The coronavirus pandemic has made the summer transfer window uncertain, but here are the rumours floating around Europe’s big leagues and beyond.
TOP STORY: Napoli turn down Liverpool bid for Koulibaly
Liverpool are keen to partner Virgil van Dijk with Napoli‘s Kalidou Koulibaly next season, but they’ll need to improve on their bid of £58 million, which has been rejected, according to Corriere dello Sport.
Liverpool are one of several sides across Europe hoping to lure the Senegal international away from Naples this summer, but their first bid for the player falls well short of Napoli’s valuation.
Koulibaly has been a rock for Napoli for several years and, as such, he has been linked with a move away from the club for the past two seasons.
Manchester United are also said to be interested, but Liverpool have made the first move. Napoli are seeking £90m, which means the Reds will have stump up significantly more than their opening bid to have a chance of getting their hands on the reliable centre-back.
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09.00 BST: Real Valladolid president Ronaldo Nazario has opened the door for Alexis Sanchez to join his team.
The Chilean winger has scored one goal and set up two more while on a season-long loan at Inter Milan from Manchester United. Asked about Sanchez’s disappointing spell at Inter, Ronaldo said: “Alex Sanchez has succeeded wherever he has gone. He is a player with a lot of quality and if he doesn’t succeed at Inter, here we leave the doors open at Valladolid for him to be with us.”
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Gab Marcotti says the majority of Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent struggles come down to positioning and fitness.
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Juve target Milik to partner Ronaldo
Juventus appear to be struggling for goals since the Italian league restarted and this has led boss Maurizio Sarri to prioritise Arkadiusz Milik as a summer target, reports Tuttosport.
The Napoli striker is a wanted man and, with Gonzalo Higuain set to leave Turin, Juve are reported to be willing to offer Federico Bernardeschi to move in the other direction in an effort to seal the deal.
Juve are open to the idea of throwing one of Daniele Rugani or Cristian Romero into the deal, but Juve are unsure whether or not Napoli supremo Aurelio De Laurentiis will be prepared to let Milik go.
Sarri believes the Poland international will help get the best out of Cristiano Ronaldo, and with Milik out of contract at the end of next season, Juve’s rivals could be tempted to sell to prevent them losing him for a free in 12 months’ time.
Pep targets centre-back Dias
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has admitted he will not be looking to replace Leroy Sane when the winger leaves the club, but he will be looking to improve his defence, reports the Standard.
Guardiola is resigned to losing Sane to Bayern Munich either this summer or at the end of next season, but a centre-back remains his priority.
The Standard believes City are watching Benfica‘s Ruben Dias. Dias is considered one of the crown jewels of the current Benfica side, and while club president Luis Felipe Vieira wants to keep his star men in an effort to challenge Europe’s finest in the Champions League, he does have a tendency to sell his best players.
Ederson, Nelson Semedo, Raul Jimenez and Joao Felix have all left the Stadium of Light in recent seasons, and many are expecting Dias to follow them out of the exit door this summer, too.
Tap-ins
– Morgan Schneiderlin is close to securing a move away from Everton and could join Ligue 1 side Nice early this week, reports Sky Sports. The 30-year-old midfielder is in the last 12 months of his contract and has been in the south of France this weekend finalising the move. He has passed his medical, so the move simply hinges on Everton’s agreement.
– Paris Saint-Germain are set for a summer of change, with Edinson Cavani and Thomas Meunier not only failing to reach an agreement beyond this season, but also refusing to take part in the club’s Champions League campaign before the end of the current season. Le10Sport believes Cavani could be set for a move to Inter Milan or Atletico Madrid, while Meunier is likely to join Borussia Dortmund.