The summer transfer window is here, 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: Barca can sign Silva, keep De Jong?
Barcelona are planning on signing Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva regardless of whether or not Frenkie de Jong leaves, as has been claimed by Diario Sport.
Barca have spent over €150 million this summer on Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde, while Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie have arrived on free transfers. However, the Blaugrana‘s widely reported financial issues have put them in a race against time to be able to register all of their new signings for the start of LaLiga next weekend.
Nonetheless, Diario Sport claim that De Jong’s departure is not essential to bringing in Silva although it would require another fundraising effort by the club.
Barca have already executed three operations — dubbed financial levers by the president Joan Laporta — to raise the funds for their incoming players. They sold 25% of their domestic television rights for 25 years in two separate deals to the investment firm Sixth Street for over €500m. They then sold €24.5% of their in-house production company Barca Studios to Socios.com for around €100m, which club sources told ESPN they believed would allow them to register all of their summer activity.
A source confirmed to ESPN that Barca’s financial team have known for several days now that a fourth financial lever is required. The club hope to sell another 24.5% of Barca Studios in the coming days.
Barcelona’s ideal scenario regarding De Jong remains for the former Ajax Amsterdam midfielder to either leave or take a wage cut if he stays. De Jong wants to remain at Barcelona amid interest from Manchester United and Chelsea, and is not intent on lowering his salary.
As for Silva, City manager Pep Guardiola said earlier this week about the Portugal international that: “I want players to be happy. Of course I want Bernardo to be here but I don’t know what is going to happen, honestly I don’t know.”
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PAPER GOSSIP
– Callum Hudson-Odoi could leave Chelsea in search of more game time, reports Fabrizio Romano, with the Blues academy graduate not even being included on the bench in the club’s opening day win on Saturday against Everton. Southampton are pushing to sign him on loan while Leicester City have also been discussed in the last days, with the final decision on Hudson-Odoi’s future being down to the player himself.
- West Ham United are looking into the possibility of signing free agent Dan-Axel Zagadou, claims The Sun. AS Roma and Internazionale have also considered offering the centre-back a contract since his time with Borussia Dortmund ended in the summer.
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More than 20 clubs across Europe have made offers to take Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho on loan, according to The Mirror. The Red Devils are currently yet to decide whether to let the 18-year-old leave temporarily to gain first-team experience or manage his development within the club and make a call on a potential loan in January.
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Feyenoord centre-back Marcos Senesi will fly to England tomorrow to sign a contract to join AFC Bournemouth, reports Fabrizio Romano, who adds that the transfer is worth €15m plus add-ons for the Dutch club and the contract will last four years. This comes as another boost for Scott Parker after the Cherries marked their return to the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
— Juventus are having problems offloading Daniele Rugani due to the centre-back’s demands, according to Calciomercato. He wants €3m-per-year and to stay in Italy, which is proving an issue as Galatasaray are the only club to have offered those wages so far. Sampdoria will reportedly offer €1.5m and ask Juventus to pay the other half.
