LIVE Transfer Talk: Liverpool confident they’ll beat rivals to signing Chelsea’s Mount
Steve Nicol reacts to Liverpool’s defending in their 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. (1:54)
The transfer window may be closed around Europe, but teams are looking ahead to the summer and there’s plenty of gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
Liverpool are confident they lead the race for Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount amid further Premier League interest, reports Football Insider.
The England international is entering the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge and while the Blues are keen on retaining the Cobham graduate, they may be forced to part ways with the 24-year-old to ensure he does not leave for free in July 2024.
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Contract negotiations between Mount and Chelsea have stalled in recent weeks. Mount wants to become one of Chelsea’s highest-earners to reflect his role at the club, however after a disappointing 2022-23 season, in which he has managed just three goals, his stock has fallen somewhat. He was also ruled out for the rest of the season due what interim manager Frank Lampard described as a “pelvic injury.”
Alongside Liverpool, there’s Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United who are monitoring the situation.
Liverpool look set for a midfield overhaul this summer, with the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner potentially departing Anfield. Jude Bellingham had previously been identified as a target for the summer, but sources told ESPN earlier this month that Manchester City now lead in the race to sign the 19-year-old Borussia Dortmund star.
The Reds look likely to miss out on Champions League qualification for next season, with Jurgen Klopp’s side nine points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United, which could harm their chances of landing Mount, however they remain confident in securing the midfielder’s signature in the summer.
13.55 BST: Brentford manager Thomas Frank has dismissed talk of Aaron Hickey joining Manchester City this summer, but has backed the young full-back to become a top player.
Hickey, 20, has impressed since making his £14m move from Bologna last summer, starting 18 Premier League games for the Bees.
The Scotland international has been linked with interest from Premier League champions City, but Frank insists he’s going nowhere.
“We will not sell him,” Frank said ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Chelsea. “He’s not even been here a year.
“With all due respect, I think he’s a very good young player that I think has a fantastic future ahead of him. There needs to be a little bit more to get into the City team in terms of performances.”
13.17 BST: Real Madrid are on “red alert” over transfer target Reece James‘ injury record, Diario AS reports, after the Chelsea full-back was ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring problem.
Madrid have reportedly been keen on England international James, 23 — who started both legs of their Champions League quarterfinal with Chelsea this month — as a potential upgrade to Dani Carvajal, 31.
According to AS, James’ persistent injuries this season are a “conditioning factor” in Madrid’s decision making and could force the club to think again.
12.32 BST: Just two days after his club had secured their place in the Football League, Wrexham co-owner McElhenney was making overtures to five-time Champions League winner Gareth Bale, offering him the chance to “un-retire” and represent Wrexham.
The “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” star received a congratulatory video message from former Real Madrid forward Bale which appeared to have been filmed in his natural habitat; the golf course.
McElhenney posted the short video clip on social media, with an accompanying offer for Bale to share a round of golf soon to give the former the opportunity to badger the latter into re-lacing his boots and joining the cause for next season which read: “Hey Gareth Bale let’s play golf, where I totally won’t spend 4 hours trying to convince you to un-retire for one last magical season.”
Bale replied, tagging in the R&A, which organises The Open from its base at the home of golf in St. Andrews, Scotland. He said: “Depends what course…”.
Reynolds weighed in on Wednesday, tweeting: “I will shave a professional-grade golf course into Rob’s back if you’ll give Wrexham a season.”
Hey @GarethBale11 let’s play golf, where I totally won’t spend 4 hours trying to convince you to un-retire for one last magical season 🏴 🏴 🏴 🏴 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/FZgXZbM4zx
11.59 BST: Villarreal’s hopes to renew the contract of Samuel Chukwueze beyond 2024 have all but faded, according to El Periodico Mediterraneo.
The winger has attracted the attention of Real Madrid and six Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Liverpool following his impressive season in which he has scored 13 goals and set up 11 more in all competitions.
Everton came close to signing Chukwueze in the last transfer window but the deal did not materialise.
The Nigeria international, 22, becomes a free agent in June 2024 and has a €100m release clause. Villarreal have tried since last year to convince Chukwueze to sign a new deal without success, so will consider offers this summer knowing that he will leave for free in 2024.
11.21 BST: Manchester United and Manchester City are closely monitoring Napoli centre-back Kim Min-Jae, according to Calciomercato.
Kim, 26, has scored two goals in 40 appearances for Serie A leaders Napoli since joining the Italian outfit last summer from Fenerbahce in a €18m transfer. His solid performances have not gone unnoticed with top Premier League clubs having shown an interest in the South Korea international.
Kim signed a deal with Napoli until June 2025 but has a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave this summer for €50m if the payment is made within the first two weeks of July. Napoli are nevertheless confident that Kim will remain at the club next season to play in the Champions League.
