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: Pogba to finally leave Man United for Juventus?
Paul Pogba‘s future is in the spotlight once again and Tuttosport is reporting that the unsettled midfielder is likely to leave Manchester United this summer, for a possible return to Juventus.
Pogba’s contract expires in 2022 and the report says that United would rather sanction a move this year than lose him on a free transfer next summer.
Tuttosport suggest that a split suits everyone and while the 28-year-old has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford in the past few transfer windows, neither the player nor his agent have done much to stop the speculation mounting.
Pogba rejoined United from Juve for £89.3 million in 2016 and hasn’t managed to find his consistent best since his return. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had let him leave the club to move to Turin for £800,000 in 2012.
Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, suggested Pogba was unhappy last December and hinted at a possible move in January. However, Pogba remained, and then scored in three Premier League games as he looked to be edging closer to his best form. But the Frenchman is still keep to depart.
– UEFA WC qualifiers on ESPN+: Stream games, replays (U.S. only)
– Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
LIVE BLOG
13.21 BST: Erling Haaland‘s father Alf-Inge and agent Mino Raiola held talks in Barcelona on Thursday with Barca president Joan Laporta over a possible transfer for the superstar forward, sources told ESPN.
Haaland, 20, has scored 49 goals in 49 games for Borussia Dortmund since signing for the Bundesliga club in January 2020 from FC Salzburg and, as first reported in Sport, opened talks over a move.
A reported €75m release clause in his contract does not come into effect until 2022, and ESPN has reported that Dortmund would accept €180m this summer.
Sources told ESPN that Laporta believes Haaland would be a strategic signing that would strengthen Barca for a decade or more, as well as avoiding his joining a rival club. However, there is an acceptance that Barca’s financial situation will make agreeing a deal difficult, as will competition from Real Madrid and Manchester City.
12.57 BST: As club football returns, there is also at stake for a number of leading players, writes Mark Ogden.
Some have yet to resolve their future with their contracts set to expire on June 30, while others have less than two months to earn more minutes on the pitch to potentially avoid looking for a new club this summer. A small group is facing a “now or never” summer in terms of landing a big move and there are also those who will have just one year remaining on their contract at the end of the season, meaning they must decide whether to leave, sign a new deal or run down the remaining 12 month to become a free agent in 2021.
ESPN has assessed what lies ahead for the players who face one of the most important periods of their careers in the coming weeks. Including:
– Christian Pulisic, Chelsea
– Paul Pogba, Man United
– Mohamed Salah, Liverpool
– Gareth Bale, Real Madrid (Tottenham on loan)
– Dele Alli. Tottenham
– Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal
12.13 BST: Real Madrid’s Lucas Vazquez is out of contract this summer and Manchester United have been watching him, says Sport.
Vazquez, 29, has filled in at right-back and United are looking for a backup for Aaron Wan-Bissaka. However, the Spain international wants to play as a winger, so may look at other options.
Sport says Madrid have offered him a new three-year deal with a 10% wage reduction.
11.07 BST: Are Manchester City looking at Tottenham striker Harry Kane to replace Sergio Aguero this summer?
1:09
Don Hutchison explains why Harry Kane should take the plunge and leave Tottenham for Man City this summer.
10.20 BST: Mikel Arteta has said he will discuss Alexandre Lacazette‘s Arsenal future at the end of the season — but welcomed interest from rival clubs as a sign of the striker’s progress.
The 29-year-old, who has scored three goals in his last five games including the winner in last month’s north London derby against Tottenham, will have just one year left on his deal this summer with talks yet to begin on an extension amid ESPN sources linking him with a move to Sevilla, Roma or Atletico Madrid.
With finances tight as a result of COVID-19, Arsenal must decide whether to let Lacazette leave this summer to help generate funds to reinvest elsewhere in the squad or re-sign a player who turns 30 in May on a big contract. The level of European competition Arsenal qualify for next season will also be a factor.
“I am always happy when people talk about our players and speculate, that means they are doing well and they are getting attention from other clubs,” Arteta said.
“The situation with Laca, we’ll address in the summer, speak to him and just propose the future that we want — and that’s it. Now, I just want players focused and only focused on performing and getting the best out of them for the team.
