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The winter transfer window is closed, but now it’s time to look ahead to the summer! Here are the new rumours floating around Europe’s big leagues and beyond.
TOP STORY: Partey time for Arsenal in the summer?
Arsenal will be doing some rebuilding in the summer, with or without European football, and one man on their radar is Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey, according to Libertad Digital.
Partey, 26, reportedly has a $50m (£42m) release clause in his Atletico contract, which has the London club all excited. However, they will have to move quickly as the Ghana international is already in negotiations over new terms and has stated in the past: ”Atletico is my home, the club that gave everything, where I want to be.”
Footballers are fickle, of course, so Arsenal are reportedly ready to pounce if Partey can’t agree a new contract. He’s been booked 12 times in 33 appearances this season, so will certainly add that sought-after “steel” to the Gunners’ midfield, if he stays on the pitch long enough.
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15.41 GMT: Manchester United’s head of global scouting, Marcel Bout, has been watching Real Sociedad (and Real Madrid) midfielder Martin Odegaard, says El Diario Vasco.
Odegaard, 21, is on loan at Sociedad from Real Madrid and has scored seven goals for the club this season.
Bout watched the club beat Valencia 3-0 on Saturday and the report also says he was there to scout two Valencia players, although doesn’t say who they were.
14.54 GMT: After Erling Haaland‘s fine start at Borussia Dortmund, it’s not overly surprising to see clubs linked with him already.
Haaland, 19, has scored 12 goals in eight games for his new club since arriving from FC Salzburg for €20m in January. And, according to El Chiringuito TV journalist Jose Luis Sanchez, Real Madrid are keen.
The Norway striker reportedly had a €75m release clause inserted in his deal for this summer — which was one of the main reasons that Manchester United pull out of a possible transfer — and Real are ready to take advantage.
14.22 GMT: Arsenal have been linked with Brentford winger Said Benrahma for some time, but now it seems like the club’s ex-players are getting involved.
Benrahma, 24, has 10 goals and six assists in 30 games this season and is letting his football do the talking, though evidently he has some high profile fans according to France Football.
The report states that several ex-Gunners have given their seal of approval to Benrahma and have let the board of directors know he would be a good signing. Modern football, eh?
13.14 GMT: Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos is getting ready to face Manchester City tomorrow night, but of course he was asked about his contract situation ahead of the game.
Ramos, 33, has a contract which expires in summer 2021 and has been linked with a move away. However, the Spain centre-back is keen to do all he can to stay.
“There’s been a lot of talk for a few weeks about the renewal, but honestly we’re in a fantastic moment between the club and I in every sense, so there’s no hurry for my renewal, neither for the club nor for me,” he told a news conference. “I think we’ll reach an understanding when the club want.
“I’ve never demanded two years or three years. I understand completely the philosophy of the club when a player reaches a certain age, right now the club and I aren’t talking about my contract, the most important thing is the Champions League and the league, but people shouldn’t worry because there’s no need to. We’ll reach an agreement. If the club want me, I’ll continue here.”
12.58 GMT: Yesterday we had news that Gent forward Jonathan David was being linked to Arsenal, as well as Lyon, Ajax and Porto.
However, Manchester United are now in the picture and it appears the 20-year-old has quite the list of favourite clubs.
His agent Nick Mavromaras told HLN: “He has been a childhood fan of Barcelona. Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea are just as much part of his dreams, but for the time being we must remain humble: the next step in his career cannot be too big.”
So, probably any of those from yesterday’s links then.
12.04 GMT: Lorenzo Pellegrini has been linked to Manchester United in the past but it seems Arsenal are keen, says FCInternews.
Pellegrini, 23, has a clause in his contract which will let him leave Roma in the summer for €30m, so naturally AC Milan and Inter Milan are also looking at the Italy international.
Roma are keen to tie the player down to a new deal before the summer, but if he doesn’t sign on the dotted line then expect some movement around him.
11.14 GMT: Staying with Dortmund briefly, the German club have reportedly made the signing of Rennes’ wonderkid Eduardo Camavinga a priority.
While Real Madrid, Man United, PSG and other top European clubs have scouted the midfielder France Football claims that the 17-year-old is also of interest to Dortmund this summer and could cost between €50-60m.
10.37 GMT: Borussia Dortmund have not given up hope that Jadon Sancho will stay at the Westfalenstadion for another season, reports local outlet Ruhr Nachrichten.
Sancho, 19, has been linked with all the top clubs in Europe amid talk of a €120m move. The England forward has scored 15 goals in 31 matches across all competitions for Dortmund, but has also set up a further 17, and while new signing Erling Haaland has made the headlines following his outstanding first few weeks in Germany, Sancho has been Dortmund’s most important player this term.
Dortmund squad manager Sebastian Kehl said at the weekend that “there is nothing new to report and we are just relishing the fact he’s got a long-term contract here.”
With Sancho signed up until 2022, Ruhr Nachrichten reports no club has made an official enquiry yet.
10.01 GMT: Manchester City could end up losing a host of players if their Champions League ban is upheld — read all about that here — but midfielder Bernardo Silva already seems to be setting his sights on a future teammate.
When asked by SER Catalunya if he would like to play with Lionel Messi, he replied: “Of course. “I play with Cristiano [Ronaldo] in the national team [Portugal] and if I played with Messi, being able to say that I played with the best in history would be a pleasure, but it is a complicated matter. At City or in Barca it will be welcome.”
