Transfer Talk: Man United closer to deal with Juve for Rabiot
Julien Laurens discusses how close Manchester United is to acquiring Adrien Rabiot from Juventus and how the midfielder would fit in Old Trafford. (2:24)
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, goings and, of course, done deals!
Manchester United have reached a full agreement with Juventus for a transfer that would see Adrien Rabiot join them for €17 million, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Red Devils director John Murtough now has a meeting scheduled with the midfielder’s mother and agent, Veronique Rabiot, in order to agree terms for the France international.
It is stated by Romano that the upcoming days will be key for the negotiations if Rabiot is to move to Old Trafford now that United are meeting his camp, which is set to happen on Friday.
Sources had previously told ESPN that United had interest in Rabiot, as well as in Bologna forward Marko Arnautovic.
But while talks over Arnautovic fell away quickly, it seems as though the Red Devils are now closer to bringing in Rabiot.
This comes at a time in which Erik ten Hag’s midfield options — especially Scott McTominay and Fred — have come under intense criticism following United’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion as they opened their Premier League campaign.
If Rabiot does join, he will become United’s fourth signing after Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen and Tyrell Malacia.
Rabiot made 45 appearances for Juventus in all competitions last season with six of those coming off the bench, recording two assists.
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15.29 BST: Sergino Dest plans to stay at Barcelona this summer despite reports linking him with Manchester United, the player’s agent has told ESPN’s Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.
Diario SPORT reported on Friday that Barca are in talks with United over a €20m deal for the United States right-back, who has also been linked with Bayern Munich and Chelsea in the past.
However, while sources have told ESPN Barca are open to offers for a large part of their squad, including Dest, he remains committed to fighting for a place in Xavi Hernandez’s side.
Dest’s agent Joes Blakborn told ESPN he did not want to react to specific reports, but that “despite interest from other clubs, [Dest] will be a part of Barcelona’s future this season.”
Barca coach Xavi told Dest earlier in the summer that he featured in his plans for the upcoming campaign, but the club’s financial situation has forced them to reconsider the defender’s future.
Xavi values the fact Dest can also provide cover at left-back, while he has different qualities to the other full-backs in their squad and is still young.
After heavily investing this summer, Barca are still keen to strengthen in the full-back positions. Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso remains a target after they missed out on Cesar Azpilicueta.
15.11 BST: James Rodriguez wants to leave Qatari club Al Rayyan to return to Europe, according to Marca.
Rodriguez, 31, signed for Al Rayyan from Everton last year but has found his playing time restricted by injuries. Marca say the Colombia international now wants to return to one of Europe’s major leagues but clubs are said to have been put off by his lack of rhythm in terms of game time.
Botafogo, Roma, West Ham, Galatasaray and teams in Greece have reportedly shown interest in Rodriguez, but the attacking midfielder has yet to find a way out. The former Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Monaco star will not be at the World Cup later this year as Colombia failed to qualify for the tournament.
14.35 BST: Chelsea are aiming to strengthen their squad before the Premier League’s transfer window closes with a central defender and a striker the priority, but they will not resort to panic buying, manager Thomas Tuchel said on Friday.
Chelsea lost Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen during the close season before signing Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli, but the Senegal international suffered from cramps and was withdrawn early in their 1-0 win over Everton last weekend.
“We could use one more central defender if you look at the numbers… we play with a back three,” Tuchel said at a news conference, before addressing their need for a forward.
Chelsea’s record signing Romelu Lukaku re-joined Serie A side Inter Milan on a season-long loan, while the misfiring Timo Werner returned to Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig. They brought in Raheem Sterling from Manchester City.
“We could strengthen our squad in depth. It’s one thing that you wish for and it’s another that’s possible. We’re looking for top quality and top personalities,” Tuchel said.
“We’ll not panic and we will not try to sign players we’re not 100% convinced. All signings so far are fantastic signings and will help us.”
ESPN have reported that Chelsea, who have also recruited defender Marc Cucurella from Brighton & Hove Albion, are also interested in moves for Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana and Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
14.19 BST: Erik ten Hag said he is “convinced” his Manchester United squad will have been strengthened by the end of the transfer window.
