Man City may beat Liverpool to Ter Stegen
The summer window will be opening before you know it, and rumours around the world are picking up steam. As always, Transfer Talk has its finger on the pulse when it comes to the latest gossip. See the latest deals here.
TOP STORY: Man City in pole position for Ter Stegen
Manchester City are on the brink of finalising a deal for Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen, according to the Telegraph.
City will look to acquire the German stopper to compete with England No. 1 Joe Hart and will part with approximately £20 million for the 23-year-old, says the report.
Liverpool were also in the running, but it now seems as if Pep Guardiola will get his man to replace the outgoing Willy Caballero. It would seem that City are to hand Jurgen Klopp another blow, as the club is also in the lead for the services of another of the ex-Dortmund manager’s star players in Ilkay Gundogan.
Prem clubs target Serie A to bolster defence
Chelsea will go head-to-head with Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United for Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Roma’s Kostas Manolas, according to the Daily Star.
Antonio Conte hopes the Blues can beat out Manchester United and Bayern Munich for Napoli’s Senegalese international, though the Neapolitans have offered the dominant centre-back a new deal which includes a mooted £31.5m buyout.
Conte also hopes to bolster his backline with Roma’s Greek centre-back, with the Gunners also looking closely at the Giallorossi favourite.
With John Terry departing, Kurt Zouma recovering from a long-term knee injury and the Blues said to have decided that John Stones is now not value for money, Conte will hope these two targets can help tighten things up at the back.
Gunners after Swiss star
Arsenal could be set to splash £35m on Borussia Monchengladbach’s Granit Xhaka to bolster their midfield with a number of departures expected, according to the Daily Mail.
Arsene Wenger has observed the Swiss international over a considerable amount of time and is now willing to sanction a huge move as the Gunners look to revamp a midfield that will likely not include Mathieu Flamini, Tomas Rosicky and Mikel Arteta next season.
After what looks to be another disappointing season in terms of Premier League success for Arsenal, a big-money signing in the form of the 23-year-old Bundesliga star should go some way to appeasing the fanbase.
Lukaku saga gathers pace
The Romelu Lukaku transfer saga rumbles on as super agent Mino Raiola has finally weighed in on his client’s future by insisting he is ready to move to one of Europe’s best teams after speaking to Belgian outlet DH.
The Belgian international has been in sensational form for Everton all season and Chelsea and Manchester United are said to be circling for the 22-year-old striker.
A transfer battle looks almost sure to begin in earnest once Lukaku’s involvement with Belgium at Euro 2016 finishes up.
Tap Ins:
– Liverpool could be set to finally get rid of Mario Balotelli this summer, with a mega offer from China set to provide the Italian an Anfield exit, according to Il Milanista.
Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning could offer the 25-year-old £11.8m per season with discussions over a move already underway.
– Leicester City’s star midfielder N’golo Kante has refused to rule out a move to Chelsea this summer, according to the Star.
The French international is also attracting interest from Arsenal and Juventus, but has maintained his focus is solely on the Foxes title challenge for now.
– Southampton face a battle to keep captain Jose Fonte this summer, with the Portuguese centre-back flirting with Porto, Benfica or Sporting Lisbon, according to the Daily Star.
The 32-year-old has two more years on his current deal on the South coast, but a move back to his homeland would be a fitting swansong to his career.
