Transfer Talk: Liverpool look to beat Man United to Bellingham
Gab and Juls discuss Sadio Mane’s proposed move from Liverpool to Bayern Munich. (1:04)
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!
Liverpool will be looking to add to their midfield options in the next 12 months and are confident of landing Borussia Dortmund‘s Jude Bellingham ahead of Manchester United and City, says The Sun.
Bellingham, 18, is one of the best young players in the world and has every major club in Europe on his trail, with Real Madrid reportedly also keen.
Dortmund were forced to let star striker Erling Haaland move to City for his €60 million release clause this summer, so won’t want to lose Bellingham as well, with the England midfielder valued at over €120m.
City boss Pep Guardiola has agreed a deal to sign Leeds‘ Kalvin Phillips for €50m, while Man United are reportedly closing on an €80m move for Barcelona‘s Frenkie de Jong, which could leave the way clear for Liverpool to land Bellingham next summer.
– Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
– Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access
14.35 BST: Barcelona will launch a final offensive for Robert Lewandowski this week with the belief that Bayern Munich will finally open the door to a transfer, according to Sport.
ESPN revealed last week that Barca’s first offer fell short of Bayern’s valuation of the striker.
Sport now reports that Barca will intensify negotiations with Bayern in the coming days and that a total package worth close to €50m could see Lewandowski move to Camp Nou, though Sky Sports insists Bayern want €60m.
Lewandowski, 33, has reiterated his desire for a new challenge away from the German champions, while Barca coach Xavi Hernandez has confirmed the club’s interest. However, so far, Bayern’s stance in public has been that they want the player to stay and complete the final year of his contract, which expires in 2023.
Barca are not currently in a position to register new signings with LaLiga but hope the sale of a stake in their merchandising and television rights will open the door to a flurry of activity this summer.
13.20 BST: Italian side Fiorentina have joined the list of teams interested in signing Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti on loan, according to various reports.
Following a story in L’Equipe, Mundo Deportivo claims the Serie A side will turn to Umtiti as a potential replacement for Nikola Milenkovic, who has been linked with Inter Milan and Juventus.
Umtiti, 28, has been told he is not in Xavi Hernandez’s plans at Barca and he is open to leaving this summer. The last four years of his career, following success with France at the 2018 World Cup, have been heavily hampered by injuries.
Former club Lyon are also said to be keen on signing the centre-back, although Fiorentina’s offer supposedly satisfies Barca’s demands better.
The Catalan club are keen to remove as much of Umtiti’s salary from the wage bill as possible, while the player does not want to have to take a big pay cut.
12.51 BST: Bayern Munich are set to poach young left-back Adam Aznou from Barcelona, according to AS.
Aznou, 16, has impressed for Barca’s youth teams but is out of contract this summer and terms for him to extend his stay at the club have not yet been agreed.
That has alerted several teams, including Bayern, who look set to beat Borussia Dortmund, Benfica and Juventus to the signing of the dual Spain-Morocco national.
Barca would have liked to keep Aznou, who has been compared in style to Jordi Alba, but the teenager has decided his development will be best served elsewhere.
12.02 BST: AS says that Neymar’s agents have opened talks with Juventus over a transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.
Neymar, 30, has a contract until 2026 but sources told ESPN that PSG are willing to let the Brazil international forward move on.
He has been keen on a return to Barcelona, but the club are financially unable to make that happen, so Juve might be open to bringing him in alongside Paul Pogba and potentially Angel Di Maria.
11.40 BST: Burnley have signed MK Dons attacker Scott Twine on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee.
Twine, 22, was named 2021-22 EFL League One Player of the Season, after 20 goals and 13 assists last season.
“I am buzzing. I have definitely made the right decision joining Burnley,” he said. “I spoke in depth with the manager and his plans are exciting, it was a no brainer for me to sign. I can’t wait to get started and it feels like the right place for me.”
Burnley Football Club are delighted to confirm the signing of Scott Twine on a four-year contract from MK Dons for an undisclosed fee 📝
11.16 BST: Sources have told ESPN that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag and football director John Murtough have switched their transfer focus from a striker to a more versatile forward after missing out on Darwin Nunez, who has joined Liverpool from Benfica.
Ajax winger Antony is one of the targets but although the Brazilian is keen to join, Ajax’s valuation of €80m is proving problematic.
United’s priority this summer remains to sign a central midfielder with talks progressing with Barcelona over a move for Frenkie de Jong. Sources have told ESPN that there is a belief on both sides that an agreement is close and there is hope De Jong could still be part of the squad which leaves for a tour of Thailand and Australia on July 8.
United are also expecting a decision from Brentford’s Christian Eriksen about where he will play next season as he is available on a free transfer.