“I think he has been in really good form for months now. I think he is sustaining that level. He is scoring goals and providing the team with something different as well.
“His work-rate has been phenomenal and it is what we want. We need those type of players hitting the best level when we want to have the chance to do that, because over the course of the season we have been missing goals, we have been missing that creativity in the final third and we need those players to step in and make the difference for the team.”
09.45 BST: Spain coach Luis Enrique says Eric Garcia will continue to have the door open to the national team despite not playing at Manchester City.
The 20-year-old centre-back has featured just 10 times for City this season after he turned down a contract extension with the Premier League club and is widely expected to return to Barcelona once his deal expires this summer. However, Garcia started in Spain’s opening three World Cup qualifiers this week.
“Eric’s case is not a normal case,” Luis Enrique said after Spain’s 3-1 win over Kosovo on Wednesday night. “I took a risk by selecting him because he is not playing at his club. But he’s got such a level that he has played three very good games for us. We are thrilled to have players like Eric. He manages, leads. He knows he must improve. He can come even if he doesn’t play at his club.”
City coach Pep Guardiola admitted last month that not selecting Garcia at City broke his heart as he is “like a son” to him.
08.57 BST: Racing Club president Victor Blanco says the door is open for Manchester United’s Sergio Romero to return to the club this summer provided the Argentine goalkeeper lowers his wage expectations.
Romero, 34, is in his sixth season at United and becomes a free agent this summer. Romero’s agent met with Blanco earlier this week, leading to speculation that Romero could return to Racing, the club where he began his career.
“The issue of Romero depends on him,” Blanco told TyC. “When Diego [Milito] and Licha [Lopez] arrived at the club, it was because they were very eager to come. It’s the players’ decision as Racing cannot consider someone that they cannot pay that is why it depends a lot on them.”
08.30 BST: Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has turned down a €7m-per-year contract extension with AC Milan, according to Sky Italia.
Donnarumma, 22, becomes a free agent on June 30 and Milan’s attempts to extend his contract have so far proved unsuccessful.
The keeper, who already turned down a €6m-per-year offer, wants to remain at Milan but will consider what offers arrive from abroad before deciding. Milan’s latest offer, reportedly a five-year contract worth €7m-per-season, is still too low.
0:48
Gareth Bale insists he wasn’t being “disrespectful” to Tottenham when talking about returning to Real Madrid.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Nick Judd)
– Real Madrid are interested in signing Pedro Porro from Manchester City, reports O Jogo. Porro has been in superb form while on loan at Sporting CP, and he has not only worked his way into the Spain international squad, but he also has attracted attention from some of Europe’s top clubs. The 21-year-old right-back is seen by Madrid as perfect competition for Dani Carvajal.
– Sevilla are keen to end interest in their winger Bryan Gil by inserting a €100m-€150m release clause in his contract, reports AS. The 20-year-old has been in sensational form for Eibar while on loan and it is hoped that, by increasing his release clause, his parent club will either put off would-be suitors such as Real Madrid and Barcelona, or earn themselves a windfall if he decides to leave.
– Another day, another Erling Haaland rumour, and The Sun reports that Manchester City are prepared to offer the 20-year-old Dortmund striker a whopping £600,000-a-week salary. The deal would be worth a staggering £300m in total, which would make the Norwegian the highest-paid player in Premier League history.
– The Sun reports that as part of Liverpool‘s refresh this summer, they’re preparing to allow seven players to leave at the end of the season. Liverpool have slumped to seventh in the Premier League after six consecutive home league defeats, and Jurgen Klopp is on the lookout for fresh faces, including RB Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate. In the other direction, the exit door could see players such as Divock Origi, Xherdan Shaqiri and Harry Wilson all leave the club.
– Burnley are set to make a £10m bid for Middlesbrough defender Dael Fry, according to the Daily Mail. The Clarets attempted to sign Fry two years ago, but with James Tarkowski and Ben Gibson set to leave Turf Moor in the summer, Sean Dyche is looking to reignite his interest. Middlesbrough aren’t keen to let the 23-year-old defender leave, but the player himself is said to be ready to test himself at the highest level.
