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: Man United join Barca in race for Lewandowski
Manchester United have joined Barcelona in the battle to sign Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski.
Lewandowski has made it clear he wants to leave Bayern this summer, even though he still has 12 months remaining on his contract. The Bundesliga champions are adamant that the player is not available for transfer, but it seems likely the player will get his way.
Barcelona are the firm favourites, and are the 33-year-old’s preferred destination, but as the Camp Nou club may struggle the make the deal work financially a host of other clubs are preparing to make a move.
The Sun on Sunday says that Man United are watching developments closely and will make their move as soon as it becomes clear Barca cannot get the deal over the line. The report says that United are one of the few clubs who could afford Lewandowski’s salary of around £400,000 a week.
The story is backed up by the Star on Sunday, which reports that United’s lack of Champions League football could scupper their hopes.
Chelsea are also said to be interested, but a move to Stamford Bridge seems less likely.
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14.20 BST: Liverpool have agreed to sign Benfica forward Darwin Nunez in a deal worth up to €100 million, sources have told ESPN’s Adriana Garcia.
ESPN reported on Friday that the clubs were in advanced talks and sources have confirmed that Liverpool are set to break their transfer record to sign the striker.
According to ESPN sources, Nunez will sign a five-year contract at Anfield and he has left the Uruguay national team to travel to England to undergo a medical.
13.39 BST: Corriere Dello Sport reports that the future of Kalidou Koulibaly could become clearer this week, with links over a move to Barcelona continuing.
Koulibaly, who turns 31 later this month, is the type of player that Barca may be able to afford, as he is about to move into the final year of his contract.
Napoli are aware that this window is the last realistic chance of getting a decent fee for the centre-back, partly due to his contract situation but also due to his age.
That same contract status means Barca may feel they can sign a player who has been linked with most of Europe’s top clubs over the last few seasons for a cut-priced fee.
The report says Koulibaly is at the top of coach Xavi Hernandez’s wanted list, but if Napoli hold out for a transfer fee of €40m it’s highly unlikely he will get his target. Will the two clubs be able to negotiate?
13.00 BST: AS Monaco are hoping to sign Takumi Minamino on a permanent deal from Liverpool, reports Foot Mercato.
Minamino, 27, joined Liverpool from FC Salzburg in January 2020 and spent the second half of the 2020-21 season on loan at Southampton.
The Japan international was restricted to a bit-part role last season, scoring three goals in 11 Premier League appearances — with 10 goals in 24 in all competitions.
The report says that Monaco think they can take him to Ligue 1 for a transfer fee in the region of £17m as they look to get through the qualifiers and play in the Champions League group stage next season.
Fulham and Wolves have also been linked with the midfielder.
12.16 BST: Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Paulo Dybala is edging close to a move to Inter Milan, with his representatives set to meet with the club shortly.
Dybala, 28, will be out of contract at Juventus at the end of the month and talks have ended over a new deal. He is expected to make a free transfer move to Inter in the coming days.
The report says that Inter have offered Dybala a €6m-a-year deal plus €1m in bonuses. That is less than he was offered by Inter at the end of last year, but he stalled on the contract and instead Juve moved to sign Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina who took up a chunk of their wage bill.
The final terms of his contract just need to be ironed out before he is unveiled as an Inter player.
11.40 BST: Reported Chelsea and Manchester United target Christopher Nkunku is set to sign a new contract with RB Leipzig, reports Leipziger Volkszeitung.
ESPN sources revealed in February that Nkunku had been added to United’s list of summer targets after interim manager Ralf Rangnick urged the club to step up their interest. United have prioritised the midfield department for strengthening with Paul Pogba leaving Old Trafford as a free agent when his contract expires at the end of June.
However, the 22-year-old is set to extend his current deal, which still has two years to run, and commit his future to the Bundesliga club.
Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich have also shown an interest after he scored 20 and created 14 in 33 games for RB Leipzig last season.
11.00 BST: Villarreal have placed reported left-back Pervis Estupinan on the transfer list, according to reports in Marca.
The Ecuador international joined Valencia in 2020 from Watford in a €16m transfer and made 41 appearances across all competitions last season.
Estupinan, who is under contract with the Yellow Submarine through to June 2027, has attracted the attention of several clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur.
With Villarreal keen to keep Tottenham loanee Giovani Lo Celso at the club beyond this summer, the Spanish club would reportedly be open to negotiate a deal with Spurs that includes cash and an exchange of players.
10.21 BST: Marco Asensio‘s future at Real Madrid remains unclear, and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is keen to take the 26-year-old attacker to North London, according to the Sunday Mirror.
Real Madrid have offered the Spain international a contract extension that he is yet to sign, and they have demanded that he clarifies his intentions by June 20. Asensio’s current deal runs out next summer.
Arsenal have now joined Tottenham Hotspur and AC Milan in the race to sign Asensio, but the Gunners’ lack of Champions League football is not ideal. Asensio wants guarantees that he’ll get game time wherever he moves.
There was another twist on Saturday, as Mundo Deportivo reported that Manchester United have first refusal on the 26-year-old, who made 19 La Liga starts last season but has fallen behind Federico Valverde in coach Carlo Ancelotti’s plans.
09.41 BST: Chelsea’s hopes of signing Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona are increasing with the 25-year-old forward still stalling on a new deal at the Spanish giants.
The former Borussia Dortmund player will be out of contract with Barca in just 19 days, and Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is hoping the player will move to Stamford Bridge on a free transfer.
Club president Joan Laporta told Sport on Saturday that the contract offer remains on the table.
“Dembele? We made our bid. He has a proposal on the table but he has not accepted it,” Laporta said. “There is no answer yet.”
The Sunday Mirror says that has given Chelsea further encouragement that the France international will chose them.
09.00 BST: The Sunday Mirror reports that Manchester City will demand a transfer fee of £80m if Barcelona come knocking for Bernardo Silva.
Silva, 27, had another stellar season for City, and was named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Season by this peers.
Barca coach Xavi Hernandez wants Silva as part of his Camp Nou rebuilding plan, but the club have little chance of being able to sign the midfielder due to their financial troubles.
PAPER GOSSIP
– Following reports on Friday that Paris Saint-Germain had made their first move for Inter Milan centre-back Milan Skriniar, Fabrizio Romano suggests that the French champions have contacted Inter once again about a deal. Skriniar, 27, is a priority for PSG, but there is still plenty of work left to do for the two parties to agree on a fee.
– Barcelona are looking to agent Jorge Mendes to help them bring Ruben Neves to Camp Nou, according to Sport. Neves is ready to leave Wolverhampton Wanderers and is a top target for Barca as they look to add competition for Sergio Busquets. Neves, 25, is seen as a more cost-effective option than both Bernardo Silva of Manchester City and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao. Barca boss Xavi Hernandez has made it clear he wants two players in every position, and he sees Neves as a potential long-term replacement for Busquets.
– Liverpool are set to confirm the signing of Benfica striker Darwin Nunez in the next few days in a move reported to be around £85m, reports Fabrizio Romano. Nunez was left out of the Uruguay squad to face Panama in a friendly on Saturday night. ESPN sources revealed last week that Nunez, 22, is set to break Liverpool’s transfer record, with the deal expected to be worth around €80m plus €20m in add-ons.
