The transfer window may have slammed shut, but that doesn’t mean the rumour mill has shut down! Speculation over summer moves is heating up so check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.
Madrid tracking Leipzig starlet Olmo
Real Madrid are interested in going after the signing of RB Leipzig star Dani Olmo, OK Diario reports.
There are likely to be big changes at the Bernabeu in the coming months as Madrid set about overhauling Zinedine Zidane’s ageing squad, and one move could see Olmo make his way over to Madrid from the Bundesliga.
The 22-year-old former Barcelona academy product has been in fine form since joining Leipzig from Dinamo Zagreb, and is now being mooted as a possible replacement for Lucas Vazquez, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
Olmo has scored eight goals for Leipzig in the year since his arrival, including in the Champions League quarterfinal win over Atletico Madrid last season.
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10.31 GMT: Manchester City have accepted they will be unable to sign Lautaro Martinez, who is expected to sign a new contract at Inter Milan, according to Eurosport.
Martinez had been seen by City as a potential replacement for his fellow Argentina international, Sergio Aguero, whose contract expires at the end of the season when he turns 33.
Barcelona had been long-term admirers of Martinez, but their financial difficulties could preclude them from making another effort to sign the 23-year-old when the transfer window re-opens.
Eurosport reports that City will now focus even more attention on Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, while sources told ESPN’s Moises Llorens and Rodrigo Faez earlier this week that the Premier League leaders have not given up on signing Lionel Messi on a free transfer this summer.
09.36 GMT: Stade Rennes wunderkind Eduardo Camavinga included on a long list in Sport Bild of potential Bayern Munich targets this summer.
Amid the difficult financial situation following the collapse of the French TV deal amid the economic impact the coronavirus pandemic, Rennes are likely to be forced to sell Camavinga this summer. The France midfielder is under contract at the Ligue 1 club until 2022. Several top European clubs have reportedly already voiced their interest , with Real Madrid most strongly linked, and Bayern Munich are among those hoping to land the 18-year-old.
But rumours do not stop there as the outlet also links Inter Milan midfielder Lucien Agoume, on loan at Spezia, with the German champions. Already in the market for Leipzig centre-back Dayot Upamecano, Bayern could also make a stop at Bundesliga clubs Hertha Berlin, Stuttgart and Werder Bremen as well as Championship side Reading as they look for reinforcements at the left-back position.
The 17-year-old Berlin left-back Luca Netz, Reading’s Omar Richards, 22, Stuttgart’s Borna Sosa, 23, and former Bayern player Marco Friedl, currently at Bremen, have been listed by the outlet.
To make up the numbers, Sport Bild also reiterated that Bayern are closely monitoring Callum Hudson-Odoi’s progress under new Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel.
08.49 GMT: Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino insists his club and players have not created any controversy surrounding Lionel Messi.
PSG sporting director Leonardo and players Neymar and Angel Di Maria have spoken about the club’s desire to sign the Barcelona captain, who is out of contract in June, leading to Barca coach Ronald Koeman to react by saying: “I don’t know why [PSG] do it. If they want to speak about Leo, let them do it.”
Meanwhile, France Football published an image of Messi wearing a PSG jersey a week ahead of the Champions League game between the two sides.
“We are talking about a magazine that has nothing to do with Paris (PSG),” Pochettino told COPE radio. “When a player speaks, he’s talking out of affection, excitement and friendship.
“There’s no controversial issue that has been generated by the club. At no time has there been a lack of respect or gone against a situation that is not the correct one. Players can talk and can say what they want. They do so from feelings, just as Real Madrid and Barcelona players do. They can talk about teammates that are at other clubs.”
#PSG 🇫🇷 ¿Qué tal? La prestigiosa revista #FranceFootball hizo esta tapa con #Messi 🔟 🇦🇷 vistiendo la camiseta del club parisino. ¿El futuro llegó 🤔? pic.twitter.com/e9YAQTNYzL
— ESPN Fútbol Club Argentina (@ESPNFCarg) February 8, 2021
08.00 GMT: William Saliba has again been critical of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta after leaving the club on loan.
Saliba joined Arsenal from Saint-Etienne for €30 million in 2019 when Unai Emery was in charge but failed to play a single minute for the club, spending last season back at St Etienne on loan.
He returned to Ligue 1 with Nice in January, on a temporary deal for the remainder of the 2020-21 season, and has expressed his dissatisfaction at not being given a chance to prove himself in the Premier League.
“It is clear that so much has changed in the last year,” the 19-year-old, who won Nice’s player of the month award for January, told RMC Sport.
“When I saw that the coach changed a lot changed for me too. In this year there has been a lot of change. He [Arteta] judged me on two-and-a-half matches. I would have liked for him to play me more. But he told me I wasn’t ready.
“I was waiting for him to give me a chance, but football is like that. When I initially came to Arsenal the league looked very good, so I showed up to training and wanted to train on my own to show the coach I was ready.
“I am happy now. I want to play for Nice. The idea when you are part of a team is a better feeling for me.”
PAPER TALK (by Harry Kettle)
Milan want Dalot permanently
Calciomercato is reporting that AC Milan want to sign Manchester United‘s Diogo Dalot on a permanent deal.
The Portuguese youngster is currently on loan at the San Siro but, with there being no sign that the Red Devils would slot him straight back into the starting XI upon return, Milan are hoping to take advantage of the situation.
United paid £19 million for his services back in 2019 and the Italian club are hoping they wouldn’t have to reach that sum in order to get the deal done.
Leicester want Tielemans extension
Leicester City are pushing for Youri Tielemans to sign a contract extension with the club, Fabrizio Romano reports.
The Foxes are planning on signing a new midfielder during the summer transfer window and even looked into the possibility of pursuing former Tottenham star Christian Eriksen back in January.
However, above all of that, Brendan Rodgers wants to try and ensure that Tielemans is a big part of his plans moving forward after the Belgian’s strong first half of the season.
Tap-ins
– Leicester City could be interested in making a move to sign Marseille‘s Florian Thauvin, Eurosport reports. The Foxes aren’t likely to make the loan deal of Cengiz Under permanent when the option to do so becomes available in the summer and, because of that, Thauvin has taken over as one of the players on their watch list in the months to come.
– The Sun is reporting that Kieran Gibbs could be the next man on his way to MLS to join Inter Miami. Recent reports have indicated that Ryan Shawcross is preparing to end his tenure with Stoke City in favour of a move to the United States and now West Bromwich Albion‘s Gibbs has seemingly made the decision to follow in his footsteps.
