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!
Financially stricken Barcelona are continuing their pursuit of Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde and are considering a potential player-exchange deal, according to Sport.
Memphis Depay is reportedly the most reputable player that the Blaugrana are willing to move on as part of a swap that would see Kounde move to Camp Nou, though he may need to accept a salary reduction for the deal to go ahead.
Depay, 28, contributed to 14 goals in 28 LaLiga appearances for Barca last season, but he continues to be linked with an exit from the club this summer.
Julen Lopetegui’s side are believed to be looking for around €65 million to part ways with Kounde, but current negotiations for the 23-year-old have seen Barcelona come up €20m short. Kounde is reported to be prioritising a move to Xavi Hernandez’s side, despite interest from Chelsea.
LIVE BLOG
18.35 BST: AC Milan are working to bring in Tottenham Hotspur defender Japhet Tanganga and are set to have a midweek meeting with the 23-year-old’s agents, reports Calciomercato. The two clubs are looking at an initial loan move with Milan holding the right to make the deal permanent, while Spurs could insert a clause that would allow them to re-sign the academy graduate.
18.18 BST: United States defender Shaq Moore has completed his transfer from Tenerife to Nashville SC, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle. ESPN reported last Friday that the deal was in the final stages of being completed, and that the MLS outfit will pay a $2m transfer fee to the Canary Island club to secure the signature of the 25-year-old right-back. Read the full story.
18.02 BST: 18.02 BST: Sky Sport Germany‘s Florian Plettenberg reports that Bayern Munich centre-back Chris Richards has a verbal agreement to join Crystal Palace. The 22-year-old United States international wants the move to the Premier League outfit, and the two clubs must now reach an agreement on a transfer fee with negotiations ongoing.
17.29 BST: With Matthijs de Ligt on his way from Juventus, Bayern Munich will have to offload a defender to make space for the Dutchman, according to Sky Sport Germany. It is suggested that the outgoing player will be one of Benjamin Pavard, Dayot Upamecano or Tanguy Nianzou.
16.56 BST: Orlando City SC are closing in on a deal for United States striker Nicholas Gioacchini, according to MLSsoccer.com’s Tom Bogert. The MLS club is negotiating a free transfer with Ligue 2 outfit Caen, after the 21-year-old spent last season on loan with Montpellier in Ligue 1, where he played just 635 minutes of first-team football.
16.23 BST: Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo has Everton and Manchester United on his trail, says Goal.
Todibo, 22, left Toulouse to join Barcelona after just 10 senior games in January 2019 but struggled to settle and was sent out on loan three times, finally to Nice who landed him permanently.
New Nice coach Lucien Favre wants to keep the centre-back amid interest from Sevilla, Napoli and Newcastle United, but Everton’s interest is reported to be advanced.
15.50 BST: West Ham United are closing in on a deal to sign former loan star Jesse Lingard, according to The Times.
Lingard, 29, spent the second half of the 2020-21 season on loan at West Ham from Manchester United. He enjoyed one of his most productive spells with David Moyes’ side, scoring nine goals in 16 games, but found his opportunities limited when he returned to Old Trafford.
The England winger left United when his contract expired this summer after more than 20 years at the club, and he now looks set for a reunion with West Ham as a free agent.
15.22 BST: Inter Milan have been trying to sign Torino defender Gleison Bremer, but Goal claims that Juventus are now making a move.
Bremer, 25, is set to leave Torino for €40m, but Juventus are keen to find a replacement for Matthijs de Ligt now and are confident of hijacking the deal.
14.30 BST: Why did Robert Lewandowski decide to move to Barcelona?
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Robert Lewandowski says he’s always wanted to play in La Liga and claims he’s here to help Barcelona back to the top.
13.55 BST: The Sun claims Everton’s Anthony Gordon is on the radar of Newcastle.
Gordon, 21, is considered one of the top young players in the Premier League and Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is a keen admirer.
However, Everton have already let Richarlison move to Tottenham for £50m this summer, so may not be keen to let another forward depart.
13.20 BST: Gianluca Di Marzio reports that striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has signed a new contract with AC Milan until June 2023.
