With the transfer window for Europe’s biggest clubs set to open soon — find out when the transfer window opens and closes across Europe’s top leagues — rest assured that Transfer Talk is scouring the world’s media and setting correspondents loose to see what is on the agenda. You can click here to review all the latest transfers.
Rice’s West Ham career reaching boiling point
Declan Rice‘s West Ham United future appears to be in doubt, after Hammers manager Manuel Pellegrini said he “doesn’t know in this moment” whether the Englishman will be at the club next season, Football.London reports.
The 20-year-old defensive midfielder’s impressive performances this season earned him a call-up for international duty with England. Rice came through the Academy at West Ham as a homegrown talent, but is now on the radars of both Manchester City and Manchester United.
Commenting on the speculation, Pellegrini added: “All of the big teams will want him. That is one thing, and this other [thing], if he will stay or if he will go, I cannot say in this moment.”
Hodgson hopeful of keeping Batshuayi
Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson has said that the Eagles will be keen to bring Michy Batshuayi back to Selhurst Park next season, after Batshuayi reached the end of his loan move from Chelsea, according to Football.London.
Since the Belgian joined the club on transfer deadline day in January, he has scored five goals and helped Palace survive another season in the Premier League. Asked if the club has a future with Batshuayi, Hodgson responded: “If [he] is going to be available and if our club could bring him here; either on loan again or buying him I would be very happy with that and I know Michy himself would be happy.
“When players belong to another club you can say: ‘We would like him,’ but then there has to be an agreement struck between the two clubs.
“But again, we are talking about things that are totally out of our control. I suppose the question with regard to him and his future will have to be posed to Chelsea.”
Silva comments on Gomes and Zouma
Everton loanees Andre Gomes and Kurt Zouma look set to bid farewell to the Toffees after the pair’s loan spells have come to an end, despite Marco Silva insisting that his club will do all it can to extend their stays, the Liverpool Echo reports.
On Andre Gomes’ future, Silva simply stated: “We, as a club, have to do everything to sign him.”
As for Zouma, the Everton boss said that the situation is not in his hands, but that if it was, the centre-back would have extended his stay at Goodison Park months ago.
“It will be tough, we are talking about a good player and the situation at Chelsea didn’t help us also, but let’s see what we can do. I’m sure we will do everything we can because he will be a key player for us. He was this season and could be a key player to reach that level we want,” Silva added.
Tap-ins
– Whether Nabil Fekir will be available for Liverpool to target in the summer depends on if Lyon qualify for next season’s Champions League, according to the Mirror. Lyon are currently third and will sell only one player in the summer if they qualify. However, should Saint Etienne overtake them before the end of the season, it’s understood that Fekir’s club will be forced to offload a number of players.
– Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has told the Southern Daily Echo that he expects the south coast side to have a busy summer.
“Next season we maybe have a few new players next year and also create a new spirit and new mentality because we must give a different picture from the first game day,” he said. “We must create more quality but maybe also get quality in from new players. That is what we are looking for in the summer for sure.”
