafe have reportedly paid €5m for Alena, whose contract with Barcelona was due to expire in June 2022. After making his Barcelona debut in the 2016-17 campaign, Alena made 43 appearances for the Catalan giants.
OFICIAL | Carles Aleñá nuevo futbolista azulón.
¡Bienvenido de nuevo! 🥳💙#AleñaAzulon #VamosGetahttps://t.co/kSm1Pkq57R pic.twitter.com/fikuyTC9lM
— Getafe C.F. (@GetafeCF) July 10, 2021
11.19 BST: Done deal! Arsenal have completed the signing of Nuno Tavares from Benfica on a long-term contract. Tavares, a 21-year-old defender, is a Portugal under-21 international. The Gunners are reported to be paying £7m for the transfer, with a further £2m in potential add-ons.
Manager Mikel Arteta told the club’s official website: “He is a young player with great promise who has developed very well with Benfica in recent seasons and has also shown his quality by being part of Portugal under-21s. Nuno’s arrival will give the squad extra strength and options in defence, particularly with this energy on the left side of the pitch. We look forward to Nuno’s arrival soon, his integration into the Arsenal family and playing in front of our fantastic supporters.”
Our new No 20 💛 pic.twitter.com/18H57Be65v
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 10, 2021
10.43 BST: Could Arsenal face competition from Tottenham for Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar? Earlier this week, ESPN sources revealed that the Gunners are considering reviving their pursuit of Aouar but will need to offload at least one more midfielder before making a formal offer.
Now Le10 Sport in France reports that Arsenal have made an opening offer for the 23-year-old, who Lyon valued at £55m last summer but are now willing to discuss a £25m transfer fee. Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be monitoring the situation.
10.00 BST: Harry Kane to Manchester United? Football Insider reports that the Red Devils have moved into pole position to sign the England captain. Tottenham want £100m AND two of United’s first-team players if they are to part with the striker. Can a deal be Done?
PAPER GOSSIP
– Chelsea are looking to tie talented young striker Armando Broja to a long-term contract following his return from a loan spell at Vitesse Arnhem, reports Fabrizio Romano. The Blues board are said to be finalising a deal that would keep the 19-year-old Albania international at the club until June 2026. Broja scored 10 goals in the Eredivisie, and he now joins the Chelsea first team in preseason training.
– Denmark centre-back Joachim Andersen is a target for Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Leicester City and Crystal Palace, according to The Sun. Andersen, who impressed while on loan with Fulham last season, is at French club Lyon, who paid £25m for the 25-year-old in 2019. Spurs and United are long-term admirers of the defender, who started his career at FC Twente and came on as a substitute against England in Wednesday’s Euro 2020 semifinal.
– Real Madrid face competition from Tottenham for the signature of Sevilla FC’s in-demand centre-back Jules Kounde, according to Sport. It reports that while Los Blancos are desperate for cover in central defence following Sergio Ramos’s move to Paris Saint-Germain and the possible departure of Raphael Varane, Spurs could have bigger pockets than the Spanish giants. Spurs could be willing to pay €55 to €60m, which is more than Madrid are willing to pay. Kounde’s release clause is set at €80m, though Sevilla are willing to negotiate any offer of more than €70m.
– Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Benfica are edging closer to an agreement with Inter MIlan for midfielder Joao Mario. Mario, 28, spent last season on loan at Sporting CP and had been widely tipped to join the club on a permanent basis, but they were unwilling to meet Inter’s valuation. Benfica president Rui Costa is keen to get an agreement signed next week, despite the fact that Sporting are threatening legal action over what they believe is a clause preventing Inter from moving the player to any of Sporting’s domestic rivals.
– Arsenal want youngster Kido Taylor-Hart to sign a long-term deal to fend off interest from other clubs in the Premier League, as well as Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, according to the Daily Mail. The 18-year-old’s contract expired earlier this month and other clubs have been circling, though Arsenal are said to consider left winger Taylor-Hart a key part of their future. As such, a three-year-deal has been offered, and he could join the first team on their preseason tour of Scotland and America.
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