Transfer news LIVE | Express Sport is on hand to bring you all the latest rumours and gossip
Thursday 11, October
- Liverpool are monitoring Piotr Zielinski’s contract negotiations
- Napoli would like to double his current £57m release clause
- Arsenal are interested in signing Porto captain Hector Herrera
- Manuel Akanji has revealed that he would love to play for Man Utd
Wanted: Piotr Zielinski
Liverpool are monitoring Piotr Zielinski’s thorny contract negotiations with Napoli, reports claim.
Zielinski, 24, was heavily linked with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in 2016 before the player decided to leave Empoli for Napoli instead in a deal worth £14million.
The Poland international has since become a regular for the Serie A challengers having scored 15 goals and provided 10 assists in 104 appearances.
But could his future be in doubt? Italian website Calciomercato think so.
They claim Napoli would like to double his current £57m release clause to £114m to ward off growing interest in the 24-year-old.
But Zielinski’s representatives aren’t happy. They think £114m is excessive and aren’t prepared to commit to a contract extension until the situation is resolved.
Calciomercato add that Juventus and Liverpool are both ‘observing the situation.’
Hector Herrera to Arsenal
Arsenal are interested in signing Porto captain Hector Herrera to replace Aaron Ramsey.
That’s according to the Evening Standard, who claim the 28-year-old midfielder could be targeted in the January transfer window.
Earlier this month, Ramsey’s representatives confirmed the Welsh international would likely depart as a free agent at the end of the season after the club chose not to continue discussions over a new contract.
Recent reports suggest Manchester United and Liverpool are eyeing a cut-price move for Ramsey in January.
And with just 82 days until the transfer window opens – Arsenal are looking for replacements.
Herrera, who played every minute of Mexico’s World Cup campaign, could be snapped up on a free with his contract expiring in June 2019.
Manuel Akanji…
Borussia Dortmund centre-back Manuel Akanji has revealed that he would love to play for Manchester United in the future.
Akanji, 23, joined Dortmund from Basel for £15million in January and has quickly established himself as a regular under boss Lucien Favre.
The defender was included in Switzerland’s World Cup squad earlier this summer and played every minute as the side qualified from a tricky group containing Brazil, Serbia and Costa Rica.
And during a recent interview, Akanji revealed that he’s a boyhood Manchester United supporter and thinks it would ‘be nice’ to one day represent the Old Trafford club.
“Many know that Manchester United has been my favourite club since childhood,” he told Bluewin. “It would be nice to play there once. But that’s not an issue right now. I am very satisfied in Dortmund, want to win BVB titles and compete with the Swiss national team many more big tournaments.”
Alvaro Morata exit is inevitable
Alvaro Morata will inevitably leave the club after suffering from a severe lack of confidence, according to Liverpool legend and ESPN FC pundit Steve Nicol.
Morata he has found the net just three times in his 20 Premier League outings in 2018.
And Nicol says Olivier Giroud will continue to start ahead of Morata for Chelsea and therefore cannot see a future at Stamford Bridge for the 25-year-old.
“It seems inevitable (that Morata will leave),” he said. “If Chelsea want to compete for the Premier League or Champions League or anything else, then they have to get a centre-forward.
“Morata, I’ve never seen him so low in confidence as he is right now. It seems unlikely that it’s going to change. I don’t think he’s going to play, I think Giroud will start ahead of him.
“So it’s inevitable I think at the end of the day this guy will leave.”