United have been heavily criticised by supporters after only bringing in Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen and Tyrell Malacia this summer while so far failing to complete a deal for top target Frenkie de Jong.
Ten Hag is still hopeful of landing De Jong while the club remain in talks to sign Adrien Rabiot from Juventus, and the United boss said it is imperative improvements are made before the transfer deadline on Sept. 1.
Asked at a news conference on Friday whether he believed he would have a better squad at the end of the window, Ten Hag replied: “We have to. I am convinced we will have.
“I think we’re co-operating really well [with the club]. I cannot talk about players under contract at other clubs.”
– Notebook: United told Ten Hag to lower expectations
14.05 BST: Juventus have signed Serbian international midfielder Filip Kostic from Eintracht Frankfurt on a deal until June 2026 for €12m, the Italian Serie A club said on Friday.
Juve could pay a further €3m in add-ons to Frankfurt for the versatile 29-year-old, who played 171 matches for the German club after arriving in 2018. He scored 33 goals and made 64 assists for Frankfurt.
Kostic will be Juventus’ sixth signing of the summer transfer window following those of Angel Di Maria, Paul Pogba, Andrea Cambiaso, Federico Chiesa and Gleison Bremer. Juve finished fourth last season, outside the top three for the second successive campaign. They open their new Serie A campaign against visiting Sassuolo on Monday.
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13.29 BST: AC Milan and England defender Fikayo Tomori has agreed to a five-year contract extension at the San Siro, according to The Times.
Tomori, 24, has impressed since initially moving to Milan on loan from Chelsea in January last year. The centre-back signed a permanent deal with the Serie A side last summer and helped them win their first league title in 11 years last season, making 40 appearances in all competitions.
The Times say that Tomori has now been rewarded for his performances with a lucrative new deal. Milan were reportedly desperate to keep Tomori at the club in the face of potential Premier League interest. They begin their Serie A title defence against Udinese on Saturday afternoon.
12.57 BST: The return of Diego Costa to LaLiga with Rayo Vallecano is imminent, according to Marca, with the club set to confirm the signing of the former Atletico Madrid and Chelsea forward shortly.
Costa, 33 — who scored 10 goals in 16 appearances on loan at Rayo in 2011-12 — has been a free agent since January this year when he left Atletico Mineiro in Brazil.
Talks with the former Spain international have been handled personally by Rayo’s president Raul Martin Presa, despite some reservations from the club’s coaching staff.
Costa is not expected to be available in time to feature for Rayo in their opening game of the LaLiga season, away at Barcelona on Saturday.
12.32 BST: Manchester City have agreed a €13m deal for Anderlecht left-back Sergio Gomez, The Athletic reports.
City have been looking to strengthen the left side of their defence this summer after letting Oleksandr Zinchenko leave for Arsenal. Pep Guardiola’s side pulled out of the race for Marc Cucurella because of Brighton’s fee demands and the full-back subsequently signed for Chelsea.
Sources have told ESPN that Gomez, 21, is seen as a development signing but could stay at the Etihad Stadium this summer if City are unable to sign another full-back. Gomez is a Spain Under-21 international who signed for Anderlecht last year after coming through at Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.
11.59 BST: Barcelona have sold a further 24.5% of Barca Studios to Orpheus Media for €100m in a bid to register all their new signings for Saturday’s game against Rayo Vallecano.
Barca still have seven players unregistered heading into the first game of the season, but sources say they are hopeful the situation can now be resolved. LaLiga will review the documents to see if everyone, including €45m signing Robert Lewandowski, can now be registered.
It is possible Barca still need to slightly reduce their wage bill to ensure everyone is available to face Rayo, but that could be done through an adjustment to Gerard Pique’s salary, with talks at an advanced stage.
It is the fourth “financial lever” Barca have pulled this summer. They previously sold 24.5% of Barca Studios to Socios.com and vended 25% of their domestic television rights to Sixth Street for 25 years in two separate deals worth over €500m.
11.24 BST: Valencia coach Gennaro Gattuso has ruled out the arrival of Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo. Los Che were in talks to sign Melo on a season-long loan from Juve but the deal has not materialised.
