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: Sancho ‘agrees terms with United’
The Jadon Sancho saga could be set to come to an end with the news that the England winger has reportedly agreed terms with Manchester United.
That’s according to Ian McGarry of the Transfer Window Podcast, who believes Sancho has agreed a five-year deal. McGarry says that Sancho will leave Borussia Dortmund this summer and will earn £140,000-a-week at Old Trafford, with his salary increasing to £200k over the course of the five years.
Sancho is represented by the same agent who recently agreed Bukayo Saka‘s new deal with Arsenal, Emeka Obasi, andhe will be tasked with helping the two clubs agree a fee that works for both parties. Dortmund are reported to want around £100 million, while Man United will pay as much as £50m, so there is work to be done.
However, Sancho has topped Manchester United’s wishlist all year and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could be set to land his No. 1 signing ahead of the new season.
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09.34 BST: AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer is on the radar of Manchester United and Manchester City.
Algerian outlet Competition reports that the 22-year-old former Arsenal midfielder is open to a move this summer and has caught the eye of two of the biggest clubs in England.
French champions PSG have already had a reported €40m offer rejected but the Algerian could be signed for an extra €10m.
09.00 BST: Lyon have reportedly put striker Moussa Dembele up for sale, according to L’Equipe.
Dembele, 24, has been a star at the club and has been linked to various top clubs including Manchester Unied and Arsenal. Lyon, who missed out on Champions League football when the Ligue 1 season was ended due to the coronavirus pandemic, want around €50m for him.
1:05
Jan Aage Fjortoft thinks it’s unlikely we’ll see Kai Havertz play for Bayer Leverkusen again after the DFB Pokal final.
PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd)
Chelsea move into pole position for Havertz
Frank Lampard has been handed a major boost in his pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen‘s Kai Havertz, with Bayern Munich ruling themselves out of the race for the in-demand attacking midfielder, according to Bild.
Havertz forms a big part of Chelsea’s rebuilding plans for next season. With Hakim Ziyech signed from Ajax alongside Timo Werner from RB Leipzig, Lampard is seeking to add Havertz and Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell to his new-look side in an attempt to try to break the Liverpool–Manchester City duopoly at the top of the Premier League.
Bayern Munich were also linked heavily with Havertz, but the German giants’ €49m addition of Man City winger Leroy Sane has seem them move on from their interest in the 21-year-old. Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge admitted that the signing of Sane has eaten up much of the club’s spending money this summer, which leaves the Blues at the front of the queue.
Meanwhile Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller has admitted that Havertz can leave the club if certain conditions are met — saying “We have an agreement — if it fits, he can go this summer” — and it’s now up to the Blues to meet those criteria.
Chelsea and Liverpool chasing Hoffenheim’s Breitenbucher
Chelsea and Liverpool are leading the chase for young German winger Nick Breitenbucher, according to the Daily Mail.
The pacey 17-year-old has impressed for Hoffenheim’s youth team this season and has been described as “the next Arjen Robben” by his teammates as a result of his ability to run at defenders.
Like Robben, Breitenbucher likes to play on the right and cut inside onto his left foot. He has scored 13 goals to help Hoffenheim hit second place in their respective table.
Schalke are said to be favourites to land the youngster, but the Premier League champions and free-spending Blues are also thought to be mounting their own bids.
Tap-ins
— Mundo Deportivo are suggesting that Xavi has agreed to replace Quique Setien as Barcelona manager. The Spanish outlet believes there is a “firm agreement” that will see the Barca legend return to the club at the end of the season. Xavi manages Al-Sadd in Qatar, but he could be set to earn £5.4m a year if he completes his return to Camp Nou as suggested.
— It’s not all good news for Barcelona, though, for they’re set to be snubbed by Manchester City’s Eric Garcia, who the Sun says is about to sign a new five-year deal at the Etihad Stadium. Barca were keen to re-sign the central defender who has impressed under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage this season, but Garcia is expected to treble his wages with the Citizens to £40,000-a-week. Garcia was considered the star of Barca’s academy when he left the club in 2017.