Monday's transfer news: Arsenal lead chase for striker as Manchester United fail with Wan-Bissaka bid
Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of Monday’s transfer news, rumours and done deals. W ill any big transfers be completed today?
There have already been some big deals this transfer window. Manchester United wasted no time in snapping up Daniel James from Swansea City for £18m, while Eden Hazard finally completed his protracted move from Chelsea to Real Madrid, for a fee which could ultimately exceed £100m.
A number of big deals are meanwhile still in the pipeline. Both Paul Pogba and Christian Eriksen have indicated that they want ‘new challenges’, while Matthijs de Ligt is a top target for just about every European super club. Where will he end up? Follow all of the latest below:
If Paul Pogba was to leave Manchester United this summer, this was always how he was likely to go about it. At a promotional event in Tokyo on Sunday morning, Pogba made a first public declaration of his desire to move elsewhere; the public declaration Real Madrid have been waiting for.
“After this season and everything that happened this season, with my season being my best season as well, I think for me it could be a good time to have a new challenge somewhere else,” he said. “I am thinking of this: To have a new challenge somewhere else.”
It is an unsurprising development but an important one. Pogba was unsettled last summer but never publicly said so. He only ever hinted at the breakdown in relations with former manager Jose Mourinho. He described playing for Madrid as a “dream” in March, but in response to a leading question, and he was hardly the first player to ever do so.
The French media are this morning reporting that Arsenal have agreed a deal for France defender William Saliba.
The 18-year-old, who plays for Saint-Etienne, is also wanted by Manchester United and City, but Foot Mercato claim Arsenal have already agreed personal terms with the player over a five-year deal.
However they still need to agree a price with the Ligue 1 side, who value the teenager at £26m.
RB Leipzig manager Ralf Rangnick says the Bundesliga club are yet to receive an offer for striker Timo Werner.
The Germany international has refused to extend his contract beyond June 2020 amid interest from Liverpool.
However it appears the Reds are yet to firm up their interest.
“Timo is of the opinion that he does not want to extend the contract,” Rangnick told Kicker.
“So far, no club has reported their interest or said they would speak with Timo and want to sign him.
“It's not a good idea for Timo to go into the final year of his contract, which could be difficult for his relationship with the fans depending on how his performance turns out.”
James Maddison has emerged as a top transfer target for Manchester United this window, but the 22-year-old has insisted that he will not become distracted by rumours of a summer move, as he prepares to play in the Under-21 Championship with England.
"No, you have just got to ignore that and take it all in your stride," he told Sky Sports .
"As a 17-year-old boy, I'd started five games for Coventry and saw on my phone that I was being linked with Tottenham and Liverpool.
"With transfer talk, you need to take it as a compliment that people are even talking about you, it won't distract me."
Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are closing in on a deal for Celtic youngster Liam Morrison, according to Football Insider.
The 16-year-old is yet to agree a professional deal with Celtic and could now be poached by the German giants.
Morrison is regarded as one of the most exciting young talents to have emerged through the Scottish youth system, but Celtic will lose him for only minimal compensation if his head is turned by Bayern at this early stage.
Maurizio Sarri has arrived at Juventus and now he will looks to land his ambitious targets: Paul Pogba and Mauro Icardi.
The Italian wants to bring the Manchester United midfielder back to Turin, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, with the World Cup winner already declading his intent to accept a new challenge, though convincing United to sell remains problematic.
Icardi should be considerably easier after his relationship broke down with Inter, who have backed Antonio Conte's decision to ditch the striker. The Nerazzurri will want a hefty fee for the Argentine nonetheless, but Juve will have a strong bargaining position.
Landing Icardi will give Cristiano Ronaldo the freedom he craves, with Juve seemingly lacking a pure No 9 prolific enough to lead the line in the Champions League.
Manchester United are looking into signing Ivan Rakitic and Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants the Barca duo, report Mundo Deportivo, as they plan for the potential sale of Paul Pogba.
With the French midfielder already making his feelings known that he wants a new challenge, United could launch an ambitious move to sign two players who could be expendable at the Nou Camp.
PSG president opens door for Neymar and Mbappe exit
PSG chief Nasser Al Khelaifi has opened the door for Neymar or Kylian Mbappe to leave the club.
"The players are going to have to assume their responsibilities even more than before," Al-Khelaifi told France Football.
"It has to be completely different. They will have to do more, work more... They are not here to have fun. "And if they don't agree with this point of view, the doors are open. Ciao!
Juventus made contact with Pep Guardiola in March about a move from Manchester City to Turin, but were firmly knocked back by the Spaniard.
Rather than try to convince him further, Tuttosport say that is where the interest ended, and former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri, who was announced as Massimiliano Allegri's replacement yesterday, was their first choice from then on.
Negotiations were so difficult with the Blues though that it has taken several months before they could strike a deal, despite the Serie A season ending weeks ago.
Atletico plan record-breaking £107m move for Felix
Atletico Madrid are planning to make Joao Felix their club-recording signing for €120m (£107m) from Benfica, report Marca.
The Portuguese supertalent could directly replace Antoine Griezmann, who would cost the same if Barcelona, as expected, push ahead with a move for the French international when his release clause drops on July 1.
Felix would beat the €72m paid for Thomas Lemar from Monaco last summer, with only 70 percent of his rights acquired.
PSG are considering testing Ajax's resolve with a 70 million euro bid for David Neres, reports Globo Esporte.
The newly-crowned Dutch champions will look to repel this interest with a new contract for the Brazilian, however, including a clause allowing him to leave next summer.
Nonetheless, a bid of between 80 and 90 million euros may tempt Ajax into a sale in this window.
Manchester United plotting double raid of Barcelona
Mundo Deportivo claim that United are preparing a sensational bid for former Liverpool man Philippe Coutinho in the event that Paul Pogba leaves. Ivan Rakitic is also a target at Old Trafford.
Coutinho has failed to settle at Camp Nou since his big-money move, while Rakitic is reportedly available for the right price.
These potential additions are also thought to be part of a plan to fill the gap left by the outgoing Ander Herrera.
Arsenal are meanwhile set to push on with their first signing of the summer with a bid for Bournemouth’s Ryan Fraser set to be lodged. A new centre-back is high on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s priority list at United with Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Leicester’s Harry Maguire both options. Crystal Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka is another on the Norwegian’s radar.
It won’t just be incomings at Old Trafford, however, with Pogba a high-profile target for Real Madrid and Alexis Sanchez on his way out with Inter Milan and Juventus fighting it out for his signature – if he drops his wage demands. And Liverpool could be active too as they look to go one better after failing to win the Premier League title by just a single point.
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