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The January transfer window may be closed around Europe, but teams are looking ahead to the summer and there’s plenty of gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
Manchester United have begun talks with the representatives of Bayer Leverkusen wing-back Jeremie Frimpong, according to Sky Sports Deutschland.
Erik ten Hag is a keen admirer of the 22-year-old, who is open to leaving the BayArena in the summer, and it looks as though he is among the top options as the Red Devils continue their search for a right-back.
Frimpong has found his career best form under Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso, having scored eight goals while assisting another six in 26 Bundesliga clashes, with his most recent goal coming during the 3-0 win over Schalke 04 on Saturday.
Contracted until the summer of 2025, there will be no pressure for Leverkusen to accept incoming offers when the transfer market opens, but interest in his signature could begin to grow across Europe should his rich vein of form continue.
20.40 BST: An agreement could be difficult to be reached between Arsenal and Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans, according to TeamTalk. The Gunners reportedly have held initial talks with the representatives of the 25-year-old Belgium international over a potential free transfer this summer, but his salary demands, which would see him become one of the top earners at the club, have caused the deal to stall early on.
20.07 BST: Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse has emerged on the radar of Manchester United, writes Football Insider. Erik ten Hag is said to be keen to add reinforcements to his midfield in the summer, and it looks as though the 28-year-old is on the shortlist of potential targets. Ward-Prowse has remained a key player for the Saints this season, but he could be moved on if they are relegated, with Newcastle United and West Ham United among the sides already interested in his signature.
19.34 BST: Nottingham Forest are lining up Patrick Vieira as a potential replacement for current manager Steve Cooper, according to the Daily Mail. The club’s hierarchy are said to be concerned with current form that sees Forest battling relegation and one point out of the drop zone, and they will consider their head coaches position if they suffer defeat to Leeds United on Tuesday. Former New York City FC manager Vieira is out of work after he was sacked by Crystal Palace last month.
19.00 BST: AS Roma have identified Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos as a potential option on a free transfer, reports Calciomercato. The Serie A side are said to be assessing players whose contracts are set to expire in the summer, and they are confident they could reach an agreement with the 26-year-old Spain international over salary demands. Ceballos has made 20 appearances for the LaLiga champions this season, although there are no signs of movement towards a new deal that would extend his stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.
18.23 BST: Serie A side Sampdoria have decided not to make midfielder Harry Winks loan move from Tottenham Hotspur permanent, reports the Sun. The 27-year-old who has made 10 appearances for England has made a number of starts for the Italian club, and despite there not being an option clause included in the deal, the club’s financial issues mean they aren’t able to make a suitable offer for his services.
17.43 BST: Watford forward Joao Pedro is being monitored by clubs across Europe’s top leagues, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 21-year-old, who has contributed to 12 goals in 30 Championship games this season, has caught the attention of clubs in both the Premier League and Serie A, and he is expected to be moved on in the summer.
17.00 BST: AC Milan are willing to transfer forward Rafael Leao out of the club in the summer if he does not agree to a new contract, writes Cadena Ser. The Rossoneri reportedly could look to offer the 23-year-old Portugal international to Real Madrid in a deal that would see them able to keep hold of attacking midfielder Brahim Diaz, whose loan from the LaLiga side is set to end after this season, although Los Blancos don’t view Leao as a priority signing even if they recognise his talent.
16.14 BST: Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella is on Liverpool’s radar as they look to reinforce their midfield, says TEAMtalk.
Barella, 26, is one of the top young midfielders in Europe and Jurgen Klopp is reportedly a big fan of his.
Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham remains the club’s top transfer target, but Inter failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League could have disastrous consequences for the Serie A side and see them lose a number of top players. Of course, Liverpool aren’t guaranteed a place in Europe either…
14.55 BST: Chelsea are considering between five and seven different managers to replace Graham Potter as head coach, although Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is not in the running, sources have told ESPN.
Potter was sacked on Sunday after less than seven months in charge as the first managerial appointment of the Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital era ended in failure with Chelsea languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League.
Sources have told ESPN that Julian Nagelsmann is on the shortlist, while the club are expected to sound out Mauricio Pochettino and Luis Enrique over the role. Not all individuals identified as possible candidates have been approached at this stage.
As of Tuesday morning, a source close to Pochettino confirmed to ESPN that neither Tottenham, which sacked Antonio Conte last month, nor Chelsea had made formal contact.
