Transfer Talk: Rudiger race ramps up for Man Utd, PSG, Barca after Chelsea’s UCL exit
Stewart Robson says Chelsea played a “perfect” game from a tactical standpoint but had too big of a deficit to overcome vs. Real Madrid. (1:00)
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!
The decision surrounding Chelsea centre-back Antonio Rudiger‘s future will be accelerated after the Blues’ exit from the Champions League, as has been reported by The Daily Mail.
Rudiger has been tied to a move out of Stamford Bridge, with Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, and Barcelona among the clubs interested in the Germany defender once his contract ends in the summer.
Having gone 3-1 down in their quarterfinal first leg against Real Madrid, Thomas Tuchel’s side admirably fought back to gain a three-goal lead in the second leg on Tuesday — with help from Rudiger’s goal — before Rodrygo and Karim Benzema rallied Real to a spot in the semifinals.
It is stated that talks about Rudiger’s status will begin to move quickly following the heart-breaking ouster.
Now that Chelsea are out of Europe, those clubs are expected to step up their attempts to persuade the 29-year-old that he should join them.
The Blues are in dire straits when it comes to signing or transferring players due to the sanctions around Roman Abramovich that are in effect until the club is sold to new owners.
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– Lautaro Martinez, Alessandro Bastoni and Milan Skriniar are among the players Internazionale could offload in order to fund their summer transfers, reports Tuttosport. Inter want to sign Juventus‘ Paulo Dybala as a free agent when his contract ends, as well as Torino‘s Bremer. Up front, they are also considering Sassuolo‘s Gianluca Scamacca and Real Madrid’s Luka Jovic, while it’s between Sassuolo’s Davide Frattesi and Real Madrid’s Dani Ceballos in midfield.
– Juventus want to strengthen their midfield in the summer and Calciomercato have offered a list of their options. Manchester United’s Paul Pogba is the first and most heavily reported one, though Juventus could struggle to match his wages. Jorginho is also wanted, though Chelsea’s ownership situation means it could be difficult to negotiate with them. Ajax Amsterdam‘s Ryan Gravenberch had been watched but seems destined for Bayern Munich, while Lazio‘s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic could be another option despite possibly tough negotiations.
– Arsenal are set to compete with Juventus for the signing of Alvaro Morata from Atletico Madrid in the summer, reports Calciomercato. Juventus have an option to sign the Spaniard permanently for €35 million when his loan from Atletico ends, but have been trying to negotiate to bring him in for €15m. Arsenal are planning on offering €25m and would provide Morata a better financial package, though the striker would prefer to stay with Juventus.
– Barcelona are preparing the paperwork for Ronald Araujo‘s contract extension, reports Fabrizio Romano, who adds that it is confirmed it will last until 2026 and include a €1 billion release clause. In addition, they are working on a contract proposal for Gavi that would also include a large release clause.
– Vancouver Whitecaps are in advanced talks to sign Nimes midfielder Adrian Cubas, as reported by MLSsoccer.com. The 25-year-old Paraguayan could be signed as a Designated Player or brought down with allocation money. It is added from reports elsewhere that the transfer fee could be €3m.