The January transfer window might seem like a distant memory, but that doesn’t mean the rumour mill has shut down! Speculation over summer moves is heating up, so check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.
TOP STORY:
Manchester United have been linked with various centre-backs in previous months, with Real Madrid‘s Raphael Varane and Fiorentina‘s Nikola Milenkovic among them.
And now, Foot Mercato has added Wesley Fofana to the mix for United, even though the 20-year-old Frenchman only joined Leicester City for around £30 million in October.
Despite his age, Fofana has been a mainstay in Brendan Rodgers’ defence, playing 29 games across all competitions as they sit third in the Premier League and await their FA Cup semifinal against Southampton on Sunday (stream live at 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in the U.S.).
Having spent £80m to bring Harry Maguire in from Leicester in 2019, the report suggests that United would have to pay a similarly hefty fee in order to land Fofana this term.
While United have spending power, using that sort of sum on another centre-back might not be something they choose to do because of the financial implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their position will also be hindered further if Leicester are able to hang on to the Champions League place they currently hold.
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LIVE BLOG
09.41 BST: Borussia Dortmund only signed midfielder Jude Bellingham from Birmingham for around £25m over the summer but already they are facing a battle to keep hold of him.
Bellingham, 17, has impressed since getting a chance in the first XI and Eurosport claims that Chelsea are interested.
The England international’s transfer could cost in the region of £100m but he is one of the stars of the future and has previously attracted interest from Man United.
09.00 BST: Barcelona president Joan Laporta is convinced Lionel Messi will stay at the club and said everything is progressing well, although sources have told ESPN he hasn’t yet offered the forward a new contract.
Messi’s existing deal expires in June and he will be free to leave the club if he doesn’t sign new terms.
Laporta, who was elected for a second spell as Barca president in March, has always expressed his desire for Messi to stay at Camp Nou but is holding off on offering him a new contract until an internal audit on the club’s finances has been carried out.
A report on Friday suggested a first offer had been made this week. Sources close to the Catalan club and the player denied that to ESPN, but Laporta demonstrated optimism ahead of this weekend’s Copa del Rey final.
0:44
Gab Marcotti says Arsenal can’t count their chickens before taking on former manager Unai Emery and Villarreal.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)
– Arsenal have joined the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea in showing interest in Internazionale starlet Martin Satriano, as has been reported by The Daily Mail. The 20-year-old has been playing for Inter’s Primavera side, contributing eight goals and six assists in 18 games this term. These numbers have made the striker highly sought after, with Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig also keeping an eye on him and Inter possibly having to let him leave due to their current financial situation.
— West Ham United are the frontrunners to sign Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, with Leicester City having second thoughts, according to Football Insider. The Foxes’ lack of interest follows Kelechi Iheanacho‘s impressive recent form. The Hammers aren’t the only interested party, though, as Arsenal are also keeping tabs on the 23-year-old Frenchman, who could leave Celtic for as little as £8m-£10m due to his contract coming to an end in the summer of 2022.
— He scored the goal that got AS Roma through against Ajax in the Europa League, but Edin Dzeko‘s future in the Italian capital is uncertain, according to Sky Sports Italia. The report says that club and player are waiting until the end of the season to discuss the Bosnia & Herzegovina international’s future, with his contract ending in 2022. If the veteran does leave, Roma are interested in bringing in Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic or Torino star Andrea Belotti in to replace him.
— Wolfsburg are looking to sign 23-year-old Portimonense striker Beto, reports Kicker. The forward has a contract with the Portuguese outfit that has a €40m fixed release clause and lasts until 2023, but the expectation is that Wolfsburg will pay far less than that figure if they bring in the man with 10 Liga goals this term.