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!
TOP STORY: Inter reject PSG offer for Skriniar
Paris Saint-Germain have had their first transfer offer of €50 million turned down for Inter Milan centre-back Milan Skriniar, reports Foot Mercato.
Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are also said to be tracking the player and could sneak in if PSG fail to meet Inter’s demands.
PSG have identified the Slovakia captain as a key reinforcement for this summer, but despite the Nerazzurri being keen to raise funds to bring back Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea, Simone Inzaghi’s side aren’t prepared to part with the 27-year-old defender unless they receive a transfer fee that reflects their valuation.
Inter could also use Chelsea’s interest in Skriniar to drive a deal for Lukaku.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter are seeking a fee of around €80m, but could be prepared to negotiate at €70m. With Skriniar deemed to be a priority target for PSG this summer, it is expected that they will return with an improved offer.
LIVE BLOG
21.59 BST: Gazzetta dello Sport reports that AC Milan are motivated to complete a deal for Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca in light of Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal pushing to poach the 23-year-old. Sassuolo are said to want a €40m transfer fee for the Italy international, a figure that the Rossoneri have deemed too rich, and are now said to be considering offering a player-plus-cash deal including one of Lorenzo Colombo, Daniel Maldini or Marco Nasti.
21.38 BST: While Ruben Neves is a name that’s been mentioned with more and more frequency in relation to a move to Barcelona in recent days, manager Xavi has no intention of signing the Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder, according to Mundo Deportivo. The Blaugrana have limited funds to work with in this summer’s transfer market, and will instead prioritise signing a forward, another centre-back and potentially Bernardo Silva of Manchester City rather than bolstering their midfield options.
21.15 BST: Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been pushing to leave Arsenal for some time, and the Gunners may finally be prepared to allow the versatile 24-year-old to leave on a permanent deal, the Mirror reports. The England international with five caps to his name is said to be a priority signing for newly promoted Nottingham Forest, but they are just “one of several clubs” hoping to conclude a deal this summer.
20.52 BST: With Lorenzo Insigne leaving for Toronto FC this summer, Napoli are in search of a replacement, and according to Naples publication Il Mattino, they are closing in on a deal for free agent Federico Bernardeschi. Should a deal for the 28-year-old former Juventus attacker fall through, the Partenopei could turn their attention to Adnan Januzaj of Real Sociedad.
20.29 BST: AS Roma have registered their interest in 35-year-old free agent forward Dries Mertens, Corriere dello Sport writes, but they face competition from Napoli – where the Belgium international has spent the past nine seasons – and Valencia.
Further complicating matters is wages. Mertens reportedly is seeking a financial package approaching €5m including bonuses and add-ons for one season, a figure that neither Italian clubs are willing to meet.
20.06 BST: The Guardian reports that Tottenham Hotspur have agreed terms for the transfer of Nottingham Forest right-back Djed Spence. The 21-year-old England youth international will reportedly leave the freshly promoted club for north London for a transfer fee said to be around £20m.
19.43 BST: It would appear that 17-year-old midfield prodigy Gavi is set to remain at Barcelona.
“We are close to reaching an agreement with Gavi,” Sport quotes club president Joan Laporta as saying. “We are optimistic: we want Gavi to continue. The player and his representative want it too.”
19.20 BST: Arsenal No. 1 Bernd Leno is Fulham’s first-chice candidate to be their starting goalkeeper upon their return to the Premier League, according to the Athletic. The 30-year-old Germany international reportedly would prefer to remain in London after his expected departure from the Gunners, where he lost his place in the XI to Aaron Ramsdale last season.
18.57 BST: TSG Hoffenheim midfielder Christoph Baumgartner is considering leaving the Bundesliga club this summer, Bild writes, and suggests that a move to LaLiga is most likely. Sevilla are credited with strong interest in the 22-year-old Austria international with a €30m release clause, but Liverpool, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid are also said to be monitoring the situation.
