Transfer Talk: Manchester United want Choupo-Moting to replace Ronaldo
The summer transfer window is closed for the major leagues in Europe. However, with an eye on January, 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 want to sign Bayern Munich forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to replace Cristiano Ronaldo in January, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.
As difficult as it would have been to imagine that sentence being written at times in the past, the Red Devils are seriously considering the Cameroon international and have even made enquiries.
The 33-year-old former Stoke City striker has been in superb form for Bayern this season, recording 10 goals and three assists in 14 appearances across all competitions — he has also scored nine goals in his past seven outings.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s struggles at Old Trafford have been well documented and the Portugal star has three goals and two assists in 16 matches across all competitions, with just one of those goals coming in the Premier League.
Man United bosses seemingly expect Choupo-Moting to leave Bavaria during the January window, with his contract set to end in the summer of 2023. However, there is an insistence that the he will stay with Bayern and that talks about a new contract will take place after the World Cup.
The striker will be hoping to replicate his club form and make the difference for his nation in Qatar, where he will face Switzerland, Serbia and then Brazil in the group stage.
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11.42 GMT: Sporting CP winger Issahaku Fatawu has a host of Premier League clubs on his trail, according to O Jogo.
Fatawu, 18, has only played six times this season and has no goals, while his contract expires in 2026. But the report claims Everton, Liverpool, and Manchester United are tracking his progress ahead of a possible January move for the Ghana international.
10.35 GMT: Gareth Southgate has told ESPN he believes Christian Pulisic has faced difficulties adapting to the Premier League but is still wary of the threat he poses when England face the United States at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Nov. 25.
Pulisic has endured mixed fortunes at Chelsea since making a £58 million move from Borussia Dortmund in 2019, scoring 26 goals in 131 games.
The 24-year-old won the Champions League in 2021 under then-head coach Thomas Tuchel but more than half of his appearances for Chelsea have come off the bench amid persistent injury problems.
In exclusive interview with ESPN, Southgate said: “I obviously watched him [Pulisic] a fair bit at Dortmund as we had Jadon Sancho there at the time and then moving into Chelsea, I think that adaptation from the Bundesliga to the Premier League isn’t straightforward for a start.
“The level of the biggest games is similar if you’re playing Bayern Munich or [Red Bull] Leipzig but then when you drop down the league, there’s a big difference between the spending power in the bottom half of the Premier League where they can basically take players from some of the biggest clubs in Europe and the bottom half of most of the other leagues in Europe where that depth isn’t there.
“So, I think that takes some adjusting to not only the physical nature of our league but the intensity of every match.
“Of course, he’s had two or three coaches to deal with so I think there’s been moments where he’s looked like he’s on his way, he’s flowing and he’s got a coach that believes in him and he’s had to deal then with setbacks with injury.
“He would probably feel he hasn’t got quite to where he wants to get to yet, I’d imagine, but he’s a very good player and is a player when you’re looking at the opposition teamsheet, he’s someone you’ve got to be aware of and got to be ready for.”
10.04 GMT: Atletico Madrid forward Yannick Carrasco could move on in January as the Spanish club look to plug a hole in their finances, says Mundo Deportivo.
Carrasco, 29, has been on the radar of Newcastle in recent transfer windows and Atletico’s failure to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages has hit them by a reported €30m, leaving them having to make up a total of €70m after a tough summer.
The Belgium international was close to moving to Newcastle a few months back, and Eddie Howe’s side could return to try and sign him again.
09.24 GMT: ICYMI – Liverpool’s owner, the Boston-based Fenway Sports Group (FSG), is prepared to sell its controlling stake in the club, sources have told ESPN, 12 years after buying the six-time Champions League winners for just £300m.
As first reported by The Athletic, FSG has enlisted investment banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to assist in the process of finding a potential buyer. Sources familiar with the situation have told ESPN that an information memorandum detailing the possible sale was sent to potential investors last month.
Sources also added that while FSG is inviting offers and prepared to offload its complete holding in the club, the Liverpool owner is also ready to consider offers of outside investment.
According to sources, Liverpool’s valuation could exceed £4 billion because of the club’s trophy-winning history, global fan base and commercial value.
08.48 GMT: Everton midfielder James Garner has opened up on his decision to leave Manchester United this summer after talks with manager Erik ten Hag.
Garner, 21, came through United’s academy and made his first-team debut at 17. However, he never got a run of games for the club, instead cutting his teeth in loan spells at Watford and Nottingham Forest, who he helped gain promotion to the Premier League last season.
Speaking to The Times, Garner said that he met Ten Hag in the summer and the pair decided that a permanent move away from Old Trafford would be the best solution.
“I just think it all made sense,” he said. “I had two good seasons on loan and returned to United in the summer.
“I know in myself I wouldn’t have played if I had stayed. I knew it was the perfect time now, at 21, to move on and try and stake my claim somewhere else and hopefully find a home, which I have now in Everton.
“Where I am at in my career now, I didn’t just want to be an extra body or I didn’t want to just be a spare player in training. Last season, I was one of the main players in Forest’s team and that is what I want to be.
“I don’t want to be just another player who is there for numbers in training. I want to be a main part of the team whether that is a starter or coming off the bench.”
08.00 GMT: Inter Milan hope to speak to the agent of Milan Skriniar this week about renewing the defender’s contract, club chief executive Giuseppe Marotta has said.
Skriniar, 27, is out of contract at the end of the season, but Inter hope to convince the Slovakia international to commit his future to the club that he helped win th eSeri eA title in 2020-21.
Marotta told Calciomercato: “Could it be the right week? Surely we would like to come to a conclusion.
I don’t know the timing, but I think that during this week we will probably have a meeting with his agent. The assumptions are that Skriniar is very attached to the shirt, and I hope that this attachment can translate into a definition of the relationship that is positive for everyone.”
Gab & Juls react to the standout Europa League playoff clash between Manchester United and Barcelona.
– Chelsea and Arsenal are both hoping to sign Porto winger Pepe, who has also operated at right-back this season — that’s according to A Bola. However, either club would have to pay the Brazilian’s release clause of €75m if they are to successfully bring him in.
– Borna Sosa will leave VfB Stuttgart during the January transfer window, reports Florian Plettenberg, who adds that the Bundesliga outfit must offload him due to their financial situation. The club is expecting to bring in between €15m and €25m for the Croatia left-back depending on how he fares at the World Cup.
– Amid interest from Barcelona, Sport Bild says that Borussia Dortmund young gun Youssoufa Moukoko is holding off on signing a new deal. BVB reportedly have had a contract offer ready for the striker to sign for weeks. This new deal would see the 17-year-old’s salary jump to €5m per year, but the Germany U21 international has hesitated in putting pen to paper.
– Bologna are set to offer winger Riccardo Orsolini a new contract in order to see off outside interest in the 25-year-old, reports Calciomercato, with his deal set to end in the summer of 2024. Atalanta, Fiorentina, Torino and Sevilla are all among the clubs that looked at the Italian winger during the summer.
– Real Sociedad are set to reach an agreement with Pablo Marin over a new contract that will keep him with the club until June 2027, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder is considered an important talent for both the present and future of the club after just four appearances for the first team.