The coronavirus pandemic has made the transfer market uncertain — and you can find out when the windows open and close here — but here are the rumours floating around Europe’s big leagues and beyond.
TOP STORY: Inter eye Chelsea’s Kante to replace Eriksen
It’s not like Inter Milan to sign players from the Premier League… oh wait. Antonio Conte’s scouting network seems to extend to looking at players he’s coached in the past and now his sights have been set on Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante.
The Daily Express reports that Kante has been made available by the Blues as they seek to raise funds in the wake of a £200 million spending spree which has seen them sign Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Ben Chilwell, plus Thiago Silva and Malang Sarr on free transfers. And with Bayer Leverkusen‘s Kai Havertz to come for around £72m.
The 29-year-old Kante can leave for £80m, says the report, with full-back Emerson Palmieri and striker Olivier Giroud also of interest to Inter.
Inter are reportedly set to allow former Spurs midfielder Christian Eriksen to leave, despite only signing him in January, according to Mundo Deportivo.
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08.35 BST: ICYMI – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is targeting RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano to bolster his defensive options at Manchester United, sources have told ESPN’s Mark Ogden, after sealing a deal to make Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek his first major signing this summer.
Netherlands international Van de Beek is expected to complete a £40m move to Old Trafford this week after agreeing terms with Ajax over the weekend. United have been pursuing the 23-year-old since January.
But with United continuing to make slow progress in their attempts to land priority target Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund due to the pay demands of the England winger and his representatives, United manager Solskjaer wants to intensify efforts to boost his squad before the team’s Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on Sept 19.
08.20 BST: Zlatan Ibrahimovic has extended his contract with AC Milan by a year, the club announced.
The striker’s contract expired at the end of last season but he has signed a new deal after impressing with his performances.
08.00 BST: Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has joined Serie A side AS Roma on a permanent deal after terminating his contract with Arsenal, the Premier League club said on Monday.
Mkhitaryan joined Roma at the start of last season after a disappointing 18-month spell at Arsenal following a swap deal in January 2018 which saw Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez move to Manchester United.
Roma had initially reached an agreement last month to extend Mkhitaryan’s loan deal until the end of next season.
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Stewart Robson isn’t surprised Juventus have let Gonzalo Higuain leave the club after four seasons in Turin.
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Beckham tries to tempt Higuain to Miami
David Beckham has made contact with Juventus about the possibility of taking Gonzalo Higuain to Inter Miami CF, reports Calciomercato.
The Italian outlet believes Beckham himself has sounded out the Argentina international to see if he would be interested in a move to MLS.
And Higuain is believed to be open to finishing his career in the U.S. rather than returning to his homeland, but the deal could falter as a result of the striker’s current salary.
Contracted to the Old Lady until 2021, Higuain has a net salary of €7.5m per season, which would be beyond Beckham’s budget.
PSG target Inter’s Brozovic
Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo is interested in signing Marcelo Brozovic from Internazionale, according to Le10 Sport.
The French outlet believes the Ligue 1 champions see the Croatian midfielder as a key part of their rebuild in midfield, though they face competition from Bayern Munich. However, the German giants need to streamline their squad before they can add to it, which is why they’re looking to offload Javi Martinez and Thiago Alcantara. This means that Leonardo has the advantage in the race for Brozovic’s signature.
PSG were left weakened by the injury of Marco Verratti in the Champions League quarterfinals and while Leonardo’s top target, Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, appears to be too expensive, Brozovic could be a more affordable option.
Inter are keen to sell Brozovic, but PSG will need to move fast if they’re to avoid a tug of war with Bayern.
AC Milan, Everton chase Emerson deal
Mundo Deportivo is reporting that AC Milan and Everton are attempting to sign Emerson from Barcelona. However, the Catalan club are keen to make way for new players, and so would like to recoup €32m for the full-back’s services rather than send him out on loan for a second season, or for a cut-price fee.
Barcelona signed Emerson last summer and loaned him to Real Betis. The Brazilian has attracted admiring glances from all over Europe, but no clubs are yet to lodge a bid that satisfies Barca’s officials.
Milan have so far put in an offer of €18m plus a player in return, while Everton wanted to complete a two-year loan deal. It looks as though both clubs will have to do better if they’re to land the 21-year-old’s services.
Tap-ins
– Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr have reportedly offered Arsenal star Mezut Ozil a mouthwatering £15m-per-year contract, according to Turkish outlet Fanatik. Ozil’s deal expires in 2021, but Al-Nassr want to sign the Germany international this summer, though they’re prepared to wait a year to sign the attacking midfielder on a free transfer next summer. Ozil appears to have no future under Mikel Arteta, and the Gunners would be interested in offloading one of their highest-paid players.
– Arsenal are set to re-sign Dani Ceballos on loan for a second successive season from Real Madrid, according to Spanish journalist Jose Luis Sanchez. The two clubs are working to finalise a deal for the 2020-21 season that will include an option for Arsenal to buy the 24-year-old on a permanent deal. Ceballos, who made 37 appearances in all competitions last season, has been persuaded to stay by Arteta, while Madrid are keen to freshen up their own squad by offloading their fringe players.