Transfer Talk: Real Madrid eye new Camavinga deal to fend off Man Utd

The January transfer window may be closed around Europe, but teams are looking ahead to the summer 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: Madrid’s Camavinga on Man United’s radar

Real Madrid have opened talks with midfielder Eduardo Camavinga over a new deal in an effort to fend off interest from Manchester United, reports The Athletic.

Camavinga has impressed at the Bernabeu following his €31 million move from Rennes in 2021, but he has only started just over half of the club’s LaLiga matches this season.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has instead preferred experienced duo Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in midfield, which has left the 20-year-old Frenchman frustrated at times.

Camavinga is just two seasons into a six-year deal with Los Blancos and so a move to United wouldn’t be easy, but his head could be turned if he’s promised more game time. United were interested in signing him 18 months ago when he made the decision to join Madrid, but the right offer, plus the prospect of partnering former teammate Casemiro, could seal the deal for Reds’ boss Erik Ten Hag.

Real Madrid are seemingly reluctant to let the star leave and as such, they are talking to him about an improved deal that would see him significantly improve his salary. Moreover, the club would look to protect their player further by adding a £1 billion release clause to his new contract in an effort to scare off potential suitors.

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21:15 GMT: Wolves are looking to extend Nelson Semedo‘s contract, by activating a two-year extension clause for the defender, reports Football Insider.

The 29-year-old is set to see his current deal at Molineux expire in the summer, however, the Premier League club are eager to extend Semedo’s deal to ensure they do not lose the Portugal international for free.

The Midlands club are currently only four points above the relegation zone and could be forced into selling their star players in the summer transfer window if they do not avoid relegation.

20:30 GMT: Luka Modric and Real Madrid are still in discussions regarding a new contract, however interest in the midfielder remains from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to Florian Plettenberg.

The tweet states that the Croatia international could leave Los Blancos at the end of the season, with a decision likely to be made within the next 2-4 weeks. Real Madrid are eager to tie Modric down to a deal until 2024, however the 37-year-old is still considering his future.

20:00 GMT: Newcastle United are interested in signing winger Kaoru Mitoma in the summer, according to Ekrem Konur. The Japan international has impressed for Brighton this season, netting nine goals alongside six assists, helping the Seagulls launch an unlikely bid for a Champions League spot.

It is believed that Newcastle could endure a heavy summer of spending, as Eddie Howe looks to build a team that can launch a charge for the Premier League title next season.

19:30 GMT: The LA Galaxy have announced the signing of defender Julián Aude from Atlético Lanús.

The 19-year-old full-back featured for Argentina’s Under-20 side in their disappointing 2023 U20 South American Championship campaign, where they crashed out at the group-stages of the competition. However, Aude has impressed at the club level for Lanús, after making his senior debut for the club at the age of 17.

Aude figures to fill a need for the Galaxy in the position following the transfer of Julian Araujo to Barcelona in February. Araujo continues to wait on a decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on whether he can be register as a player for Barça’s reserve squad this season after his transfer paperwork was submitted 18 seconds late on deadline day.

19:00 GMT: Lyon are planning to extend Alexandre Lacazette‘s contract until 2027, with the striker enduring an impressive season in Ligue 1, as per Ekrem Konur. The 31-year-old has netted 21 goals in 28 appearances for Lyon, with the France international returning to form following a tough period at Arsenal.

Despite Lacazette’s goals, Lyon have endured a disappointing campaign, sitting 10th in Ligue 1, 13 points adrift of the top-four.

18:30 GMT: James Milner will be forced to take a pay cut if the midfielder is to sign a new contract with Liverpool, reports Football Insider.

The 37-year-old sees his current deal expire at the end of the season, and with Naby Keita alongside Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain set to depart in the summer, Liverpool are reluctant to let the England international leave.

The report reveals that the Reds are planning to offer Milner a one-year extension, with Jurgen Klopp believed to be keen to keephim at the club for his experience and leadership.

17.46 GMT: Tottenham Hotspur are unlikely to exercise the option to sign on-loan centre-back Clement Lenglet permanently, according to AS. The 27-year-old France international has made 27 appearances since joining from Barcelona on a season-long arrangement last summer, yet he’s not a priority for the north London club nor is he in the Blaugrana‘s plans, making for an uncertain offseason for the former Sevilla standout.

17.13 GMT: AC Milan winger Ante Rebic is set to leave the club in the summer following a disappointing campaign, according to Calciomercato. The 29-year-old Croatia international signed a five-year deal with the Italian giants in 2020, but he has struggled for consistency at the San Siro, registering just three goals and two assists in 24 appearances across all competitions this season.

16.40 GMT: Liverpool and Man United are leading the race to sign Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves this summer, according to Football Insider.

Neves, 26, looks set to leave Wolves at the end of the season, with Barcelona also interested.

The Portugal international wants a new challenge and is out of contract in under 18 months, so has a host of clubs on his trail and could cost around £35m to sign.

