You are here
Home > Football > Premier League > Transfer talk: Dembele set to sign new Barca deal

Transfer talk: Dembele set to sign new Barca deal

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: Dembele ready to ink new deal

After becoming a free agent at the end of June, Ousmane Dembele has decided to return to Barcelona, writes Fabrizio Romano.

It is reported that full agreement has been reached with the Blaugrana over a new deal that will see the 25-year-old France international accept a reduced salary to continue his career at the Camp Nou.

While Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain have been linked with him, it looks as though Dembele’s priority was always to continue with Barcelona, despite his agents testing the waters across Europe; and it is now understood that only final approval is required over his new contract that will secure him at the club until June 2024.

Dembele has been a priority for Xavi Hernandez this summer, having impressed the LaLiga side’s manager when he welcomed him back into first-team activities. He made 21 appearances in Spain‘s top flight last season and assisted 13 goals.

Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
– Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access

LIVE BLOG

08.00 BST: Wayne Rooney has agreed terms to be the next manager of D.C. United, and will join up with the club once the final details are worked out and he acquires the necessary work visa, a source has confirmed to ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle.

Rooney replaces Hernan Losada, who was fired in April. The Black-and-Red has since been under the stewardship of interim manager Chad Ashton, but the results haven’t improved, including last Friday’s 7-0 shellacking at the hands of the Philadelphia Union. DCU is currently tied with Chicago for the fewest points in Major League Soccer, with just 17 from as many matches.

Rooney will manage the side with which he spent 15 months as a player back in 2018-19. That spell was largely viewed as successful, though there was a sense that he could have made an even bigger impact had he stuck around for the entirety of what was originally a 3½-year contract.

Instead, Rooney returned to England to not only join Championship side Derby County as a player-coach, but also because his family had found it difficult to settle in the U.S. He eventually became Derby’s manager after Phillip Cocu was fired following a woeful start to the 2020-21 season. Under Rooney’s guidance, Derby managed to avoid relegation on the final day of the campaign.

Matters became drastically more difficult during the 2021-22 season. Last September, the English Football League docked Derby 12 points for entering administration. The Rams were later deducted an additional nine points for breaching EFL accounting rules. While Rooney was lauded for keeping Derby competitive, the penalties proved too great, and the Rams were relegated.

PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)

– Barcelona are set to win the race to sign Raphinha, according to the Daily Mail. Leeds United have been looking for a fee of around £63 million to part ways with him, and despite Chelsea having a proposal accepted, the LaLiga side have now met Leeds’ valuation. The 25-year-old winger was determined to wait for the Blaugrana, having chosen them as his priority destination.

  • Kyle Walker-Peters is attracting interest from both Arsenal and Manchester United, reports the Athletic. While neither club are yet to advance negotiations for him, it is reported that the 25-year-old right-back is on both of their radars. He made 32 Premier League appearances last season, contributing to three goals for Southampton.
  • Bayern Munich will meet with Juventus this week as they look to table a bid for Matthijs De Ligt, reveals Gianluca Di Marzio. The 22-year-old centre-back has been on the radar of Manchester United and Chelsea in recent weeks but, having heard of interest from the Bundesliga champions, he is reported to be waiting for an agreement to be reached between Julian Nagelsmann’s side and the Bianconeri. It is understood that he has a release clause of €125 million.

  • Barcelona are set to end their interest in Bernardo Silva if they cannot move on Frenkie de Jong this summer, writes Mundo Deportivo. Division among the Blaugrana camp has seen conflicting reports surrounding the 25-year-old Netherlands international midfielder’s future, but the latest indicates that Xavi will only get one of his prime targets this summer by using the funds raised by parting ways with De Jong. Manchester City are reported to be looking for around €100 million for Silva, with the 27-year-old attacking midfielder still deemed to be an important part of Pep Guardiola’s squad.

– Despite speculation linking Harry Kane with Bayern Munich, Bild understands that he is not on their shortlist this summer. Reports suggested that the Bundesliga side were eyeing the 28-year-old Tottenham Hotspur striker as a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who is expected to leave the Allianz Arena. Having been linked with an exit from north London last season, Kane is understood to now be happy at the club following Antonio Conte’s appointment.

Sourced from Man United

FacebookTwitterEmailWhatsAppBloggerShare
Tutorialspoint
el-admin
el-admin
EltasZone Sportswriters, Sports Analysts, Opinion columnists, editorials and op-eds. Analysis from The Zone Team
Similar Articles
Top