LIVE Transfer Talk: Man United eye move for Lille’s Botman
Mark Ogden describes Paul Pogba’s second spell at Manchester United as a “huge disappointment”. (1:32)
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!
Manchester United are interested in signing Lille centre-back Sven Botman this summer, says Gianluca Di Marzio.
Botman, 22, wants to leave the French club when the transfer window opens and new United boss Erik ten Hag is a fan of the Netherlands international.
Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni, Juventus‘ Matthijs de Ligt, Villarreal‘s Pau Torres and Ajax’s Jurrien Timber have all been linked with a move to Old Trafford, but Botman could be a cheaper option at around €25 million.
Milan have been linked with Botman but are prioritising a move for his Lille teammate Renato Sanches instead.
– Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
– Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access
19.30 BST: Newcastle United are hopeful of landing Sven Botman despite interest from AC Milan, writes the Athletic.
Having secured a move for Matt Targett, Eddie Howe’s side are now expected to switch focus to Botman, 22, who has been strongly linked with the Rossoneri, as well as to Manchester United.
The Lille defender made 31 appearances across all competitions last season.
19.00 BST: River Plate are keen to acquire Luis Suarez as a replacement for Julian Alvarez.
Speaking on the move, as quoted by Sport, River Plate president Jorge Brito said: “River is willing to make a significant economic effort so that Luis Suarez is the replacement for Julian Alvarez. It is the dream of Gallardo and the leadership. There were already talks with the Uruguayan.”
Suarez, 35, has recently been linked with Aston Villa, and he is set to become a free agent at the end of the month when his contract with Atletico Madrid expires.
18.00 BST: Juventus are facing a battle to win the race for Kalidou Koulibaly, with Barcelona and PSG understood to be the favourites for his signature, according to Calciomercato.
The Senegal international centre-back has just one year left on his deal with Napoli, and amid speculation that he could move on from the Serie A club this summer, it is reported that Gli Azzurri would demand more than the €40million valuation if they are to allow him to move to a direct rival.
17.30 BST: Arsenal are hopeful of securing an agreement with Bukayo Saka over a new deal, writes the Standard.
While Manchester City have recently been linked with the 20-year-old winger, talks are set to take place between Saka’s representatives and the Gunners soon. Saka played in all 38 Premier League games last season, scoring 11 goals and assisting another seven. His current deal isn’t set to expire until the summer of 2024.
17.00 BST: Rangers and Bournemouth are keeping tabs on West Ham star Emmanuel Longelo, reports the Sun.
The 21-year-old full-back made his debut for David Moyes’ side last season, but is since reported to be eyeing a move away from the London Stadium to garner more first team experience.
Longelo was previously linked with Nottingham Forest in January.
16.30 BST: Freiburg are stepping up talks for Marseille star Bamba Dieng, according to Foot Mercato.
The Ligue 1 side are looking for a fee of €15million to part ways with the 22-year-old forward who scored seven goals in 25 Ligue 1 appearances last season. It is reported that talks have already begun between Freiburg, who finished 6th in the Bundesliga, and the Senegal international’s representatives.
15.51 BST: Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku looks set to leave the club for a loan return to Inter Milan, but The Evening Standard says that the Premier League club want to include Lautaro Martinez, Alessandro Bastoni or Milan Skriniar in a swap deal.
Inter want to bring the 29-year-old Lukaku back, but can’t spend near the €115m they received for him in the summer of 2021.
A loan deal is on the cards, but Chelsea want to bring in either striker Martinez, or defenders Bastoni and Skriniar to replace Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and possibly Cesar Azpilicueta.
15.03 BST: USWNT star Trinity Rodman is an exceptional player.
Sebastian Salazar feels USWNT’s Trinity Rodman has the potential to become one of the top stars of U.S. soccer.
14.33 BST: Manchester United are prepared to rival Liverpool for the signing of Benfica striker Darwin Nunez, sources have told ESPN.
United are looking for a young forward this summer and 22-year-old Nunez is high up on their list of players.
