Transfer Talk: Bayern focused on Kolo Muani as Kane, Oshimhen moves unlikely

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: Bayern focused on Kolo Muani

Bayern Munich are pushing to sign a striker in the summer transfer window and have focused on Eintracht Frankfurt‘s Randal Kolo Muani, according Sky Sports Deutschland.

Bayern reportedly feel that 34-year-old striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is too injury prone and that 17-year-old Mathys Tel needs time to develop.

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Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane has often been discussed but is no longer as popular at Bayern, while Victor Osimhen‘s transfer valuation of over €130m makes a deal unlikely for the Napoli star.

Benfica‘s Goncalo Ramos is being looked at, having recorded 36 goal contributions in 38 games across all competitions this term and impressing for the Portugal national team. The 21-year-old is represented by Gestifute, who Bayern have previously worked with when they signed Joao Cancelo (on loan) and Renato Sanches (from Benfica in 2016).

Bayern have also expressed interest in Manchester City‘s Julian Alvarez, according to Ekrem Konur, although that would be likely due to the Argentina star having signed an extension at the Etihad last month.

As such, Kolo Muani is the striker Bayern are most keen on due to his Bundesliga experience, with 33 goal contributions in 38 competitive matches this term. However, Frankfurt have already told Bayern that they will not be accepting any offers under their valuation of €100m plus add-ons for the France star. Kolo Muani has no release clause and a contract until 2027.

LIVE BLOG

17.00 BST: Newcastle United are interested in signing Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes, reports Football Insider. The Magpies are said to be among a number of clubs interested in the 25-year-old, who has two years remaining on his contract at the King Power Stadium, and they could make their move in the summer if the Foxes are relegated from the Premier League.

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15.26 BST: Napoli striker Victor Osimhen would join Bayern if given the chance, according Sky Sports Deutschland.

Osimhen, 24, has 25 goals in 29 games this season for the Serie A leaders, who would want a transfer in excess of €130m.

The Nigeria international is reportedly keen to move to the Bundesliga this summer and Bayern’s directors like him a lot. However, the transfer fee may well prove a stumbling block and his contract does not expire until 2025.

14.29 BST: Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has backed his former player Frank Lampard to deliver as Chelsea caretaker manager, as the pair prepare to face off in the Champions League quarterfinals.

Madrid host Chelsea at the Bernabeu on Wednesday in Lampard’s second game back in charge at the club following his appointment last week until the end of the season.

Lampard opened his second spell with the club with a 1-0 loss at Wolves on Saturday but Ancelotti, who coached Lampard while Chelsea manager himself from 2009-11, said he expected his former player to do a “fantastic” job.

“I’m 63 and he’s 44, so I have 20 more years experience than him, but that won’t change what happens in the game,” Ancelotti said in his prematch news conference. “Lampard was a really great player, I was lucky to coach him … he was a fantastic, extraordinary professional.

“He knows what can happen in these games and how to prepare a team for these games. Experience doesn’t mean much. He knows a lot of the players and he’ll do well for sure.”

13.55 BST: The Daily Mail claims Manchester United will offload 13 players at the end of the season.

United are looking to spend big again to bring in a midfielder and a new striker, but have to balance the books.

As a result, centre-back Harry Maguire and forward Anthony Martial are among a host of players who could be allowed to leave in the summer.

12.33 BST: Real Madrid are hoping to land Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze in the summer, says Marca.

Chukwueze, 23, has 13 goals and 11 assists from 40 games this season and the Nigeria international has been attracting plenty of attention for his performances.

Villarreal have a €100m release clause inserted into his contract, which ends in 2024, but could accept an offer of half that.

Premier League side Everton have also been linked, but Chukwueze would surely pick Madrid if given the choice between the two.

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10.51 BST: Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott is being tracked by Liverpool, West Ham and Wolves this summer, says The Daily Mail.

Scott, 19, was named Bristol City’s young player of the year last season and has impressed for the club since arriving from Guernsey in 2020.

The England U20 international is tipped for a bright future and could move to Anfield if the two clubs can agree terms.

10.05 BST: Chelsea want to sign Barcelona midfielder Gavi this summer, according to AS.

Gavi, 18, agreed the terms of a senior contract with Barca earlier this season but the club has failed to register the deal so far as they are in breach of LaLiga’s salary cap.

Chelsea representatives met with Gavi’s agent, Ivan de la Pena, in Madrid three weeks ago with a view to opening negotiations for a potential free transfer in the summer. The Premier League club want to take advantage of Barca’s situation and, according to reports, in that meeting the club’s sports director Christopher Vivell expressed their intention to make him a key player in the team.

The meeting was satisfactory and the two parties will reportedly meet again soon.

Gavi, who won the Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy award in 2022, is reportedly unhappy at how Barca have dealt with the situation regarding his senior contract and believes the LaLiga leaders are not giving it the priority it deserves.

09.12 BST: Wolverhampton Wanderers right-back Nelson Semedo has not ruled out returning to Benfica one day.

The Portugal international is under contract with Wolves until June but the club has an option to extend his contract for a further two seasons.

Semedo, 29, left Benfica in the summer of 2017 to sign for Barcelona and spent three years at the Camp Nou before joining Wolves in a €32m transfer.

“I already mentioned that it would be good to be able to return to Benfica. I leave the doors always open”, Semedo told Record. “It’s very difficult to be a professional and then reach Premier League level. I just have to be thankful and to continue to give everything to have more chances of playing in this division.”

08.30 BST: Leicester City have appointed Dean Smith as manager until the end of the season as the club attempts to avoid relegation to the Championship, the club announced on Monday.

Smith will lead 19th-placed Leicester in their final eight matches of the Premier League season, starting against second-placed Manchester City on Saturday. The former Norwich City boss left the Canaries last season after previous spells at Aston Villa and Brentford.

Smith takes over at the King Power Stadium following the departure of former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers on April 2. The Premier League strugglers are in a nine-match winless run following their 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.

Leicester won the Premier League title in 2015-16 against all odds but currently have 25 points after 30 games, two points adrift of the safety zone. Smith will take training for the first time on Tuesday.

PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)

– Paris Saint-Germain strategic advisor Luis Campos is a big admirer of Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo and could make an effort to sign him, reports Foot Mercato. Nice are likely to do all they can to keep the 23-year-old and there will also be competition from other clubs, although Todibo’s strong display against PSG — and specifically Kylian Mbappe — at the weekend has put him even higher in their estimations.

– Arsenal are monitoring Ryan Gravenberch and the midfielder’s situation at Bayern Munich, as reported by Florian Plettenberg, although it is added that there have been no negotiations yet. Even with the competition in the Gunners’ midfield, it is felt that the 20-year-old could get more game time in North London having managed just 702 minutes across all competitions so far this season.

– Lazio have prepared a four-year contract proposal that would increase midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic‘s wage to €4m and include a €60m release clause, but the 28-year-old is set to turn it down, reports Gazzetta dello Sport, with his deal expiring in the summer of 2024. This comes with Juventus, AC Milan and clubs from the Premier League showing interest in the Serbia international.

– Chelsea and Crystal Palace are the latest clubs to show an interest in young Gambian striker Adama Bojang, reports the Daily Mail. The 18-year-old’s transfer is valued at £650,000, having caught the eye of several clubs while representing Gambia at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations. Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, Napoli, Marseille, Ajax and Antwerp are also said to be looking at him.