So there you have it. Silva to Barcelona is infinitely more likely than Messi to Man City at this point in time.
09.25 GMT: Former Newcastle United midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng, 31, has signed for Real Mallorca until June 30. The South Korean was released from his contract in January, having made just one Premier League start this season.
09.14 GMT: Things move quick in the transfer world. Juventus’ Blaise Matuidi has told Le Figaro: “I am going to stay at Juventus [despite his current deal expiring in June], my contract includes the option to extend for a further year and the club has decided to activate that. I am very happy to continue here with another season. I was never in doubt as I felt the trust from everyone here. It is certain that I am beginning to reach a certain age and in my decisions, I am also thinking about my family, who feel good in Turin.”
08.57 GMT: Another emergency transfer in Spain, but not involving Barcelona this time – Granada have announced the signing of Malaga striker Antonin on a permanent transfer, subject to a medical.
The La Liga club was authorised to make an emergency signing out of the transfer window after losing Neyder Lozano to a fractured fibula earlier this month.
Antonin, who has scored four goals in 22 games for second division side Malaga this season, will sign a contract with Granada until June 2024.
This deal comes a few days after Barca signed forward Martin Braithwaite from Leganes, having received special dispensation to do so by the Spanish football federation due to Ousmane Dembele‘s season-ending injury.
08.28 GMT: Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani says he is glad to have remained at Paris Saint-Germain.
Cavani, whose contract at PSG runs out at the end of the season, was a target of Atletico Madrid during the winter transfer window but the two clubs could not reach an agreement for his transfer. The 33-year-old was also a reported target of Chelsea and Manchester United.
Cavani, who became the first PSG player to score 200 goals when he headed in his team’s opener against Bordeaux on Sunday, said: “I’m happy to have remained, of course. Paris has given me a lot. I’m here to continue my adventure in Paris, I’m happy and proud of it. January was a special but very difficult month for me.
“At the end of the season, it will be seven years here. Many things have happened. I’m proud to have made a small history in this club. It’s difficult for players to go through this but it’s part of our job. But it’s not over and that story can grow a little bit more.
“I will continue to give my best until the last day I’m here. It’s a great adventure in my life, in my career. I hope I can have a good time with PSG.”
08.00 GMT: AS Roma and Manchester United are in talks over making defender Chris Smalling‘s loan move at the Serie A club into a permanent deal, according to the Daily Star.
Smalling moved to the Italian capital on a season-long loan in August, and has since made 26 appearances for Roma.
The 30-year-old, who does not have a recall clause in his loan deal, told Sky Sports: “When I first came it was exciting but also daunting because you’re not sure what to expect.
“New country, new experience. But considering the way I’ve settled in, the love that I have felt, especially from the fans but everyone in Rome, it will be an interesting decision to make.
“Some of the other players said if you really hit the ground running, the love that you can have in this city is unbelievable. That’s really what I’ve felt and so have my family. Long may it continue.”
He added: “I spoke to [Ole Gunnar Solskjaer]… Over the previous years, I had been used to playing in nearly every game when fit. So to cut that in half, when you look around at other opportunities, there was nothing better than [Roma] that could have come up. We spoke openly and we made it happen.”
PAPER TALK (by James Capps)
Bargain price boosts Liverpool’s Werner chase
Liverpool have been handed a boost in their pursuit of RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner, with German outlet Sport1 claiming the forward’s release clause is significantly lower than first thought.
Initial reports had claimed the 23-year-old was available for a fee of between £50-55m, dependent on how well Leipzig perform in the Bundesliga this season, as long as a bid is made before the end of April.
However, Sport1 now claimd that the release clause is a bargain £25m, which is likely to accelerate Liverpool’s attempts to land the striker, who has netted 27 goals in 33 appearances this season, including a strike against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League last week.
Werner is believed to be keen on a move, and has recently labelled Reds boss Jurgen Klopp as the best coach in the world.
Inter eye emerging Italian trio
Inter Milan look set to continue their aggressive strategy in the transfer market this summer, and Calciomercato claims the Nerazzurri are monitoring three highly-rated Italians.
Sandro Tonali of Brescia and Gaetano Castrovilli of Fiorentina are believed to be the club’s primary targets, despite the duo growing up as fans of Inter’s arch rivals AC Milan. A fee of around €50m has been quoted as the asking price for Tonali, who has been linked with moves to a string of European clubs, including Juventus, Napoli and Borussia Dortmund.
Antonio Conte’s side are also monitoring the contract situation of Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini. Talks between the 23-year-old and the Giallorossi over a new deal have stalled and Inter are reported to be considering a summer swoop for the player.
Tap Ins
- Calciomercato claims Valencia are eyeing up a move for Marseille winger Florian Thauvin at the end of the season. The Frenchman’s contract expires in the summer of 2021, meaning his asking price could be set to tumble in the coming months.
– Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon is attracting interest from Championship club Huddersfield Town, but the Daily Record claims Danny Cowley’s side will have to fight off competition from Scottish Premiership side Hearts for the 37-year-old’s signature. Gordon is out of contract in the summer, and the Terriers are keen to add an experienced stopper to their ranks, having recruited two goalkeepers on loan this season.
– Former Manchester United, Fiorentina and Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi looks set for another move, with Calciomercato reporting that the 33-year-old will sign with MLS side Real Salt Lake. The U.S.-born former Italy international, who has been without a club since leaving Serie A side Genoa in 2018, has been at preseason training camp with RSL.