New Ajax manager Alfred Schreuder jokes that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag knows not to sign any of their players.
10.45 BST: Manchester United have told Cristiano Ronaldo he is not available for transfer this summer despite the Portugal forward’s representatives assessing interest from some of Europe’s top clubs, sources have told ESPN.
Ronaldo has been linked with moves to Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain but sources close to United insist they “want and expect” the 37-year-old to remain at the club next season.
He has a year left on his contract at Old Trafford with the option of another season. Ronaldo scored 24 goals in all competitions last season but could not prevent United from missing out on qualification for the Champions League after finishing sixth in the Premier League.
Sources have told ESPN that Ronaldo is keen to spend the remaining years of his career playing in the Champions League and has doubts about United’s ambitions after failing to make a signing so far this summer.
However, new manager Erik ten Hag, who is set to lead his first day of preseason training at Carrington on Monday, is banking on having Ronaldo in his squad next season.
09.36 BST: West Ham won’t allow star midfielder Declan Rice to leave the club this summer, despite interest from Chelsea and Man United, says The Daily Mirror.
Rice, 23, is considered one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe but the Hammers value his services at over £150m.
Chelsea’s new owners are reportedly keen to bring in Rice — going as far as to offer striker Armando Broja and midfielder Ross Barkley as part of a swap deal — but West Ham will not budge given his contract doesn’t expire until 2024 (and they have another year’s option to extend it as well.)
08.54 BST: Manchester City and Arsenal have agreed terms over the transfer of Gabriel Jesus on Saturday, sources have told ESPN.
Arsenal will pay £45m plus a further £10m in add-ons for the Brazil international striker with only paperwork and a medical standing in the way of a deal being completed.
The Gunners had already agreed a five-year contract with Jesus.
08.30 BST: Wales star Gareth Bale has confirmed he will be heading to LAFC in Major League Soccer, sharing a video Saturday posing in the club’s gear.
Bale’s tweet, in which he also wrote “See you soon, Los Angeles,” was shared by LAFC.
The blockbuster move would be a free transfer as Bale’s contract is up with Real Madrid. Sources confirmed to ESPN that the deal is expected to be completed using targeted allocation money (TAM), as first reported by MLSSoccer.com, leaving the club with an open designated player slot.
He would be eligible to play for LAFC when the MLS transfer window opens July 7, meaning he could first feature against rival Los Angeles Galaxy at home the following day.
Steve Nicol explains why Gareth Bale’s move to LAFC makes sense for the forward.
– Chelsea discussed the possibility of signing Cristiano Ronaldo with Jorge Mendes last week, reports the Athletic. It is understood that new co-owner Todd Boehly is interested in the potential of making him his first signing, though it isn’t clear whether the 37-year-old Portugal international striker would be open to a Stamford Bridge switch, due to his affinity to Manchester United. Ronaldo has just 12 months left on his deal at Old Trafford, and has been linked with an exit in recent weeks. However, The Daily Mirror reports that United are furious about the reports and insist that Ronaldo won’t be leaving.
– Arsenal are planning a fresh approach for Leeds United winger Raphinha after agreeing to a fee with Manchester City for Gabriel Jesus, reports the Express. The Gunners have set their sights on the 25-year-old winger for their next move of the summer transfer market, having been reported to have had a bid of £50m turned down on Wednesday.
– Paris Saint-Germain are close to reaching a full agreement over a new contract with Xavi Simons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 19-year-old midfielder’s future has been left uncertain over the last season, with speculation linking Barcelona with his services, but it now looks as though has committed his future to Parc des Princes. It is reported that he will sign a new contract before being loaned out to PSV Eindhoven.
– Manchester United are nearing full agreement with Barcelona for midfielder Frenkie De Jong, reveals Sport. It is understood that a transfer fee of around €80m is being discussed, with the deal now believed to be on track. The Red Devils are confident that the deal could be secured before the end of June, though they do still require to agree to personal terms with the 25-year-old once an official bid has been accepted.
– Barcelona have no plans to offer Ousmane Dembele improved terms before his contract expires at the end of the month, writes Goal. Despite talks continuing in recent weeks between the Blaugrana and the 25-year-old winger, it looks as though he will part ways from the club unless he accepts the package that he has been offered. Dembele has also been linked with Chelsea, but more interest could spark once he officially becomes a free agent on June 30.
– Talks between Internazionale and Paris Saint-Germain are set to continue in the coming weeks over the signature of centre-back Milan Skriniar, according to Calciomercato. The Serie A side are willing to allow the 27-year-old to make the switch from San Siro to the Parc des Princes, but only for the right fee. It is expected that PSG will soon return with an improved offer, with the Nerazzurri looking for an amount in the region of €80m.