14.40 BST: Lionel Messi could be leaving PSG in the summer.
Julien Laurens explains the obstacles stopping Lionel Messi from signing a contract extension with PSG.
13.49 BST: Abde Ezzalzouli wants to return to Barcelona this summer but only if he is guaranteed regular football next season, according to Sport.
Abde, 21, has done well on loan at Osasuna this summer and his agents have been informed that Barca will welcome him back for preseason with the first team.
The Morocco international is keen to take his chance at Camp Nou if it arrives but is wary of wasting a season on the sidelines.
Per the report, he is drawing interest from “across Europe” and has clubs willing to guarantee him minutes in the case he leaves Barca.
The Catalan club will assess the situation during preseason. Their financial situation could force them to consider offers for the winger, who they signed for just €2m in 2021.
13.01 BST: Carlo Ancelotti isn’t worried about picking Dani Ceballos and Marco Asensio with their Real Madrid contracts set to expire this summer — saying it’s up to the players to decide if they’re happy with their roles at the Bernabeu.
Ceballos has played in 20 LaLiga games this season, 10 of them as a starter, while Asensio has made 21 league appearances, 13 of them off the bench, and both could be involved in Madrid’s Copa del Rey semifinal second leg against Barcelona at Camp Nou on Wednesday.
“They’re very focused and motivated,” Ancelotti said in a news conference on Tuesday. “You might think that with a contract coming to an end it could affect them, but not with these players, Nacho, Ceballos, Asensio … Asensio’s contract is up but he played a spectacular game against [Real] Valladolid [in Madrid’s 6-0 win on Sunday]. They’re 100% professional.”
Midfielder Ceballos has said that he would like to stay at Madrid, if he feels an important part of the team.
“Everyone has to assess that,” Ancelotti said. “If you’re coming to the end of a contract you have to look at how involved you are. It’s a discussion a player has to have. If you want to renew, it means you like your role and it motivates you. In the end it’s between the club and the player.”
12.24 BST: Barcelona and Portugal winger Francisco Trincao is wanted a host of top Premier League sides, according to Torcedores.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United are all credited with an interest in Trincao, who spent last season on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Trincao, 23, is currently on loan at Sporting CP in his homeland from Barca. Sporting have an option to make the move permanent but, according to the report, are bracing themselves for his departure due to the Premier League interest.
Barca will not stand in Trincao’s way given their need to raise funds this summer and are prepared to accept a fee much lower than the €30m they paid to Braga in 2020.
In 41 appearances in all competitions this season, Trincao has scored eight goals, including five in the league, where Sporting are enduring a difficult season despite a good recent run.
11.50 BST: Ronald Araujo, Pedri and Frenkie de Jong are Barcelona’s three “untouchables” despite the club’s delicate financial situation, according to Sport.
Barca need to make over €150m in savings this summer, either through wage cuts or player departures, which could force them to consider offers for players they ordinarily would want to keep.
However, they will not entertain bids to sign Araujo, Pedri and De Jong, who have been singled out as the three players that are essential to the club’s continued growth under Xavi Hernandez.
It signals quite a turnaround for De Jong, in particular, given the club were open to letting him join Manchester United for €85m last year. The Netherlands international insisted on staying put, though.
The report adds that Barca will look to make cut backs in salaries and by moving on fringe players, but that to be able to strengthen the squad, they may have to make difficult decision on some players who feature regularly.
11.16 BST: Lionel Messi is unlikely to reach an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain to extend his stay at the club, sources have told ESPN’s Julien Laurens.
Negotiations between the two parties are at a standstill, casting major doubts over the World Cup winner’s future in Paris. The French champions want Messi to take a 25% pay cut from his existing salary which is worth €40m gross a year. A new meeting between the club and Messi’s father and agent, Jorge, is still scheduled for later this month to find a solution.
Sources have told ESPN that Messi was likely to sign a new deal before the World Cup but the situation has changed since then. Messi has failed to replicate his excellent World Cup form with PSG and the club doubts whether Messi can still deliver in big Champions League matches. The Argentina captain was disappointing as PSG were dumped out of the competition by Bayern Munich last month.
Sources have told ESPN that Messi is not prepared to reduce his wages and was upset after his name was jeered by a section of the club’s supporters in the previous two home matches.
10.51 BST: Manchester United are ready to make a move to sign Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos if they fail to land Tottenham’s Harry Kane, says Football Insider.
