Transfer Talk: Chelsea mull deal for PSG's Neymar

The summer transfer window might not be open yet in Europe, but teams are getting ready for it, 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: Chelsea prepare talks for PSG’s Neymar

Chelsea have approached Paris Saint-Germain regarding a possible deal for winger Neymar, according to Le10 Sport.

The 31-year-old notched 18 goals and 17 assists in 29 appearances across all competitions this season, but injuries and the club’s desire to offload several high-profile names, could see PSG part ways with the Brazil international.

PSG have identified Bernardo Silva as a priority signing, ahead of next season, with the potential departure of Neymar allowing for funds to secure the services of the Manchester City player.

The report suggests the club will seek a “good” price for Neymar’s transfer, who signed for a world-record fee of €222 million from Barcelona in the summer of 2017.

Chelsea suffered a disappointing campaign, finishing 12th in the Premier League, and new manager Mauricio Pochettino is eyeing up several high-profile names ahead of next season. Pochettino is no stranger to Neymar, having managed the winger during his stint as PSG manager during the 2021-22 season.

Since the arrival of Todd Boehly as the club’s co-owner last summer, Chelsea have spent over €600m. But with the likes of Mason Mount and Kai Havertz linked with moves, there could be room to sign Neymar.

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LIVE BLOG

21.27 BST: Manchester United are willing to move on Anthony Elanga, reports Sky Sport Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg. Talks are reported to have been held with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, but there are a number of clubs who are keeping close tabs on his situation, with the Red Devils looking for a transfer fee between €15m and €20m.

20.54 BST: Borussia Dortmund are preparing to advance with a move for Ajax and Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez, writes Fabrizio Romano. The 25-year-old will be the successor to Jude Bellingham, after the Bundesliga club announced on Wednesday it had agreed a deal to send the England international to Real Madrid.

20.37 BST: Lionel Messi has decided to make a stunning move to Major League Soccer side Inter Miami CF following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain, the Argentine superstar announced Wednesday. The 2022 World Cup winner was linked with a return to former club Barcelona as well as a possible move to Saudi Arabia club Al Hilal, but ultimately decided to join co-owner David Beckham’s Miami in MLS. Read the full story.

20.21 BST: Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea is set to dismiss interest from Saudi Arabia in favour of remaining at Old Trafford, reports talkSPORT. Despite interest in the 32-year-old from the Saudi Pro League, he is reported to have already agreed provisional terms over a new two-year contract with the Red Devils, where he has accepted a salary reduction despite having no guarantees of being the No. 1 option next season.

19.48 BST: Tottenham Hotspur aren’t looking to keep on-loan Barcelona centre-back Clement Lenglet on a permanent basis, according to Football Insider. Spurs are unwilling to match the £207,000-a-week salary in Lenglet’s contract with the Blaugrana.

19.15 BST: Another Napoli player attracting interest from Europe is centre-back Kim Min-Jae, and now Newcastle are ready to join the race for his signature, writes the Sun. The 26-year-old South Korea international has a £42m release clause in his contract that can be activated this summer, and his representatives have already held talks with the Magpies hierarchy over a potential move. Manchester United are said to be frontrunners to sign him.

18.42 BST: Napoli are preparing to schedule a meeting with the representatives of striker Victor Osimhen, reports Gazzetta dello Sport. The club are looking for clarity over whether the 24-year-old Nigeria international wants to stay with the Serie A champions, amid interest emerging from across Europe. Napoli are said to be open to moving him on if he informs them of his wishes to leave, but any offers below their demand for a €120m transfer fee will be dismissed.

18.09 BST: Juventus could be set to make a U-turn on their decision over the future of wing-back Juan Cuadrado, reports Calciomercato. The Bianconeri were previously prepared to allow the 35-year-old Colombia international to leave as a free agent later this month, but they are now considering handing him a one-year extension to remain at the Allianz Stadium.

17.36 BST: Barcelona are close to finalising a move for Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, according to Sport. Set to become a free agent on June 30, the 26-year-old Portugal international has already made the decision to make the switch to the Camp Nou, and the deal is reportedly “practically signed.” Neves has been a key target for manager Xavi Hernandez this season, although the Blaugrana are on the lookout for another midfielder, with Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan on their radar.

17.03 BST: Sources have told ESPN that senior figures behind Al Hilal’s attempt to sign Lionel Messi fear he has lost interest as he also weighs a move to either Barcelona or Inter Miami.

The BBC’s Guillem Balague reported on Wednesday said that Messi has reached a deal with Inter Miami, but a spokesperson for the Major League Soccer club declined comment when asked to confirm or deny by ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle.

Read the full story.

16.30 BST: The hype around Jude Bellingham is real. He’s a class act.

15.45 BST: Arsenal have opened talks with Manchester City over the signing of full-back Joao Cancelo, according to Sky Sports.

