Willian may be latest taker on CSL payday
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: Willian headed for CSL payday?
Chelsea midfielder Willian could be the latest player to cash in with a move to the Chinese Super League, according to the Mirror. To tempt the 27-year-old away from Stamford Bridge, the paper reports that Guangzhou Evergrande would double his wages and be willing to pay the Blues a £50 million transfer fee.
Friday’s Daily Mirror back page:
Sam has a pop#tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/iGHJOOrdTO– Nick Sutton (@suttonnick) April 28, 2016
There’s some precedent here for Willian, whose teammate and countryman Ramires made the move to the CSL and now plays for Jiangsu Suning alongside former Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Alex Teixeira.
That’s quite a Brazilian connection in the CSL and the real kicker for Willian could be the manager at Evergrande, former Brazilian national team boss Luiz Felipe Scolari.
If you’re thinking, “I haven’t heard much about Ramires or Teixeira since those high-profile moves a few months back,” neither have we. Something for Willian to consider before leaving the white-hot spotlight that shines on everything to do with the Premier League.
Gundogan to join Dortmund exodus?
It’s been a heck of a day for Borussia Dortmund, as news broke earlier that club staple Mats Hummels wants to leave BVB for Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich.
And Hummels, 27, could be the first of many to leave Thomas Tuchel’s team this summer, according to Bild, who are reporting that Ilkay Gundogan might be the next one out. The German international teammate of Hummels has been linked with Manchester City, who are said to be upping their offer for the 25-year-old midfielder from €18m plus add-ons to €22m plus add-ons.
The outlet also lists Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Neven Subotic, Matthias Ginter and Shinji Kagawa as players who could make a summer exit. That could make for a seriously new-look squad at Dortmund next season, a bit of a surprise considering the success they’ve had this campaign, but also a testament to the quality at the club right now.
Halilovic wants Barca shot
And over in Spain, Barcelona loanee Alen Halilovic is said to be a target of Valencia, who want to make the Croatian a permanent member of their club, says Sport.
Halilovic, who is currently on loan to Sporting Gijon, would prefer to return to the Camp Nou and see if he can make it as a regular with Luis Enrique’s team. The 19-year-old has three goals and five assists for Gijon this season, but it’s unclear what his role would be if he did return to Barcelona for the 2016-17 season.
Sport says that Valencia sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch has been in touch with the Catalans over a permanent move for Halilovic. One initial hangup is Barcelona’s insistence on a buy-back clause.
Chong reveals Man United move
Arsenal and Chelsea could be reeling from this latest bit of news from the Express. The outlet reports that Feyenoord winger Tahith Chong told Dutch outlet Elf Voetbal that he’s nearing a deal to move to Manchester.
Chong, 16, denied interest in a move in the winter window when all three of these Premier League suitors began to circle. However, when his Eredivisie club dragged their heels in getting him a new deal, Chong began to listen to offers.
“It was my intention to stay at Feyenoord, but no plan was made for me,” Chong said. “At Manchester United I had a better feeling. You can feel it immediately when you walk in a club.”
Tap-Ins
– If Theo Walcott is surplus to requirements at Arsenal, there’s a team on the blue side of Manchester that could be keen to bring him in. The Evening Standard have a story that says Pep Guardiola has instructed his new club to “monitor the striker situation at the Emirates” should the 27-year-old become available.
– Here’s one from TalkSport, who reveal the news from Gazzetta dello Sport that Juventus are keeping tabs on Leicester’s N’Golo Kante as a replacement for his French compatriot Paul Pogba should another of Europe’s super teams steal the latter away from the newly-reminted Serie A champs.
– New York Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese has confirmed the NASL club has been in touch with Roma’s Francesco Totti about a possible move across the Atlantic. The 39-year-old’s contract is up for renewal this summer and the Rome icon has had a turbulent season with manager Luciano Spalletti over his use (or lack of) in the team.
“I think he’s one anybody would love to have on their team. There has been for sure a contact,” Savarese said.
– Bayer Leverkusen forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez dismissed links to Bayern Munich and stressed that his meeting last month with Carlo Ancelotti in Canada was just a greeting.
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