Transfer Talk: Ronaldo’s post-Man United options include PSG, Bayern, Roma
Mark Ogden debates whether Cristiano Ronaldo will remain at Man United after the forward was benched vs. Burnley. (2:17)
The 2022 January transfer window is closed, but there’s still 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!
Cristiano Ronaldo‘s future at Manchester United remains uncertain amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and AS Roma, according to The Sun.
Initially re-joining United with the intention of finishing his career at Old Trafford, Ronaldo’s recent form for Ralf Rangnick’s side has seen agent Jorge Mendes begin to discuss his client’s options with other clubs.
The report says that the 37-year-old wants to stay and win trophies but he will leave if they fail to secure Champions League football at the end of the season.
Ronaldo scored to end one of his longest goal droughts of his career in Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Brighton on Tuesday, creating a gap of four points between the Red Devils and Arsenal, who have three games in hand in the race for the top four.
Ronaldo has scored 15 goals in 26 appearances so far this season.
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13.55 GMT: Aston Villa had a pretty decent January window and are prepared to spend big in the summer to improve their midfield, says The Daily Star.
Villa want to bring in a defensive midfielder, with Leicester’s Wilfred Ndidi and Brighton’s Yves Bissouma their top two targets.
However, Villa will need to spend around £50m if they want either player, with Brighton having reportedly rejected their £30m offer for Bissouma in January.
13.02 GMT: Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips is being watched by Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle, says 90min.
Phillips, 26, has been linked with a £40m move, while West Ham United reportedly failed with a bid in January. However, the England international’s contract is due to end in 2024 so Leeds may decide that the summer is their best opportunity to get a large transfer fee for him.
12.44 GMT: FC Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson is on the radar of Leeds United and the club will return to sign him in the summer, though Bild claims they will face competition from the Bundesliga.
Aaronson, 21, was the subject of a £20m bid from Leeds in January which the Austrian club rejected.
Now the United States national team international has Borussia Monchengladbach, Frankfurt, Hoffenheim and Freiburg on his trail as well.
11.57 GMT: Fabrizio Romano reports that PSG intend to sign left-back Nuno Mendes after his loan from Sporting CP ends.
Mendes, 19, moved to Paris on loan last summer for €7m but there is a €40m option to sign him permanently, which the club will take up.
The Portugal international has already agreed a five-year deal.
11.32 GMT: Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is enjoying his new €45m signing.
Jurgen Klopp speaks about Luis Diaz adapting to the team and how he’s “never had a player like this” at Liverpool.
10.45 GMT: Barcelona would be a “very good option” for Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, according to his boyhood idol Michu.
Haaland, 21, is available for a €75m release clause this summer and has every top club in Europe after his signature, with Barcelona, Man City, Real Madrid and Bayern all keen.
“I had a conversation with [Haaland], I met him the other day,” the former Swansea forward told radio station Cadena Ser on Tuesday. “I think he’ll leave [Borussia] Dortmund but I don’t know which will be his next team.”
Michu was reportedly present last week at a meeting — alongside Haaland, his father Alf-Inge and Zinedine Zidane — held at Adidas’ German HQ as the sportswear brand looked to persuade the player to agree a sponsorship agreement with them after his deal with Nike ended.
“If [Kylian] Mbappe goes to Madrid, I think Barcelona would be a very good option,” Michu said. “They have a magnificent coach, and young players with a lot of talent. What I know 100% is that he’s looking for a strong team that can compete for the Champions League every year.”
10.09 GMT: Barcelona defender Gerard Pique told president Joan Laporta that letting Lionel Messi leave would solve the club’s financial problems, according to a report in El Pais.
Messi left Barca in dramatic circumstances for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer last summer because the Catalan club said they could not afford to renew his contract due to LaLiga’s strict salary cap rules.
El Pais are now reporting the defender Pique helped advise Laporta on the issue, telling him: “Without Leo [at the club], the financial fair play issue is fixed.”
The report adds that Messi learned of the conversation between Pique and Laporta and felt “betrayed” by his former teammate, with their friendship left in tatters.
Messi and Pique first played alongside each other 20 years ago when the Argentine joined Barca’s youth teams and, save Pique’s short spell in Manchester, they have been teammates ever since.