Liverpool have also registered their interest and sources have told ESPN that United would not be put off even if it meant going head-to-head with the Anfield side.
Nunez, according to sources, is keen for regular Champions League football which would put Liverpool ahead in the race but United believe there is a chance he could be convinced to move to Old Trafford.
Sources have told ESPN that an issue for both United and Liverpool is Benfica’s valuation.
The Portuguese side initially quoted more than £110m to sign the Uruguay international, although there is a feeling any bid over £80m would be taken seriously given Nunez, who has a contract until 2025, is keen on a move.
14.04 BST: Chelsea made their first signing under the new ownership led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital after their women’s team brought in France defender Eve Perisset from Bordeaux on Wednesday.
Perisset, who has signed a three-year deal, will join Chelsea on July 1 as they prepare to defend their Women’s Super League title in the 2022-23 season.
The Boehly-Clearlake consortium completed its takeover of Chelsea from Roman Abramovich last month after the Russian owner put the club up for sale in March following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation.”
“The time was right for me to make this big move to London and join the English Super League,” Perisset, who becomes the first French female player to play for Chelsea, said.
13.24 BST: Liverpool have firmly rejected a second offer from Bayern Munich for Sadio Mane, with sources telling ESPN the Premier League runners-up are bemused by the approach.
Bayern’s initial approach for Mane, who is into the final year of his contract at Liverpool, was rejected and a second bid, which saw the figures on offer increased to a total of £30m, has also been knocked back. The second offer comprised of £23.5m upfront and the bonuses increased by £2.5m to £6.5m.
A source told ESPN in order for the transfer fee to reach that figure Bayern would have to win the Champions League three years in a row and Mane would have to win the Ballon d’Or three times.
13.10 BST: Luka Modric has extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2023.
Florentino Pérez ✍ @lukamodric10 #Modrić2023 pic.twitter.com/usMIkaU2LP
13.04 BST: Valencia are set to appoint Gennaro Gattuso as the new coach on Thursday, says Superdeporte.
Gattuso, who will replace the sacked Jose Bordalas, will sign a contract with Los Che until June 2024 with an option to extend it for a further year.
The former AC Milan and Napoli coach will become the third Italian to guide Valencia following Claudio Ranieri and Cesare Prandelli.
12.44 BST: Everton are closing on the signing of Burnley defender James Tarkowski, according to The Athletic.
Tarkowski, 29, has a contract which expires this summer and is undergoing a medical at Goodison Park.
The England defender was a key player for Burnley in 2021-22, but they were relegated to the Championship.
12.22 BST: Manchester City have agreed to sign Spain international defender Leila Ouahabi from Barcelona Femeni.
Ouahabi, 29, is one of the leading wing-backs in the Spanish game and her contract expires in the summer. She will officially join City on July 1.
“I am very happy,” she said. “I was looking forward to this moment and I am really happy now it is all done. Manchester City have always been a team that caught my eye. I like their style of football so much and the DNA of the Club is very exciting.
“This is going to be a completely different experience for me, and I’m really looking forward to it. I want to continue enjoying my football and City are a strong Club. Both personally and professionally, I think I will grow and develop here. I also want to keep winning trophies. I like winning and being competitive, and I am coming here to win trophies for City.”
12.16 BST: The president of Getafe, Angel Torres, has confirmed the club have been offered a chance to sign Gareth Bale.
The 32-year-old Wales international, who is now a free agent after leaving Madrid, could have an opportunity to stay in Spain with the club based on the outskirts of Madrid.
“We spoke to Bale’s agent 45 minutes ago, they offered him to us, we will study it,” Torres said on Wednesday morning at the launch of Getafe’s new kits for the 2022-2023 season.
Bale is keen to continue his career on a short-team deal until Wales play at the 2022 World Cup in November.
12.04 BST: Tottenham have announced the signing of Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster.
✍️ We are delighted to announce the signing of Fraser Forster.
Welcome to Spurs, Fraser! 💙
12.00 BST: Are Chelsea about to lose two of their biggest stars?
The Gab-O-Meter returns to predict the Chelsea futures of Romelu Lukaku and Christian Pulisic.
