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: London’s top clubs battle for Real Madrid’s Hakimi
The top Premier League clubs in London — Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur – are among seven in Europe falling over themselves for the signature of right-back Achraf Hakimi, reports Mundo Deportivo.
The 21-year-old Morocco international has been a revelation during his two-year loan spell at Borussia Dortmund from Real Madrid, which has prompted Juventus, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain to take notice. Dortmund are also keen to keep the player on a permanent basis.
Mundo Deportivo suggests that though Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is keen to sit down with Hakimi about his Los Blancos future, the player himself has said he’ll move on unless he moves above Dani Carvajal in the pecking order.
Hakimi’s contract is due to run out in June 2022 and has a release clause of around £50 million. He has played 36 games this season, scoring seven goals.
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Martinez’s agent Beto Yaque also spoke to MD, claiming that the forward is focused on Inter but that Lionel Messi‘s recent praise was “comforting.”
The Argentine is available for his €111m release clause and has been consistently linked with a move to Barcelona to replace Luis Suarez.
09.33 BST: Lille’s Gabriel Magalhaes has been linked with a host of clubs, including Everton, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal.
Gabriel, 22, has impressed this season but the Brazilian defender isn’t thinking too much about his next move.
“I see it [the speculation], yes. Everyday, my friends send me things: clubs, lots of clubs…” he told France Football. “I am happy, because my work, and everything that I am doing, is being rewarded. It can only do good things for me, but also for people around me. But I am happy at Lille, I feel very good, very happy at the club. I like this club. I do not know what is going to happen, but the aim is to take Lille into the Champions League again. For everything else, I will let my agents and the club speak about it, but I am very happy here.”
08.43 BST: Atletico Madrid are keen on signing Napoli forward Arkadiusz Milik, reports Diario AS, but face competition from a host of clubs including Everton, AC Milan, Valencia, Sevilla and Schalke.
According to AS, the German side are most advanced in their pursuit, having had a €25m bid rejected by Napoli. But the Italian club value Milik, whose contract expires in 2021, at €40m.
The Spanish newspaper claims that the Poland striker is one of three options that Atletico are considering to add goals to the team, along with Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette and RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner.
Atletico would fund the move by selling forward Thomas Lemar, who has failed to impress in Madrid since becoming their then-record signing for €72m in 2018.
08.00 BST: Bayern Munich are getting some business done during the enforced break due to the coronavirus.
Coach Hansi Flick and club icon Thomas Muller have already agreed to new deals, with Spanish midfielder Thiago Alacantara likely to sign a new contract until 2023, kicker reports.
With three goals and three assists in the recent matches ahead of the break, the 28-year-old has impressed in 2020 so far. He has made 227 competitive appearances for Bayern since joining from Barcelona as Pep Guardiola’s first big transfer in 2013.
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Zidane targets Rennes rising star Camavinga
Following on the back of reports from ESPN sources, Zidane is targeting Rennes’ 17-year-old starlet Eduardo Camavinga, says AS. The youngster has been described as a combination of Casemiro and N’Golo Kante with the physique of Paul Pogba, and he has already played 36 games this season.
Rennes coach Julien Stephan told Canal+: “His potential is enormous. He is also a young player who will need to confirm his ability over time. It could be in his interest to spend an additional year with us — with the club where he was formed as a youth player. The reality of the market could be different, but my desire is to see Eduardo spend an additional season at Rennes and in Ligue 1. That would allow him to confirm his quality and then leave for a more renowned side.”
But Zidane is said to be interested in signing the France U21 international if Madrid’s pursuit of Pogba from Manchester United comes to nothing. Pogba remains Zidane’s No. 1 target, and it seems increasingly likely that the World Cup winner will leave Old Trafford. However, while Pogba would be a seemingly immediate boost to Zidane’s squad, Camavinga would be infinitely cheaper and has huge potential.
Zidane has previous experience when it comes to identifying and nurturing young talent, and he hopes that in Camavinga he has unearthed another Raphael Varane, with the defender joining Madrid at age 17 for just €10m.
Juve and Inter to battle it out for Tonali
Brescia’s rising star Sandro Tonali will leave the club this summer and Calciomercato suggests that the usual suspects — Juve and Inter Milan — will battle for his signature.
Both clubs have been told that the midfielder dubbed “the new Pirlo” will cost €50m, which Juve consider to be too high. Juve’s chief football officer, Fabio Paratici, is keen on Tonali and sees him as a replacement for Sami Khedira, though so far they have suggested a loan move instead of a permanent signing.
Tonali’s representatives are currently considering the proposition, but with Juve yet to seal the deal, that could pave the way for Antonio Conte to step in and steal the player from under his rivals’ noses.
Tonali is rumoured to have been an AC Milan fan growing up, which could rule out rivals Inter, but the fee could be a sticking point for the Bianconeri. Chelsea were also linked with the midfielder back in March.
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Tap-ins
— Inter Milan have been making headlines this week for their interest in Lionel Messi, but a more realistic transfer target could be Fiorentina’s Federico Chiesa. Calciomercato says that Inter and Juve could battle it out for the forward’s services, though Inter have been watching him the past two seasons and so could have the upper hand. Fiorentina are trying to tie him down, but Inter could try to tempt them with a swap deal.
— Pep Guardiola is interested in signing Douglas Costa from Juventus, according to Corriere dello Sport. The duo worked together at Bayern Munich before Guardiola left the club to join Manchester City in 2016. Costa has been in and out of the team this season and could be tempted to leave two years before his contract runs out in 2022.