Ibrahimovic, 40, is injured for at least another six months but will be a Milan player for next season.
13.13 BST: Inter Miami’s chief business officer (CBO) has hinted at a move for Lionel Messi as the Major League Soccer side look to become a “reference point for football in the U.S.”.
Messi’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires next year, and reports have linked him with Inter Miami, the team co-owned by David Beckham.
The Argentina forward would be the most high-profile player to sign for a team in MLS, and, in an interview with El Mundo Deportivo, Inter Miami CBO Xavier Asensi suggested they would target Messi.
When asked whether signing players such as Messi was an objective for the club, Asensi said: “Yes, with some caveats. You can’t compare Leo Messi with any other player, he’s different. Having said that, what we’re looking for is to be the reference point for football in the U.S. and to do that, the important thing is the players and the show that you can put on.
“To do so, you need the best players and having them is a genuine objective at this club. In terms of Leo Messi, there’s him and then there’s everyone else.”
12.36 BST: You know it’s transfer silly-season now. AS reports that Cristiano Ronaldo is keen to head back to Madrid. But not to the Bernabeu, where he is Real Madrid’s top goal-scorer ever.
No, to city rivals Atletico Madrid instead.
Atletico boss Diego Simeone is reportedly a fan of the 37-year-old forward (who isn’t) but the club need to balance their books before they can offer the kind of wages he is used to, or the transfer fee that Man United will want.
It would be an incredible move, but is incredibly unlikely at this point.
12.12 BST: Napoli want to sign Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan, says The Daily Mail.
Kepa, 27, became the world’s most expensive keeper when he moved to Stamford Bridge from Athletic Club for just under €80m in 2018.
But he has slipped down the pecking order and is now a backup to Senegal international Edouard Mendy, so wants to leave for first-team action.
11.30 BST: Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez has agreed a €57.37m move to Man United.
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Alejandro Moreno debates whether Lisandro Martinez will be a success at Manchester United.
10.53 BST: West Ham are closing on a £30m move to sign Chelsea striker Armando Broja, says Fabrizio Romano.
Broja, 20, scored nine goals in 38 games on loan at Southampton last season. The Albania international wants to play regular football and the two clubs are discussing the final parts of the deal, with Chelsea now expected to sign a new No. 9 striker this summer after the exit of Romelu Lukaku back to Inter Milan on loan.
10.25 BST: Manchester United are ready to turn their attentions away from Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, says The Daily Express.
De Jong, 25, reportedly doesn’t want to join an English club, despite the fact sources told ESPN that United have agreed a €65m (plus €20m in add-ons) deal with Barca.
Instead, United will move for Wolves’ Ruben Neves, who could be available for a cheaper transfer fee.
09.53 BST: Matt Turner insists he has not gambled his USMNT starting spot by joining Arsenal.
The 28-year-old moved to the Gunners from the New England Revolution in a deal worth up to $10m and started the club’s first preseason friendly on their U.S. tour in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Everton in Baltimore.
Aaron Ramsdale has established himself as Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper under Mikel Arteta and Turner appears to face a difficult task in dislodging him, despite being named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021.
Turner is currently vying with Zack Steffen for the No. 1 jersey in Gregg Berhalter’s side with the World Cup just four months away. Steffen is set to join Middlesbrough on loan from Manchester City in search of regular action, but Turner believes he can make a fast start in north London.
“Opportunities like this for players from the U.S. are few and far between,” Turner said. “I wouldn’t say I’m worried or it’s a gamble. This is the obvious progression in my career. Getting my foot in the door overseas is a lot easier said than done. I’ve been playing well in MLS for the last three seasons and this was the first concrete offer I had.
“Playing consistently in MLS did not guarantee me the starting XI for the U.S. national team. I needed to shake it up to take my game to the next level and playing in the Premier League with these guys has already shown me some massive improvements.
“You have to think about your entire career. You can’t make decisions based on one World Cup. Injuries happen and athletic careers are finite. I’ve wanted to take this game as far as I can, so to be able to represent a club like Arsenal is a dream come true.”
09.28 BST: Real Madrid have received no offers for Marco Asensio this summer, Cadena SER reports, despite interest from Newcastle and AC Milan.