Ramos, 21, is seen “as a contingency option” given he could arrive for around €80m, which is a lower than his €120m release clause and also a lot less than Spurs would want for the signing of Kane.
The Portugal international has 25 goals and 10 assists across 37 appearances this season, having made a splash at the World Cup.
10.19 BST: Eintracht Frankfurt have joined the race to sign Italian forward Mateo Retegui, alongside Inter Milan, Sky Italia reports.
Retegui, 23, plays at Argentinian side Club Atletico Tigre on loan from Boca Juniors. He made his debut with Italy last month and has scored seven goals in nine appearances for Tigre so far this season.
Tigre will execute an option to sign Retegui on a permanent basis for €2.5m once his loan expires in December, with Boca expected to retain 50% of a future transfer fee.
Inter have followed Retegui’s progress for over a year but since his call-up to the Italy team, other clubs have also expressed an interest in the Argentina-born player.
10.05 BST: Luke Shaw has signed a long-term contract extension at Manchester United, the club announced on Tuesday.
The England international has put pen to paper on a new four-year deal that will see him stay at Old Trafford until June 2027. Last month, sources told ESPN that Shaw’s new contract is the first of a number of contract renewals United hope to sort out before the end of the year.
“Nine years ago, I signed for this amazing club, and I’m thrilled to be extending my stay,” Shaw told the club’s website. “I’ve grown immensely since coming to Manchester all those years ago, both as a person and as a player; I know what is needed to succeed at a club like this.
“We’re at the beginning of our journey under the manager and his coaching staff. We’ve been successful already this season, but we want much more. There’s a great opportunity to create something special here, and I’m going to give everything to be part of that.”
09.19 BST: James Maddison is on Tottenham Hotspur’s list of summer transfer targets, reports the Daily Mail.
Even if Leicester, who parted company with manager Brendan Rodgers on Sunday, preserve their Premier League status, Maddison is expected to move on. The midfielder is expected to leave the King Power when his contract enters its final 12 months, with a host of Premier League suitors ready to made an offer.
Newcastle United have previously tried to sign the England international but the Foxes rebuffed transfer offers. It may be a different story at the end of the season as 26-year-old’s contract begins to run down.
08.30 BST: The Athletic reports that Harry Kane remains Manchester United’s No. 1 transfer target, but they are concerned about being drawn into another prolonged pursuit after the failed move for Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong last summer.
Kane is about to move into the final year of his contract, and some clubs are likely to at least test Tottenham Hotspur’s resolve with an offer for their all-time record goal scorer.
United are more likely to have Champions League football next season, which could be a pulling point
If Kane stays at Spurs, United could look to Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, Benfica’s Goncalo Ramos or Brighton & Hove Albion’s teenage forward Evan Ferguson.
Steve Nicol analyses Man United’s top four credentials after their 2-0 loss to Newcastle in the Premier League.
– Bayern Munich will decide on the future of wing-back Joao Cancelo in the summer, writes Fabrizio Romano. The 28-year-old arrived at the Allianz Arena on loan from Manchester City in January, and although Bayern have the option to make that move become permanent for a fee of €70m, at present they have no intention of activating it. However, Bayern could be willing to negotiate a reduced fee with Pep Guardiola’s side.
– Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have joined the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt attacking midfielder Daichi Kamada, writes Sky Sports Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg. The 26-year-old, who has also been linked with Borussia Dortmund, will become a free agent in the summer, with indications he will leave. It is reported that the Japan international would prefer a move to LaLiga over any domestic switch to another Bundesliga club.
– Atletico Madrid are keen to keep Alvaro Morata at the Wanda Metropolitano, reveals Relevo. The 30-year-old has impressed this season with his performances as well as his attitude in training, and although any new deal isn’t set to see his salary increased, Los Colchoneros would instead be looking to extend his deal which is due to expire in the summer of 2024.
– United States men’s national team star and Augsburg forward Ricardo Pepi is on the radar of Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven, understands Fabrizio Romano. The 20-year-old Pepi, on loan at FC Groningen, has contributed to 13 goals in 22 games this season, and he is preparing to move on from the Bundesliga side in the summer.
– Lyon are planning to reward right-back Sael Kumbedi with a contract extension, according to Foot Mercato. The 18-year-old has impressed since earning a number of starts in Ligue 1, and he provided an assist during the 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday. With Malo Gusto making the switch to Chelsea in the summer, Lyon may already have found his replacement in the France youth international Kumbedi.
