The summer transfer window is here, and there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Arsenal eye double deal for Paqueta, Zhegrova
Arsenal are considering making a double move for Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta and Lille winger Edon Zhegrova, according to Media Foot.
Paqueta, 24, is believed to have turned down several clubs as he looks for a new challenge, having only joined Lyon from AC Milan in 2020 for around €20 million.
The Brazil international scored 11 goals in 44 games last season, but is keen to move on. The Gunners need depth in the centre of midfield and have also been linked with Leicester’s Youri Tielemans.
Meanwhile, Zhegrova is a surprise option in the wide positions for the Gunners. The 23-year-old, who has been likened to Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard in style, is seen as a more cost-effective option than Leeds United winger Raphinha, who the Gunners made a bid to sign earlier this month.
Arsenal spent €80m to sign Ivory Coast winger Nicolas Pepe from Lille in 2019, before he flopped, so will be wary of doing the same again. Kosovo international Zhegrova joined Lille in January for €7m from FC Basel.
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13.11 BST: Wayne Rooney would be open to the possibility of returning to D.C. United to manage the MLS team, sources have told ESPN, with the club still looking to hire a permanent replacement for Hernan Losada, who was fired in April.
Rooney, who spent 14 months with the Washington DC-based team between 2018 and 2019, resigned as Derby County manager last month after being unable to help the club overcome financial problems and avoid relegation from the EFL Championship last season.
Sources have told ESPN that the former Manchester United and England captain is now enjoying time with family before deciding his next career move.
13.00 BST: One Juventus legend would like to see UWMNT star Christian Pulisic arrive.
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Giorgio Chiellini is excited by the idea of Christian Pulisic joining his former team Juventus.
12.20 BST: Goal says that Barcelona have matched the €70m offer for Raphinha that Leeds agreed with Chelsea last week.
Raphinha, 25, wants to join Barca but the club had been unable to raise funds to sign the Brazil winger due to their financial issues.
Chelsea made the first acceptable offer, while Arsenal were also in the mix a week ago, as Raphinha waited to commit his future. But now it seems as though he may get his first choice.
11.51 BST: Former Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has signed a one-year contract with LaLiga side Villarreal, the club announced.
Reina, 39, played three seasons for Villarreal before signing for Liverpool in 2005. The ex-Spain international has spent the last two seasons at Lazio.
“17 years later and with the excitement of a child, I return to what was, is and will be my home,” Reina tweeted. “I am ready to give my best to help the club achieve their goals. It will be an honour to defend this shield again.”
11.00 BST: ICYMI — Clement Lenglet has joined Tottenham Hotspur on a season-long loan from Barcelona, the Premier League club have confirmed.
Lenglet, 27, was surplus to requirements at Barcelona, where Ronald Araujo, Gerard Pique and Eric Garcia were ahead of him in the pecking order.
The France centre-back’s position in the squad was put under further pressure by Barcelona signing Andreas Christensen as a free agent from Chelsea this week, while ESPN have reported that manager Xavi is also keen to incorporate Sevilla’s highly rated Jules Kounde.
Tottenham have so far been frustrated in their efforts to convince Alessandro Bastoni to leave Inter Milan and switched their attention to other targets with head coach Antonio Conte keen on signing at least one centre-back to strengthen the defence.
10.40 BST: Ousmane Dembele is prepared to stay at Barcelona and sign a contract with the Catalan giants until June 2024, Mundo Deportivo reports.
Dembele’s contract with Barca expired last month, and has attracted interest from a host of top clubs including Chelsea and PSG, but the LaLiga side were still hopeful an agreement could be reached for the France international to remain at Camp Nou beyond this summer.
An agreement has now reportedly been reached between the forward and the club which will see Dembele sign a two-year contract and earn 40% less than his previous contract. Hence, Dembele will earn the same salary as Barca starlet Ansu Fati. Though Barca’s sporting directors have to give the green light for the deal to be made official.
Dembele, 25, joined Barca from Borussia Dortmund for €105m in the summer of 2017.
10.17 BST: Sporting CP have reached an agreement with Barcelona to sign Francisco Trincao, Record reports.
The Primeira Liga side will pay €10m for 50% of the sporting rights of the Portuguese winger. Barca will still own 50% of Trincao’s rights and will have an option to sign him back included in the deal.
Trincao, 22, spent last season on loan at Wolves from Barca and began preseason training with the Blaugrana last week knowing that his stay at Camp Nou would be temporary.
10.08 BST: Brentford have completed the signing of Scotland international full-back Aaron Hickey from Bologna.
Hickey, 20, has signed a four-year contract, having moved to Italy from Hearts in 2020. Last season he played 36 of Bologna’s 38 games and scored five goals.
