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The coronavirus pandemic has made the transfer market uncertain — and you can find out when the windows open here — but here are the rumours floating around Europe’s big leagues and beyond.
TOP STORY: Lacazette to Atleti when Auba signs new Arsenal deal
The future of Arsenal’s forward line is going to be the story of the summer for Mikel Arteta’s men, and the Daily Star reports the Gunners have got their transfer tactics all planned out.
Arteta has always been confident that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is in the final 11 months of his contract, will sign a new deal. And the Star says that as soon as the ink is dry on that extension, Alexandre Lacazette will be sold to Atletico Madrid.
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Arsenal do not want to lose both of their senior strikers this summer, so want to make sure Aubameyang is tied down before allowing Lacazette to make the switch to La Liga in a £30 million deal.
With Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli breaking through at the Emirates, moving Lacazette on would release funds for strengthening elsewhere.
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21.05 BST: Real Madrid have seen enough of Alvaro Odriozola to bring him back from his loan at Bayern Munich to have him compete for minutes at Bernabeu.
According to AS, the Spanish right-back impressed the Madrid staff in Bayern’s Champions League win over Chelsea last week, contributing an assist to Robert Lewandowski in the 4-1 win.
The 24-year-old seemed to have been stuck in limbo following his January move to the Bundesliga, having made only five appearances for Bayern. But it looks like he’ll be given the opportunity to make his mark next season with the La Liga champions with whom he has a contract with until 2024.
20.00 BST: Chelsea have been quite the movers this transfer period. They have secured Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech and remain favourites for Kai Havertz. But the braintrust at Stamford Bridge are very aware that they must bolster their defence. ESPN’s Ian Darke opines that West Ham United’s Declan Rice could be Chelsea’s most important target — if they can get him to move from the other side of London.
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Ian Darke says Chelsea are looking to spend “a whole lot of money” during the transfer window.
19.15 BST: Manchester United will have a goalkeeper quandry on their hands next season as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits he can’t keep all three of David de Gea, Sergio Romero, and Dean Henderson on the squad. Henderson finished a solid season on loan at Sheffield United, while De Gea and Romero have had their limitations.
“We have Dean, Sergio and David in the ranks but it’ll be difficult obviously to keep three of them at the club. We’ll see what the decision will be there,” Solskjaer said.
So which one (or two? or all three?) of the union will depart?
18.20 BST: Long rumoured with a return to Sevilla FC, can the Andalusian club seal the deal to bring back Ivan Rakitic from Barcelona? According to Sevilla sporting director Monchi, don’t count on it. Speaking to Diario de Sevilla, Monchi said: “I think it will be difficult to bring Rakitic back to Sevilla. I don’t hide it, Rakitic is my friend, but as of today, it’s tough, if not impossible. More difficult things have happened in football, but I don’t see it in the short term. It’s so difficult financially that I don’t see it.”
Croatian sensation Rakitic made the move to Barca in 2014 and has enjoyed success at Camp Nou following his three-season tenure at Sevilla. With his contract is set to expire in 2021, it is believed Rakitic would been open to a return.
17.19 BST: Carlos Tevez has ended speculation about his future by signing a new contract at Boca Juniors through to the end of June 2021. But the story may not end there, as there is the option to extend the deal by six months — and that would almost take him to his 38th birthday. Sounds like the perfect way to wrap up a career at the club where his story began?
Carlos Tevez firmó su nuevo contrato con el club hasta 2021. Carlitos es de Boca y de Boca no se va… pic.twitter.com/5ihlDt7MDm
— Boca Jrs. Oficial (desde 🏡) (@BocaJrsOficial) August 8, 2020
16.41 BST: Hold the back page! We told you earlier how both Leicester City and Liverpool were tracking Olympiakos left-back Kostas Tsimikas. It was thought that Liverpool were prioritising Norwich City full-back Jamal Lewis, but after the two clubs failed agree on a fee it seems Tsimikas is now Jurgen Klopp’s No. 1 target. It’s all moved on pretty rapidly with a €13m deal set to be tied up in the next few days.
Kostas Tsimikas:
• 24-years-old
• 3 appearances for Greece
• 5 assists in 20 appearances for Olympiacos this season
• Reported £11.7m fee
• Medical scheduled for next weekHappy with the deal Reds? pic.twitter.com/rhuJZ82GOt
— Anfield Edition (@AnfieldEdition) August 9, 2020
16.04 BST: Over in France, L’Equipe reports that AS Monaco are hoping to steal a march on Premier League rivals by making a move for United States international Weston McKennie. He has made it clear he wants to leave Schalke in search of a new challenge and has ambitions to play in England. The 21-year-old central midfielder is being eyed by Niko Kovak, the former Bayern Munich boss who is now in charge at Monaco. Southampton could yet beat them to the chase.
15.28 BST: Willian will end his seven-year spell at Chelsea this summer, the player announced on social media on Sunday. The Brazil international had been in talks over a new contract at Stamford Bridge but negotiations broke down over the length of his deal.
A OPEN LETTER TO THE FANS OF @ChelseaFC pic.twitter.com/ZUUEfwnx5d
— Willian (@willianborges88) August 9, 2020
“They were seven wonderful years,” he wrote on Twitter. “In August 2013 when I received the offer from Chelsea, I was convinced that this was where I had to play. Today I am certain that it was the best of decisions. There were so many happy times, some sad, there were trophies and it was always very intense.”
Sources have…
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