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: Barca can sign Silva, keep De Jong?
Barcelona are planning on signing Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva regardless of whether or not Frenkie de Jong leaves, according to Diario Sport.
Barca have spent over €150 million this summer on Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde, while Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie have arrived on free transfers. However, the Blaugrana‘s widely reported financial issues have put them in a race against time to be able to register all of their new signings for the start of LaLiga next weekend.
Nonetheless, Diario Sport claims that De Jong’s departure is not essential to bringing in Silva, although it would require another fundraising effort by the club.
Barca have already executed three operations — dubbed financial levers by the president Joan Laporta — to raise the funds for their incoming players. A source confirmed to ESPN that Barca’s financial team have known for several days now that a fourth financial lever is required.
Barcelona’s ideal scenario regarding De Jong remains for the former Ajax midfielder to either leave or take a wage cut if he stays. De Jong wants to remain at Barcelona amid interest from Manchester United and Chelsea, and is not intent on lowering his salary.
As for Silva, City manager Pep Guardiola said earlier this week about the Portugal international that: “I want players to be happy. Of course I want Bernardo to be here but I don’t know what is going to happen, honestly I don’t know.”
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LIVE BLOG
11.11 BST: Another update on Fabian Ruiz, who seems set to join Paris Saint-Germain despite interest from Manchester United and West Ham United.
Ruiz, 26, has moved into the final year of his contract and Napoli are desperate to agree a deal to prevent the midfielder from leaving on a free transfer next summer.
The Spain international, who began his career at Real Betis before moving to Italy, is set to join PSG in a deal worth €25m including add-ons, according to Corriere dello Sport. He was left out of Saturday’s preseason friendly against Espanyol as a move nears.
But transfer specialist Gianluca Di Marzio reports that the two Premier League clubs have not given up hope of signing Ruiz, but PSG are most definitely in pole position as they look to replace Georginio Wijnaldum, who has moved to AS Roma on loan.
10.30 BST: Sport Bild reporter Christian Falk says that Bayern Munich have received no transfer offer for Leroy Sane from Manchester United, and that the Bundesliga champions want him to stay.
Sane, 26, was only named as a substitute for Bayern’s 6-1 opening-day win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday evening, and a report in the Daily Mirror on Saturday said that United were hoping to take the forward back to Manchester.
The Germany international made his name at Manchester City, spending four years at the club and winning the Premier League title twice. He joined Bayern two years ago in a deal worth up to €60m.
True✅ Bayern don’t want to sell @leroy_sane Til now Bayern and the Agency of Sané have no offer of @ManUtd @BILD_Sport #BayernInsider
— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) August 7, 2022
09.42 BST: How about a little Frenkie de Jong round-up? As usual, there’s a few updates across the media to what is seemingly a never-ending saga!
First, in Sport, a report says that Chelsea will try to include Marcos Alonso as a makeweight in a deal that would take the Dutch midfielder to London. It seems a strange one, because Alonso agreed terms with Barca a long time ago, so it has always been a case of how the transfer is actually structured. Part of a De Jong agreement or not, the 31-year-old is still expected to head to Camp Nou.
“He has asked us to leave and we have reached an agreement”, Tuchel said of Alonso on Saturday evening after their win at Everton. “It wouldn’t make much sense to have put him on the field today.”
Second, we go to the Sunday Express. The paper says that Manchester United are also prepared to throw a player into the mix, namely Donny van de Beek. Whether Barca would want Van de Beek is most definitely up for discussion. Seems … unlikely.
And finally to Goal, which reports that United could turn their attentions to Napoli star Fabian Ruiz if their interest in De Jong isn’t successful.
09.00 BST: Former Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who last week signed for Serie B side Como, says he hopes Lionel Messi plays for Barcelona again before he retires.
Messi, 35, scored two late goals in Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-0 win over Clermont Foot on Saturday evening as he began his second season at the capital club.
Last month Barca present Joan Laporta said Messi’s “chapter” at the club is “not over” and considers it his responsibility to ensure the forward has a “more beautiful ending” at the Camp Nou. And now Fabregas has said he hopes that is as a player.
“As a Barcelona fan, I hope and I wish that Messi returns to Barcelona,” Fabregas said. “He has one year left of his contract in Paris. I would love it if he returned. It is a dream that the club and all the fans have, but I speak to you as a fan of Barcelona.”
– Fabregas: London, Barcelona, Monaco and now Lake Como
PAPER GOSSIP
– Callum Hudson-Odoi could leave Chelsea in search of more game time, reports Fabrizio Romano, with the academy graduate not even included on the bench in the club’s opening-day win against Everton on Saturday. Southampton are pushing to sign him on loan while Leicester City have also been discussed, with the final decision being down to the player himself.
– West Ham United are looking into the possibility of signing free agent Dan-Axel Zagadou, claims The Sun. AS Roma and Internazionale have also considered offering the centre-back a contract since his time with Borussia Dortmund ended in the summer.
– More than 20 clubs across Europe have made offers to take Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho on loan, according to The Mirror. The Red Devils are yet to decide whether to let the 18-year-old leave temporarily to gain first-team experience or manage his development within the club and make a call on a potential loan in January.
– Feyenoord centre-back Marcos Senesi will fly to England tomorrow to sign a contract with AFC Bournemouth, reports Fabrizio Romano, who adds that the transfer is worth €15m plus add-ons for the Dutch club and the contract will last four years. This comes as another boost for Scott Parker after the Cherries marked their return to the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
— Juventus are having problems offloading Daniele Rugani due to the centre-back’s demands, according to Calciomercato. He wants €3m-per-year and to stay in Italy, which is proving an issue as Galatasaray are the only club to have offered those wages so far. Sampdoria will reportedly offer €1.5m and ask Juventus to pay the other half.