16.05 GMT: Did Crystal Palace do the right thing by bringing Roy Hodgson back as manager?

15.34 GMT: Footmercato claims that Manchester United have held talks with Monaco defender Axel Disasi over a move.

Disasi, 25, has had a great season and there has been interest in signing him from Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

The France international is under contract until 2025 and Monaco reportedly want at least €50m in transfer fee to let him go, having seen Benoit Badiashile join Chelsea for €37m in January.

14.22 GMT: Sevilla, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Valencia are all keen on Barcelona right-back Sergino Dest, according to Diario Sport.

Dest, 22, is currently on loan at AC Milan but is expected to return to Barca at the end of the season following a disappointing campaign in Italy.

Barca will then re-assess what to do with the United States international defender, but sources have previously indicated to ESPN that the Catalan club are open to letting him leave, with a quartet of Spanish clubs monitoring the situation.

The former Ajax player joined Milan last August, but has not played for the Italian side since January and was cut from their Champions League squad after the group stage.

He has started just twice in Serie A all season and it seems unlikely that the Rossoneri will take up their option to make the move permanent for €20m.

Dest is currently with the USMNT preparing for the upcoming CONCACAF Nations League games against Grenada and El Salvador.

13.55 GMT: Manchester United and AC Milan are in the race to sign FC Porto defensive midfielder Marco Grujic, according to Record.

Grujic, 26, joined Porto on a permanent transfer from Liverpool last summer after spending the previous two seasons on loan at the Dragao stadium. Under contract until June 2026, the Serbia international has made 30 appearances across all competitions this season and his strong performances against Inter Milan in the Champions League round of 16 have raised the interest of several clubs.

Both United and Milan have reportedly contacted the player’s representative with a view to sign him this summer. But Porto are unlikely to let Grujic leave this summer as they are set to lose midfielder Mateus Uribe, who has not signed a contract extension and is expected to leave at the end of the season as a free agent.

13.17 GMT: Barcelona will appeal a court ruling which ordered midfielder Gavi‘s first-team registration to be reversed, a source told ESPN on Tuesday.

The dispute stems from LaLiga’s refusal to register Gavi’s new Barca contract because the Catalan club are deemed to be in excess of their spending limit beyond the end of the season.

Barca sought to overturn LaLiga’s decision and, at the end of January, a judge obliged LaLiga to temporarily proceed with the Spain international’s inscription as a first-team player. However, a court ruling on Tuesday, as first reported by ESPN earlier this month, said Barca missed the subsequent deadline to officially file their lawsuit.

12.48 GMT: A new Real Madrid contract for Marco Asensio is “more far than near” according to Marca, although the player still hasn’t given up hope of staying at the Bernabeu.

Asensio had a goal disallowed in a narrow offside call as Madrid were beaten 2-1 by Barcelona in El Clasico on Sunday to fall 12 points behind their rivals in the LaLiga title race.

The newspaper reports that the forward is determined to make the most of his limited opportunities to try to convince the club that he deserves a new deal beyond this summer.

12.00 GMT: Manchester City are growing confident they can land Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund this summer although Real Madrid remain in the race for the midfielder’s signature, sources have told ESPN.

11.31 GMT: Paris Saint-Germain want to renew Sergio Ramos‘ contract, according to Marca.

Earlier this year, Ramos, 36, appeared to be on his way out of PSG but his strong performances of late have convinced the French club to offer him a contract extension. After an injury-plagued first year, Ramos has made 36 appearances across all competitions, including 24 in Ligue 1 this season.

Ramos’ current deal expires in June but he is keen to continue at PSG. The former Real Madrid captain will have to lower his wages if he wants to remain in Paris beyond this summer, however, with PSG also keen to renew Lionel Messi’s contract and having to comply with financial fair play rules.

11.03 GMT: Sevilla are closely monitoring Famalicao attacking midfielder Ivan Jaime, according to Estadio Deportivo.

Jaime, 22, is in his third season with the Portuguese outfit and has also attracted the attention of FC Porto and Sporting CP after scoring six goals and setting up two more in 15 league appearances.

Sevilla are keen to strengthen their midfield this summer and believe the former Malaga player, who is under contract until June 2025, would be an ideal addition.

10.42 GMT: Aston Villa are eyeing a summer move for Sporting CP winger Pedro ‘Pote’ Goncalves, Record reports.

The Premier League side have been impressed by Pote’s performances this season, including the 1-1 draw at Arsenal in the Europa League round of 16 where he scored a stunning strike from almost the halfway line.

Pote, 24, is under contract with Sporting until June 2026. The Portugal international was a target of Arsenal in the January transfer window but Sporting insisted he would only leave if his €80m release clause was met.

10.20 GMT: Talks between Atletico Madrid and Chelsea over a permanent deal to sign Joao Felix will continue next month, Relevo reports, with the most likely outcome being a stay in London, although no final decision has been taken.

No agreement has been reached on a transfer fee, although the expected figure would be around €100m.

Felix is enjoying his time in London — despite Chelsea’s struggles in the Premier League — and negotiations are set to resume in April with a conclusion likely in May, in time for the start of the summer transfer window.

09.58 GMT: Real Madrid are looking at Harry Kane and Dusan Vlahovic as two options to strengthen their forward line and bridge the gap from Karim Benzema to possible 2024 arrivals for Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland, AS reports.

