With most of the major European seasons now complete, the rumour mill has been sent into overdrive as clubs ponder their moves ahead of what will be a busy transfer window. Check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.
TOP STORY: Spurs, Conte deal off over transfer budget
Tottenham Hotspur are turning their attention away from Antonio Conte for their managerial opening, according to the Telegraph.
Although initial talks looked promising, it now seems that the Italian’s next club is unclear after winning the Serie A title with Internazionale last season.
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Suggestions from Italy were that Conte was starting to have doubts over how much of transfer budget he’d be given, with sources have previously told ESPN that Harry Kane‘s future at the club a key topic of discussion.
Conte won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2016-17 but was sacked a year later after winning the FA Cup and finishing fifth. Before that he won Serie A three times as Juventus coach and took Italy to the quarterfinals of Euro 2016.
Despite the apparent collapse of talks with Conte, Fabrizio Romano reports that former Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici will join Tottenham as new director of football.
PAPER GOSSIP
– With Conte’s arrival an apparent no-go, Mauricio Pochettino could still leave Paris Saint-Germain with interest from former club Tottenham, according to Le 10 Sport. The Argentine manager has been at the heart of speculation and was reportedly keen on a return to North London, but the French outlet believe that the deal isn’t off with the manager’s entourage still in contact with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.
– Chelsea’s Tiemoue Bakayoko could be set to extend his stay in Italy with Fabrizio Romano claiming that there is interest from Fiorentina for a loan deal. The defensive midfielder spent last season on loan at Napoli and featured 32 times in Serie A, but the 26-year-old appears unable to find a way into Thomas Tuchel’s plans at Chelsea.
– Aston Villa are facing competition for Burnley’s Chris Wood with the striker now on the radar of two other Premier League clubs. Football Insider reports that Everton and West Ham United will join the race for the 29-year-old forward who scored 12 goals while leading the line for Sean Dyche last season, though any deal would see Burnley demand a fee in the region of £30 million.
– Arsenal are monitoring the situation of Internacional’s Yuri Alberto. According to Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte, the Gunners have been interested in the 20-year-old striker since his days at Santos. A fee in the region of €13m would reportedly be required to see the Brazilian move to North London, but Arsenal could face competition with Barcelona also rumoured to be interested.
– Le 10 Sport are reporting that Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti could begin a squad clearout with Gareth Bale, Isco and Marcelo deemed surplus to requirements. The La Liga club are continuing their rebuild after missing out on the title last season, and despite reports that Bale could be given a chance back at the Bernabeu after his loan spell with Tottenham, it looks like the Wales forward remains out of any plans in the Spanish capital.
– Bayern Munich have confirmed Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has signed a two-year contract extension, cementing his status as the backup to Robert Lewandowski. Choupo-Moting joined Bayern in October on a free transfer for one season after his contract with PSG expired. The Cameroon forward scored three goals in 22 Bundesliga appearances but won plaudits for stepping up to replace Lewandowski when the Poland striker was injured for Champions League games against PSG.
