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: Barcelona want De Ligt
Barcelona president Joan Laporta is looking to recruit Matthijs de Ligt this summer, writes Le10 Sport. The report suggests that the Catalan club are keen on the centre-back who opted to join Juventus from Ajax for €75 million in 2019.
Barca have been looking for a centre-back since the transfer window opened and could prioritise their spending on the Netherlands defender after reinforcing the attack with the free transfer of Sergio Aguero.
But persuading Juve could be difficult, with Gazzetta dello Sport reporting that De Ligt is a big part of Massimiliano Allegri’s plans for next season, as the Italian manager prepares for his second stint at the club.
The 21-year-old centre-back featured 36 times for Juventus last season as the Turin club missed out on the Serie A title to Internazionale.
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LIVE BLOG
08.00 BST: Eden Hazard has said that “it didn’t occur to me for a second” to leave Real Madrid this summer after two injury-hit seasons at the Bernabeu, insisting that “I won’t leave there as a failure.”
Hazard played a part in Belgium’s 3-0 win over Russia in their Euro 2020 group opener on Saturday in St Petersburg, coming off the bench after 72 minutes. He has only started two matches for Real Madrid since January, the last being a 2-0 Champions League semifinal defeat to Chelsea on May 5, after a series of muscular injuries severely limited his impact in 2020-21.
“I’m only myself when I can enjoy myself on the pitch,” Hazard told Belgium’s Het Nieuwsblad. “That hasn’t happened in the last two years at Madrid. If you have one or two injuries you can flip the switch, you recover to come back stronger, but if it’s five, six, seven it’s much more difficult mentally. But I keep going.”
The 30-year-old’s debut season at the Bernabeu was affected by two ankle fractures — the first in November 2019, before a second which required surgery in March 2020 — which saw him play just 16 La Liga games, scoring once.The 2020-21 campaign was just as frustrating for the midfielder, as hamstring, calf and thigh muscle injuries left Hazard unable to find his best form.
“It didn’t occur to me for a second that it would be better for me to leave,” Hazard said. “I won’t leave there as a failure. I only want to show that I’m made for Real Madrid. The last two years have been difficult, I’ve been at Madrid without really being at Madrid, you know… We’ve played in a stadium without fans, and I signed to play at a full Bernabeu.”
PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)
– Lyon’s Maxwel Cornet is continuing to attract looks from the Premier League, with Leeds United interested in the Ivory Coast international’s services. The Sun writes that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are keen to sign the 24-year-old, but the Ligue 1 club are looking for a fee of £20m. Cornet has spent the majority of his career playing as a winger, although he started 21 times as a left-back for Lyon last season.
– Hampshire Live reports that Liverpool right-back Neco Williams is one of the players on Southampton’s shortlist for the summer. The club are expected to strengthen in a number of areas, with the Wales international at the top of the list to strengthen the right side of defence.
– The race for Borna Barisic is heating up, with a number of Premier League clubs now keen on the left-back. Football Insider reports that Arsenal, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers have all joined the race for the Rangers man. The news comes after Leeds United’s interest was reported on Saturday, which means a bidding war between four Premier League clubs might not be far away for the 28-year-old.
– AC Milan are keeping tabs on Zenit St. Petersburg’s Sardar Azmoun, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The 26-year-old Iran forward was prolific in front of goal last season, scoring 19 from 21 starts in the Russian Premier League.
– West Ham United and Southampton are monitoring the situation of Junior Firpo, according to Mundo Deportivo. The 24-year-old featured seven times for Barcelona last season, but the Premier League clubs will need to move fast, with AC Milan also interested in the defender’s signature.
– Leonardo Spinazzola won’t leave AS Roma this summer, writes Calciomercato. The left-back, who was a standout performer in the opening game of Euro 2020 against Turkey, is reportedly an “untouchable” player in Jose Mourinho’s squad as the Portuguese manager prepares for his first season in charge.