11.05 BST: Shakhtar Donetsk right-back Dodo is on Barcelona’s radar, according to Diario Sport.
Dodo, who has been compared in style to Dani Alves, has a contract with Shakhtar until 2025 but is said to be keen to move this summer if possible.
Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Fiorentina and Tottenham have all been linked with the Brazilian, whose desire for a new challenge extends beyond Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where he’s spent the last three years of his career.
United States international Sergino Dest is the only right-back with a contract at Barca beyond the end of this month. Alves’ short-term deal is due to expire on June 30, although he could yet sign an extension, while Sergi Roberto‘s terms are also up this summer.
However, sources have told ESPN that Roberto has agreed a one-year extension with a heavily reduced salary. An official announcement is expected on Friday. Barca have also been linked with a move for Chelsea right-back Cesar Azpilicueta, while they were also monitoring Noussair Mazraoui, who recently joined Bayern Munich from Ajax.
10.49 BST: Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso says he would like to return to Spain but any move away from Stamford Bridge this summer depends on the club sanctioning a transfer.
Alonso, 31, has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona with his Chelsea deal due to expire in 2023.
“I have one more year on my contract,” he told radio station Onda Cero from the Spain camp, where he is preparing for Wednesday’s UEFA Nations League match against Switzerland.”I have said before I would like to [return to Spain], but it doesn’t depend on me. It’s clear that the desire to play in Spain one day is there.”
Barcelona’s financial position will not allow them to pay a big fee for Alonso, so they are depending on Chelsea’s new owners agreeing to let the left-back leave on the cheap.
Alonso, meanwhile, hopes that following six years of service, and with just 12 months to run on his contract, the Premier League side will open the door to a transfer this summer. Barca are also set to sign Chelsea centre-back Andreas Christensen for free when his contract expires at the end of the month, while Cesar Azpilicueta is a target, too.
10.11 BST: Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino believes Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele is an attractive option for any club.
Dembele, 25, is expected to leave Barcelona at the end of this month when his contract expires. The France international has so far turned down contract extension offers from Barca and is a reported target of Chelsea and PSG.
Asked about the possibility to see Dembele at PSG, Pochettino said: “He is French. The situation is favourable. He can be signed by any big club… he is a player who has exploded this season. He has a great quality and for his profile, PSG could be interested in him, but I don’t say that he is in the agenda.”
09.49 BST: Juventus have entered negotiations with Atletico Madrid over the permanent signing of Alvaro Morata, according to COPE.
Morata, 29, has spent the last two season on loan at Juventus from Atletico Madrid, with Juve having the option to sign him for €35m before June 15.
Juve want Morata to remain at the club beyond this summer but are looking to reach an agreement with Atletico to lower that transfer fee.
Morata is under contract with Atletico until June 2023 but is keen to remain in Italy.
09.20 BST: Manchester United and Tottenham reported target Alessandro Bastoni has no intention to leave Inter Milan this summer.
Bastoni, 23, is under contract with Inter through June 2024. The Italy international has attracted the attention of several Premier League clubs after a strong season with the Nerazzurri.
“Regarding my future, I have two years left on my contract with Inter so I’ve very calm,” he said. “The club has not notified me of anything so I’m truly calm. My focus is on the national team, then I will go on holiday and join Inter for pre-season training at Appiano Gentile.”
Bastoni made 44 appearances for Inter in the past season.
08.55 BST: AC Milan are closing on a move for Lille midfielder Renato Sanches, says Fabrizio Romano.
Sanches, 24, has reshaped his career in France after moving to Bayern Munich for a potential €80m back in 2016 when he was 18. The Portugal international flopped at Bayern but has starred for Lille and Milan have been interested for some time as they look to replace Franck Kessie, who is joining Barcelona this summer.
Romano claims Milan have reached verbal agreement with Sanches, but talks are ongoing over the transfer fee.
08.19 BST: Paul Pogba has spoken publicly for the first time since his departure from Manchester United and said he is looking forward to “enjoying” himself at his next club.
