The January transfer window is closed around Europe, but teams are looking ahead to the summer and there’s plenty of gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Man United eye Ferguson, Hojlund
Brighton teenager Evan Ferguson will be on Manchester United‘s shortlist this summer, according to Football Insider.
Ferguson, 18, has scored three goals and provided two assists from 10 games in the Premier League — as well as three goals in four games in the FA Cup — after being promoted to the first team by Roberto de Zerbi this season.
The Republic of Ireland international striker has developed quickly and became Brighton’s youngest-ever player when he made his debut against Burnley in 2022.
Meanwhile, Ekstra Bladet says that United have an interest in signing Atalanta‘s Rasmus Hojlund. The 20-year-old Denmark international has seven goals in 23 Serie A games this season and is a self-confessed fan of Man United. He has also drawn comparisons in style to Man City striker Erling Haaland.
Sources have told ESPN that United’s priority targets up front for the summer will include Napoli‘s Victor Osimhen, RB Leipzig‘s Benjamin Sesko and, if he opts against signing a new contract at Tottenham Hotspur, Harry Kane. However, they would all cost over €100 million to sign.
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10.25 BST: Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang looks set to leave the club this summer.
Aubameyang, 33, has dropped down the pecking order (with three goals in 18 appearances) and could return to Barcelona just six months after he left them to move to Stamford Bridge for €12m.
AS claims he will make a big effort to return to Camp Nou, pushing to be let go as a free agent this summer and cutting his wages in order to facilitate his return. He also travelled to Barcelona to cheer his former teammates on in El Clasico on March 19 during a break from Chelsea.
Gazzetta dello Sport, however, claims that Inter Milan are also interested in bringing him in. Though that deal could hinge on the future of €115m striker Romelu Lukaku, who is on loan at Inter from Chelsea.
10.01 BST: Tottenham are interested in Uruguay defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte, says the Daily Mirror.
Ugarte, 21, impressed for his country at the World Cup and his form for club Sporting CP in recent months suggests he could be ready to make the step up.
Sporting want to extend his contract, which is set until 2026, as the current version reportedly has a €25m release clause.
09.22 BST: Man City striker Erling Haaland is still the first year of a contract that runs until 2027, but the club are looking to extend it already.
The Sun claims that Haaland, 22, earns around £375,000-a-week now and that would be boosted to £500,000-a-week to ward off interest from Real Madrid.
09.00 BST – ICYMI: Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the summer if Manchester United decide to let him leave, sources have told ESPN.
Henderson is on loan at Nottingham Forest until the end of the season and is set for talks with United about his future.
The 26-year-old has a contract at Old Trafford until 2025 with the option of another year but he’s keen to play regular football in an effort to force his way into the England squad ahead of the Euros in Germany in 2024 and the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
United refused to include the option of a permanent transfer in Henderson’s loan agreement with Forest last summer.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)
– Tottenham Hotspur are keen to sign Brentford goalkeeper David Raya and Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, according to Football Insider. Spurs are aiming to bring a new goalkeeper in during the summer despite Fraser Forster competently stepping in while Hugo Lloris has been absent due to injury and Raya, 27, is top of their priority list at around £30m. The North Londoners are also keen to sign Southampton skipper Ward-Prowse, who will “definitely” leave the Saints if they are relegated, with the club currently bottom of the Premier League but just two points behind 17th-placed Leicester City.
– Atletico Madrid striker Alvaro Morata would be open to a return to Italy, having already played for Juventus twice, reports Calciomercato, which adds that the Bianconeri are joined by AC Milan and AS Roma in holding an interest in the 30-year-old. However, the Spain international’s wage and age could pose a problem for Juve and Milan, while the latter also have some doubts over his goal-scoring ability (he has 10 goals in LaLiga this term). Finances are reportedly the main obstacle to a Roma move.
– Barcelona seem to be stepping up their efforts to sign a right-back and Sport have offered a list of 11 names that the Blaugrana are looking at ahead of the summer. Regularly linked players are included such as Bayern Munich‘s Benjamin Pavard and Manchester City‘s Joao Cancelo (currently on loan at Bayern), while there are also more surprising options like Union Berlin‘s Josip Juranovic and AS Monaco‘s Vanderson.
– FC Salzburg‘s Amar Dedic is another name that was included in Sport’s list of Barcelona’s right-back options. In addition to reinforcing that stance, Ekrem Konur has suggested that Atletico Madrid and Arsenal also have scouts monitoring the 20-year-old Bosnia & Herzegovina international’s development.
– Juventus could let Samuel Iling-Junior leave for €11m in the summer, reports Gazzetta dello Sport, with several big-name Premier League clubs looking at the 19-year-old winger. He has made 11 first-team appearances for Juventus this term, providing two assists, and caught the eye by scoring both goals in England Under-20s’ 2-0 victory over Germany.
– Interest is growing in Manchester City midfielder Shea Charles, according to Fabrizio Romano, who adds that Borussia Dortmund are keeping an eye on the 19-year-old. Despite still waiting for his first appearance for Pep Guardiola’s side, Charles has already represented Northern Ireland five times, playing the full 90 minutes in their recent 2-0 win over San Marino.