You are here
Home > Football > Premier League > Transfer Talk: Man United eye Espanyol forward Raul de Tomas

Transfer Talk: Man United eye Espanyol forward Raul de Tomas

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, goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: Raul de Tomas in line for Old Trafford move

Espanyol forward Raul de Tomas is on Manchester United‘s radar as the club continue to search for attacking reinforcements. according to Spain‘s COPE radio.

United have lost both of their opening two matches of the Premier League season under new boss Erik ten Hag, losing 2-1 at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on the opening weekend before Saturday’s shock 4-0 defeat at Brentford.

Spain international De Tomas, one of the leading scorers in LaLiga last season with 17 goals, has been offered to United, who are interested in the Espanyol star but are also considering two other candidates to strengthen their attack.

The 27-year-old, linked with Real Madrid and Barcelona in recent transfer windows, has a contract with Espanyol until June 2026. Atletico Madrid turned down the option to sign De Tomas when offered the chance earlier this summer for €40 million. Espanyol have reportedly lowered their demands and would be open to a transfer for De Tomas for €25m to €30m.

A Real Madrid youth product, De Tomas joined Espanyol in 2020 from Benfica for a reported €22m. He did not feature in Espanyol’s league opener on Saturday, a 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo.

ESPN+ guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more (U.S.)
Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
– Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access

LIVE BLOG

14.35 BST: Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne expects teammate Bernardo Silva to remain at the club this season.

Last week, Silva told ESPN’s Rob Dawson that he is happy at City but admitted his future remains up in the air as the end of the transfer window approaches.

Sources have told ESPN that Barcelona are interested in signing the Portugal international (see 11.38 BST), but De Bruyne believes he will stay at the Etihad.

“The way that I see it, I think that he will be here so there’s nothing that I’m worried about,” De Bruyne said. “Whatever happens he is great for us and I expect him to be here with us this year.”

13.56 BST: Manchester United remain adamant Cristiano Ronaldo will not leave before the transfer deadline despite growing concerns within the club that his desire to move is becoming a negative influence in the dressing room, sources have told ESPN’s Rob Dawson.

United dismissed reports on Sunday they are considering cancelling Ronaldo’s contract to allow the 37-year-old to join another club for free. But there is an increasing feeling from some within the club that United should be open to letting him move, even if it means leaving the squad short of strikers.

Sources have told ESPN that Ronaldo has trained well since returning to the squad but has not hidden his keenness for a move during his interactions around Carrington, United’s training ground. It has raised concerns about whether he is committed to the cause at a time when Erik ten Hag’s team are facing a battle to stabilise their season after back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Brentford.

Ronaldo started the 4-0 defeat at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday but was visibly unhappy as he left the pitch after the final whistle and was seen remonstrating with members of the coaching staff before walking past manager Ten Hag.

Sources have told ESPN that Ten Hag is particularly concerned about any negative factors affecting the spirit within the dressing room, having become acutely aware that confidence and self belief is fragile after a disastrous campaign last season.

13.12 BST: Inter Milan CEO Giuseppe Marotta says his club is still in the market for a defender to replace the departed Andrea Ranocchia, who left Inter after 12 seasons to join Monza in June.

The reigning Serie A champions strengthened their squad this summer with the return of Romelu Lukaku on loan and the signings of Andre Onana, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Kristjan Asllani.

“We need to find a replacement for Ranocchia,” Marotta said. “We can’t forget that this is an unusual season. In the space of three months, we will play 15 league games and six Champions League games. Hence, we need to have not only a competitive team but also a big squad. There are still 15 days to go before the transfer market ends.”

12.27 BST: Chelsea have had a £40m bid for Anthony Gordon rejected by Everton, sources have told ESPN’s James Olley.

Blues head coach Thomas Tuchel is keen to strengthen his squad with three signings before the transfer window closes next month.

Gordon, who has also attracted interest from Tottenham and Newcastle, is viewed as an exciting prospect for the future who could fill one of the three attacking positions in Tuchel’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system.

Everton are continuing to insist the 21-year-old is not available for transfer and Chelsea will now consider whether to make an improved offer.

Gordon started both of Everton’s Premier League matches this season, including an opening weekend defeat to Chelsea at Goodison Park. The England Under-21 international made his top flight debut in January 2020 and has so far made 51 Premier League appearances for Everton, scoring four goals.

It remains to be seen whether Chelsea consider making a player-plus-cash proposal in any improved offer.

play
1:47

Julien Laurens and Nedum Onuoha discuss Thomas Tuchel’s bid for Anthony Gordon, as Nedum doesn’t see at this moment in time how the Everton player fits the Chelsea squad.

11.38 BST: Barcelona remain active in the transfer window despite the problems they encountered registering their new signings for Saturday’s league opener against Rayo Vallecano, sources have told ESPN’s Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.

Barca managed to register four of their new signings just in time for that game, but Jules Kounde has not yet been inscribed with LaLiga. To do so, the Catalan club must first make more space within their league-imposed spending cap.

Therefore, they continue to work on moving on several players. Alex Collado is set to join Elche on loan, while Martin Braithwaite and Samuel Umtiti have also been told they can leave the club.

Elsewhere, Memphis Depay is in talks Juventus and Chelsea are keen on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, while the club remain open to offers for Sergino Dest and Frenkie de Jong, although both players have stressed a desire to stay.

Barca, who can now spend at a ratio of 1:1 again (meaning they can re-invest everything they make in fees or save in wages), hope to raise enough cash to not only register Kounde, but to make as many as three more signings.

The club want to close a deal for Chelsea left-back Marcos Alonso this week, maintain an interest in Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and also want to bring in a right-back before the window closes later this month.

