Transfer Talk: Man City, Real Madrid eye Bayern’s Alphonso Davies

The summer transfer window may not be open yet in Europe, but teams are getting ready for it, 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: Real Madrid, Man City eye Davies

Real Madrid and Manchester City are interested in signing Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies, according to Sky Sports Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg.

The 22-year-old Canada international is reported to be a transfer target for the LaLiga side, but City director of football Txiki Begiristain is keen to bring Davies to the Etihad Stadium.

City manager Pep Guardiola has been without a permanent left-back this season, having used Bernardo Silva in that position after Joao Cancelo was sent out on loan to Bayern.

Any move for Davies could be difficult, though, with the Bundesliga side looking to keep hold of him. He has has been a key player for them since joining from MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps in 2018, while contributing to nine goals across all competitions this season

Amid interest from across Europe, the Allianz Arena hierarchy are planning to hold contract talks that would extend his stay in Germany beyond the summer of 2025.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

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14.02 BST: Barcelona director of football Mateu Alemany has made a U-turn on his decision to leave for Aston Villa and will stay at the club, sources have confirmed to ESPN.

Alemany, 60, announced his departure from Barca two weeks ago, with sources confirming he was in advanced talks to join Premier League side Villa after receiving an offer that was “too good to turn down.”

However, following talks with the Barcelona hierarchy this week, he has decided he wants to remain at Spotify Camp Nou to continue building on the work he has done over the last two years.

Sporting director Jordi Cruyff will still depart at the end of the season when his contract expires, though, having officially announced his desire to “embark on new professional endeavours” on Tuesday.

Sources said that former Barca and Portugal midfielder Deco will join the Catalan club to work alongside Alemany, who has a contract until 2024, on recruitment.

13.55 BST: Montreal Impact have contacted Eden Hazard about a possible move to MLS, Marca reports, but the player would prefer to see out his contract at Real Madrid, which expires in June 2024.

Despite making a minimal impact in his four years at the Santiago Bernabeu — with Vinicius Junior becoming undisputed first choice in his preferred left-wing position in recent seasons — Hazard remains the best-paid player in the Real Madrid squad.

The Belgian played for an hour — to little effect — in Madrid’s 1-0 LaLiga win over Getafe on Saturday, with coach Carlo Ancelotti resting a number of senior players ahead of their Champions League semifinal second leg at Manchester City.

According to Marca, Hazard has received calls from Montreal and Saudi Arabia about a move, but is settled in Madrid and a transfer is unlikely.

13.04 BST: Barcelona could make a move for Joshua Kimmich this summer if the midfielder pushes to leave Bayern Munich, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Kimmich, 28, has two years to run on his contract with Bayern but is reported to be considering a move away after eight years with the German champions.

If he were to become available, Barca would be among the clubs keen to sign him as they seek a replacement for Sergio Busquets, who will leave the Catalan side when his contract expires next month.

Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi is another target to replace Busquets, but Mundo Deportivo says his €60m release clause is prohibitive and that Kimmich could be available for less.

ESPN have previously reported that Wolves’ Ruben Neves and Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat are also options, although Barca’s business this summer will depend on first making €150m in savings to ensure the comply with LaLiga’s spending limits.

12.30 BST: Man City have built an incredible defence.

11.42 BST: Palmeiras attacking midfielder Raphael Veiga has emerged as a “low cost” option for Barcelona this summer, according to Sport.

Veiga, 27, could be available for around €15m, per the report, and his salary would be relatively low in comparison to the top earners at Spotify Camp Nou.

Barca are in the market for more creativity in the final third next season, with Ilkay Gundogan and Lionel Messi, both out of contract in the summer, among their targets. However, while both could arrive for nothing, they would command big salaries, which could make Veiga a cheaper alternative.

Veiga has played a central role in a Palmeiras side that has won the Copa Libertadores twice since 2020, scoring more than 18 goals from midfield in each of the last three seasons. He has scored eight in 18 appearances this year and his form led to a first Brazil cap in March, when he featured in a 2-1 defeat to Morocco.

11.03 BST: Newcastle United could be “the solution to the Joao Felix problem,” Marca reports, with no chance of a reconciliation between the forward and coach Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid.

Felix, 23, joined Chelsea on loan in January but, according to Marca, “a half-season full of inconsistency and substitute appearances” has left doubts over whether the Portugal forward will stay at Stamford Bridge long-term.

After interest from Arsenal and Aston Villa in January, the newspaper says Newcastle could be the latest club to move for Felix, with their potential Champions League qualification being a crucial factor and Atletico expecting to receive over €100m for a player they signed for €126m from Benfica back in 2019.

10.32 BST: Spanish winger Bryan Gil says he would like to have “a quiet summer” even if he doesn’t know where he will play next season.

Under contract with Tottenham until June 2026, the 22-year-old joined Sevilla on loan from Spurs in January, having spent last season on loan at Valencia.