18.34 BST: A decision is expected to be made soon over the future of 18-year-old Chicago Fire No. 1 Gabriel Slonina, Fabrizio Romano reports. Real Madrid recently had a bid rejected by the MLS side, and Chelsea have revived their interest in the United States youth international following the completion of Todd Boehly’s takeover of the club, and Chicago stands to receive potentially an MLS-record transfer fee for the goalkeeping prodigy.
18.11 BST: AS suggests that Barcelona would like to move on from centre-back and vice-captain Gerard Pique, although his standing as a fan favourite makes that a complicated prospect. The 35-year-old Spain international’s numerous injury issues of late, coupled with his penchant for controversy off the pitch and his €19m annual wages make him a player the cash-strapped Catalan club could afford to do without.
17.48 GMT: Everton forward Richarlison is in advanced negotiations over a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur, according to UOL Esporte’s Bruno Andrade. The 25-year-old Brazil international has regularly impressed in his four years at Goodison Park, and it seems is now set for a €60m move to north London.
17.25 BST: Kalvin Phillips is set to be one of the most in-demand players after the international break — if he gets his agent sorted.
Phillips, 26, suffered an injury-ravaged season as Leeds United just managed to avoid relegation from the Premier League. He is currently away on international duty with England and will make no decision on his future until after the game against Hungary on Tuesday. And plenty of clubs are waiting.
The Daily Mail reports that the midfielder’s existing agreement with Palm Sports Management expired last week, and every big agency is hoping he choses to sign his future to them.
The decision he makes could have a huge bearing on where he plays his football next season, with most of the Premier League biggest clubs ready to make their move if he indicates he wants to leave Leeds. A transfer fee of £60m could secure his services.
16.52 BST: Bild journalist Christian Falk says that Ajax midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has completed his move to Bayern Munich, and has penned a five-year deal through to 2027.
Bayern will reportedly €19, plus an additional €6m in bonuses, to sign the 20-year-old. Neither club has yet confirmed the transfer.
TRUE✅ Ryan Gravenberch signed a contract in Munich today until 2027 @BILD_Sport @SPORTBILD
— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) June 11, 2022
Gravenberch flew into Munich on Saturday morning to complete the deal
“Bayern is a big club,” he told Bild upon leaving the airport. “I think you have to win big titles here.
“That is also what I expect for myself. I’m happy to be here in Munich now.”
16.20 BST: Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Paul Pogba has agreed terms on a return to Juventus, ending Pars Saint-Germain’s hopes of taking the France international back to his homeland.
Pogba, 29, will be out of contract at the end of the month and had also been linked with Real Madrid. He left Juve in 2016 to sign for Manchester United, but is now set to swap the clubs for the third time having originally left United for the Italian club.
The report says that Pogba will sign a four-year contract at the Turin club worth up to €80m. That works out as up to €10m net per season (€7.5m-€8m plus bonuses), with agency and signing-on fees taking the outlay up to €80m.
15.47 BST: Atalanta are ready to rival Inter Miami and River Plate for the signing of Luis Suarez.
Suarez, 35, is available on a free transfer when his Atletico Madrid contract expires at the end of the month. The Uruguay international is eager to secure a deal at a top club ahead of this year’s World Cup finals.
Major League Soccer outfit Inter Milan have been eager to tie him to a contract for at least the rest of 2022, but face competition for his signature.
However, Marca reports that Suarez would prefer to stay in Europe, which would also be a blow to Argentine club River Plate.
That could open the way for Serie A side Atalanta, though a lack of European football this season could count against them.
15.16 BST: Could Marco Asensio be about to swap Real Madrid for Manchester United?
Mundo Deportivo reports that United have first refusal on the 26-year-old, who made 19 La Liga starts last season but has fallen behind Federico Valverde in coach Carlo Ancelotti’s plans.
The striker is said to have a transfer value of €50m and agent Jorge Mendes is said to have held talks with United. He started his career with Mallorca before joining Madrid in 2014.
