The winter transfer window is closed, but now it’s time to look ahead to the summer! Here are the new rumours floating around Europe’s big leagues and beyond.
TOP STORY: Barca and PSG in Willian battle
With the Mirror reporting that Willian believes his Chelsea career is already over, Mundo Deportivo goes further by suggesting that Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are favourites to land the Brazilian this summer.
PSG’s sporting director Leonardo has made no secret of his admiration for Willian, and he believes the attacking midfielder’s versatility would suit his side perfectly. Willian’s contract is due to end on June 30, and the player himself has suggested that talks with Chelsea have proved fruitless, and that he’s now looking for another club with his stay in London all but cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.
Barcelona have also been thinking about Willian for some time and they’re hoping agent Kia Joorabchian might hold the key to the move by helping facilitate Philippe Coutinho‘s exit from Barca to Chelsea, with Willian heading in the other direction.
Barcelona are said to be following Willian’s situation carefully and after today’s developments, may try to approach him in the following weeks.
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09.58 BST: Mario Gotze could leave the Bundesliga for good and head south where Serie A side AS Roma have set their sights on him, Corriere dello Sport reports
Germany’s 2014 World Cup hero is set to leave Borussia Dortmund four years after returning to the Westfalenstadion for a second stint following his stint at Bayern Munich. However, the 27-year-old has only played a peripheral role, even more so this season where he only made 13 appearances in the top flights so far and completed the full 90 minutes only once.
Previous reports had claimed that Gotze would prefer a move to another of Europe’s top leagues rather than join another Bundesliga club.
09.26 BST: Former Australia captain Mark Viduka has told ESPN that Elton John once nearly told an entire stadium of concert-goers about secret talks he had with Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.
Viduka, who was playing for Leeds United at the time, was in the city for talks with Ferguson when he was invited to attend one of Elton John’s concerts.
08.42 BST: Paul Pogba is back in the headlines in Spain with Diario AS reporting on their front page that the Manchester United player is “closer” to a move to Real Madrid.
Coach Zinedine Zidane remains keen on Pogba, although, as sources told ESPN last month, senior figures at the club believe the midfielder to be over-priced with United valuing him at more than €100m.
AS claims that “the Frenchman will prioritise an offer from Madrid ahead of one from Juventus or a renewal with United.”
Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola has said he hopes he can “bring a great player to Real Madrid” this summer.
08.00 BST: Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano, 21, was widely regarded as one of the bargains in the upcoming summer transfer windows.
Clubs such as Bayern Munich and Arsenal have long been linked with the player many rate as the Bundesliga’s best central defender, who has a €60m release clause.
Under contract at Leipzig until 2021, the Bundesliga club now hope they could profit from the current shutdown across world football and persuade Upamecano to not only remain at Leipzig for another season, but also agree to a new contract to avoid losing him on a free transfer in the coming summer.
“Such fees are rather unlikely this summer. You have to admit that,” Leipzig sporting director Markus Krosche told kicker of Upamecano’s release clause, adding that he did not want to put any pressure on the defender who has yet to make his senior debut for France. “He must find out how he sees his future, what his plans are. Maybe that has changed with the current situation.”
PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd): Pjanic could be available for €40-45m
Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic recently left Turin to visit family in Luxembourg, and it might not be the last time he leaves Juve this year. The 30-year-old’s long-term future could also be away from the club, said Calciomercato, who reported that he could be sold for the right price.
Pjanic has been a key player this season, and he fits Maurizio Sarri’s shape and tactical approach perfectly. However, the club’s chief football offer Fabio Paratici is realising that the Bosnian is not indispensable, and in fact could net the Bianconeri some reasonable money, which could help them strengthen their squad further.
Juve currently pay Pjanic €11.5m a year, and he has a further three years on his contract. All of which means that Juve will listen to offers of around €40-45m, a fee that has been drastically affected to the tune of €10-15m by the coronavirus pandemic, but which could still pave the way to help fund a changing of the guard this summer.
Tap-ins
– On Sunday, Transfer Talk reported that Barcelona were looking to sign Paris Saint Germain left-back Layvin Kurzawa on a free transfer. Now the Mirror suggests that the Blaugrana face competition from Arsenal. They’re reporting that the Gunners will make a second attempt to sign the Frenchman, though the player himself is said to favour a mover to Spain over north London.
– Cagliari face an uphill battle keeping hold of loan star Radja Nainggolan beyond the end of the season, reports Calciomercato. Nainggolan would have to take a pay cut to make his loan move to Sardinia permanent, which isn’t beyond the realms of possibility, though the player himself hasn’t ruled out returning to Inter and evaluating other offers. One possible solution could be for Cagliari to offer cash plus Uruguayan midfielder Nahitan Nandez, who is being courted by Inter and other clubs.
– Radamel Falcao‘s next move could take him to Qatar or Saudi Arabia, reports Marca. Clubs from each country, including Al-Sadd and Al-Hilal, have been sending offers to his current club Galatasaray. The Turkish club are looking to cash in from the interest in the Middle East and are likely to demand €14m for the striker.