If Real Madrid really wanted to buy Paul Pogba, they would be selling a few players and saving up a bit of cash so they could perhaps meet Manchester United’s £150m asking price, or get near enough to it. Instead they have been putting together a package for Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen, with the Sun reporting that they are prepared to hand over £45m in cold, hard cash plus the 22-year-old Spanish Under-21 midfielder Dani Ceballos. Spurs apparently want £100m, but with the player entering the final year of his contract and not minded to renew it they may decide to take what they can get at this stage, rather than nothing at all 12 months hence.
So what, then, for Pogba? Juventus at least still appear to be interested, with this morning’s Gazzetta dello Sport saying that Douglas Costa is the key to a deal to bring the Frenchman back to Turin, with the Brazilian to be offered in part-exchange (though not if PSG, who are allegedly interested, buy him first). Tuttosport say Juventus will also put the left-back Alex Sandro on the table in an effort to convince Manchester United to let their unsettled midfielder go. And in further Italian-clubs-offer-United-a-part-exchange news, the Telegraph reports that “Romelu Lukaku’s hopes of clinching a move to Internazionale rest on whether United can be persuaded to take Mauro Icardi as part of the deal”. Without offloading Icardi, the club will apparently be unable to meet United’s £80m valuation of their lumbering Belgian. Inter could alternatively finance the deal by selling Ivan Perisic, Radja Nainggolan and/or João Mario.
It’s very much the season for part-exchange bingo at Old Trafford. News also emerges that West Ham are so determined to cling on to their giant 22-year-old defender Issa Diop, who has emerged as a target for United, that according to the Mirror “it would take an offer in the region of the £75m paid by Liverpool for Virgil van Dijk to convince the Hammers to sell” (the Times however say West Ham “are believed to want £60m”). A suggestion that Anthony Martial might head to London in part-exchange might sound absolutely ludicrous, but apparently it was actually made and swiftly dismissed at Old Trafford, who counter-suggested that West Ham might like Phil Jones instead. “They immediately rejected the offer,” reports the Sun, “partly because they had no intention of selling Diop and also because they have no interest in taking Jones.” So there’s that. In the meantime the Hammers are chasing the £6m-rated Real Salt Lake winger Jefferson Savarino, and continue to court Celta Vigo’s Uruguayan striker Maxi Gómez, who would cost about seven times that amount.
Matthijs de Ligt has turned down a €75m move to Barcelona, according to the Spanish radio station Cadenar Ser, with his agent, Mino Raiola, apparently “playing a decisive role” in the rejection. PSG, Bayern Munich and Juventus will be among the clubs excited by this news. Meanwhile Gareth Bale’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, says the Welshman is unlikely to head to England on loan this summer. “A loan move’s not going to happen – there’s more chance of me winning at Ascot,” he said. “I don’t think he wants to go out on loan. He’s got a lovely life in Spain. It would take something exceptional for him to leave and loans are not on the menu.”
Huddersfield will demand £25m for the Dutch defender Terence Kongolo, wanted by Aston Villa and Watford. Graham Potter is closing in on his first signings as Brighton manager, with the £4m-rated Portsmouth centre-back Matt Clarke and the £18m-valued Genk winger Leandro Trossard the two jostling to be first through the door. Southampton hope to complete a £14m deal for the Birmingham player of the season, Che Adams, after Blues sacked the manager, Garry Monk, who had been less than keen on losing him. Meanwhile Stoke and West Brom want Newcastle’s Dwight Gayle, and Bristol City are at the head of the queue to snap up Aston Villa’s Scott Hogan, who is available on a free transfer.