The January transfer window may seem like a distant memory, 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.
TOP STORY: Buffon could leave Juve again for Napoli, Porto
Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon may set to leave the club again with Serie A rivals Napoli among those interested in signing the goalkeeper, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The 43-year-old has only made 10 appearances for Juve this term, five of which have come in league, as Wojciech Szczesny continues to thrive in the No. 1 position.
The veteran Italian may be willing to remain as a reserve, but could also depart after his deal comes to an end in the summer.
The first option could Napoli, who will have a space to fill between the sticks if David Ospina completes a proposed move to Atalanta. The second is FC Porto, the club that Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas saw out his own career at before retiring in 2020.
Lille is also mentioned as a potential destination for Buffon, although any move would likely hinge on 25-year-old Mike Maignan leaving, with AC Milan said to be interested in the Frenchman.
Buffon has already left Juventus once, joining Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in 2019, but he could eye one more challenge in an effort to get more regular game time before hanging up his gloves.
– Insider Notebook: Haaland fee set at €180m
– UEFA WC qualifiers on ESPN+: Stream games, replays (U.S. only)
– Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
LIVE BLOG
09.55 BST: Sergio Aguero is leaving Man City, but will he move to join up with Lionel Messi at Barcelona?
1:03
Julien Laurens ponders potential destinations for Sergio Aguero after he leaves Manchester City this summer?
09.14 BST: Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah said he could “maybe one day” play in Spain, although he added “it’s not up to me” to decide when he leaves the Anfield club.
Salah — whose contract at Liverpool expires in June 2023 — was talking to Spanish newspaper Marca ahead of the Champions League quarterfinal first leg with Real Madrid next week.
“I hope I can play football for many, many years,” he said, when asked if he’d like to try La Liga after featuring in the Premier League and Serie A. “Why not? You never know what’s going to happen in the future, so maybe one day, yes.”
Asked whether his four-year stint at Anfield was coming to an end, Salah added: “It’s not up to me. Let’s see what will happen, but I prefer not to talk about it now.”
08.48 BST: Boca Juniors striker Ramon Abila has travelled to the United States ahead of his loan move to Minnesota United. Although the deal has yet to be finalised, the Argentinian player left Buenos Aires on Monday evening as the next available flight would have been in a week’s time.
Abila, 31, is expected to join the MLS club for free until the end of the year. Boca have reportedly added an obligation to purchase of $4m in the deal with Minnesota United.
He has scored 36 goals in 83 appearances for Boca, 48 as a starter, since arriving in 2018.
08.30 BST: Spain U21 star Gonzalo Villar says he has no intention of leaving Roma any time soon.
The 23-year-old midfielder is a target of Atletico Madrid, according to La Razon. He joined Roma in Jan. 2020 from Elche and has a contract until June 2024.
“Roma gave me an opportunity when no one else would,” Villar said. “I had no projects presented to me in Spain like the one that Roma showed me, perhaps I wasn’t valued. I don’t know if it’s true or not what they say about Atletico Madrid’s interests but right now I’m very happy at Roma.”
Villar has made 36 appearances for the Giallorossi this season and is on international duty with Spain’s U21 side.
1:09
Julien Laurens explains what kind of player Liverpool would be getting if they sign Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate.
PAPER GOSSIP
– The Mirror states that Liverpool are keeping tabs on a trio of defenders, including Brighton’s Ben White, Marseille‘s Duje Caleta-Can and Leicester City‘s Caglar Soyuncu. Sources have previously told ESPN that the Reds are nearing a deal to sign RB Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate for €41.5m.
– Napoli see Feyenoord centre-back Marcos Senesi as a possible replacement for Kalidou Koulibaly, reports La Gazzetta dello Sport. There has been interest in the Senegal international from clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United. Napoli have already made contact with Senesi, with the 23-year-old Argentine keen to play in the city so heavily associated with Diego Maradona. The Naples side are also reportedly hoping to sign Mattia Zaccagni from Hellas Verona.
– AC Milan have prepared a five-man shortlist of strikers to aim for during the summer transfer window, according to Calciomercato. The list is reported to consist of Fiorentina‘s Dusan Vlahovic, Torino‘s Andrea Belotti, PSV Eindhoven‘s Donyell Malen, Myron Boadu of AZ Alkmaar and Celtic star Odsonne Edouard.
– Barcelona are monitoring 20-year-old Brazilian centre-back Natan, who is on loan at Red Bull Bragantino from Flamengo, reports Sport. Bragantino have made a deal so they obtain half of the defender’s rights once he’s played 20 games for them, while Flamengo have assigned him a €70m release clause.
– Rangers will demand at least £6m for 27-year-old centre-back Filip Helander in the summer, having signed him from Bologna for £3.5m plus add-ons in 2019, as has been reported by Football Insider. This comes with Premier League clubs Leicester City and Aston Villa both showing an interest in the Sweden international.
