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: USMNT’s Adams on radar at Man Utd
United States men’s national team and Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams is on the radar of Manchester United, according to Football Insider.
The Elland Road side reportedly have “no chance” of keeping hold of the 24-year-old if they suffer relegation to the Championship on Sunday, with multiple clubs in the Premier League as well as in Europe already keeping close tabs on him.
Adams’ deal at Leeds runs through 2027 following his arrival last summer from RB Leipzig for a reported fee pf £20 million, including add-ons. The report states that Adams, who has missed the last two months due to a hamstring injury, could secure leave for around £35m.
Sources have told ESPN last week that Manchester United are working with a budget of between £100m-£150m, which would be supplemented with funds raised by departures. Among the areas that Erik ten Hag’s side will look to reinforce will be in the midfield position.
Tyler made 24 Premier League starts for Leeds this season and served as the USMNT’s captain at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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10.19 BST: Barcelona right-back Jules Kounde has vehemently denied reports he wants to leave the club this summer.
Amid rumours circulating in Spain that Kounde is unhappy and has asked Barca to listen to offers for him at the end of the season, Kounde tweeted: “To make it clear: at no time did I ask to leave, so I’m not going anywhere.”
Kounde, 24, joined Barca from Sevilla in a €50m transfer last summer. He made 38 appearances across all competitions, including 27 in the league, to help Barca clinch the LaLiga title. A reported target of Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, he is under contract with Barca until June 2027.
09.40 BST: AC Milan will enter negotiations with Real Madrid to sign Brahim Diaz this summer on a permanent transfer, according to Sky Italia.
Diaz, 23, is under contract with the Spanish giants until June 2025 and has been a key player for Stefano Pioli, scoring six goals and setting up six more in 31 league appearances.
The Spain winger has played the last two seasons on loan at Milan from Real Madrid and wants to stay with the Rossoneri beyond this summer. His fee will be set at around €22m.
09.04 BST: Udinese owner Giampaolo Pozzo says he is facing the prospect of losing Portuguese striker Beto this summer.
Beto, 25, is under contract with Udinese until June 2026 and has a €25m release clause. A target of Serie A champions Napoli, Beto has scored 10 goals in 32 appearances for Udinese this season and has attracted the attention of Premier League clubs as well.
“He is a very talented player, and he is still young,” Pozzo said. “But when offers from big clubs arrive it’s difficult to retain them [these players]”.
Beto joined Udinese on a season-long loan in the summer of 2021 before Udinese paid €7m for his permanent transfer.
“I don’t think about the future,” Beto said. “Anything can happen. Now I just want to help the team in these last two games.”
08.22 BST: Real Madrid will announce the signing of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund once the Bundesliga season ends, Marca reports.
Madrid recently sent club emissaries to Dortmund to finalise the preliminary agreement they had reached earlier this year to sign the England international.
Los Blancos will pay a transfer fee of €100m to sign Bellingham, with that figure expected to increase with certain performance-related clauses included.
Bellingham, 19, has received bigger salary offers from other clubs but turned them down as his wish is to play for Real Madrid. However, he will not be among the highest-paid players at Madrid during his six-year contract.
Dortmund host Mainz on Saturday in their final league game of the season, two points ahead of Bayern Munich in the race for the title.
08.00 BST: Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah said there was “no excuse” for his team’s failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League after Manchester United clinched the remaining top-four spot in the Premier League on Thursday.
Man United’s 4-1 win over Chelsea means that with one game remaining Liverpool are guaranteed to finish fifth and go into the Europa League. It is the first time that Liverpool have failed to qualify for Europe’s top club competition since Salah joined the team in 2017.
“I’m totally devastated,” Salah tweeted. “There’s absolutely no excuse for this.
“We had everything we needed to make it to next year’s Champions League and we failed. We are Liverpool and qualifying to the competition is the bare minimum. I am sorry but it’s too soon for an uplifting or optimistic post. We let you and ourselves down.”
1:50
Moreno: I’m not sure what Salah achieves by apologizing
After Mohamed Salah apologizes for Liverpool’s failure to make the Champions League, Alejandro Moreno says it’s too little too late.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)
– Real Madrid have identified AC Milan defender Theo Hernandez as a potential replacement for left-back Ferland Mendy, according to Sport. Madrid see the 25-year-old as their top option if they are able to offload Mendy this summer, who hasn’t fully impressed since a €48m move from Lyon in 2019.
– AC Milan have approached the representatives of Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino, reveals Calciomercato. The 31-year-old Brazil international is set to become a free agent next month, and it looks as though the Rossoneri are among the first clubs who are assessing a move for his services. With the Serie A club taking time before advancing talks, it is expected that they will also check to see whether it is possible to sign Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio on a free as well.
– Chelsea plan to make centre-back Levi Colwill a long-term part of their future project, says CBS journalist Ben Jacobs. The 20-year-old has enjoyed a bright spell on loan at Brighton this season, and it is reported that he won’t look to force an exit from Stamford Bridge if he is handed sufficient game time next season.
– Inter Milan are set to join the race for Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio, according to Ekrem Konur. The 21-year-old has been a key player for the Lisbon side this season, where he made 47 appearances across all competitions. He has also been linked with Liverpool, but the Nerazzurri see Inacio as a long term replacement for Milan Skriniar, who is set to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer this summer.
– Newcastle United are keeping close watch on RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, reports Sky Sports. The Magpies, who have been linked with the 22-year-old recently, are said to have scouted him on two occasions over the past fortnight, with the report indicating that they have identified the Bundesliga star as one of their first potential reinforcements after confirming their place in the Champions League next season.