Both Kane, 29, and Vlahovic, 23, would present problems however, with the two players being valued by clubs Tottenham and Juventus at over €100m.

According to AS, Kane and Benzema would be unlikely to be willing to share the spotlight at the Bernabeu — with both expecting to be a weekly starter — while Vlahovic, who has been offered to Madrid by intermediaries, might be a more workable alternative.

09.39 GMT: Barcelona would be open to re-signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the summer if the financial conditions of the deal are favourable, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Aubameyang, 33, was at Camp Nou on Sunday to see Barca beat Real Madrid 2-1 and was pictured in the dressing room after the game celebrating with his former teammates. The striker left Barca for Chelsea last August to work with his ex-Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel. However, he has hardly featured for the Premier League side since Graham Potter replaced Tuchel.

Aubameyang has a contract at Stamford Bridge until 2024 but everything indicates he will be on the move again in the summer, with reported interest from Europe, Major League Soccer and Saudi Arabia.

Barca would also be willing to take him back as backup to Robert Lewandowski, per the report, if he is allowed to leave for free, doesn’t command a huge salary and fits within their LaLiga-imposed spending limit.

During a six-month spell with Barca last season, Aubameyang scored 13 goals to help them finish second in the league and qualify for the Champions League.

09.08 GMT: Chelsea are among the clubs monitoring Andreas Pereira‘s situation at Fulham as they begin considering replacements for Mason Mount, sources have told ESPN’s Rob Dawson.

Contract talks between Chelsea and Mount have stalled, raising the possibility the England international could leave Stamford Bridge in the summer before becoming a free agent in 2024.

Sources have told ESPN that Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City are looking at Mount, while Chelsea are considering Pereira to fill the void after the midfielder’s impressive season at Fulham.

Pereira’s form at Craven Cottage in his first campaign following his summer move from United has also attracted attention from Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid, sources have told ESPN. Only five players have registered more than his six Premier League assists this season and he is viewed by PSG, in particular, as a cost-effective signing while they deal with Financial Fair Play concerns.

Sources have told ESPN that Pereira is happy at Fulham but would find the opportunity to join one of Europe’s leading clubs hard to turn down.

Pereira, who Fulham value between £25m and £35m, has a contract at Craven Cottage until 2026 with the option of another year.

08.30 GMT: Crystal Palace have re-appointed Roy Hodgson as manager on a contract until the end of the season, the club announced on Tuesday.

Hodgson replaces Patrick Vieira who left Palace on Friday following a run of 12 games without a win.

The former England manager was himself replaced by ex-Arsenal captain Vieira before the start of the 2021-22 season.

Roy Hodgson has been appointed Crystal Palace manager until the end of the season.

Paddy McCarthy will take the role as his assistant manager, and Ray Lewington returns as first-team coach.

Dean Kiely remains in his position as goalkeeping coach.

Welcome back, Roy.#CPFC

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) March 21, 2023

PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd)

– Manchester United scouts have been keeping a keen eye on Brighton & Hove Albion‘s in-form Japan international Kaoru Mitoma, according to The Sun. The 25-year-old winger joined the Seagulls for just £2.7m from Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale in 2021 and spent his first season on loan before returning to England last summer. He has been nothing short of sensational, scoring nine goals and adding six assists. United scouts will get a closer look at him once more when both teams play in the FA Cup semifinal on April 22 (stream FA Cup matches on ESPN+).

– Kim Min-Jae‘s form at the heart of Napoli‘s defence has earned him many admirers, and not just inside the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. Ekrem Konur is reporting that Internazionale could make a move for the 26-year-old in the summer. Napoli are blazing a trail at the top of Serie A, and Kim has been one of the standout stars under boss Luciano Spalletti. Understandably, Napoli are reluctant to let the South Korea international leave in the summer, but Inter are one of several clubs, along with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, monitoring his situation.

– AC Milan and RB Leipzig are eyeing FC Salzburg striker Noah Okafor, according to Calciomercato. Okafor has recently switched representation in the hope that he can land a big move in the summer. The forward has rejected the opportunity to renew his contract at Salzburg, which ends in 2024. Okafor, who averages a goal every 2.5 games, could be transferred for around €20m-€25m.

– Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe is considering a move for Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay, according to the Telegraph. The club expressed their interest in the 26-year-old in January, but United were unwilling to offload a player to a club likely to rival their position for a top-four finish. However, Newcastle could now benefit from the midfielder’s subsequent lack of game time as he has started just seven matches for United. Howe feels the Scotland international has the physical attributes to fit into his system and McTominay is said to be open to the move.

– Arsenal have made no secret of their admiration for West Ham United captain Declan Rice, but they’ll have to battle it out for his signature with Chelsea, according to Fabrizio Romano. Chelsea are hoping to partner the 24-year-old with Enzo Fernandez in a new-look midfield for the 2023-24 season. Rice’s contract runs out in 2024, and so West Ham are likely to let him leave this summer in an effort to bolster their own squad. The Hammers’ bargaining power depends on whether or not they’re able to stay in the Premier League as they are in the bottom three alongside Bournemouth and Southampton.