Thursday 16 May 2019 10:43, UK
Many clubs across Europe, especially those whose seasons have finished, will have already turned their attention to the summer and planning for the 2019/20 campaign.
Our friends at Football Whispers have rounded up all the latest news, views and gossip from across the continent…
The race for Lille star Nicolas Pepe is heating up with Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain among the clubs interested. The 23-year-old, who has also attracted interest from Arsenal in the past, enjoyed an outstanding season in Ligue 1, scoring 20 goals and adding 11 assists to help Lille qualify for the Champions League. The French club are likely to demand close to £70m for his signature. (Le Parisien)
PSG have opened contract talks with star man Kylian Mbappe. The 20-year-old has been in scintillating form this season after helping France to World Cup glory last summer, scoring 36 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions as Les Parisiens retained their Ligue 1 title. Mbappe’s current deal runs until 2023. (RMC)
Jose Mourinho has refused to be drawn on his relationship with Paul Pogba at Manchester United. The Portuguese boss, who was sacked by United in December, also claims that the problems which existed during his tenure are still very much present at Old Trafford.“The problems are there,” he said. “You can say that these are the players, the organisation, the ambition, I only say I cannot say yes when you ask if Paul was the only one responsible.” (L’Equipe)
Barcelona have lost ground in their bid to sign Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt. The 19-year-old has been tipped to follow Frenkie de Jong to the Camp Nou but doubts have emerged among the player’s camp relating to game time, with Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet already established in his position. Juventus and Bayern Munich are thought to be monitoring the situation. (Mundo Deportivo)
Real Madrid may sell up to 14 players this summer, including the likes of Gareth Bale, Keylor Navas and Marcos Llorente. Real, who are expected to have a busy summer of incomings with Eden Hazard topping their transfer wishlist, are also prepared to sell returning loanees, including James Rodriguez, Mateo Kovacic and Martin Odegaard. (Marca)
Atletico Madrid may have as much as £200m to spend on new players this summer. The club are braced for a string of high-profile departures, headlined by Antoine Griezmann, who this week announced his desire to seek a new challenge. Midfielder Rodri is also linked with a move away while £75m has been generated from the sale of Lucas Hernandez to Bayern Munich. (Marca)
Barcelona full-back Nelson Semedo is weighing up a possible summer exit with clubs in England and Italy thought to be interested. The 25-year-old has been frustrated with a lack of regular starts since joining Barca from Benfica in 2017. Manchester United and Tottenham are possible destinations. (Marca)
Juventus remain keen on bringing Paul Pogba back to Italy. The Frenchman has been linked with a move away from Manchester United this summer and, although Barcelona and Real Madrid have been mentioned, Juve may be best-placed to swoop. The Serie A champions may offer Paulo Dybala and Douglas Costa as makeweights. (Tuttosport)
Inter are weighing up a bid for Fiorentina winger Federico Chiesa. The club are keen to land the 21-year-old and may offer Yann Karamoh and Zinho Vanheusden as part of the deal. (Corriere dello Sport)
Inter and Juventus have both met with the agent of Alexis Sanchez over a potential move for the Manchester United playmaker. The Chilean has disappointed following his move from Arsenal in January 2018 and could make a return to Italian football eight years after leaving Udinese for Barcelona. (Gianluca Di Marzio)
Manchester United and Real Madrid have revived interest in Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski. The Poland international, who has scored 38 goals in 45 games this season, is under contract until 2021. Bayern want to extend his deal to 2022 but Lewandowski would prefer a longer extension. United and Real have both been linked with the 30-year-old in the past. (Kicker)
Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Julian Brandt is attracting serious interest with Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham all said to have held talks with the player’s father. Brandt, 23, is expected to leave Bayer Leverkusen should they fail to secure Champions League football for next season. (Sport Bild)
