The summer transfer window is approaching, and there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Dortmund eye Juve’s Dybala
Borussia Dortmund have made a late approach to acquire Juventus forward Paulo Dybala, according to Corriere dello Sport.
Speculation surrounding the 28-year-old has strongly linked him with a move to Internazionale, with the Bianconeri failing to extend his contract, which expires in the summer.
But Corriere dello Sport indicates that BVB have made him an offer of €4.5 million-per-season in a deal that would see him become an important figure at the club.
The Bundesliga side are expecting to part ways with Erling Haaland at the end of the season, and have identified the Argentina international as a potential replacement.
Despite rumours continuing to develop over Dybala’s next move, no decision will be made over his future until the end of the season, with the forward focusing on the Coppa Italia final that is set to take place against Inter on May 11.
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16.25 BST: Brentford midfielder Christian Eriksen is considering staying at the club, says the Daily Telegraph.
The 30-year-old signed a short-term deal with the club in January, having suffered a cardiac arrest playing for Denmark at Euro 2020 and being released by Inter Milan.
His impact has been sensational and Brentford want to extend his stay in west London, though Leicester and former club Tottenham are monitoring things and could move to sign him.
16.02 BST: Chelsea’s sale may be edging closer to completion, with a deadline of May 31, but the most turbulent period in the club’s 117-year history is far from over as fans, staff, and players face an uncertain future.
James Olley looks at the situation at Stamford Bridge as owner Roman Abramovich remains in charge, and how sanctions and confusion are affecting squad planning for next season.
Four defeats in nine matches have led to the end of their Champions League title defence and triggered nervous looks over their shoulder as they try to avoid being dragged into a scrap for a Premier League top four finish.
Key defender Antonio Rudiger will leave for Real Madrid when his contract expires at the end of the season, Andreas Christensen is expected to follow, and Tuchel admitted last week that the suspension on transfers until a takeover is completed means they risk being left behind by their rivals in the summer window.
“You’re never fully sure but we would have some targets and would usually have contacted some players and found out about their situations but now our hands are tied,” said Tuchel. “We can still have the talks inside the building but we cannot act so it’s not an ideal situation.”
The Blues’ temporary licence to operate runs out on May 31, underlining the urgency in completing a deal. But a closer examination of Chelsea’s squad exposes how the clock is ticking on a number of big decisions they must get right in order for the new era to start with a bang.
15.13 BST: Ralf Rangnick has defended his decision to deny Jesse Lingard an Old Trafford send-off ahead of his expected departure in the summer.
The Manchester United interim boss left Lingard on the bench for the 3-0 win over Brentford on Monday night — the last home game of the season.
Lingard is set to leave the club on a free transfer in the summer but Rangnick said he does not regret his decision to overlook the 29-year-old in favour of other substitutes including Edinson Cavani, another player who is set to leave at the end of the season.
“To start with, in the last couple of weeks under my tenure he has played far more games than he used to,” Rangnick told a news conference on Friday. “Number two, on game day against Chelsea he asked me to release him from the game and training the following day for personal family reasons.
“And this was the reason with only three substitutes I had to take a decision between Edinson Cavani and Jesse Lingard, or the young Alejandro Garnacho, who I would have loved to have brought on and given a chance to play. I took the decision to bring on Edinson.”
15.00 BST: Real Madrid paid around €31m to land Eduardo Camavinga from Rennes last summer.
Julien Laurens heaps praise on 19 year old Eduardo Camavinga after a string of impressive performances in the Champions League.
14.20 BST: Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is keen to join Arsenal over the likes of Manchester United or Newcastle, says Gazzetta dello Sport.
Osimhen, 23, has 17 goals in 29 appearances for the Serie A club this season and is keen to move to the Premier League to continue his career.
The Nigeria international wants to play in the Champions League, so Arsenal would need to qualify next season if they are to tempt him, but a fee in excess of €80m may also prove something of a stumbling block.
13.34 BST: Southampton striker Armando Broja is a target of West Ham, according to The Sun.
Broja, 20, is on loan at Southampton from Chelsea and has scored nine goals in all competitions this season.
Chelsea will decide what to do with the Albania international in the summer, but a permanent move looks possible and the 32-year-old Michail Antonio is West Ham’s only senior striker currently,
13.03 BST: Antonio Conte has warned Tottenham Hotspur need to spend big this summer or pray for a “miracle” to catch Liverpool.
Spurs travel to Anfield on Saturday aiming to boost their hopes of Champions League qualification by securing a result against Premier League title-chasing Liverpool, who have not lost at home to Tottenham since May 2011.
Conte only took over at Spurs in November but speculation persists as to whether he will be at the club next season as he challenges chairman Daniel Levy to radically overhaul the squad in a bid to transform them into title contenders.
