Jordan Henderson, remember him? Well it seems the workmanlike midfielder is on the verge of a Premier League return having spent the past 18 months failing to win the Dutch title with Ajax.
Ajax have “cooperated with Henderson’s request to terminate the current employment contract” and the 35-year-old is now a free agent. Romantic reports of heading back to Sunderland, the club where the England international started his career, have been played down but Henderson is said to have suitors at home and further afield, including Porto.
Having recently returned to the England squad under Thomas Tuchel, it has been suggested that playing in the Premier League would enhance Henderson’s chances of prolonging his international career.
Italian champions Napoli are “back in” for Alejandro Garnacho, according to the Mirror. The Argentinian winger is one of five United players not required to attend preseason training with the rest of Ruben Amorim’s squad as they pursue moves away. It is this breakdown of relations with the club that could see Napoli manage to land a cut-price deal. A £60m bid for Garnacho in January was knocked back, but now they hope a £45m offer will do the trick.
Brighton have been low-key busy so far this summer, with six players already signed and the belated arrival of January addition Stefanos Tzimas. Exits are now under way and so far £71.5m has been raised, the bulk of that coming via João Pedro’s move to Chelsea. The next man out of the door looks to be Simon Adingra, who the Athletic report is on the verge of joining Sunderland for a fee that could surpass £20m.
Adingra was linked to the Black Cats in January as part of the deal that eventually saw Tommy Watson head to the south coast, and now it looks like Sunderland will finally get their man. Another player set to depart Brighton is Evan Ferguson. The Irish striker spent the second half of the season at West Ham, without making much impact. That has not perturbed Roma, who are said to be working on a deal.
Al Hilal, fresh off the back of a Club World Cup where they bloodied a few noses in the established elite, are on the hunt for a new striker. One-time Arsenal target Benjamin Sesko has been touted as the next man to lead the line for the Saudi Pro League club and another option is Crystal Palace big man Jean-Philippe Mateta.
James McAtee does not look to have much of a future at Manchester City. The 22-year-old was left out of the travelling party for the Club World Cup and instead went to the European Under-21 Championship, where he impressed as part of Lee Carsley’s title-winning side. That clearly has been enough to catch the attention of clubs in the Premier League; among those linked with a move for McAtee are Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest.
Kyle Walker-Peters has been looking for his next move after leaving Southampton following their relegation into the Championship. The 28-year-old, who has two England caps, is set to sign for Besiktas, where Ole Gunnar Solskjær is now in charge.
After seeing Leroy Sané depart for the Turkish Super Lig, Bayern Munich’s search for a new attacking threat continues. The latest name to be linked with the German giants is RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons, Bayern are reported to have enquired about the possible signing, which sounds polite.
