Man United turn to Atletico’s Joao Felix

The summer transfer window is here, and there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: Man United turn to Atletico’s Joao Felix

You can probably file this one as another unlikely transfer, but Manchester United reportedly want to bring in Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix, says Marca.

Felix, 22, joined the club from Benfica for €126 million in 2019 but hasn’t had a perfect relationship with manager Diego Simeone despite scoring 10 goals in 35 appearances last season.

The Portugal international is viewed as a “franchise player” by Atletico and they don’t want to let him go, but the report claims that United sent a delegation to Madrid on Tuesday to discuss a potential deal with the player’s representatives.

Felix has a contract until 2026, so would not come cheap, while United also can’t offer him Champions League football this season.

In other United-related news, Ajax winger Antony will now stay at the club, according to De Telegraaf. The Brazilian had been linked with a reunion with manager Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, but his €80m asking price proved too much.

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17.03 BST: Villarreal striker Paco Alcacer is in Dubai to sign a big contract for an unnamed club, reports Sky Sport Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg, who adds that the 28-year-old former Barcelona front man should pass his medical on Wednesday. Hertha Berlin were in for the former Spain international, who was said to also be offered to other German clubs, having spent two years in-country with Borussia Dortmund.

16.30 BST: Does Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic need a new club?

15.40 BST: Manchester United are considering a move for Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier as a potential long-term replacement for David de Gea.

Meslier, 22, is one of the top young goalkeepers in Europe and has attracted interest from Tottenham in the past. However, Fabrizio Romano claims Leeds aren’t interested in negotiating his exit.

Sky Sports reports that Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer is also target, which is a bit more realistic.

Sommer is 33 and has 74 international caps for Switzerland, but is it reported that he wants to be No. 1 as the World Cup arrives in November.

14.14 BST: Atletico Madrid have not received a €50m offer from Manchester United for forward Matheus Cunha, according to Spanish radio Cadena Ser.

Reports in England claimed the Red Devils are ready to pay €50m to sign Cunha to strengthen their attack in the event Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the club before the transfer window ends.

Cunha, 23, is under contract with Atletico until June 2026 and is considered an important player for Atletico coach Diego Simeone for the present and the future.

Atletico would only let the Brazil international depart this summer if his reported €60m release clause is met.

Cunha joined Atletico last summer from Hertha BSC in a €26m transfer and scored seven goals and set up seven more in 37 appearances last season.

13.49 BST: Getafe are closing in on the signing of Sevilla’s Morocco international Munir El Haddadi, says Cope.

Munir, 26, recently down an offer from Turkish side Trabzonspor his wish is to continue playing in LaLiga.

The former Barcelona striker has one year left on his contract with Sevilla and is one of the highest-paid players in the squad.

Getafe will pay a reported €4m for a player who was also a target of Espanyol and Celta.

13.30 BST: Neymar and Kylian Mbappe had ‘Penaltygate II’ at the weekend. Julien Laurens asks if the two superstars can coexist at PSG amid simmering tensions?

Neymar and Mbappe were close when they both arrived at PSG in the summer of 2017. However, their rapport has cooled in the past couple of years, with the pair slowly drifting apart. They still respect each other, but there is clearly a problem of egos and status there.

Sources have told ESPN that Mbappe got annoyed last season at the liberties Neymar took in terms of his discipline — his timekeeping and training habits, for example — while Neymar was equally surprised to hear about the power given to his teammate by the club as part of his seismic contract extension this summer. (It also wasn’t overlooked that PSG and Neymar discussed him finding a new club this summer, which did prompt the Brazilian to return with a renewed focus for preseason.)

Both players are now claiming that the Montpellier incident is behind them and that it was not a big deal. Mbappe was clearly frustrated about off-field issues, while Neymar explained that he got confused and thought it was his turn to take the second penalty. However, in a dressing room full of egos, the two biggest ones have to find harmony if PSG are to have a successful season. Galtier and Campos will be key for this, as well as the willingness of both players to make it work.

