Euro 2020 and the Copa America are over and the summer transfer window is open, leaving Europe’s biggest clubs clear to make a splash in the market. Check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.
TOP STORY: Atletico back in for Arsenal star Lacazette
Atletico Madrid are considering a move for Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette, according to Calciomercato.
The Frenchman’s contract is set to expire in 2022 and so he is widely expected to leave the North London club this summer. Atletico’s offer — which could be as low as £12 million — would at least prevent the Gunners losing him for nothing next summer, and in turn could help them fund a move for Tammy Abraham from Chelsea.
Atletico were interested in signing Lacazette in 2017 when he joined Arsenal from Lyon, but the move failed to materialise because of the Spanish club’s transfer ban at the time. Four years later, Atleti boss Diego Simeone is hoping to land his man in an attempt to bolster his strikeforce.
Lacazette, 30, joined Arsenal for £46.5m four years ago and Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has decided against extending his contract as the striker has scored 65 goals in 170 games.
Arteta is, however, said to be prepared to keep Lacazette next season if no deal is forthcoming, but any move for Abraham then would fall through as a consequence.
Arsenal are one of several clubs keen to sign Abraham, who has dropped down the pecking order at Chelsea, alongside Aston Villa and West Ham United.
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08.43 BST: The Daily Express claims “West Ham could look to Liverpool’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to boost their midfield this season.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain, 27, hasn’t cemented his place in the first team at Liverpool after moving from Arsenal for £35m and made only 13 league appearances last year after recovering from a serious knee injury.
West Ham are in talks with West Brom’s Matheus Pereira over a £25m move — on loan, but with an obligation to sign him permanently next summer — but Oxlade-Chamberlain and Chelsea’s Ross Barkley are on the radar if it doesn’t work out.
08.30 BST: ICYMI – Barcelona’s drive to reduce their wage bill has hit a significant obstacle as they struggle to make room to register their new signings and Lionel Messi’s new contract, various sources told ESPN.
The club must reduce their outgoings to ensure they comply with La Liga’s spending limits next season. If they can’t, they risk not being able to register Messi’s new contract or new signings Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia and Emerson Royal.
Barca have until the end of the transfer window on Aug. 31 to submit Messi’s deal and their new signings to La Liga, but internally they want everything resolved before Aug. 15, when they kick off their league season at home to Real Sociedad. League president Javier Tebas has said he will not relax the rules for Barcelona, and a failure to get their finances in order could see Messi, if he signs the five-year deal revealed by ESPN last week, unable to play until at least January, as happened with Getafe midfielder Pedro Leon in 2014.
Barca managed to move on several youngsters and fringe players earlier in the transfer window, including United States international Konrad de la Fuente‘s move to Marseille, but they are struggling to get rid of the big earners. The club have also failed to agree to terms on a pay cut with long-serving players Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Sergi Roberto. Sources said director of football Mateu Alemany has spoken with the trio’s agents, but none have shown an appetite to cut their earnings to help the club yet. Busquets earns around €16m a year at the club, while Alba is on €13m and Roberto €10.5m.
ESPN previously explained that the quickest way to make those savings was through Antoine Griezmann, but talks for the forward to return to Atletico Madrid have stalled. Barca and Atletico had been in negotiations over a swap deal, which would see midfielder Saul Niguez move in the other direction to Camp Nou, but they cannot agree on player valuations.
1:32
Rob Palmer joins ESPN FC to shed some light on Barcelona’s struggles to reduce their wage bill to fit Lionel Messi’s contract.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Nick Judd)
– Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti has fallen out of favour under boss Ronald Koeman and his appearances in preseason appear to be an attempt by the Catalan club to find him a new club. That’s according to Sport, who believe Koeman won’t be counting on the 27-year-old in 2021-22. Umtiti has found it hard playing consecutive games in the last few seasons as a result of numerous injuries and, by allowing him to leave, Barca believe they can free up some much needed wages to ease their financial woes.
– Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock remains a priority for Newcastle United, but they’re already eyeing up Chelsea’s Ross Barkley as an alternative, according to the Athletic. Steve Bruce is yet to make a signing this summer and so the pressure is on to enhance his side, with central midfield an area of priority. Willock, 21, impressed during a loan spell at St James’s Park last season, but Bruce admits that any permanent move remains firmly in Arsenal’s hands. Therefore, the Magpies could turn their attentions to Barkley, 27, who was on loan at Aston Villa last season, and who could be a much easier deal to sort.
– Erik Lamela is ready to undergo a medical in Sevilla this week ahead of a swap deal that will see Bryan Gil head in the opposite direction, reports Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano. Tottenham midfielder Lamela, 29, has been spotted at Sevilla’s ground and will undergo his medical later this week. Gil is set to arrive in London this week as part of the swap in a deal that will see the 20-year-old winger sign until 2026.
– Borussia Dortmund are close to announcing forward Donyell Malen after the first part of the necessary paper was completed at the weekend, according to Fabrizio Romano. Malen is in Germany to complete his medical, and Romano reveals that PSV Eindhoven will land a €30m transfer fee for the 22-year-old. Liverpool were also reported to be in the hunt for the prolific attacking player, but despite their interest, no official bid was ever made.
– Roma boss Jose Mourinho has offered Barcelona €15m for defender Clement Lenglet in an effort to boost his backline, according to Sport. Roma boss Mourinho is looking to strengthen his defence and 26-year-old Lenglet is one of several players being targeted. However, Barcelona are said to want closer to €25m, given that the Frenchman has five years remaining on his contract. Sport believe negotiations could begin between the two clubs in the new few days, despite the difference in valuation.