Asked about the Brazilian midfielder, Gattuso said: “Of course I like him but we can’t pay him.” It’s useless to think about it or make false promises. What we have to do is work, work and continue to work to find our identity.”
Arthur, 25, is under contract with the Turin giants for three further seasons. The Brazilian midfielder has struggled to make an impact in Turin since joining from Barcelona in the summer of 2020.
Valencia are still looking to find a replacement for Goncalo Guedes. Wolverhampton signed the Portuguese winger for a reported €33m earlier this month.
“We have brought in [Samu] Castillejo [from AC Milan], [Samuel] Lino [from Atletico Madrid] and Nico [Gonzalez] from Barca,” Gattuso said. “We’ve lost Guedes and we hope to replace him. We have financial limitations but there’s the will to work… The pitch will tell us how far we can go.”
10.49 BST: Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel wants three additional signings before the transfer window closes next month, sources told ESPN’s James Olley, with Wesley Fofana, Frenkie de Jong and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang his key targets.
The Blues are keen on bringing in a centre-back, a central midfielder and a striker as the club continue to play catch-up in the transfer market. Although Chelsea have made five signings including Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella, Tuchel is concerned about the depth and quality of his squad if they are to compete for the Premier League and Champions League titles.
Leicester City’s Fofana is his top centre-back target although Leicester are demanding a world-record fee for a defender, in excess of the £80m Manchester United paid them for Harry Maguire in 2019.
The Blues are also interested in De Jong and have indicated to Barcelona they are willing to match United’s bid for the Dutchman, which stands at €63m rising to €75m. Sources have also indicated De Jong wants to stay at Barcelona, but if he is forced to leave, the 25-year-old would prefer a move to Chelsea over United.
Chelsea are also exploring a deal to sign striker Aubameyang, but similar to De Jong, he wants to stay at Camp Nou and his departure is only being considered due to Barcelona’s ongoing economic difficulties. Chelsea suffered a further blow earlier this week when another forward under consideration, Benjamin Sesko, agreed a deal to move from FC Salzburg to RB Leipzig next summer.
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10.28 BST: Daniel Wass is set to leave Atletico Madrid to return to Brondby in Denmark, according to multiple reports.
The 33-year-old has had a disastrous time at Atletico since joining from Valencia in January, suffering a serious knee injury just minutes into his only LaLiga appearance for the club.
Wass was intended to act as a short-term replacement for Kieran Trippier at right-back, but has failed to convince coach Diego Simeone since returning to fitness.
Fabrizio Romano reported on Friday that the Denmark international had already travelled home to undergo a medical before signing for his first club, who he left in 2011.
09.57 BST: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said a mounting injury list at the club was a concern but added he would not splurge in the transfer market just for the sake of strengthening his squad.
Liverpool, who were held to a disappointing 2-2 draw by newly promoted Fulham on the opening weekend, have been hit with injuries to several key players, including Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita, Diogo Jota, Ibrahima Konate and Kostas Tsimikas.
“We have injuries, that’s how it is. It is a question of how long will the players be out,” Klopp said ahead of Monday’s game against Crystal Palace at Anfield.
“There are different solutions for it. One of them is the transfer market. That only makes sense if we can bring in the right player — the right player, not a player. In some cases it is not possible, in other cases extremely difficult.”
Tsimikas will return to training later on Friday while Keita is expected to be back on Monday. Sources have told ESPN that Thiago, a crucial figure in central midfield, will be out of action for up to six weeks after injuring his hamstring against Fulham.
“All the other solutions are inside the squad… if we had the right solution [in the transfer market] then we would have done it already. We are not stubborn,” Klopp said.
09.33 BST: Paris Saint-Germain have banished Mauro Icardi from first team training, sources told ESPN’s Julien Laurens, along with a collection of other players they are keen to move on.
Icardi is on the transfer list after manager Christophe Galtier decided to drop him from the first team squad. The striker, 29, is now training separately alongside Ander Herrera, Idrissa Gueye, Thilo Kehrer and Julian Draxler in a second group dubbed “The Loft.” Icardi was omitted from the squad for PSG’S Ligue 1 opener against Clermont last weekend and decided to spend two days in Ibiza with his family.