Cancelo, 29, joined Bayern Munich on loan in January after losing his place in the City first XI. There’s a €70m option to sign permanently in the loan contract, but Bayern aren’t willing to pay that, so the Portugal international will move elsewhere.

Arsenal are reportedly ready to put in an offer, however, the player prefers a move to either Barcelona or Real Madrid.

15.25 BST: And it’s official.

Jude Bellingham will move to Real Madrid for €103m, plus 30% of the fee in add-ons, on a contract until 2029.

15.08 BST: PSG are discussing the signing of France striker Marcus Thuram, says Fabrizio Romano.

Thuram, 25, will leave Borussia Monchengladbach on a free transfer this summer and is being tracked by a host of top clubs in Europe.

PSG have already agreed to sign Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio and Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar on free transfers.

14.52 BST: Real Madrid have reached an agreement with Borussia Dortmund to sign midfielder Jude Bellingham, sources have told ESPN.

The club already had the green light from the 19-year-old since weeks ago and have now taken the final step to make the England international one of the signings of the summer transfer window.

Madrid beat competition from Manchester City — and previously Liverpool — to land Bellingham, one of European football’s hottest prospects.

14.30 BST: Lionel Messi has reportedly told Barcelona that he will not return to the club and will join MLS side Inter Miami instead, according to Guillem Balague.

Messi, 35, is due to become a free agent after leaving PSG on June 30, but had a choice between returning to Camp Nou, heading to MLS or moving to Saudi Arabia on a reported €400m contract.

ESPN reported in April that Al Hilal, one of four Saudi Pro League clubs to be taken over by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) this week, had made an offer for Messi to move to the country, with sources telling ESPN that the club believed they had a “50-50” chance of signing the player.

However, a move to Miami to play for the MLS franchise part-owned by David Beckham now seems to be on the cards.

14.10 BST: PSG are ready to spend €60m to sign Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

13.31 BST: Sheikh Jassim has made a fifth bid to buy Manchester United and has told the Glazer Family he wants an answer by Friday, sources have told ESPN.

The Qatari businessman lodged the improved bid with Raine Group, the U.S. bank working on behalf of the Glazers, earlier this week.

Sources have told ESPN it will be his last offer and it will not be a part of the process beyond Friday (June 9). It gives Raine and the Glazers three days to make a decision.

Sources said that Sheikh Jassim has become increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress after the Glazers announced in November 2022 that they would consider “strategic alternatives” including investment or a full sale.

13.15 BST: The Athletic says that Bayern Munich want to sign West Ham’s Declan Rice or Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.

Bayern are keen to sign a central midfielder once they have landed a striker, but any move will depend on budget and who leaves.

The Bundesliga champions would also listen to offers for winger Sadio Mane, despite the fact he only arrived for €31m last summer from Liverpool.

12.20 BST: Tottenham and West Ham have been offered the chance to explore a deal to sign Manchester United defender Harry Maguire this summer, sources have told ESPN.

The 30-year-old started just eight Premier League games last season and United boss Erik ten Hag is open to letting Maguire, who was signed for £80m from Leicester in 2019, leave in the transfer window.

When asked last week about Maguire’s lack of game time Ten Hag said: “I’m happy he’s here… it’s also a decision he has to make [because] nobody would be happy with this situation.”

Maguire is under contract at Old Trafford until 2025 with an option to extend by a further year and the centre-back has previously been determined to stay and fight for his place. However, with United willing to let Maguire leave the club, it remains to be seen whether a firm offer from Spurs, West Ham or another club would be enough to convince him to attempt to revive his fortunes elsewhere.

11.58 BST: Former Real Sociedad midfielder Asier Illarramendi is set to join LAFC, sources have told ESPN.

Illarramendi, 33, was released by his boyhood club earlier this week and a move to MLS has always been his priority. He’s now set to link up with striker Carlos Vela, a former teammate at the Spanish club, when he signs as a free agent.

Sources said the midfielder — who was signed by Real Madrid in 2013 before moving back to Real Sociedad two years later — had offers from Mexico and the Middle East but has opted for MLS. Negotiations are well advanced with only minor details to sort before an announcement is made.

11.44 BST: Gerard Pique says he doesn’t understand how Barcelona are still having financial problems if his salary was supposed to be one of the big problems.

Pique, along with former teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, was singled out as one of the reasons why Barca had such a big wage bill and were unable to invest in new signings in recent years.

However, despite Pique, Busquets and Alba all leaving the club, Barca are still exceeding their LaLiga-imposed spending limit and, as explained by ESPN on Tuesday, are currently only allowed to spend 40% of any savings they make or income they generate.

“I was happy to step aside and help Barcelona with salary space,” Pique said of his retirement from professional football on the Kings League’s Twitch channel. “It makes me laugh now though because we [Pique, Busquets and Alba] have all gone and we still have this fair play issue. Who else has to leave?

“In theory, we were the cause of [the financial problems] with our salaries. We have all gone. We are no longer there… and they still can’t sign players.”

