Transfer Talk: Man Utd keen for Brentford’s Eriksen after remarkable comeback
The summer transfer window is approaching, 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!
Manchester United have plenty of issues to solve this summer and new manager Erik ten Hag has already hatched a plan to bring Brentford‘s Christian Eriksen to the club, according to the Daily Star.
Eriksen, 30, has impressed back in the Premier League this season after he suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark at Euro 2020. In a remarkable comeback, the midfielder, who previously played for Ajax Amsterdam and Tottenham Hotspur before spending a year at Inter Milan, signed a short-term deal with Brentford that ends this summer.
Ten Hag’s Ajax allowed Eriksen to train with them earlier this year as he sought to land himself a contract after proving his fitness, and the Dutch manager is keen to bring him to Old Trafford on a free transfer when his contract expires.
Tottenham are also keen on bringing Eriksen back to the club as he has managed one goal and three assists from seven games so far, while Brentford are also hopeful they can persuade him to stay on.
Bees boss Thomas Frank told Sky after Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Spurs: “I would love to say that I am confident, I am very positive and very hopeful that he will stay but it will be a decision at the end of the season.
“I will do what I can but it’s down to Christian, where it’s like everything if you decide to go to one club or another, you buy that house or another house, you take that job or another job. There must be pros and cons and I always say if you make it an eight-two decision, where you have eight pros and two cons, then you are in a good position.
“I hope Christian makes the right choice for him and his family and I really hope it will be us.”
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12.51 BST: West Ham United will try to sign defender Michael Keane this summer if Everton are relegated from the Premier League, the Daily Star reports.
Keane, 29, was a young player on Manchester United’s books in the 2013-14 season, when West Ham boss David Moyes was manager at Old Trafford. Although he was out on loan at Derby in Moyes’ one season in charge, Keane has remained on the coach’s radar.
England centre-back Keane has started 150 Premier League games for Everton since joining them in 2017, and he has a contract at Goodison Park until 2025. But if they lose their battle against relegation this season, West Ham will be hoping that a deal can be done.
12.07 BST: Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez says he has no intention of letting midfielder Frenkie de Jong leave the club.
De Jong has been linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer to reunite with his former coach at Ajax, Erik ten Hag.
“Frenkie is a very important player for me and for the club,” Xavi said. “I’m happy with him. If it were up to me he will continue for many years at Barcelona.”
– Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano: Stream LIVE at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+ (U.S.)
Shaka Hislop says Gabriel Jesus should swap Manchester City for Arsenal if Mikel Arteta’s rumoured interest is true.
11.21 BST: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that the future of striker Gabriel Jesus at the club is uncertain.
Jesus scored four goals in City’s 5-1 win over Watford on Saturday, more than doubling his Premier League tally for the season as the Brazil international has only started 17 times in the competition this season.
The 25-year-old, who is out of contract in 2023, has been linked with a move to Arsenal in the summer transfer window, and after the match Guardiola said: “I want to tell you something, Gabriel is our player. I don’t know what is going to happen but he is a Manchester City player.”
When asked if he wanted the player who joined from Palmeiras in 2017 to stay at the Etihad, Guardiola said: “What we have done this season we have done with Gabriel, Gabriel is one of the best. But every player is happy here when they play all the time 90 minutes every game.
“Maybe at the end of the season he says, ‘No I don’t want to sign the contract,’ [or] we convince him to stay, maybe he decides, ‘I want more minutes, I want to leave.’ Nobody knows.”
– Dawson: Gabriel Jesus’ standout showing sends Guardiola a message
10.35 BST: Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United have both been scouting Bristol City’s young creative midfielder Alex Scott, the Daily Mirror reports.
Scott has become a first-team regular for the Championship side this season, scoring four goals and registering two assists in 36 appearances in 2021-22 after making his debut last April.
The 18-year-old could be available this summer for £10m despite being under contract until 2025, the Mirror reports, as Bristol City struggle to comply with the EFL’s profit and sustainability rules.
09.48 BST: Brentford are the latest club to express an interest in Middlesbrough’s highly rated wing-back Djed Spence, according to The Sun.
Spence, 21, has impressed this season on loan at Nottingham Forest, making 43 appearances so far as the Championship club eliminated Arsenal and Leicester City en route to the FA Cup quarterfinals, and they remain in contention for automatic promotion.
Premier League clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham have been linked with the England youth international, who is reportedly available for £20m, but the promise of regular first-team football could convince him to join Brentford.
09.00 BST: Antonio Rudiger is set to leave Chelsea at the end of the season with Real Madrid favourites to sign the defender on a free transfer, sources have told ESPN’s James Olley.
The 29-year-old is out of contract this summer and has rejected the offer of a new deal, which is understood to have reached in excess of £200,000-a-week.
Chelsea’s ability to negotiate has been hampered by restrictions imposed following the U.K. government imposing sanctions on outgoing owner Roman Abramovich over his ties with Russia president Vladimir Putin.
Under a special licence granted to the club to continue operating while a sale is negotiated, Chelsea cannot agree any fresh contracts with any players which created a window of opportunity that Real and other clubs have looked to exploit.
Sources have told ESPN that Rudiger has offers on the table in excess of the terms Chelsea were offering and an extension was complicated further by agent demands over a high fee for his representatives and a signing-on fee in the region of £10m.
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– Bayern Munich and Manchester United are interested in signing RB Leipzig midfielder Konrad Laimer, claims journalist Nico Schira. The Austria international has a contract which expires in 2023, and has previously attracted the interest of Liverpool. At 24, the defensive midfielder has plenty of potential to improve and United’s current interim manager Ralf Rangnick reportedly recommended Laimer to the board.
– Arsenal will be looking to strengthen their strikeforce this summer as Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are set to depart on free transfers. Former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, who is now playing under Jose Mourinho at AS Roma, is one name on the club’s shortlist, says the Daily Star, though the England international would cost in the region of €60m if a deal is to be done.
– Leicester City are keen to sign PSV Eindhoven midfielder Ibrahim Sangare, according to The Sun. Sangare, 24, played against Leicester in both legs of the Europa Conference League quarterfinal earlier this month and has also been linked with a move to Aston Villa. However, Brendan Rodgers is keen to get his man first and will reportedly offer a transfer fee of around €35 million.
– Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Rodrigo De Paul could make a loan move from Atletico Madrid to Inter Milan this summer. De Paul moved to the LaLiga champions over the summer for around €35m from Udinese, but hasn’t settled in Spain and wants to return to Italy. The Argentina international is keen to move on, but Inter may only be able to offer him an initial loan move as they have financial issues.
– Tottenham are ready to offer around €25m to sign Inter Milan right-back Denzel Dumfries, says journalist Ekrem Konur. The 26-year-old Netherlands international has been a key player for the Italian club this season but Inter need to raise funds and would reportedly be willing to accept a €40m bid. Tottenham want to sign a new right-back this summer and Torino‘s Wilfried Singo has also been linked with a switch to London.