The transfer window for Europe’s biggest clubs is closed, but you can click here to review all the deals. Transfer Talk will continue to scour the world’s media and set correspondents loose to see what’s on the agenda for the summer.
TOP STORY: Pogba and Lukaku to leave United for £200m
Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku will leave Manchester United this summer for a combined £200 million, according to The Mirror.
Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola insists that the France international is heading to Real Madrid, and Lukaku could head to Juventus or Inter Milan. Manchester United won’t block moves for either, the report says.
United will ask for around £120m for Pogba, despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s statement Friday, when he told reporters: “You can’t guarantee anything in football but, yes, I think Paul’s going to be here, he’s very determined to succeed at Manchester United.”
And AS adds further credence to the rumours that Pogba is done at Old Trafford saying the attacking midfielder has handed in a request to be sold and has even agreed to preliminary terms with the Spanish giants.
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11.40 BST: Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson admits he is “realistic” about the prospect of the club having to sell star forward Wilfried Zaha this summer.
Ivory Coast international Zaha said in a recent interview that that he is desperate to play in the Champions League.
“I’m not ruling out the fact that something like that could come up when we sit down — it would be wrong to do that,” Hodgson said. “The point is that no one at the club has really got any interest in selling Wilf Zaha, so we’re rather hoping that we won’t get those offers. But I’m realistic and it would be a club issue.
“If the bids don’t come to me any more, the bids come through the chairman himself [Steve Parish] through [sporting director] Doug Freedman. If one day they call me in and say, ‘Look, this is the situation’ — I shall be in their hands basically. I don’t have the power to veto any decisions of that nature.”
10.45 BST: Paris Saint-Germain may have cantered to the Ligue 1 title again this year, but after another flop in the Champions League and last night’s shock Coupe de France final loss to Rennes, the pressure is on coach Thomas Tuchel.
The Sunday Mirror reports that Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez is in the frame to replace th eGerman boss is PSG decide a change is needed.
Benitez has secured Newcastle’s Premier League status yet again, and but the Spaniard has remained circumspect on whether he will stick around at St James’ Park for next season.
09.30 BST: Manchester City may turn to Leicester City’s Harry Maguire in a bid to boost their defensive options, according to The Sun on Sunday.
The paper reports that the centre-back may cost as much as £90m — a big advance on the record £75m Liverpool paid for Virgil van Dijk in January 2018.
Maguire was previously a target for Manchester United before signing a new five-year contract with Leicester in September.
PAPER TALK (by Steve Wright): D.C. United target Williams
MLS side D.C. United have expressed interest in signing Everton’s Ashley Williams, who is currently on loan at Stoke City, according to The Sun.
Should Williams join the American club, he would be reunited with former Toffees teammate Wayne Rooney, who signed for D.C. United in the summer of 2018 and has put the team back on the path to past glories.
But they’re not the only club chasing his signature, as Aston Villa and Huddersfield have also announced their interest in the central defender. Over in MLS, Eastern Conference leaders New York City FC are also interested, so Williams has plenty of options at his disposal.
Klopp not giving up hope on Fekir
Liverpool’s long-standing interest in Lyon’s Nabil Fekir is still ongoing, as The Mirror reports the Merseyside club are still hoping to sign the attacker ahead of next season.
The Reds were so close to completing the signing of Fekir last summer that he had already taken official photos and done interviews carried out for the club. However, Fekir failed his medical and Klopp’s side didn’t take the risk.
Despite that, Liverpool are still interested, but so too are Juventus, who consider Fekir part of their summer spending spree plans, adding to the signing of Aaron Ramsey from Arsenal. Fekir recently parted company with his agent in an effort to force a move away from Lyon.
In the Premier League, champions Manchester City have also registered interest in snatching Fekir away from their title challengers.
Tap-ins
– Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho won’t be going anywhere this summer if sporting director Michael Zorc has it his way, according to the Mirror. The England attacker has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United over recent weeks, but Zorc insists an approach for the player has not been made and that clubs shouldn’t bother making one in the first place.
– Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that he will not stand in the way of Kalidou Koulibaly or Lorenzo Insigne should they seek moves away from the Italian club this summer, the Daily Mail reports. Manchester United and Real Madrid are said to be interested in Koulibaly, while Chelsea and Liverpool could be after Insigne.