10.33 BST: Xavi Hernandez says Barcelona are not looking for favours from LaLiga as they continue to be linked with a summer move for Lionel Messi.
Messi’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of June and Barca vice president Rafa Yuste recently confirmed the Catalan club have had contact with his camp. However, the financial side of the deal remains difficult and LaLiga president Javier Tebas said last week Barca are not currently in a position to be able to afford to bring Messi back to the club.
“I don’t know, that is a question for the president of LaLiga, not for me,” Xavi said on Tuesday when asked if he thought Tebas could help Barca because of the impact Messi’s possible return could have on the Spanish league.
“I think you’ve asked the wrong person. It’s a question for the president of LaLiga. It’s not about help here, though. There are [financial] regulations which you have to comply with and that’s it.”
Messi, 35, is currently back in Barcelona, where he still has his family home, and on Monday was photographed having dinner with Barca players Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets in the city. Xavi joked he turned up for dessert, quickly adding that he had not spoken with Alba and Busquets about their reunion with Messi before turning the attention to Wednesday’s game at Rayo Vallecano (stream LIVE at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in the U.S.).
“It’s a hypothesis and we are not thinking about it,” he said of coaching Messi next season. “We are focused on winning LaLiga, nothing else. I like speaking about Leo, we have a good relationship, but now is not the moment. All eyes are on Rayo.”
Craig Burley explains why he believes Lionel Messi will be leaving Paris Saint-Germain.
09.54 BST: Marcelo Bielsa is on the verge of becoming Uruguay’s national team coach, sources have told ESPN.
The Uruguay Football Association (AUF) have sent a formal offer for Bielsa to become the next manager after a verbal agreement was reached between the sides.
Bielsa has been out of a job since being dismissed by Leeds United in February last year.
On the international stage, he led Argentina to Olympic gold and the final of the Copa America in 2004, while with Chile qualified for the 2010 World Cup and reached the round of 16 where they lost to Brazil.
09.17 BST: Erik ten Hag’s dilemma with David de Gea was summed up in two cup ties in four days last week. The Manchester United goalkeeper contributed more than most to the shock Europa League exit to Sevilla with two calamitous mistakes, but then on Sunday made crucial saves against Brighton & Hove Albion to help earn a place in the FA Cup final against Manchester City (stream live on ESPN+, US only, June 3).
De Gea is a good goalkeeper. You don’t play more than 500 times for a club like United if you’re not, but the question since Ten Hag took charge last summer has been; can he thrive in a system that demands he’s as good with his feet as he is with his hands?
– Dawson: Will United’s De Gea dilemma force Ten Hag to sign a new keeper?
08.30 BST: The Daily Star reports that Liverpool want to sign Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City to bolster their midfield.
Phillips, 27, joined City from Leeds United last summer, but he has struggled to win a place in the team — partly down to fitness issues.
With no Premier League starts to his name at the Etihad, Phillips could look to move on to increase his playing time. Liverpool see the England international as a good alternative after being priced out of a move for Jude Bellingham.
Liverpool believe they could sign Phillips for £35m, after City had paid a transfer fee of £50m to Leeds.
– Newcastle will consider allowing winger Allan Saint-Maximin to depart the club this summer with AC Milan interested, reports Football Insider. The 26-year-old has managed just one goal for the Magpies this season and the Premier League outfit will allow the Frenchman to leave if they receive a suitable bid in the summer. Several top clubs in Europe are thought to be monitoring the situation.
– Chelsea are watching Internazionale goalkeeper Andre Onana, writes Ekrem Konur. The Cameroon international has been impressive for the Italian giants this season, attracting the attention of many top clubs in Europe. Chelsea are in the market for a new shot-stopper with inconsistent performances from Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga.
– Newcastle are braced for a summer of huge spending with Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney and Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby identified as targets, reports The Sun. The Magpies are prepared to spend up to £150 million in the summer as Eddie Howe assembles a squad to compete in the Champions League next season. The left-back and left-win positions have been identified as areas that need reinforcement, with Tierney and Diaby seen as good fits.
– Victor Osimhen is close to agreeing a deal with Paris Saint-Germain, however the Napoli striker would prefer a move to the Premier League or Bundesliga, according to Foot Mercato. A move to England is the top priority of the Nigeria international, who has interest from Manchester United and Chelsea, while a move to Bayern Munich is also an acceptable club for the 24-year-old.
– Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has given the green light to sign Athletico Paranaense forward Vitor Roque, according to Sport. The Catalan club are desperate for a striker in the summer following a string of poor performances from Robert Lewandowski, with Roque at the top of their list. The report suggests Xavi likes the 18-year-old’s style of play and the fact he offers a different option to Lewandowski, however the LaLiga giants face competition from Arsenal and Chelsea for the Brazilian’s signature.