Last week, United announced that Pogba would leave the club for a second time on a free transfer after his contract expires at the end of June.
Sources have told ESPN that the midfielder is set to return to Juventus and Pogba said he wants enjoy his football again in the future.
“I just want the best for me,” he told Uninterrupted on Tuesday. “I’m thinking, putting everything together, taking my time, and I’m just looking for the best, I want to play football, be myself always, and enjoy what I do.
“I need to enjoy what I do because otherwise I cannot perform well. I don’t want to be thinking negatively. We can be losing games, trophies but you have to be happy and enjoy yourself — that’s what I’m looking for.”
08.00 BST: Aurelien Tchouameni is set to join Real Madrid from AS Monaco on a five-year contract, sources have told ESPN.
The Champions League winners and the Ligue 1 side have reached an agreement for a deal worth up to €80m plus add-ons with the player set to undergo a medical before the transfer is completed.
Madrid have seen off competition from Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool to land Tchouameni with both clubs attempting to convince the player to follow in the footsteps of Kylian Mbappe and turn down the Spanish giants.
ESPN reported in May that the midfielder had decided to choose Madrid despite the interest from Liverpool and PSG.
Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens discuss the success of Carlo Ancelotti after he became the first manager ever to win the Champions League four times.
– Juventus are beginning to grow impatient with Paris Saint-Germain‘s Angel Di Maria, who will be a free agent after June 30, with Barcelona also showing interest in the Argentine, reports Calciomercato. The Serie A side want the winger to sign on a two-year contract, while he wants to stay with them for one season before returning to his homeland. With Di Maria looking to weigh up his options, Juventus have insisted they won’t wait long.
– Villarreal frontman Gerard Moreno has entered Barcelona‘s thinking as they aim to bring in a striker this summer, as has been reported by Diario Sport. The Blaugrana see the striker position as a key area to strengthen and, while Bayern Munich‘s Robert Lewandowski remains the priority, they are looking at alternatives in case the Poland international’s situation becomes too complicated. Barca boss Xavi Hernandez feels that Moreno meets his requirements, having netted 13 goals in 27 games last season, and despite his release clause of €100 million, the Yellow Submarine are willing to negotiate and could accept around €40m — a similar figure to what the Catalans are planning to invest to sign Lewandowski. However, there is expected to be competition for the 30-year-old’s signature, as Atletico Madrid reportedly see him as a possible replacement for Luis Suarez.
– Chelsea are willing to subsidise some of Romelu Lukaku‘s wages as the Belgian tries to get a loan move back to Internazionale, as reported by The Evening Standard, who add that the Blues are demanding he also takes a pay cut. If the striker does leave, they want to bring in a specialist replacement with new owner Todd Boehly ready to sanction a £200m squad rebuild. Manager Thomas Tuchel is also willing to give striker Armando Broja a chance to impress in preseason after the Albania international caught the eye during his loan spell with Southampton.
– On Wednesday, midfielder Luka Modric will sign a one-year contract extension to stay with Real Madrid until 2023, as reported by AS. Negotiations were simple due to both sides being keen to stay together, and Modric will fly to the Santiago Bernabeu to sign the contract before re-joining his Croatia teammates.
– RB Leipzig are considering a move for Spartak Moscow midfielder Alex Kral, according to Sky Germany. The Czech Republic international played one solitary Premier League minute during his season on loan at West Ham United. There have been initial exchanges between the player’s management and RB Leipzig, who could be set to lose Konrad Laimer and Amadou Haidara. They are also open to offloading USMNT star Tyler Adams if a suitable offer comes in.
– Corriere dello Sport have offered an insight into Roma’s possible activity in the summer transfer window, stating that Roger Ibanez, Stephan El Shaarawy and Nicolo Zaniolo could be among the various players to leave. It won’t be all departures, though, with Manchester United‘s free agent-to-be Nemanja Matic, Lille‘s Zeki Celik and Bodo/Glimt’s Ola Solbakken all potential signings.