LIVE Transfer Talk: Man United close on €70m Bruno Fernandes deal
Steve Nicol understands why Juventus and Real Madrid are interested in Paul Pogba, and says any good team should be as well. (1:55)
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Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes has been attracting the attention of Manchester United and SPORT claims that the club are finally ready to make an offer which might be accepted: €70m to be exact.
The 24-year-old won’t have any issues with personal terms and is set to undergo a medical, with Correio de Manha claiming that his agent, Miguel Pinho, is staying in England until a deal is done.
United have until the Aug. 8 transfer deadline to complete the move, but talk of Paul Pogba‘s rumoured exit to either Real Madrid or Juventus may speed things up a bit.
Sources told ESPN back in May that Fernandes was on United’s shortlist alongside Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul. And when Man City opted to sign Rodri, it left the path clear.
13.48 BST: Get a load of this one!
Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Stoke and Championship side Blackburn have all been linked with England goalkeeper Joe Hart after he fell down the pecking order at Burnley. Now FC Porto are reportedly keen as they seek a replacement for Iker Casillas after he had a heart attack earlier this year.
13.13 BST: Oh dear. Ornstein has spoken. The BBC claim that Real Madrid cancelled Gareth Bale‘s move to China.
Exclusive: Gareth Bale’s proposed move to China is OFF. As things stand, he will be staying at Real Madrid #RMFC
13.05 BST: Speaking of Arsenal — what do the FC TV crew make of their €80m bid for Nicolas Pepe?
Arsenal are closing in on Lille winger Nicolas Pepe, but Shaka Hislop wonders if the Gunners could make better use of €80 million elsewhere.
12.53 BST: Arsenal have moved on to Nicolas Pepe, so Everton are hoping to exploit that by snapping up Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace.
Sky Sports claims that the Toffees have made a £55m bid for the winger, but Palace are holding out for £80m so they might have to try a bit harder.
12.31 BST: Pogba has completed his move to Real.
Yes, Mathias Pogba — Paul’s brother — has joined Spanish third division side Club Deportivo Manchego Ciudad Real.
Bienvenido a tu nueva casa @mathiaspog pic.twitter.com/MjRSJcievQ
12.04 BST: Juventus have made a decision over the future of forward Gonzalo Higuain which is that he is not part of their future plans, according to Il Corriere dello Sport.
The report claims Bianconeri director Fabio Paratici has informed Higuain’s agent and brother, Nicolas, that the Argentine has no future at the club.
Roma are the frontrunners for Higuain’s signature, should they offload Inter Milan target Edin Dzeko.
11.28 BST: Former Manchester United and Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck is struggling to find a new club after being released by the Gunners due to his high wage demands, according to The Sun.
The article claims Lazio and various Premier League clubs would be interested in the Englishman, but have been put off by his demands of £100,000-a-week and a £5 million signing-on bonus.
11.03 BST: There have been some suggestions that Gareth Bale could be loan to Inter Milan should he complete his move to Jiangu Suning.
Suning, who own the Jiangsu club, are also the majority shareholders of Inter — and there is precedent for players moving between the two clubs.
Australia international Trent Sainsbury joined Jiangsu from Dutch side PEC Zwolle ahead of 2016 Chinese Super League season, but left to join Inter on loan.
Meanwhile, ex-Italy international Eder left Inter to join Jiangsu in 2018.
10.38 BST: Leicester want Manchester United to pay more of the £80 million they are demanding for Harry Maguire, because they don’t believe the Old Trafford side will qualify for the Champions League next season, according to the Daily Mail.
United have made the England international their No. 1 defensive transfer target this summer, but the two clubs have so far been unable to agree on a fee.
10.09 BST: Inter Milan will meet Roma on Monday to discuss the signing of Edin Dzeko with the Giallorossi valuing the former Manchester City man at €20 million, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
However, the same article adds Inter have lined up Paris Saint-Germain frontman Edinson Cavani, who the Ligue 1 champions value at €50m, as a backup option.
09.37 BST: Dani Alves has formalised a plan to return to Barcelona…alongside Neymar, according to Mundo Deportivo.
The report claims the recent Copa America winner believes Neymar would benefit from his presence at Camp Nou and, that with him returning, Barca could include Nelson Semedo — a Paris Saint-Germain target — in any deal for the world’s most expensive player.
09.00 BST: We kick off today with done deal as Liverpool have signed 16-year-old Harvey Elliott from Fulham.
Elliott — the youngest player in Premier League history — was a target for Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain, and Borussia Dortmund.
But it’s Liverpool who have won the race for his signature.
Former Real Madrid manager Santi Solari says he only has “good words” for Gareth Bale who now looks set for a move to the Chinese Super League.