Asensio, 26, has just a year left on his contract at Madrid, and switched agents earlier this year to be represented by Jorge Mendes in anticipation of a possible high-profile move this summer.
According to Cadena SER, Newcastle and Milan have not taken their interest beyond informal conversations with Mendes, and that means the most likely scenario is that Asensio — who had a career-best season last year in terms of scoring, contributing 10 goals in LaLiga — sees out his contract at the Bernabeu.
08.43 BST: Manchester City are set to step up their pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion left-back Marc Cucurella as Oleksandr Zinchenko is on his way out of the club, according to The Sun.
Sources told ESPN’s James Olley on Friday that Arsenal are hopeful of reaching an agreement to sign Zinchenko from the Premier League champions. The Gunners have reignited their interest in the 25-year-old after missing out on Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez, who has joined Manchester United.
Talks are ongoing, with City expected to demand in the region of £35m for Zinchenko, whose versatility is a key factor for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
As such, City will prioritise bringing in Cucurella as his replacement. The 23-year-old Spain international made a big impact in the Premier League after joining Brighton from Getafe last summer, making 39 appearances in all competitions and winning the club’s player of the year award.
Brighton are set to demand a £50m for the graduate of Barcelona’s La Masia academy, although City will hope to strike a deal for less than that.
08.00 BST: Manchester United cannot afford to let Cristiano Ronaldo leave the club this summer, according to former teammate Nani.
Ronaldo wants to move away from Old Trafford this summer, sources told ESPN earlier this month, after United missed out on qualification for the Champion League, although Chelsea have ruled out trying to sign the 37-year-old.
Nani, who played with Ronaldo at United and on international duty with Portugal, said he hopes the forward stays at the club.
“I hope [he stays],” said Nani, who signed for Melbourne Victory just in time to face his former club at the MCG on Friday. “He’s an important player and a player who always makes a difference. I hope he’s in a good mood to help the club so hopefully [he’ll stay].”
Nani said he tried to get in touch with Ronaldo, but has not been able to reach with former teammate.
“When he’s on vacation he doesn’t answer the phone to anybody,” Nani added. “I tried to talk to him, but he said: ‘I’m so busy now, we’ll talk soon.'”
0:58
Ale Moreno jumps to the defence of Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez after the striker came in for some criticism in the last week.
PAPER GOSSIP
– Juventus are considering a move for Pau Torres as a potential replacement for Matthijs de Ligt, reveals Gianluca Di Marzio. With reports in Germany indicating that De Ligt is set to join Bayern Munich for €80m, the Bianconeri are already working on their shortlist of replacements. It is understood that the 25-year-old Villarreal defender is the No. 1 priority for Massimiliano Allegri’s side, who are also interested in Arsenal‘s Gabriel.
– Real Madrid legend and current free agent Marcelo has been offered to Lyon, says Foot Mercato. While the Ligue 1 club are looking for a left-back this summer, it appears that the main obstacle in signing the 34-year-old is his salary demands. The Brazil international was on €9m per season at the Santiago Bernabeu.
– Australia international Aaron Mooy is set to turn down a number of offers from the Championship to join Scottish champions Celtic, reveals the Telegraph. The 31-year-old midfielder is a free agent after making the move from Brighton & Hove Albion to Shanghai Port back in 2020, spending two seasons with the Chinese Super League side. Mooy is one of a number of uncontracted Socceroos — including Tom Rogic and Massimo Luongo — trying to find a new club ahead of Australia’s participation in November’s World Cup.
– Liverpool centre-back Ben Davies is set to join Rangers, according to the Guardian. The 26-year-old has not made a competitive first-team appearance for Liverpool, but a bid of £4m has reportedly been accepted by the Reds. Davies arrived at Anfield from Preston North End in 2021, and spent last season on loan at Championship club Sheffield United.
– Marseille are interested in signing Ruben Blanco, reports Foot Mercato. The 25-year-old made 25 appearances for Celta Vigo last season, and the Ligue 1 club are keen to find strong competition for No. 1 goalkeeper Pau Lopez. A loan move that would include an option to make the deal permanent is currently being discussed.