As well as Messi, Antoine Griezmann also left Barca last summer (for Atletico Madrid on loan with an obligation to sign permanently) as they desperately sought ways to reduce their wage bill. Despite their cash crisis, though, Barca still found a way to sign Ferran Torres from Manchester City for €55m in January.
09.35 GMT: Chelsea striker Armando Broja has impressed on loan with Southampton and now has Bayern Munich and Dortmund following him, says The Sun.
Broja, 20, has eight goals in 24 games this season and the Albania international is attracting plenty of attention with his performances.
Chelsea signed him to a contract until 2026 before he moved on loan, so they hold all the cards over his future.
08.51 GMT: PSG striker Kylian Mbappe didn’t give much away about this future after a match-winning performance in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Mbappe, 23, scored the only goal of the game in the 94th minute at the Parc des Princes as PSG beat Real Madrid 1-0. But questions after the game revolved around his future.
Asked if the return leg against Madrid could influence his decision, the France forward told Movistar: “No, no, no. I know I play in one of the best teams in the world. I’m going to give everything in what is left of the season. I haven’t decided my future. I’m happy to be a PSG player. I’m going to give everything for the team to qualify. It’s a dream that everyone chants my name like that. It has been a very important goal.”
Mbappe’s contract expires this summer and he is expected to join Madrid above a host of other interested teams.
“How to ignore the [transfer] context? It’s easy, you have to play football,” Mbappe added to Canal+. “We ask too many questions, we say too many things. We talk about PSG and Real, two big clubs. I’m a PSG player, I’m always very happy.”
08.30 GMT: Manchester United have added Christopher Nkunku to their list of summer targets after interim manager Ralf Rangnick urged the club to step up their interest in the RB Leipzig midfielder, sources told ESPN’s Mark Ogden.
United, who are aiming to hire a permanent successor to former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the end of the season, have prioritised the midfield department for strengthening due to the expectation that Paul Pogba will leave Old Trafford as a free agent when his contract expires at the end of June.
Nkunku, 24, has scored 19 goals and registered 13 assists in 31 appearances at Leipzig this season and is regarded by many as one of the best emerging players in the Bundesliga.
His performances in Germany since leaving Paris Saint-Germain in 2019 — when he signed for Leipzig while Rangnick was the club’s director of football — have attracted the attention of Europe’s leading clubs including Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal.
But sources have said that United’s interest has only emerged since Rangnick arrived at Old Trafford in December and reviewed the club’s list of potential signings.
Gab Marcotti suggests Man United should resolve their managerial situation before chasing Christopher Nkunku.
– Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane would be open to working with manager Mauricio Pochettino again if the latter leaves PSG for Manchester United, reports the Telegraph. The Old Trafford hierarchy have been assessing a number of strikers ahead of the summer transfer window, and with the 28-year-old Kane enjoying some of his best form while working under Pochettino at Spurs, the report suggests that he is open to the idea of reuniting with his former coach.
– Juventus have identified Sven Botman as a potential replacement should a club decide to activate Matthijs de Ligt‘s €120m release clause in the summer, according to Tuttosport. Botman’s form for Lille has seen him placed on the radars of AC Milan and Newcastle United, though the 22-year-old centre-back could now have another option to consider if De Ligt is tempted away from Turin.
– Arsenal are at the front of a queue of a number of Premier League teams that are keen to sign Rafael Leao from AC Milan, writes La Repubblica. The Gunners have shown strong interest in the striker’s services as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his squad ahead of next season, though it is reported that the Serie A side value the 23-year-old highly. Leao has made 18 starts in the league this season, contributing to 10 goals.
– Napoli are preparing a deal to sign Jason Denayer on a three-year contract, reveals Ekrem Konur. The 26-year-old centre-back is yet to agree new terms with Lyon, and that means he is free to agree to a pre-contract offer that will see him make the switch in the summer. He has made 17 appearances for the Ligue 1 side this season, scoring three goals.
– Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund are battling to sign Noussair Mazraoui on a free transfer, according to Fabrizio Romano. As he explains on his “Here We Go” podcast, Romano states that the 24-year-old has failed to agree to a new contract with Ajax Amsterdam and looks set to leave the Eredivisie, with a number of offers from the Serie A also on the table for the right-back. He has made 25 starts for Ajax this season.