13.01 BST: PSG defender Thilo Kehrer has joined West Ham for around £10m.

Introducing summer signing number six… 🇩🇪⚒ pic.twitter.com/okVX305EzS

— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 17, 2022

12.48 BST: Manchester United have enquired about a loan move for Christian Pulisic, sources have told ESPN.

United are scrambling for reinforcements after making their worst-ever start to a Premier League season and faltering in their pursuit of several players including Adrien Rabiot and Frenkie de Jong.

Pulisic has emerged as a possible target after United contacted the Blues to examine whether they would be willing to allow the USMNT international to leave Stamford Bridge.

The 23-year-old has two years remaining on his contract and sources suggest he has grown frustrated at his limited game time. He was a substitute in both Chelsea games so far this season with appearances totalling 30 minutes. In an injury-hit campaign last term, Pulisic started just 13 Premier League games.

It is unclear whether the Blues would allow the Pulisic to join a domestic rival, with Newcastle United also thought to be monitoring the situation, although sources have indicated they are more likely to be open to a loan move rather than a permanent transfer.

12.02 BST: Cristiano Ronaldo‘s future is casting a dark shadow over Man United.

11.27 BST: Talks between Barcelona and Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique to renegotiate the duo’s contracts have hit a dead end, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Barca have registered four of their five summer signings with LaLiga but have not yet inscribed Jules Kounde, a €55m arrival from Sevilla. To do so, they first need to create more salary space within their league-imposed spending cap. One of the ways of doing that is by adjusting the salaries of some of the biggest earners at the club.

However, Mundo Deportivo reports that negotiations with club captains Busquets and Pique are proving more complex than initially expected due to a variety of reasons.

Barca would like to defer some of Busquets’ wages, but that is impossible as he only has one year on his contract and, per the report, is not yet willing to commit to an extension.

As for Pique, there are various complications. One is that LaLiga’s financial system will only process reductions to a certain point — and he already took a sizeable pay cut last summer and is owed deferred wages. Another is that he has demanded guarantees on deferred payments which he has not yet been given.

Barca can also free up salary space by moving players on. Memphis Depay’s proposed move to Juventus would help, while the club remain open to offers for several other first-team players.

The Blaugrana face Real Sociedad on Sunday and have until the day of the game to register Kounde, who already missed the season opener against Rayo Vallecano.

10.45 BST: Barcelona target Juan Foyth will only leave Villarreal this summer if his €42m release clause is met.

Foyth’s agent, Claudio Curti, reportedly met with Barcelona football director Mateu Alemany on Tuesday at Barca’s training centre to discuss a potential transfer to Camp Nou.

Villarreal are not aware of any interest from Barcelona in Foyth but would request the full payment of his clause in the event any club want to sign the Argentina international.

Foyth, 24, spent last season on loan at Tottenham from Villarreal. The Argentine right-back is under contract with Villarreal until June 2026 and is considered a key player for coach Unai Emery.

10.28 BST: Juventus will sign Memphis Depay on a two-year contract once the Netherlands forward terminates his contract with Barcelona, according to Sky Italy.

The Italian giants have chosen Depay to strengthen their attack and are willing to wait until the last minute to acquire him.

Depay, 28, has one year left on his contract with Barca. The Catalan club are open to let him go for free as his departure would lower their wage bill.

The arrival of Robert Lewandowski this month means Depay’s playing time at Barca will be further reduced and the former Lyon and Manchester United player is considering his options.

Juve are hopeful that a deal can be reached this week and that Depay could be on the Juve bench for Monday’s league game at Sampdoria.

09.47 BST: Bayern Munich’s Tanguy Nianzou has arrived in Spain ahead of completing his transfer to Sevilla.

The French centre-back will undergo a medical today before putting pen to paper on a five-year contract with the Spanish outfit. Sevilla will pay a reported €20m for Nianzou, who will become Sevilla’s fourth summer signing following the arrivals of Marcao, Isco and Alex Telles.

