The transfer window is open, and Transfer Talk has the latest rumours making the rounds. Follow live with our daily blog throughout the summer.
TOP STORY: Iniesta to join Man City as player-coach?
Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta is about to call time on his career at the Camp Nou, with Sunday’s match against Real Sociedad the last for the only club he has ever played for professionally at senior level.
Reports in recent months have linked the 34-year-old with a move to the Chinese Super League, Major League Soccer and even the A-League. But Yahoo has put the brakes on those mooted destinations, suggesting that Iniesta could join back up with his former Barca manager Pep Guardiola at Manchester City as a player-coach.
The report says that the Spain international is “Pep Guardiola’s No. 1 choice to fill the void left by [Mikel] Arteta, who is expected to be confirmed as Arsenal manager later this month.”
Yahoo cites sources who say that Iniesta is already in talks with this season’s runaway Premier League champions and has “had his head turned” with a chance to link up with Guardiola as Man City look to parlay domestic success into Champions League glory at the Etihad.
LIVE BLOG
10.37 BST: Rafa Benitez would be open to a reunion with Fernando Torres at Newcastle. The pair worked together at Liverpool and (less successfully) at Chelsea and, as the striker prepares to end his second spell at Atletico Madrid this summer, Benitez is open to a third stint working with ‘El Nino.’
“I think it will be harder for him to come for him, not because we don’t want to,” Benitez told Marca.”I don’t know what’s going on in his head, but maybe he is thinking about something else. It would be appealing, but I don’t think it would be easy.”
10.02 BST: Barcelona are being asked to pay out big for Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter have turned down a bid of €50 million for the 23-year-old Slovakia international, who only joined from Sampdoria last summer.
09.28 BST: A bit of news that is sure to pique the interest of some top clubs around Europe — the Daily Mail reports that Chelsea starlet Mason Mount has been invited to train with England’s World Cup squad before they head out to Russia. The 19-year-old spent last season on loan at — yes, you guessed it — Vitesse Arnhem, and is yet to make a first-team appearance for Chelsea, but such an endorsement from England boss Gareth Southgate is likely to do wonders for his future prospects at Stamford Bridge or elsewhere.
PAPER TALK
Some Premier League teams still have a ‘Hart’
Speaking of Man City, what about their former No. 1 goalkeeper, Joe Hart? It’s hard not to feel bad for the 31-year-old, who spent the 2016-17 season on loan and playing for Torino, before spending the most recent campaign on loan and seeing limited action at West Ham.
The lack of action and a serious youth movement in Gareth Southgate’s squad means the England international won’t be on the plane to Russia this summer, either, with Stoke’s Jack Butland, Burnley’s Nick Pope and Everton’s Jordan Pickford all picked ahead of him for the World Cup squad.
But there could yet be good news on the home front for Hart, with the Mirror reporting that Southampton, who avoided relegation, and Wolves, who were promoted to the Premier League after topping the Championship table, are ready to make a move for his services.
The outlet says that Saints could have an edge as Hart’s “former Birmingham and England goalkeeping coach Dave Watson is now head of goalkeeping at St Mary’s.”
Good luck, Joe. It’s been a rough 2018 so far.
Rooney can always go home again
Indeed, the old saying is that you can never go home again, but don’t tell that to Wayne Rooney, who the Mail says has an open invitation to return to Everton next season, or anytime in the future for that matter, if he does test the waters in Major League Soccer.
The former Manchester United star has been linked with a move to the United States to play for Ben Olsen’s struggling D.C. United team, with some outlets reporting that a fee has been agreed for the move and Rooney being the only one holding up this deal getting done.
Whether Rooney decides to test his luck in MLS or not, the Mail says that the club’s academy grad “has already been told he would be welcome back as a coach at Goodison Park any time in the future.”
Tap-ins
– A story on ESPN Brazil cites Colombian outlet Antena 2’s report that Radamel Falcao could also be on his way to MLS. The story says the Monaco striker has drawn interest from Atlanta United — a club that’s no stranger to South American talent.
Although Falcao’s deal with the principality club runs through the summer of 2020, the report suggests that a less-than-perfect relationship with manager Leonardo Jardim has the Colombia international exploring new opportunities.
– Bayern Munich have tabled a €60 million bid for Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.
Leverkusen, however, are holding out for a fee closer to €100m and would much prefer to sell the 20-year-old to Real Madrid, who also have expressed a strong interest in him.
– Kylian Mbappe has said he will stay at Paris Saint-Germain next season but might not see out his five-year contract at Parc des Princes.
France international Mbappe said he was happy at the club but added that the Champions League exit to Real Madrid had been a “black mark” on their season.
– Charly Musonda has returned to Chelsea after his loan at Celtic was cut short due to a lack of first-team football, Brendan Rodgers has revealed.
Chelsea initially loaned Musonda to Celtic on an 18-month deal in January with the hope that he would get regular minutes on the pitch, but the Belgian winger has since started just two league games for the Scottish champions.
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