Barca’s spending limit this season, after selling off club assets, was over €650m. However, it is expected to be reduced to €400m for the 2023-24 campaign.

The Catalan club still harbour hopes of bringing Lionel Messi back to the club, but those financial problems are proving a major hurdle, with the Argentine also weighing up offers from Inter Miami and Al Hilal.

11.00 BST: AC Milan are closely monitoring Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic, according to Sky Italia.

The Rossoneri want to strengthen their attack and Pulisic is on their list of potential candidates. The United States international has one year left on his contract with Chelsea but is set to be placed on the transfer list this summer, with sources telling ESPN’s Mark Ogden that Juventus are leading the race.

Milan, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Napoli all have been approached with details on the transfer fee and wage structure required to conclude a deal for Pulisic. Additional sources have told ESPN that Atletico Madrid also hold an interest in him.

A knee injury limited Pulisic this past season, with the former Borussia Dortmund star playing 1,012 minutes in 30 appearances.

10.16 BST: Brazilian FA president Ednaldo Rodrigues says he hasn’t “thrown in the towel yet” regarding his hope of signing Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti as coach of the national team.

“I think we made a plan, this plan A is exactly what you know, which is Ancelotti, and, as they say in the ring, I haven’t thrown in the towel yet,” Rodrigues told Globo. “It [Ancelotti’s statement saying he will stay at Real Madrid until 2024] didn’t come as a surprise.

“We know that there are situations where, because of contracts, people are also careful not to be doing something that could bring dissatisfaction to their employer, and vice versa. I also intend, after some meetings in Europe, when I return to inform you all of what is possible in our plan with Ancelotti, or what is not possible, so that, from there, I can start with a plan B.”

09.40 BST: Angel Di Maria has bade farewell to Juventus after one season in Turin.

Di Maria, 35, scored eight goals in 40 appearances for the Bianconeri. But the former Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Man United winger leaves as a free agent after not renewing his contract.

A World Cup winner with Argentina, Di Maria wrote on social media: “I have reached the end of a difficult and complicated stage. I’m leaving with the peace of mind of someone who gave everything to help the club continue to win titles, but it wasn’t possible. I leave with the bitter taste of not succeeding, but with the happiness of bringing with me many friends of this wonderful locker room of which I was a part.”

09.03 BST: Real Madrid’s Lucas Vazquez is Juventus’ preferred choice to strengthen their right-back position, according to Sky Italia.

Vazquez, 31, has one year left on his contract and recently completed his eighth season at Madrid, where he scored four goals in 30 appearances. But he is considering his options.

Juve have already contacted Vazquez to express their interest in signing him this summer.

08.30 BST: Karim Benzema‘s surprise exit from Real Madrid, headed for Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad on a free transfer, could well create a ripple effect as several elite teams are looking for strikers.

What might Madrid do, and what will it mean for everyone else? Ryan O’Hanlon assesses what could happen in soccer’s summer transfer window.

PAPER GOSSIP

– Aston Villa have been offered the chance to sign Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix, reports Football Insider. The 23-year-old spent the second half of the season on loan at Chelsea, but the club have reportedly turned down the opportunity to sign the Portugal international permanently. That leaves Felix in an uncertain position, with Atleti keen to offload the forward after a falling out with manager Diego Simeone. Villa are said to be in the market for attacking reinforcements this summer, as manager Unai Emery looks to add to his squad as he tries to balance domestic competition with the Europa Conference League.

– Tottenham Hotspur are weighing up a move for Manchester United defender Harry Maguire, per the Daily Mail. Newly appointed Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou is said to be an admirer of the England international, who will be allowed to depart Old Trafford this summer. The north London outfit are keen to bolster their defensive ranks ahead of next season, and while Maguire is not desperate to leave United, the 30-year-old is open to a move in a bid to secure first-team action.

– PSG are set to battle it out with Premier League clubs to secure the services of midfielder Adrien Rabiot, according to Rudy Galetti. The 28-year-old will be out of contract at the end of the month, with the France international not signing an extension with Juventus. PSG have identified midfield as an area that needs improvement, having also been linked with Sporting CP‘s Manuel Ugarte. Other clubs interested in Rabiot include Manchester United, who tried to sign the player last summer but a deal could not be agreed.

– Brighton are preparing a new £40m offer for defender Levi Colwill after having their £30m approach rebuffed by Chelsea, according to Fabrizio Romano. The England youth international spent last season on loan with the Seagulls, where the 20-year-old impressed, helping them secure Europa League qualification. Romano suggests that Chelsea have no plans to part ways with Colwill, and view the youngster as integral to their long-term project.

– Saudi emissaries will present an official proposal to midfielder N’Golo Kante worth up to €100m, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 32-year-old is out of contract with Chelsea at the end of the month, and while the France international would prefer to stay in west London, talks over a new deal have long stalled. Romano reveals that both Al Ittihad and Al Nassr are interested in securing the services of Kante, where he’ll join the league’s other big name stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.