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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: Man United and Liverpool battle for Sancho, Werner
Manchester United might not be giving Liverpool much of a fight for the Premier League title, but they will certainly push them hard for new players in the transfer market this summer.
The Daily Express claims that the two clubs are going head-to-head over the pursuit of Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho, who would cost in the region of £100m, while they are also both keen to sign RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner.
United are favourites to land Sancho, says the Daily Telegraph, and sources have confirmed to ESPN that the 19-year-old is on their list of targets.
Liverpool are front of the queue for Werner, though, and the player reportedly unfollowed Leipzig on Twitter after a social media image of him celebrating was used to troll the Reds after they lost to Watford at the weekend.
This one is going to run all the way to summer. And of course Real Madrid and PSG are also going to get in on the act too, says the Mirror.
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09.38 GMT: Mundo Deportivo claims Barcelona want to sign Valencia midfielder Ferran Torres. The Spain U21 international is out of contract in 2021 and reports over the weekend in the Valencia press suggested Torres has hinted he does not want to extend his terms.
Barca have a good relationship with the player’s agency, Leaderbrock Sports, who helped them sign Pedri from Las Palmas, and could test the waters this summer with a bid for Torres of around €35m.
Torres, 20, could be one of the four signings SPORT says Barca are planning this postseason. Lionel Messi said recently the team, in its current state, is not good enough to win the Champions League and the Catalans want to build a competitive team around him to ensure he doesn’t walk away for free at the end of the campaign, as a clause in his contract would allow him to.
SPORT says the club are targeting two defenders and two more attacking players. Sources have previously told ESPN that Barca remain keen on Neymar and Lautaro Martinez.
08.32 GMT: Claudio Bravo is considering an offer to join Major League Soccer outfit New York City FC when his contract expires at Manchester City this summer, sources have told ESPN.
Chile goalkeeper Bravo, who helped City win their third successive Carabao Cup at the weekend after a 2-1 Wembley win against Aston Villa, wants to leave the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season in order to secure regular football elsewhere.
And despite being a strong supporter of the former Barcelona keeper since his arrival from Camp Nou in 2016, City manager Pep Guardiola is prepared to let Bravo move on in order to promote USA international Zack Steffen following his loan spell this season with German club Fortuna Dusseldorf.
While City are aware of wider interest in Bravo, there are attempts to persuade him to join NYCFC — City’s sister club within the City Football Group — when his time at the Etihad comes to an end.
And while Ederson will remain the No. 1, the emergence of Steffen — a $7m signing from Columbus Crew last July — and Kosovo keeper Ari Mujic, who is on loan at Nottingham Forest, has prompted Guardiola to sanction the departure of Bravo this summer.
08.00 GMT: As mentioned below in Paper Talk, Leicester City defender Ben Chilwell is one of the names linked with a summer move to Chelsea.
Should that happen, The Times reports, then the Foxes could move for Burnley left-back Charlie Taylor as his replacement.
Taylor, 26, has made more than 60 Premier League appearances for the Clarets since joining them from Leeds United in 2017.
The Times adds that Rodgers has been a long-term admirer of Taylor, and had identified him as a potential signing during his in charge at Celtic.
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Barca offer €70m, two players for Inter’s Lautaro Martinez
Barcelona are keen to freshen up their attacking options in the summer and top of the list continues to be Inter striker Lautaro Martinez.
Spanish title Sport suggests that the Catalan club, reeling after their defeat against rivals Real Madrid at the weekend, have already offered Inter €70 million plus two players in an effort to land their man.
Lautaro’s contract is such that he could leave the Italian capital between July 1 and July 15, but it would cost the buying club a whopping €111m to secure his services. That price could scare off Barca, and many others, but the Blaugrana hope the offer of two players could help soften the deal.
Therefore, the defending La Liga champs are dangling longtime Inter target Arturo Vidal and right-back Nelson Semedo as extra incentives.
Lautaro could double his annual salary if he moves to Camp Nou, but Barca will face stiff opposition for his services from their rivals in Madrid. The Argentine would bolster a Barca attack that has ageing Luis Suarez and struggling Antoine Griezmann in their ranks.
Chelsea target Telles turns down Porto contract
Porto star Alex Telles has given the Chelsea a boost by turning down a lucrative contract extension at the Estadio do Dragao, according to The Sun,
Telles’ deal finishes in 2021, which means if he doesn’t extend his stay Porto will look to cash in this summer to prevent him leaving on a free transfer. Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has made no secret of the fact that he’s planning a big overhaul in the summer and a left-back is high on his list.
Chelsea have been linked with Leicester City full-back Ben Chilwell since last summer, but Telles could be a cheaper option. The Brazilian can play anywhere on the left-hand side but this season he’s scored eight goals and provided five assists from left-back.
Telles has previously played for Inter Milan, Galatasaray and Gremio.
Tap ins
- Italian outlet Tuttosport believes Juventus have stepped up their interest in wantaway Manchester United star Paul Pogba. It suggests the two clubs have made contact and are even at the stage where they’re discussing contract talks. That’s in slight contrast to what some of the English titles have been reporting today, as seen here earlier, as they suggest that Pogba has been impressed by new boy Bruno Fernandes, and wants to play alongside him.
– The Express seem to think Arsenal right-back Ainsley Maitland-Niles could be off to new pastures this summer. They base this on the fact that Mikel Arteta opted to play Sokratis Papastathopoulos in the right-back position instead of Maitland-Niles in the Gunners’ 2-0 FA Cup win against Portsmouth. Sokratis justified his manager’s decision by scoring, but the Express could have a point. Maitland-Niles has been left out of Arsenal’s 18-man matchday squad in three of the last four Premier League matches.