Asked if he could see comparisons with Liverpool, who took four seasons under Jurgen Klopp to win the Champions League and five to win the Premier League, finishing eighth in his first season in charge, Conte said: “I don’t know but if I was sure this type of situation can happen, I sign, you understand?
“But also the time for Liverpool was easier than now because when Liverpool started this work with Jurgen, they were a top team but not in a way they are now so consolidated with an important manager, always the same team, big investment, big money spent on the transfer market.
“They had also the right space to improve and reach this. Now, in my opinion, I am talking about this league, it is more difficult because the space is not so big.
“To reduce this gap, you need to spend a lot of money because you need to buy important players. You have to know this otherwise you cannot reduce this gap and hope always for a miracle.”
12.40 BST: Chelsea are frustrated that restrictions arising from the sanctions against owner Roman Abramovich halted their pursuit of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, sources told ESPN.
The Blues are unable to sign players as per the special licence granted to continue fulfilling fixtures following Abramovich’s identification as a key figure with ties to Russia President Vladimir Putin amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Head coach Thomas Tuchel admitted last week that in a normal season, “we would have some targets and we would have for sure contacted some players and found out about their situations [but] our hands are tied.”
Sources told ESPN that one of the options senior figures at the club wanted to discuss was Haaland. Chelsea looked at the 21-year-old last summer prior to signing Romelu Lukaku, only to be told by Dortmund they would retain his services for another year.
12.21 BST: Hannibal Mejbri‘s cameo in the 4-0 defeat to Liverpool went down well with Manchester United fans and pundit Gary Neville, but sources told ESPN that interim manager Ralf Rangnick was not impressed.
The 19-year-old came on for the final six minutes at Anfield in April and picked up a yellow card after making a number of heavy challenges.
Former United captain Neville said he was “proud” of Hannibal for “making his presence felt” on an otherwise humiliating night for United but Rangnick did not share his view. Sources told ESPN that Hannibal was reprimanded by Rangnick for a reckless and erratic performance and punished the Tunisia international with a return to the under-23 team.
11.45 BST: Reims striker Hugo Ekitike could be an interesting move for Man United.
Julien Laurens speaks about Erik ten Hag’s interest in Reims striker Hugo Ekitike.
10.57 BST: Manchester City are eyeing a move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, says the Daily Mail.
City boss Pep Guardiola is reportedly “looking to capture a midfielder who is capable of operating both in a reserved holding position and in a more advanced role.”
De Jong, 24, moved to Barca from Ajax for €75m in 2019, with the Camp Nou club now open to letting him move on for a similar fee to allow them to rebuild.
10.16 BST: Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is being watched by Tottenham and Newcastle, says talkSPORT.
Pickford, 28, has been at the club since 2017 but Everton are struggling this season and could yet end up relegated.
The England international would definitely move on if so, but may be tempted by a move even if they stay up.
09.55 BST: Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has signed a new three-year contract at the Emirates, the club announced on Friday.
Arsenal women’s manager Jonas Eidevall also signed a new deal, keeping him at the north London club until 2024.
“I’m excited, grateful and really, really happy today,” Arteta said. “When I spoke to Josh [Kroenke] he could see the club at the same point and he wanted to take the club the way I wanted to do it. So everything that he’s said, and that Stan has said when I’ve been together with both of them, they’ve always delivered.
“We want to take the club to the next level and to compete really with the top teams. In order to do that, we have to be playing in the Champions League. We have to be able to evolve the team, improve our players, improve all departments, generate even more connection with our fans, improve the atmosphere at the Emirates, be able to recruit top, top talent and the best people for this club to drive this project to that level.”
09.33 BST: Manchester United have made an enquiry over Reims striker Hugo Ekitike, sources told ESPN’s Julien Laurens, but Bayern Munich are also in the running for the exciting teenager.
Sources added that Newcastle, who almost signed Ekitike in January, as well as Arsenal are also keen on the 19-year-old, who has scored nine goals in 22 appearances so far this season, with 14 appearances coming from the start. Sources said Ekitike would be available for around €15m.
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has said the club need two strikers in the transfer window as well as needing to target rising stars rather than established names.
Ekitike fits the bill in that regard and sources said an approach has been made to the player’s representatives to find out his plans for next season. Arsenal are also in need of a striker with Mikel Arteta likely to lose Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah on free transfers this summer while Bayern are looking to the future with Robert Lewandowski, 33, out of contract at the end of next season.
It promises to be a summer of change at Old Trafford with Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard and Edinson Cavani among those set to leave, with two key scouts also departing the club in addition to director of football negotiations Matt Judge resigning recently.
