Forget Robbie Keane, Landon Donovan and David Beckham, because LA Galaxy have flung open the chequebook, with the Major League Soccer club set on making another marquee signing. After watching him plunder 26 goals already this season, they fancy a bit of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. And by a bit, they are seemingly prepared to make the 35-year-old the highest paid player in MLS history, happy to totally knock Kaka’s previous £6m-a-year salary at Orlando City out of the park. Manchester United, though, are planning on keeping the giant Swede.
Even if he was to trot off to new shores, United would not be worse off than Arsenal, where there is an exodus on the horizon. Alexis Sánchez is already laughing his way out of the club, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mesut Özil, too, are weighing up other possible destinations this summer.
Monaco midfielder Tiemoué Bakayoko would not exactly fill any void left by that trio, but Arsenal are one of a number of Premier League clubs paying close attention to the 22-year-old. United, Manchester City and Chelsea are also interested. The only stumbling block, as far as Arsenal are concerned, is that the Ligue 1 club will not allow Bakayoko to leave the French Riviera for less than a paltry £52m.
In Italy, two players at the top of most wishlists are wrestling for summer moves. The Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, a long-term Chelsea target, has tipped off his agent that he is dead keen on a move to the Premier League champions in-waiting. Antonio Conte might just need further defensive reinforcements too, with Barcelona sniffing around Marcos Alonso and César Azpilicueta in preparation for a summer overhaul.
At Juventus, manager Massimiliano Allegri pretty much holds the key to Paulo Dybala’s next move. The Argentina striker is yet to be tied down to fresh terms in Turin, with Allegri intent on smuggling Dybala with him should he find himself in Arsène Wenger’s shoes next season.
Elsewhere, Newcastle United striker Aleksandar Mitrovic is unhappy playing second-fiddle to Daryl Murphy and wants out of St James’ Park and West Ham United might finally resolve their right-back conundrum, with the club ready to shell out £5m on Saint-Étienne’s Kévin Malcuit.