The Argentina international has endured a difficult spell in Paris following his move from Inter Milan in 2019. He scored 12 in his first season at the club and then seven the following year. Icardi scored four last season and PSG have tried to drum up interest in the player this summer, but so far no club has come forward for a player who has a contract at PSG until 2024.
08.46 BST: Napoli and Villarreal are leading the way to bring in Tottenham Hotspur’s Tanguy Ndombele, according to Foot Mercato, who add that both clubs favour a loan with an option to make the deal permanent.
The report also says that the midfielder has received some form of interest from Marseille, Real Betis, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Everton, Bayer Leverkusen, AC Milan and Galatasaray — although none of those clubs have taken any action yet.
Meanwhile, Villarreal president Fernando Roig will consider offers that arrive for some of his players but insists his club has no need to transfer players.
Reports in Spain claim that Villarreal are prepared to let Arsenal target Yeremi Pino go to free up funds to sign Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso.
“We will see if offers arrive and if they do, we will analyse them and see,” Roig said. “We are going to try to keep all of our players. But if an interesting offer comes along, we will see if an agreement can be reached. We don’t have the need to sell.
“We have a good squad and before thinking about buying (players), we have to readjust.” Pino, 19, is one of LaLiga’s most promising players and is under contract with the Yellow Submarine until June 2027.
He has an €80m release clause and Villarreal would only be willing to let him go for a minimum fee of €45m.
08.00 BST: Marcus Rashford is not for sale this summer despite interest from Paris Saint-Germain, sources have told ESPN’s Rob Dawson.
Manchester United have issued a hand-off warning after it emerged Rashford’s representatives met PSG chiefs in Paris last week to discuss a potential move.
Sources told ESPN’s Julien Laurens on Thursday that the French side are looking to sign a forward before the close of the transfer window and have made Rashford one of their top targets. But United have no intention of entering negotiations or entertaining bids.
The 24-year-old has a year left on his contract at Old Trafford, plus the option of another season, meaning United can keep him at the club until 2024. Sources have told ESPN United are keen to agree a new contract with the England striker.
Rashford and his representatives, according to sources, have been aware of interest from PSG dating back to when Mauricio Pochettino took over as manager in January 2021. PSG have indicated they would be willing to hand Rashford a significant pay rise but there has been no contact with United over a potential fee. Sources have told ESPN the Ligue 1 champions value Rashford at around £60m while United’s valuation is likely to be more than double at in excess of £120m.
Rashford has been central to Erik ten Hag’s plans throughout the summer and started the 2-1 defeat to Brighton on the opening weekend of the season. Ten Hag is looking to bolster his forward line before the transfer deadline and is keen to land a versatile winger and a back-up striker.
– Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Leandro Paredes has reached a full agreement with Juventus ahead of a possible transfer, reports Fabrizio Romano. The Argentine is now waiting for the two clubs to come to an agreement on how much the Turin side will pay. As well as the aforementioned Rabiot, Juventus are looking to offload Arthur.
– Le Parisien suggest that Napoli have reached out to PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas, and that the Costa Rica international could be tempted to join them. The 35-year-old had not initially planned on leaving Parc des Princes despite his new backup status to Gianluigi Donnarumma, but Napoli’s interest seems to have turned his head.
– PSG will move to sign RB Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakan if they are unable to bring in Milan Skriniar from Internazionale, reports L’Equipe. The Slovakia international remains the Ligue 1 champions’ priority, but they are studying Simakan in case a move does not materialise.
— With Barcelona wanting to transfer Memphis Depay, La Gazzetta dello Sport have reported that Tottenham Hotspur have made enquiries about the Netherlands international. Juventus remain his most likely destination, though, as they are willing to put all of their efforts into the forward.
– Everton have made their move in an attempt to sign Southampton striker Che Adams, according to The Daily Mail, who add that the Scotland international is interested in heading to Goodison Park. However, the Toffees face competition from Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest.