Transfer Talk: Arsenal’s Gabriel, Villarreal’s Torres on Juventus’ list once De Ligt departs

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: Juventus close on Gleison Bremer deal

Juventus are looking to replace Bayern Munich-bound defender Matthijs de Ligt, with Goal reporting that they have agreed a €47 million deal to sign Torino star Gleison Bremer.

With De Ligt soon expected to make the move to Munich for an €80 million fee, Juve must now invest in defensive reinforcements as they look to form a new backline after Giorgio Chiellini‘s exit to LAFC earlier this summer.

Arsenal‘s Gabriel, Villarreal‘s Pau Torres and Fiorentina‘s Nikola Milenkovic had formed part of the Italian club’s four-man shortlist, according to Mundo Deportivo.

But, while Bremer looked odds-on to join Internazionale for a fee of around €35m, Juve have now seemingly jumped ahead of their rivals with a bigger bid to sign the Brazil international for €42m, plus €5m in add-ons.

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19.52 BST: One year after joining Villarreal from Stade de Reims, Boulaye Dia is set to leave the club having failed to cement his place, and Le10 Sport reports that Nantes, Nice and Marseille are all looking at the striker. The first two are the most seriously interested of the trio and are looking for a loan, while there could also be competition from the Premier League.

19.19 BST: Nottingham Forest have added Real Betis left-wing-back Alex Moreno to their list of transfer options this summer, after already signing Neco Williams and Omar Richards upon their return to the Premier League, according to the Mail. Forest are also in discussions with Huddersfield Town over a double move for left-back Harry Toffolo and midfielder Lewis O’Brien.

18.46 BST: Marko Pjaca is set to make a permanent move from Juventus to Sampdoria, reports Calciomercato, with the winger having gone on five loans since joining from Dinamo Zagreb in 2016. Samp had been hoping to sign the Croatian on loan and make the move permanent in 2023, aiming for Juve to help with his wages, but the Serie A giants could instead let him leave on a free transfer despite his contract having another year remaining.

18.13 BST: AS Monaco have offered a transfer fee of €12m plus €3m in add-ons for Leicester City midfielder Boubakary Soumare, reports Foot Mercato, which adds that the 23-year-old is their priority in midfield. The Foxes have rejected that offer and are demanding at least €20m, with Monaco set to quickly make a second offer after bringing in more than €100m from Aurelien Tchouameni‘s transfer to Real Madrid.

17.40 BST: After completing their signing of Matthijs de Ligt, Bayern Munich want to finalise the transfer of Stade Rennais striker Mathys Tel this week, reports Sky Sport Deutschland, which adds that a deal for the 17-year-old would require a fee of between €20m and €25m. The Frenchman has given Bayern a verbal confirmation that he will join them and his family also wants him to make the move, with club representatives having flown to Rennes.

17.23 BST: Bayern Munich have signed defender Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus, it was announced on Tuesday. The 22-year-old Netherlands international has put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the Bundesliga champions. Read the full story.

𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙟𝙨! 🔴⚪#ServusDeLigt pic.twitter.com/vN314pKqHR

— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) July 19, 2022

17.07 BST: Newly promoted AFC Bournemouth are monitoring the condition of Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke, according to Ekrem Konur. The Belgian managed 25 Premier League appearances last term but made 14 of those from the bench, scoring four goals.

16.34 BST: Le Parisien claims that PSG offered Manchester City the chance to sign Neymar, but they refused.

Neymar, 30, cost PSG a world-record €222m to sign from Barcelona in 2017, but sources told ESPN they are open to letting the Brazil forward depart, despite his contract running until 2027.

The report claims PSG’s proposal to City included a player exchange, possibly Bernardo Silva, but manager Pep Guardiola was not keen to have Neymar unbalance the harmony within his squad.

16.03 BST: Nashville SC have signed USMNT defender Shaquell Moore from Spanish second division side CD Tenerife.

Moore, 25, made 101 appearances across all competitions for Tenerife in the past three seasons. He has signed a contract through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026.

“Shaq has all of the positive attributes that we look for on both sides of the ball, as well as on and off the field,” Nashville SC General Manager Mike Jacobs said. “He has the ability to be a key contributor in our group, and we are so pleased to have him join us here in Nashville.”

15.40 BST: Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies has told ESPN that he did not know if he would play again because of the lasting effects of COVID-19.

Davies, 21, was diagnosed with an inflammatory heart condition called myocarditis after he contracted COVID during the Bundesliga’s winter break of the 2021-22 campaign. The condition ruled Davies out of action for several months, before he returned to play for Bayern in April.