Manager Thomas Frank said: “I am very pleased that we have managed to sign Aaron. What he has already achieved in his career is very impressive. He is only 20 and has played a full season in Scotland as well as almost two seasons in Serie A. We think that Aaron is a player with great potential, who already has an impressive number of games at a good level under his belt. We believe that we have proven we are a good club for players to maximise their potential. We think we can help him be even better.
“Aaron is a rare thing in modern football in that he is equally good with both feet. He is technically very sound and is good when he has the ball in tight areas. He is an attacking full back that has good creativity, he is a great crosser of the ball, and scored goals in Serie A last year. Having played two years in Italy, we know he will have good defensive traits. There are areas to improve and we are looking forward to having him with us so we can be part of his development as a player.”
09.52 BST: Paul Pogba will complete his return to Juventus today.
Pogba, 29, is undergoing a medical in Turin this morning before putting pen to paper on a four-year contract. The France international spent the last six years at Manchester United making 226 appearances and scoring 39 goals, but joins as a free agent.
L’arrivo di @paulpogba al #JMedical per le visite 👀 pic.twitter.com/enJpF2UUtk
— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) July 9, 2022
“I am back, I am here and I can’t wait to get started,” Pogba told the club’s twitter account. “I am very, very happy. “I can’t wait to get started and wear this Juventus jersey again.”
Pogba first joined Juve in 2012 from Manchester United and won four Serie A titles with the Bianconeri and two Coppa Italia trophies, he then returned to Old Trafford in 2016 for a then-world-record fee of £89.3m.
09.39 BST: ICYMI – Angel Di Maria has signed for Juventus after leaving Paris Saint-Germain, the Serie A club have announced.
Di Maria scored 92 goals in 295 appearances for PSG after joining from Manchester United in 2015, winning five league titles during his time in the French capital.
The Argentina winger left PSG when his contract expired this summer, and Juventus have now secured his signature.
09.00 BST: ICYMI – Luka Jovic has left Real Madrid for Fiorentina on a free transfer, three years after the LaLiga club paid €60m to sign the forward who was then among Europe’s most sought-after young stars.
Jovic, 24, joins Fiorentina on a two-year deal until June 2024. Madrid will retain the right to receive 50% of a transfer fee, should the Serie A club decide to move the player on.
The Serbia international will look to reignite his career in Italy after scoring just three LaLiga goals, and never finding the net in the Champions League, during a disappointing spell at the Bernabeu.
Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was keen to trim his squad this summer, sources have told ESPN, with both Jovic and Mariano Diaz viewed as surplus to requirements in attack.
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Ale Moreno feels the time might be right for Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United to part ways.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Nick Judd)
– Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is looking to beat his former club Ajax Amsterdam to the signature of striker Brian Brobbey, according to the Times. Ajax had been in discussions with RB Leipzig, with whom Brobbey appears to have no future, but Ten Hag believes he can tempt the 20-year-old to Old Trafford. Brobbey played just 124 minutes in the Bundesliga before returning to Ajax on loan, and it was widely expected that he’d re-join his hometown club on a permanent transfer this summer. Brobbey would cost United in the region of €20m, and he scored 10 goals in 23 games under Ten Hag in his previous spell at the club.
– AS Roma are desperate to beat Internazionale to the signature of former Juventus forward Paulo Dybala, according to Corriere dello Sport. The Argentina striker’s contract with Juve ended on June 30 and he is yet to commit to his next move despite allegedly agreeing a verbal agreement with Inter. However, the Nerazzurri — while offering a contract Roma would find hard to match — need to offload one or both of Edin Dzeko or Joaquin Correa before they can make any further attacking additions, which has opened the door for Roma boss Jose Mourinho to steal a march on the 28-year-old Dybala.
– Paris Saint-Germain may need to increase their bid for Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca if they’re to add him to their attacking options, according to Sky Sports Italy. The French champions have offered Sassuolo €30m plus bonuses to sign the Italy international, but Sassuolo managing director Giovanni Carnevali is holding out for closer to €50m. The 23-year-old scored 16 goals in 38 appearances last term.
– Barcelona are keen to poach Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta before the Blues travel on their preseason tour this weekend, according to the Sun. The Catalan club are looking to add depth to their defence, and they see the experienced Azpilicueta as the perfect addition. The Spaniard’s contract at Stamford Bridge ended this summer but was automatically renewed for another season, which means Barcelona will need to negotiate a small fee with Chelsea if they’re to land the 32-year-old.
– Everton are keen to add Southampton full-back Kyle Walker-Peters and Chelsea forward Armando Broja to their ranks, according to the Mirror. Toffees manager Frank Lampard is a big fan of Walker-Peters, who has two caps for England, while Broja was at Chelsea while Lampard was managing the Blues. Broja, 20, has been on loan for the past two seasons, at Vitesse Arnhem and Southampton, but Chelsea are now keen to receive a fee for the striker.