New manager Erik Ten Hag will be presented with a list of targets the club have been working on ahead of his arrival and the incoming manager will have power of veto over what is proposed, as well as being able to put forward his own names for consideration. Ten Hag is combining his present role as coach of Ajax — who are top of the Eredivisie by four points with three games remaining — as well as laying the groundwork for when he officially moves to United, but has asked the Premier League club for space while he looks to seal a third successive league title.
Sources added that while multiple sides are in the mix for Ekitike as they believe he has huge potential, he has yet to make a decision on where he wants to move to next.
– ESPN’s notebook: The inside stories from around the world
08.44 BST: Pep Guardiola will sign a new contract at Manchester City as he is “more determined than ever” to win the Champions League, the Daily Star reports.
Guardiola again fell short of landing City their first European crown this week when they looked set to reach their second successive final, only for two late goals from Real Madrid to force extra time in their semifinal second leg, Karim Benzema’s penalty led to their elimination.
The51-year-old’s current contract is due to expire at the end of next season, but the Star reports that he will sign a new three-year deal this summer, when he also hopes to bring Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland to the club.
– Ranking Guardiola’s worst UCL exits since he last won the trophy
08.00 BST: Edinson Cavani has said Cristiano Ronaldo‘s arrival at Manchester United made him consider leaving the club.
Cavani’s season has been interrupted by injury and the 35-year-old striker has been limited to 18 appearances for the club in all competitions in a disappointing campaign that will end without a trophy and no Champions League football next season.
“At the moment it was done, I thought it was a good thing for Manchester to sign Cristiano,” Cavani told ESPN Brasil. “Knowing a bit about the world of football these days, the first thing I did was call my [brother and manager Walter Fernando Guglielmone] and said: ‘Fernando, if this had happened a week ago, I would ask you to find me another club.’
“But not because I didn’t want to play with Cristiano Ronaldo. No. Because I had the opportunity to know him, and he is a great professional, with his targets, and that is perfect for a sportsman. But as I know, after years in football, how things work these days. That’s why I spoke to my brother.
“It was more about understanding the situation. Not because I couldn’t play in my role at Manchester, but because there are many things in football nowadays that are different from how they were with other people, how it was before, years ago. And since it happened suddenly, I felt nothing. I thought: We’ll play, do the best we can.
“Regardless of my injuries at the club, which kept me out of the season for a bit… I experienced difficult situations, different from the ones I faced last year. And after a few months, I called my brother again and said, ‘Remember what you said at the start of the season?’ Before the season started. There are no secrets in football. For me, it’s very clear how it works, and I have a way to see football that nobody takes away from me.
“So I called my brother and said that. And he was like: ‘Stay positive, Edi, you will do a good job…’ He told me a lot of things. I had no doubt that everything could be better, ‘But let’s see what happens from now on.’ And everything happened like we all know and that’s it, here we are, I’m trying to do my best to help my team, like everywhere else I’ve been, but my way of thinking and seeing football showed me that I was right in the first few months and on… I had my problems with injuries and I’ve been away for a while. But that was a bit of what happened in that stretch.”
A source told ESPN Uruguay last week that Cavani seeks a two-year deal with a LaLiga club and barring that, he would consider playing in Portugal.
Pablo Zabaleta feels Kylian Mbappe’s pace would still be a vital addition to Real Madrid’s title-winning squad.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)
– More twists surrounding the future of Kylian Mbappe saw Le Parisien report that he had agreed a deal in principle to sign a new two-year extension with Paris Saint-Germain. Despite this, his mother took to social media to rebut the claim from the French media outlet. As quoted by Fabrizio Romano, she said: “There’s no agreement in principle with Paris Saint-Germain or any other club.” The 23-year-old striker has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid in recent weeks, with his contract expiring in the summer.
- Darwin Nunez is prioritising a move to Manchester United, according to Ekrem Konur. It is reported that Arsenal and Newcastle United are also keen on his signature, with the 22-year-old striker impressing for Benfica this season and valued at around €80m. But it looks as though he has his sights set on a move to Old Trafford, following in the footsteps of former Uruguay international Diego Forlan.
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Steven Bergwijn wants to leave Tottenham Hotspur in the summer in search of regular first-team football, reports Fabrizio Romano. The 24-year-old winger was linked with Ajax Amsterdam in January, and it is expected that they will return to the negotiating table when the transfer window reopens, though a number of clubs are believed to be interested in the Netherlands international.
– Juventus have identified Emerson Palmieri as a replacement for Alex Sandro, according to Tuttosport. The 27-year-old left-back is currently on loan at Lyon, with interest in making his move to Ligue 1 permanent. But with the Bianconeri now placing him on their shortlist for the summer, the Italy international could be tempted by a Serie A return.
