Chelsea had scouts in Genoa on Sunday, where they watched Atalanta’s 23-year-old right-back Andrea Conti (and not for the first time, either) scoring the opening goal in a 5-0 demolition of the Rossoblu. According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, Conti’s performances this season have almost certainly earned him a move to a bigger club, with Internazionale and Napoli keen, Sevilla interested, and Chelsea making regular treks to Bergamo to check on his progress.
Arsenal meanwhile sent a scout to Turin to take in Torino’s 2-2 draw with Udinese, where they payed particularly close attention to the Zebrette’s Czech midfielder Jakub Jangto, one of the break-out stars of this Serie A season. Just 21, and potentially available for around £10m, Jangto had already earned himself a place on Stoke’s shopping list, the Gazzetta reports, but now he could be London-bound.
But is the same true of Mamadou Sakho? Crystal Palace will make a concerted attempt to sign the Frenchman on a permanent deal if they avoid relegation from the Premier League this season, the problem being that the player, currently on loan at Selhurst Park from Liverpool, is playing so well they might not be able to. “His stellar performances for the club could price them out of the market,” reports the Independent, who believe that “interest from Southampton and Italian clubs could push the asking price for the in-form defender towards £25m”.
Eden Hazard’s going nowhere, says the Sun, with the player informing reporters after Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace that he is “very well here” and has “stuff to finish”. Tell that to the Mirror, though, who exclusively reveal that Real Madrid’s attempt to buy David de Gea this summer will be “full-scale” and that the Spaniards “are ready to break the bank” to sign both him and Hazard.
“They are determined to sign a new goalkeeper and have had both De Gea and Hazard’s Stamford Bridge team-mate Thibaut Courtois in their sights for the past few months,” they report. “But after initially thinking Courtois could be the most likely deal, they have switched their attentions to getting De Gea back home to Spain.” They add that Real “are ready to smash the £89m world record fee to get Hazard” and “are ready to throw Alvaro Morata into any deal, which could see the overall value of the transfer top £100m for the first time.”
They aren’t the only people who might be heading to the Bernabéu: according to the Spanish newspaper AS, Arsène Wenger could be on his way too. “If Zinedine Zidane fails to win the league or the Champions League, his continuity would be complicated,” they report.
So a Spanish goalkeeper based in England might go to Spain this summer, but then a non-Spanish goalkeeper based in Spain might come to England. Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been repeatedly linked with Manchester City, and the latest update from the German gloveman is that “I do not know whether I will stay for many years. You never know what happens in the future. I am living in the moment.”
Ivan Perisic, the midfielder linked of late with a £43m move to Manchester United, isn’t going anywhere. Gazzetta dello Sport reveals how the Croatian’s current club, Internazionale, have no intention of selling “one of the building blocks of the future Inter” and that “economics aren’t the key issue” for a team financially supported by the extraordinarily deep pockets of Zhang Jindong and his family. In fact, Inter want to attract people to come in the other direction and have made an offer for Chelsea benchman Antonio Conte, declaring their willingness to give him £11m a year to return to his homeland.
Bournemouth and West Ham are preparing for a summer skirmish over Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere, who has been on loan at the Vitality Stadium this season – and on the bench for the last few games. The latest update from the Cherries’ manager, Eddie Howe, is that “we would love to sign him but that decision will rest with Arsenal, Jack and other people”.
Nottingham Forest want Gillingham’s Josh Wright, whose switch to an attacking midfield role has produced improved performances that “have not gone unnoticed by Championships clubs”, according to the Mail, with Forest likely to face significant competition for his services.