Nianzou, 20, made 17 league appearances for Bayern last season but only six as a starter. He arrived at the German club in the summer of 2020 as a free agent after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired.

Sevilla needed to strengthen their defensive line after losing main defenders Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos this summer. Kounde joined Barcelona, while Diego Carlos moved to Premier League side Aston Villa.

09.14 BST: Cristiano Ronaldo says he will break his silence in the next few weeks.

The Manchester United star commented on a post about his future on Instagram and said that most of what is being said about him are lies, that he will soon give an interview to clarify everything.

“They will know the truth when I give an interview in a few weeks,” he wrote on Instagram. “The media only tells lies. I have a notebook and, in the last few months, of the 100 stories they made, they only got five right. Imagine how things are…”

08.55 BST: French Ligue 1 side Nice are looking to land a number of big-name players.

L’Equipe reports that the club want to sign 35-year-old Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani on a free transfer after he left Manchester United, while they are also keen to bring in Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe after he slipped down the pecking order.

The Athletic claims Nice have already made a €10m bid to sign Blackburn striker Ben Brereton Diaz.

08.26 BST: Chelsea had an improved £45m offer for winger Anthony Gordon rejected by Everton, sources have told ESPN.

Although Everton insist the 21-year-old will not leave, Chelsea are continuing their pursuit after having had an initial £40m bid dismissed already.

Chelsea will now decide whether to make a third offer for England under-21 winger Gordon, who has previously attracted interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United.

08.00 BST: Manchester United have cooled their interest in Adrien Rabiot over what they believe are excessive wage demands and are instead exploring a move for Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro, sources have told ESPN.

United have refused to meet Rabiot’s demands despite offering to make the French midfielder one of the highest-paid players at the club.

Sources have told ESPN that Rabiot’s request for a larger financial package is to compensate for giving up Champions League football at Juventus to spend at least one season in the Europa League at Old Trafford.

Manager Erik ten Hag is desperate to sign a midfielder before the transfer deadline on Sept. 1. They are looking at a deal for Casemiro and, although sources close to United accept it’s a “long shot,” have been given enough encouragement an agreement is possible to pursue it.

PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)

– Sergino Dest is feeling pressured to leave Barcelona, writes Mundo Deportivo. The 21-year-old right-back was left out of the Blaugrana‘s opening LaLiga clash against Rayo Vallecano amid reports that they are trying to acquire a right-back in the transfer market. The USMNT star wants to remain at the club, but has now been linked with Manchester United.

– A new round of talks between Chelsea and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang‘s representatives have been scheduled as they look to discuss personal terms, reports Fabrizio Romano. Barcelona are demanding a €25m fee for the 33-year-old striker, but the Blues want to ensure that his wage demands would be acceptable before tabling an official proposal.

– Wolverhampton Wanderers look set to keep hold of Ruben Neves, with the 25-year-old midfielder planning to wait for Barcelona to make a move for him, reveals Sport. Neves is reported to be on Xavi Hernandez’s shortlist as a midfield reinforcement, but the Blaugrana may not be able to make a move for him this summer as they try to offload a number of players. Neves is seen as a potential future replacement for Sergio Busquets.

– Crystal Palace are keen to secure a move for Watford winger Ismaila Sarr, reports Foot Mercato. The 24-year-old has been attracting plenty of interest from the Premier League this summer, and is keen to make a return to England’s top flight. He has also been on the radar of Leeds United, but the Eagles are hopeful that they can persuade him to make the switch to Selhurst Park.

– Houssem Aouar has reached full agreement with Nottingham Forest over personal terms, according to RMC Sport. The Premier League side have moved quickly in their pursuit of the 24-year-old midfielder in the last week, and it looks as though they will now try to agree to a fee with Lyon. The first two offers were refused by the Ligue 1 club, but it is reported that they would be willing to accept €20m to part ways with him.