Gareth Bale’s impending move to China is set to open up substantial funds for Real Madrid’s summer transfer kitty, and The Mirror claims Manchester United are preparing themselves for a Madrid onslaught after manager Zinedine Zidane ordered Bernabeu bosses to bring in Paul Pogba.
Bale’s departure frees up wages of around £600,000-a-week, which will allow Real to prepare a lucrative financial package in an attempt to entice Pogba to make the switch to La Liga.
Sources have told ESPN that United have no interest in selling their World Cup-winning midfielder, but it is believed that stance will not deter Madrid, who will have to smash their transfer record at around £150m if they are to sign the Frenchman.
Zidane has made no secret of his admiration of compatriot Pogba, while the 26-year-old admitted in March that it would “be a dream” to join the club..
Calciomercato claims Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri isn’t quite convinced with his midfield options at the club and is hoping sporting director Fabio Paratici can land at least one of his three main targets.
The trio in the frame are Sergej Milinkovic-Savic of Lazio, Real Madrid’s Isco and Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Christian Eriksen — the latter of whom has just a year left on his contract in north London, meaning the Serie A champions could potentially secure yet another bargain in the transfer market.
Such a signing requires Juve to push some of their current crop out the door, however, with Sami Khedira and Blaise Matuidi reportedly out of favour in Turin.
It is believed former Chelsea boss Sarri is looking to swap out the more defensive-minded midfield role in the side for an attacking 10-goal-a-season player.
Bienvenido a tu nueva casa @mathiaspog pic.twitter.com/MjRSJcievQ
Newcastle United appear to have dropped out of the running to sign Tottenham Hotspur left-back Danny Rose, after Steve Bruce’s side turned their noses up at the England international’s wage demands, says The Sun.
The 29-year-old reportedly earns £60,000 a week at Spurs, and with the Magpies targeting players on around £50,000 a week, it seems they have been priced out of a move for the Champions League runner-up.
That news will be a welcome development for the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, with the former believing they are now in pole position for the one-time Leeds man, thanks to their financial clout in the wage department.
Rose didn’t travel with the Spurs squad for their preseason tour of Asia, and boss Mauricio Pochettino will not stand in his way should a suitable offer come in.
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It’s hard to imagine a guy with a CV like the one Dani Alves has would have to post a plea on social media that he is in search of work, but that’s what happened on Saturday when the Brazil international posted this message on Instagram.
The former Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Barcelona standout has won club and international trophies the world over from Champions League crowns to league titles in Spain, Italy and France, but that hasn’t moved the needle for any prominent clubs to make a move for the free agent.
And Alves isn’t short on references to go with his résumé, either. After making his Insta post, he received shoutouts of support from Neymar, Renato Augusto and Douglas Costa vouching for the player’s quality and his ability to still be a top player for a top club.
One final show of support came from Alves’ partner Joana Sanz, who suggested the 36-year-old look for work with second-tier Spanish side Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Although we’re not sure if that idea was more for Alves’ benefit or his partner’s!
– Speaking of good references, The Sun reports that Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, who scored an outrageous goal against Charlton on Saturday, has the backing of Sir Alex Ferguson for a move to Manchester United. McGinn’s father is a friend of Sir Alex’s, and the former United boss has urged the Red Devils to bring the Scotland international to Old Trafford.
– The never-ending saga surrounding a move to Manchester United for Leicester defender Harry Maguire is currently, and still, never-ending. The Leicester Mercury says Brendan Rodgers hasn’t seen any acceptable offers for the England international, while the Mail adds the timing of the payment on a rumoured £80m fee continues to be a sticking point.
– Wolves are looking to build on their impressive seventh-place finish last season in the Premier League by raiding AC Milan for Patrick Cutrone to help their cause, according to The Express. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side made their first acquisition of the summer on Saturday with the addition of Jesus Vallejo on a season-long loan from Real Madrid.
– The Sun claims Newcastle are looking to seal a cut-price deal for Amiens defender Emil Krafth. The 24-year-old Sweden international, who also had a four-year spell at Serie A side Bologna, could be set to make the switch to St James’ Park for around £1m.
– Fulham manager Scott Parker is looking to make further additions to his squad ahead of the new season, and The Sun claims he is interested in signing Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter — who also is Parker’s brother-in-law. The 29-year-old is out of favour on the south coast, and he could be available for around £8m.
– Reports in The Sun claim Turkish giants Galatasaray are in the running to sign former Chelsea defender Gary Cahill on a free transfer, and they are hoping that a little help from Blues legend and former Gala striker Didier Drogba can persuade the 33-year-old to make the switch.