Asked about his future, Bryan said: “It is too soon to know what will happen. What I do want is to have a quiet summer, because I’ve already had a couple of very busy years with whether I stay or leave. If I have to leave or stay, let it be something clear. I will go back (to Spurs) with the mentality of staying because I have a contract and if I leave, it will be what they have decided. A lot has happened to Tottenham this year but I’m sure they’ll fix everything in the summer and next season will go well.”

Bryan has scored two goals and set up two more in 14 league appearances for Sevilla. He has made five Europa League appearances for the Andalusian club to help them reach the semifinals of the competition.

09.47 BST: Atletico Madrid are on the verge of signing Uruguay defender Santiago Mourino on a permanent transfer from Racing Club de Montevideo, according to Marca.

Mourino, 21, is expected to undergo a medical in Madrid on Wednesday before signing a contract with the Rojiblancos. Atletico had already reached an agreement with Racing to sign the promising centre-back for an undisclosed fee.

Under contract with Racing until December 2024, Mourino has made 14 league appearances this season. However, his stay at Atletico will only be temporary as the club are set to loan him out to a European side next season to gain experience.

09.24 BST: Benfica are closely monitoring Getafe striker Enes Unai, according to AS.

The Turkey international, who is keen to leave the club this summer, has scored 15 goals for the Madrid club this season.

Benfica are looking for a striker at a time when Portugal international Goncalo Ramos is being linked with interest from clubs in Europe’s top leagues.

Getafe want Unai to stay but are prepared to listen to offers for the player. Unai is under contract with Getafe until June 2025 and has a €40m release clause, but Getafe are willing to listen to offers in the region of €20m.

Real Betis and Benfica have already expressed an interest in the player, who joined Getafe from Villarreal in the summer of 2020.

08.41 BST: Barcelona sporting director Jordi Cruyff will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of June, it was confirmed on Tuesday.

Cruyff’s decision comes two weeks after director of football Mateu Alemany announced that he would depart Barca when the season finishes, with sources telling ESPN he has accepted a similar role at Aston Villa.

Sources have told ESPN’s Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens that former Barca and Portugal midfielder Deco is set to return to Spotify Camp Nou in an executive role as the Catalan club’s recruitment team undergoes a reshuffle in the coming months.

The Cruyff family is synonymous with Barcelona. Jordi’s father, Johan, played for and managed the club and is widely credited for embedding the attacking style of football they are associated with.

During two years at the LaLiga champions, working closely with Alemany, Jordi has helped the club remain competitive on the pitch during a difficult financial period for the entity.

Last summer, Barca sold club assets and future television revenue to fund the arrivals of Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde, Raphinha, Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie.

Those signings helped pave the way for this season’s title charge, with Xavi Hernandez’s team sealing the title this past weekend with four games to spare.

– Marsden: How Barcelona won LaLiga amid financial issues

08.00 BST: Kyle Walker has admitted criticism from Pep Guardiola “hurt” during his spell out of the Manchester City team earlier this season.

Guardiola said in April that Walker was not equipped to play in the inverted full-back role and instead picked natural centre-back John Stones for the position.

Walker was restricted to just three starts in two months between February and April but is back in the team ahead of his side’s Champions League semifinal second leg against Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

“Did it hurt? Of course it did,” Walker said on Tuesday when asked about Guardiola’s claim he didn’t have the “educated movements” of Stones.

“I can’t sit here and lie to you and say it didn’t hurt. Of course it did, You start to doubt yourself but you have to go back to basics to what you are good at, what he bought you for and prove him wrong and that is what I have done.

“I have to react as a professional, he is my manager, my boss, sometimes certain opinions in football, you don’t always agree with, but for what he has done for me and for Man City in the last six years, has been nothing short of tremendous.”

PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)

– Multiple players have been made available for transfer by Barcelona this summer, reveals Sport. The Blaugrana are prepared to part ways with Jordi Alba, Franck Kessie, Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres, with the club’s hierarchy looking to move on players who didn’t play among the highest minutes this season. It is reported that manager Xavi Hernandez will hold talks with them over the club’s plans.

– Talks have been held between Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Luis Campos and the representatives of Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, says Foot Mercato. PSG remain on the lookout for a striker this summer, and the report indicates that their shortlist is down to Kane and Napoli‘s Victor Osimhen. It is reported that there is interest from both sides regarding a potential deal. Kane, 29, has also been linked with Manchester United.

– Barcelona aren’t considering a move to re-sign PSG forward Neymar, despite his interest in a return, according to Relevo. The 31-year-old is reported to be looking for a move away from Paris, but there is concern over his injury record, as well as whether he would be focused on helping the team in the long-term. He has contributed to 24 goals in 20 Ligue 1 games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in February.

– Juventus are close to reaching a new agreement with winger Angel Di Maria, says Calciomercato. The Bianconeri are said to be in the final stages of the negotiation process with the 35-year-old, but there remains interest from Barcelona and clubs in his native Argentina. He has made 36 appearances across all competitions this season.

– West Ham United forward Danny Ings is likely to remain with the club, reports Football Insider. While the Hammers are keen to land a striker, the 30-year-old Ings won’t be replaced after joining from Aston Villa in January. David Moyes’ side are linked with a move for Strasbourg striker Habib Diallo.