14.42 BST: The Daily Telegraph reports that Jay-Z could have an important role to play in the future of Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku.
The 29-year-old is keen to return to Inter Milan after a poor season back at Chelsea, but the Serie A side will struggle to make the deal work financially.
Last year, new Chelsea owner Ted Boehly teamed up with Roc Nation, of which Jay-Z is the founder and chairman, to invest in Fanatics, a sports merchandise company. Roc Nation is also in charge of Lukaku’s commercial interests.
Chelsea have already indicated Lukaku can leave Stamford Bridge if the deal is right, although journalist Fabrizio Romano insists that so far there has been no contact between the two clubs.
There has been no meeting between Inter and Chelsea today for Romelu Lukaku. Still no direct contact between clubs. 🔵 #transfers
Inter director Ausilio was in London to meet with Nikola Milenković’s agent, target in case Bastoni or Skriniar leave [he’s top of the list for PSG].
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 10, 2022
Could the relationship between Boehly and Jay-Z help pave a way to the San Siro?
14.05 BST: Atletico Madrid are leading the race to sign Valencia midfielder Carlos Soler, according to reports in AS.
Soler has one year left on his Valencia contract and is expected to leave this summer, with plenty of suitors.
The Spain international has been a long-term target of Barcelona, but the Catalan club cannot afford Soler’s transfer. Juventus have also monitored Soler’s situation but want to wait until next summer to sign the player as a free agent.
Valencia want Soler to remain but should the player reject a contract extension, they want to transfer him before he leaves next year for free. Atletico are prepared to negotiate with Valencia the arrival of Soler on a permanent deal.
Soler, 25, scored 12 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions this past season.
13.23 BST: Are Bayern Munich any closer to agreeing a deal for Liverpool striker Sadio Mane? The Daily Mail reports that the Bundesliga giants still need to find another £8.5m if they are to sign the Senegal international.
Mane, 30, is about to move into the final year of his contract at Anfield and has dropped several hints that he intends to move on this summer. Bayern will almost certainly be his new club, if they can agree a transfer deal with Liverpool.
Liverpool have reportedly turned down two offers and want £42.5m for the striker, but Bayern have do far only tabled a deal which is worth £35m. Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann has been in contact with Mane as a deal edges closer.
Bayern are also trying to resolve the future of Robert Lewandowski, who is also into the last 12 months of his deal and wants to join Barcelona. Any transfer fee received for the Poland international would be invested into the Mane deal.
12.45 BST: DONE DEAL! Real Madrid have announced the signing of the the highly rated France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni from AS Monaco on a six-year contract.
The Champions League winners have agreed to pay a transfer fee of around €80 million to sign Tchouameni, 22, after seeing off competition from Liverpool to land the player.
Tchouameni is seen by Madrid as a potential long-term replacement for Casemiro, 30, and will form part of a new midfield generation at the Bernabeu alongside Federico Valverde (23) and Eduardo Camavinga (19).
– Karlsen: What Tchouameni offers Real Madrid
#WelcomeTchouaméni pic.twitter.com/b6xdzmw4p1
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) June 11, 2022
12.20 BST: The Daily Mail says that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is getting increasingly frustrated with the club’s lack of transfer activity.
Arteta is desperate to get the rebuild of his squad started, mindful that he is going to need more players for the Europa League campaign.
The Gunners were right at the front of the queue to sign Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus this summer, but their dithering threatens the deal as Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid are now all being linked.
The report says that Arteta must get all major deals approved by the American ownership before they can be completed — and that could cost them Jesus.
11.39 BST: Liverpool are in advanced talks with Benfica over the signing of Darwin Nunez, sources told ESPN’s Adriana Garcia on Friday.
Nunez, 22, is set to break Liverpool’s transfer record, with the deal expected to be worth around €80 million plus €20m in add-ons. The agreement between the clubs has yet to be completed, but talks are progressing well.