And in an interview with ESPN, the Canada international said the experience had been “scary” given there was no timeframe for his return.

“That was very scary, especially [because] the doctors are saying that they don’t know how long I was supposed to be out,” Davies said. “I think that was the most scariest part.

“At that time I had doubts in my head, whether I’m still going to be able to play football, but everything worked out at the end. I’m happy and I’m grateful for the doctor taking such good care of me. I’m happy that I can be back on the pitch.”

15.07 BST: Ajax and RB Leipzig are closing on a transfer for forward Brian Brobbey, says Fabrizio Romano.

Brobbey, 20, left the Dutch club to move to Germany in 2021 but has opted to move back for around €20m after struggling to make an impact.

He was linked with Man United.

14.41 BST: Chelsea have submitted a bid of €55m to sign Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, with Barcelona set to make a bid of their own, says journalist Gerard Romero.

Kounde, 23, has been linked with a transfer for some time, but Sevilla want a total fee of at least €65m to consider a deal.

Barcelona have already signed centre-back Andreas Christensen from Chelsea on a free transfer this summer, but are keen to strengthen the centre of their defence and are ready to make their move for Kounde.

14.00 BST: What will Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez bring to Man United?

12.54 BST: Former Man United striker Edinson Cavani has agreed terms with Villarreal, according to Marca.

Cavani, 35, scored 19 goals in 59 games during a two-year spell at Old Trafford but the Uruguay international wants more guaranteed match time and left on a free transfer this summer.

Linked with Argentine giants Boca Juniors and Turkish side Fenerbahce, it appears Cavani will head to Spain for the next chapter of his career.

12.30 BST: United States men’s national team and Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen has joined Middlesbrough on a season-long loan.

Steffen, who signed with Manchester City from the Columbus Crew in 2019, spent the past two seasons as the primary backup to Ederson, keeping eight clean sheets in 21 appearances across all competitions. He has made just two appearances in the Premier League.

For Steffen, the move will secure consistent playing time and give him a better chance to earn the starting job for the United States at the World Cup.

Steffen is one of three European-based options for the U.S. — along with Arsenal’s Matt Turner and Nottingham Forest’s Ethan Horvath — who faced the prospect of limited first-team minutes in advance of the tournament.

11.56 BST: The chase for Chelsea striker Armando Broja is heating up, according to The Guardian.

Broja, 20, was the subject of a £25m bid from West Ham earlier this week but now Everton are reportedly interested, having let Richarlison move to Tottenham for £50m.

The Albania striker scored nine goals in all competitions for Southampton last season on loan, but now wants a permanent move away from Stamford Bridge.

West Ham are also in talks over a £34m bid for Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca, so Everton may see that as an opportunity to pounce for Broja.

11.20 BST: Wolves forward Fabio Silva has signed a new one-year contract with Wolves ahead a season-long loan move to RSC Anderlecht.

Silva, 20, will continue his development in the top tier of Belgian football, having struggled to break into the first-team fold at Wolves.

Technical director Scott Sellars said: “We’ve had lots of discussions between myself and Bruno, and with Fabio as well, about what we feel is best for his development, and we felt that a season playing regularly would be very good for him at this point in his career. He’s only just turned 20 today, so he’s still a very young boy and he needs a season of playing regular senior football in a competitive league so he can come back to Wolves stronger.

“We saw with the performances of Morgan [Gibbs-White] last year how much of a positive impact a loan can have on a young player, so we believe it’s the right step in his development to follow the same path.”

11.00 BST: Liverpool’s new €100m arrival needs some time to settle.

10.07 BST: Barcelona forward Memphis Depay is not interested in returning to the Premier League this summer, says SPORT.

Depay, 28, had a poor spell at Manchester United between 2015-17 and has now been linked with Tottenham.

However, the Netherlands international isn’t keen on playing in England again, even if Barcelona are likely to accept offers of around €20m for him.

09.30 BST: Djed Spence has signed for Tottenham Hotspur from Middlesbrough, on a contract that runs until 2027.

The right-back impressed on loan with Nottingham Forest as they were promoted to the Premier League last season. He made 46 appearances for Forest, and played 70 games for parent club Middlesbrough.

Sources told ESPN in January that Spurs had two bids rejected for the 21-year-old. Several other clubs were interested in signing Spence, including Brentford, West Ham United, AS Roma, Borussia Dortmund and Nottingham Forest.