10.59 BST: Manchester United have denied reports claiming that the club is likely to terminate Cristiano Ronaldo‘s contract, sources have told ESPN’s Rob Dawson.

The Portugal international has been heavily linked with a move away from Old Trafford this summer but the club remain adamant that he will not leave.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday, ahead of Saturday’s 4-0 loss at Brentford, Ten Hag said it was an “assumption” the 37-year-old wants a move and hinted that privately he has said he wants to stay.

“That is your assumption [that Ronaldo wants to leave] — that is not what he is telling me,” said Ten Hag.

“I deal with the players we have and we plan with him for this season and we are happy with him and we have to fit him into the team so he has to come at the right fitness levels so that he can do the job that we expect him to do.

“In every press conference we already confirmed that he is in our plans. We plan with him so we also plan around him.”

10.17 BST: Marco Asensio is facing a dilemma at Real Madrid, Marca reports, with “no minutes, no renewal offer and no clear exit” from the club.

Asensio, 26, scored 10 goals in 31 LaLiga appearances last season, but hasn’t featured at all in Madrid’s first two games this campaign — their 2-0 UEFA Super Cup win over Eintracht Frankfurt and a 2-1 league victory at Almeria.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti didn’t rule anything out speaking post-match on Sunday, saying “we’ll have to wait until (August) 31 to see what happens and what he decides.”

According to Marca, Asensio’s problem is that he expected to receive “more attractive offers in a sporting and financial sense” after switching to be represented by agent Jorge Mendes, but they haven’t yet arrived.

09.31 BST: Italian left-back Destiny Udogie is expected to undergo a medical in London today to complete his transfer to Tottenham Hotspur from Udinese.

Udogie, 19, will join Spurs in an €18m transfer, plus €7m in add-ons from Udinese. Once he signs with Spurs, Udogie will return to Udinese where he will play on loan for the 2022-23 campaign.

Udinese signed the Italy U21 starlet on a permanent transfer from Hellas Verona earlier this summer for a reported €4m after spending last season on loan with the Friuli outfit.

“I haven’t spoken to him yet,” Udogie told reporters at the airport when asked about Spurs coach Antonio Conte. “The national team is an aim of mine and I hope to get there as soon as possible.”

On remaining at Udinese this season, Udogie — who is under contract with Udinese until June 2026 — said: “I just want to grow as much as possible and continue to give the team my best.”

08.43 BST: Nottingham Forest are interested in signing Tiemoue Bakayoko from Chelsea, reports Calciomercato.

Forest have been the most active club in the transfer market this summer having been promoted back to the top flight, and they see the midfielder as an important addition.

Bakayoko is halfway through a two-season loan at Serie A club AC Milan, but it hasn’t gone to plan with just 18 appearances last season. He isn’t seen as part of the club’s plans for this campaign, but they also have an obligation to make the loan a permanent deal at the end of the season.

It means Milan have been looking for solutions, and Forest could be it if there can be agreement on his reported £93,000-a-week wages.

Bakayoko joined Chelsea from AS Monaco in 2017 but has played just 43 games for the club. He is in his second loan spell at Milan, and has also had temporary stints back at Monaco and with Napoli.

08.00 BST: Chelsea are ready to step up their interest in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of the transfer deadline, reports The Daily Mail.

Aubameyang, 33, has been identified as a player who could help solve Chelsea’s goal-scoring problems. He only joined Barca in February after his Arsenal contract was cancelled by mutual consent, and since scored 11 goals in 13 starts.

Barca have strengthened their forward line this summer with Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, while Ousmane Dembele has signed a new contract. The Gabon international was only used as a late substitute in Barca’s goalless draw at home to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, and could find minutes hard to come by.

Mundo Deportivo reports that Aubameyang is happy at Camp Nou, but moving him on would help Barca financially — especially if they were to get around €25m.

PAPER GOSSIP

Leeds United are looking at signing winger Wilfried Gnonto, reveals Gianluca Di Marzio. Jesse Marsch’s side are currently looking for a replacement for Raphinha after he joined Barcelona, and it is reported that a fee in the region of €5m would be enough to persuade Zurich to part ways with him. The 18-year-old contributed to 11 goals in 33 appearances last season in the Swiss league, and he has also represented the Italy national side.

  • Abdul Mumin is on the radar of both AFC Bournemouth and Fulham, writes Ekrem Konur. Both Premier League sides are looking to enhance their centre-back options before the transfer window closes, and it looks as though they have identified the 24-year-old Vitoria star as a potential solution. The Portuguese side would be prepared to accept a transfer offer worth €5m.
  • Jakub Kiwior could be set to leave Spezia this summer, with AC Milan and West Ham United understood to be racing for his signature. That’s according to Calciomercato, which reports that while the Hammers submitted a €10m proposal, the Serie A club are confident that they can receive a higher figure for the 22-year-old Poland international defender.

  • Everton are interested in landing Armando Broja, according to CBS. The Toffees have identified the 20-year-old striker as a potential solution with Dominic Calvert-Lewin injured, but Chelsea are reluctant to allow him to leave Stamford Bridge on a permanent deal this summer. Broja came on as a substitute during the Blues’ 2-2 draw with Tottenham on Sunday.

– There’s been plenty of interest in Internazionale centre-back Milan Skriniar, but the Nerazzurri are keen to keep him at the San Siro, reports Gazzetta dello Sport. The 27-year-old centre-back has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, but manager Simone Inzaghi wants to ensure that he remains in Italy beyond this summer. Skriniar played 87 minutes on Saturday as Inter defeated Lecce 2-1 in their Serie A opener.

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