Benfica were initially only willing to negotiate Nunez’s departure for around €130m.
11.00 BST: Gareth Bale has ruled out a move to Madrid-based club Getafe this summer. Getafe president Angel Torres claimed earlier this week that they would consider signing the Wales international as a free agent after being offered to his club by the player’s representatives.
Bale’s nine-year spell at Real Madrid will come to an end once his contract expires at the end of this month. The former Tottenham winger played only seven games for Madrid last season.
“I’m not going to Getafe, that’s for sure!” Bale said at a news conference on international duty with Wales. “I just want to be playing going into the World Cup to be as fit as I can.
“Hopefully, I can enjoy my holiday and then decide where I want to be and what I want to do to try to play games to be as fit as I can for the World Cup. Once I get back into playing regular football, my body will get more robust and a bit better.”
10.19 BST: The Guardian reports that Arsenal are set to announce the signing of Brazilian winger Marquinhos — not be confused with the 28-year-old Paris Saint-Germain defender of the same name — in £3m deal from Sao Paulo.
The 19-year-old is to sign a five-year contract at the Emirates and will link up with his new teammates this summer, but it likely to be loaned out for the 2022-23 season. The report says that Marquinhos has been capped by Brazil through to under-17 level, and he has made 41 appearances, mostly as a substitute, for his club.
There could be controversy, however, as Wolves thought that they held a valid precontract agreement with the player.
09.40 BST: Sevilla general manager Jose Maria Cruz de Andrés has told Sport Witness that Jules Kounde could join Chelsea this summer after the Premier League side failed to sign the centre-back ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Kounde, 23, was expected to move to Stamford Bridge but Sevilla rejected all transfer offers and held on to the France international. But Chelsea might be successful this time as the player wants to further his own career.
“In the case of Kounde, it is not a matter of money, It’s a matter of him wanting to play in a more competitive team than Sevilla FC,” he said. “I am sure he is a player that is attractive for teams like Chelsea, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and these types of teams. He wants to play in a more competitive team.”
09.00 BST: Barcelona will listen to offers worth €100m for midfielder Frenkie de Jong after holding formal talks with Manchester United over a transfer, sources told ESPN’s Sam Marsden Moises Llorens.
Barca are prepared to let De Jong leave this summer to help balance the books amid an ongoing financial crisis at the club, but sources have told ESPN that does not mean they will allow him to leave on the cheap.
They are willing to negotiate the breakdown of the fee, such as how much of the price is upfront and how much is in add-ons, but they want the total package to be around €100m.
PAPER GOSSIP
– Arsenal are ready to return to the negotiating table for Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, reports Corriere dello Sport. The Gunners are keen on taking the 27-year-old Serbia international to the Emirates, though it could take a transfer fee of around €60m to persuade the Serie A side to sanction his exit.
– Juventus are keen to add an attacking threat this summer, and are weighing up moves for Nicolo Zaniolo of AS Roma, Sassuolo‘s Domenico Berardi, and Eintracht Frankfurt‘s Filip Kostic, writes Gianluca Di Marzio. The Bianconeri are plotting their rebuild as they look to challenge for the Serie A title again, and Massimiliano Allegri is wasting no time in drawing up a shortlist of potential targets.
– Eintracht Frankfurt are interested in signing Burnley striker Wout Weghorst, according to SPORT1. The Netherlands international is looking to leave Turf Moor after their relegation, and Frankfurt hope to take him back to Germany’s top flight and a reunion with manager Oliver Glasner, whom the 29-year-old worked with at VfL Wolfsburg.
– Despite rumours linking Mauro Icardi to River Plate, Fabrizio Romano reports that the 29-year-old striker has no intention of returning to Argentina this summer. Icardi made just 10 league starts for Paris Saint-Germain last season, and has also been linked with a potential return to Serie A, where he spent six seasons with Inter Milan and two-and-a-half at Sampdoria. He still has two years left on his PSG deal.