He becomes Spurs’ sixth summer signing, alongside Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison and Clement Lenglet.

Introducing signing number six… pic.twitter.com/8Q2LKYwNae

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 19, 2022

08.50 BST: Lens defender Jonathan Clauss, who has been linked with Man United and Chelsea, is set to sign for Marseille, says Fabrizio Romano.

Clauss, 29, is set to undergo a medical later today after Lens accepted an €8m transfer fee.

08.18 BST: Poland striker Robert Lewandowski declared Barcelona is back after joining the team in the United States for their preseason tour.

Lewandowski, who had 12 months remaining on his Bayern contract, moved to Barcelona in a deal worth €45m with a possible €5m in add-ons and said a big reason was the influence of manager Xavi Hernandez. The striker was set to sign his contract and be officially introduced by Barcelona in Miami on Tuesday ahead of the team’s U.S. tour.

After his eight stellar seasons in the Bundesliga, Lewandowski said that he “always wanted to play for a big club” in LaLiga while praising Xavi, who was roped in last season when the Catalans were ninth before leading them to a second-place finish in the standings.

“It was very easy to decide to come to Barca,” Lewandowski said. “Barca is back. I think I can help to put the team back at the top of European football.

“I was speaking with Xavi and from the beginning I know [what’s been on his] mind, his ideas. It was easy for me to decide to come to Barcelona because I’m the guy who wants to play, who wants to win, and I think that with Xavi it’s very possible.

“He knows exactly how to coach Barcelona because he was an amazing player and now he’s also a very good coach. He has an amazing future and I want to be a part of this as well.”

08.00 BST: Liverpool have made an approach to sign Ajax winger Antony, according to Football Insider.

Antony, 22, had been linked with Man United in a €60m deal, but Ajax reportedly want around €75m.

Liverpool won’t reach that far for the Brazil international but are interested in negotiating.

PAPER GOSSIP (by Nick Judd)

– Sevilla defender Jules Kounde could be involved in a three-way tug of war, according to Fabrizio Romano, who states that Chelsea have reignited their interest in the 23-year-old following the rumour that another target, Manchester City‘s Nathan Ake, is no longer available. Barcelona have been courting Kounde for some time, but both clubs could be beaten to the chase by Paris Saint-Germain, with Corriere dello Sport adding that PSG aim to replace Presnel Kimpembe.

– Regarding Kimpembe, The Sun states that Chelsea have reportedly launched a bid for the PSG defender. Thomas Tuchel is a big admirer of the 26-year-old, and the Blues are believed to have lodged a bid of €45m for his services. Amid the battle over Kounde’s signature, Tuchel feels he has the upper hand on a potential Kimpembe deal having worked with him at PSG for two years. Chelsea may have to raise their bid to €48m to land him.

– With Oleksandr Zinchenko seemingly bound to Arsenal on a £32m move, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is looking to freshen up his defensive options, and the Daily Mail reports that Brighton‘s Marc Cucurella is a possible replacement. Zinchenko looks destined to leave City’s training camp in the United States, and City will have to spend £50m to sign Cucurella. Stuttgart‘s 24-year-old defender Borna Sosa is also on City’s watchlist.

– Arsenal are keeping tabs on Juventus midfielder Arthur after the Brazilian was left out of the Bianconeri‘s preseason tour to the United States. According to the Daily Mail, Juve chiefs are happy for the 25-year-old midfielder to sort out his own future rather than feature for the club on tour. Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri has decided he wants a different style of midfielder and so is willing to loan out Arthur if he can’t facilitate a permanent move. Arsenal are believed to have held talks with the player, but no official bid has yet to be registered.

– Real Sociedad look to have added 21-year-old Takefusa Kubo to their ranks, with the club posting pictures of the ex-Real Madrid man’s arrival. The Japanese youngster failed to make a single appearance for Los Merengues, and he now moves to San Sebastian on a deal worth €7m. Kubo, 21, has found playing opportunities hard to come by but can now expect to feature more regularly both in LaLiga and the Europa League.

– Paulo Dybala is believed to have completed a medical ahead of his move to AS Roma, but the final details of his contract are still yet to be agreed, according to Italian journalist Gianluca do Marzio. Dybala will reportedly wear the the No. 21 shirt that had been reserved for fellow new signing Nemanja Matic. Dybala’s deal hasn’t yet been officially announced yet, although that is likely to follow once all parties have finalised the finer details of the ex-Juventus star’s contract.