Clubs are slowly turning their eyes toward the summer window, and Transfer Talk has the updates on all the latest rumours.
Woodward to give Mourinho full backing
It has been turbulent few weeks for Jose Mourinho and Manchester United, but the club’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is planning to give the manager all the support he needs to mount a title challenge next season, according to The Sun.
There have been whispers that some of the club’s hierarchy remain unconvinced by Mourinho’s leadership, but Woodward intends to prove that United have the right man at the helm.
To do that, Woodward will sanction another £200 million spending spree in the summer, with Mourinho eyeing a host of new additions, including (but not limited to) Premier League trio Danny Rose, Toby Alderweireld and Hector Bellerin; Serie A pair Jorginho and Alex Sandro; and Celtic full-back Kieran Tierney.
On second thought, £200m might not be enough.
Woodward will also try to shift a number of unwanted Old Trafford stars as Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo, Matteo Darmian, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones edge towards the exit door.
It’s thought United aren’t desperate to sign a new forward, despite Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s departure, which is probably good news after The Sun adds that long-term target Antoine Griezmann has opted to join Barcelona in an £88m move.
Pogba sticking with United
Sticking with Man United for a moment, Paul Pogba has played down talk of a feud between him and Mourinho in a recent interview with French outlet Telefoot.
The 25-year-old has been relegated to the bench on several occasions recently, leading to speculation that he could quit the club in the summer.
However, Pogba has dismissed those rumours and denied that he is looking to engineer a move to Paris Saint-Germain after saying he would one day like to play alongside Neymar.
“It’s true [being on the bench] has never happened to me, but it can strengthen me,” the France international said. “You have to go through these periods to make you stronger.
“Neymar? I said I dream of playing with him, [Lionel] Messi or Cristiano [Ronaldo], but that doesn’t mean that I want to move clubs. It’s too early to talk about a departure from United, the situation can change.”
Roma rule out Alisson sale
Liverpool target Alisson will not be leaving Roma this summer, according to the Serie A side’s sporting director Monchi.
The Brazilian keeper is thought to feature high on Jurgen Klopp’s wish list, but Mediaset Premium reports that Roma intend to hold on to their star No.1.
“I am honestly a little tired of talking about Alisson’s future, as I get asked this in every interview now,” the story quotes Monchi as saying.
“We have not received any offers and have no intention of selling. We are happy to have Alisson, we want to enjoy him. I don’t want to name a hypothetical price-tag for him, because when someone doesn’t want to sell, he doesn’t name a price.”
Should the Reds fail to arrange a deal for Alisson, they could turn their attention to Porto’s experienced shot-stopper Iker Casillas.
The Daily Mirror says the former Real Madrid captain has emerged as a surprise target for the Anfield club, as doubts remain over the long-term futures of Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet.
Casillas is out of contract at the end of the season and could arrive to put pressure on Karius, with Mignolet set to move on.
Tap-ins
– Premier League trio Everton, West Ham and Swansea are all tracking Porto striker Moussa Marega, according to the Daily Mirror. The 26-year-old has scored 20 goals in the Portuguese top-flight this season and has a buy-out clause of £35m.
– Another player who could be on the move from Portugal is Sporting Lisbon midfielder Rodrigo Battaglia. O Jogo claims the Argentine is being watched by West Ham, Roma and Napoli with a view to a summer auction.
– Manchester City have joined Borussia Dortmund, Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven in the race to sign Fenerbahce wonderkid Elif Elmas, says Bild. The 18-year-old attacking midfielder has already won three caps for Macedonia after impressing in the country’s youth teams.
Matthew Stanger covers European football for ESPN and is the editor of The Set Pieces. Twitter: @MatthewStanger
Be the first to comment