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: Gundogan told he can leave City
Manchester City look set to part ways with Ilkay Gundogan in the summer, with the midfielder informed that he can leave the Etihad Stadium when the transfer window reopens, according to the Daily Mail.
The 31-year-old will enter the final year of his contract in June, and despite previous reports suggesting that City would look to reward his form with a new deal, it now looks as though they are ready to move on from the Germany international.
While he has made 20 Premier League appearances this season, Gundogan is at the point of his career where he wants to be assured of a place in the starting lineup each week, and manager Pep Guardiola would be unable to promise that over the course of a long-term contract.
That means agreeing a new deal is unlikely, leaving Gundogan, who joined Manchester City in 2016, considering potential suitors away from the club.
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11.13 BST: Barcelona will pay up to €35m to land Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski this summer, according to Mundo Deportivo, with the two clubs set to meet as early as this week.
Lewandowski, 33, has told Bayern that he will not extend his contract with the German club, which expires in 2023, and asked them to listen to any offers that arrive.
Sources have confirmed to ESPN that Barca are interested in signing the Poland international if a deal can be struck, but the latest reports say they have set a limit on how much they are willing to spend.
Considering Lewandowski’s age and the fact he is moving into the final year of his deal, Barca will not pay more than €35m for him, per Mundo Deportivo, who add that the Catalan club could look to include a player to bring the price down.
One of the players Barca would be willing to send in the other direction is Memphis Depay, who also has just 12 months left on his contract and could be made available for a transfer this summer after just one season at Camp Nou.
10.41 BST: Gareth Bale‘s future will depend on Wales qualifying for the World Cup, according to his agent.
Bale, 32, has not been offered a contract extension and will leave Real Madrid this summer when his contract expires.
The winger has made only seven appearances across all competitions for Madrid since returning from a season-loan spell at Tottenham last summer. Reports claim that if Wales win their World Cup playoff against either Scotland or Ukraine next month, Bale will attempt to find a new club on a short-term contract to play in the Qatar tournament before retiring from football, with Championship side Cardiff linked.
“He leaves Real Madrid, but we have to wait to see what Wales are able to do,” Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett told in Record. “It all depends on whether Wales qualify for the World Cup. Then we will decide… Is he more likely to return to England? I think so, but we’ll have to wait and see if Wales qualifies for the World Cup.”
10.05 BST: Juventus have reached a verbal agreement to extend defender Matthijs de Ligt‘s contract, according to Sky Italia.
De Ligt, 22, signed for Juve in the summer of 2019 from Ajax in a €75m transfer. He has played in 116 games for Juve and, despite his young age, has made 35 appearances for Netherlands already.
With his contract expiring in 2024, and Barcelona rumoured to be interested in signing him, the Turin giants have reportedly offered De Ligt a two-year contract extension which would keep him at Juve through 2026.
09.24 BST: Palmeiras have reached an agreement with Brazilian starlet Endrick to sign his first professional contract, sources have told ESPN’s Brasil’s Francisco De Laurentiis and Daniel Bocatto.
Endrick, who has been monitored by Real Madrid and other top European clubs for the past few years, will sign his contract on July 21 once he turns 16. The striker will sign a three-year contract with Palmeiras and a release clause will be set.
Endrick has stood out since arriving to Palmeiras in 2019. He has progressed from the youth ranks and is expected to train with the first team once he turns 16.
08.41 BST: Sporting Lisbon have activated the option to sign Spanish right-back Pedro Porro from Manchester City on a permanent basis.
Porro, 22, joined for around £5.5m in 2019 from City’s sister club Girona. He was immediately loaned to Real Valladolid for the season and then joined Sporting on loan in 2020 for a two-year spell, with an option to sign him permanently included in the deal.
Sporting did not confirm the transfer fee they have paid City to sign Porro but said in a statement that the Spain international has penned a contract with Sporting until 2025 and a €45m release clause has been set.
“I’m very happy,” Porro said. “When I came here, I knew I was coming to a great club, but I didn’t expect to have achieved what I’ve done in these two years and to have created the family, the strong group, that we have now. From the beginning, my aim was to help Sporting CP, where I knew that the demand is of a high level. It’s a big club and I’m very happy to continue.”
08.00 BST: Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe has said he is “almost” ready to announce where he will play next season as Real Madrid continue to chase his signature.
The 23-year-old’s contract at PSG expires this summer, although head coach Mauricio Pochettino said last month he is “100% sure” that Mbappe sign a new contract at the club.
Sources told ESPN that positive talks between PSG president Nasser al Khelaifi and Mbappe’s representatives took place in Doha last month with the club confident they can persuade him to stay in Paris, despite Madrid’s interest.
Speaking at the UNFP awards, where he was named Ligue 1 Player of the Year for the third consecutive season, Mbappe said: “It will be known very soon, it’s almost done. My decision is made, yes, almost.
“Why was I so slow? You have to respect all parties. I know that people expected a lot from me. That’s normal. I’m in a hurry too. But it’s not only about me. But here it is, it’s finished right now, there are just some details left.”
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)
– Kylian Mbappe‘s future is becoming clearer, with the Athletic reporting that the Paris Saint-Germain striker has agreed personal terms with Real Madrid. The France international’s future has been up in the air since failing to agree a new deal at the Parc des Princes, and after suggestions that he was yet to make his final decision last week, the latest now indicates that the 23-year-old has decided on the Santiago Bernabeu as his next destination.
- Aston Villa are willing to meet Boubacar Kamara‘s salary demands, writes Ekrem Konur. The Premier League side have been tracking the 22-year-old midfielder in recent months, with his Marseille contract set to expire in June, and it looks as though they could now make an approach to secure his services. He is reportedly looking for a salary of around £150,000-per-week.
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Xavi Hernandez has no intentions of letting Frenkie De Jong leave Camp Nou amid interest from Manchester United, according to Sky Sports Germany. The 25-year-old’s midfielder’s future has been linked away from Barcelona in recent weeks, with reports that Erik ten Hag wanted to bring him to Old Trafford, though the Blaugrana’s stance suggests that he will remain in LaLiga.
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Chelsea are ready to make a move for Robert Lewandowski if his switch from Bayern Munich to Barcelona doesn’t materialise, reveals the Guardian. The 33-year-old Poland international striker looks to be eyeing a new challenge in the summer, and that has seen the Blaugrana race to the front of the queue in the contest for his signature. Should that move stall, Thomas Tuchel is expected to activate a pursuit with hopes of persuading him to head to Stamford Bridge for around €35m.
– Palmeiras prospect Endrick has signed his first professional deal with the club, with a contract that includes a £60m release clause, says Fabrizio Romano. The 15-year-old Brazil youth international has signed a three-year deal with the Brasileiro Serie A side, where his progress is being watched from a number of top clubs from across Europe.
