Euro paper talk: Real Madrid line up £259m bid for PSG forward Neymar
Saturday 9 March 2019 10:04, UK
It's crunch team in the season with league titles to be decided, European places to be secured and relegation spots to be avoided.
But the transfer merry-go-round never stops so our friends at Football Whispers have rounded up the best of the continental press to keep you in the loop.
Spain
Real Madrid have responded to their Champions League humiliation at the hands of Ajax in midweek by planning an incredible £259m (€300m) offer for Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar. The 27-year-old is already the most expensive player of all time following his £198m (€222m) switch to the French capital in 2017. (Sport)
Internal strife at Real Madrid following their Champions League exit dominates the papers in Spain. After an angry exchange between captain Sergio Ramos and president Florentino Perez on Tuesday, the two attempted clear-the-air talks on Thursday. Far from smoothing things over, discussions have driven a bigger wedge between the two. Ramos, in the meantime, has decided to 'take the lead' and has asked his team-mates for full commitment between now and the end of the season. (AS)
Barcelona continue to build for their future and the latest player on the Catalans' radar is Sochaux 17-year-old midfielder Lucien Agoume. The teenager has played 12 times in Ligue 2 this season and would command a fee of around £4.3m (€5m). (Mundo Deportivo)
Real Madrid are already looking ahead to next season and have made a tentative enquiry about Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, currently on loan at Real Betis. Los Verdiblancos have taken an 80 per cent stake in the midfielder, at a cost of £21.6m (€25m), but would be prepared to sell for around £51.8 million (€60m). (Marca)
Italy
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has 'verbally agreed' a deal to replace Juventus coach Max Allegri. That's according to Italian journalist Luigi Guelpa, the man who broke the news of Cristiano Ronaldo's move from Real Madrid to Juve last summer. (Radio CRC)
Someone else on their way to Turin is Real Madrid left-back Marcelo. The 29-year-old has fallen out of favour at Real Madrid this season, losing his starting spot to homegrown defender Sergio Reguilon since Santiago Solari replaced Julen Lopetegui as coach. Marcelo is expected to sign a four-year contract with Juventus. (La Stampa)
Portuguese agent Jorge Mendes was in attendance as Juventus thrashed Udinese 4-1 on Friday evening but not to deal with either of his existing clients at Juve - Ronaldo and Joao Cancelo. Instead, Mendes was there to open talks with the Old Lady about Benfica star Joao Felix who has nine goals in just 11 Liga NOS starts this season. (Calciomercato)
France
Bayern Munich hope to finalise a deal with Lille winger Nicolas Pepe, though they will have to act fast as Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are keen on the 23-year-old Ivorian too. (Le10Sport)
Mario Balotelli only joined Marseille in January on a short-term deal until the end of the season but the Italian has been a huge success, hitting four goals in just six outings. And the former Manchester City and Milan striker has told his agent, Mino Raiola, he wants to remain with OM: "My contract ends at the end of the season, and then we will discuss, I told my agent that I'm fine here, I want to stay." (La Provence)
Paris Saint-Germain have a £129.5m (€150m) deficit to make up in order to satisfy UEFA's Financial Fair Play restrictions this summer and have begun planning to streamline the squad in order to avoid sanction. Among the players who will be sold are Thomas Meunier, Jese Rodriguez and Christopher Nkunku. (L'Equipe)
Despite their staggering Champions League collapse at the hands of Manchester United, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi wants to extend the contract of coach Thomas Tuchel until the end of the 2022 season. Tuchel wants a fortnight to decide before committing. (Le Parisien)
Germany
Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge would like to bring former midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger back to the club - in an executive capacity. The 35-year-old former German international is currently playing in Major League Soccer for Chicago Fire. "Bayern is always interested to tie important former players to the club," said Rummenigge. "For example, I would also like Bastian Schweinsteiger with us." (SportBild)
