LIVE Transfer Talk: Barca have their Busquets replacement in Romeu

The summer transfer window is now open in Europe 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: Barcelona pick Romeu as Busquets replacement

Barcelona want Girona defensive midfielder Oriol Romeu to replace Sergio Busquets, as has been reported by Diario Sport.

After coming through La Masia, Busquets became an ever-present figure in the Blaugrana‘s midfield but is now heading to MLS side Inter Miami, leaving a void to fill in the midfield. Now, it seems that Barcelona have now turned to another La Masia graduate, giving Romeu the opportunity to return after leaving to join Chelsea in 2011.

This comes just one season after 31-year-old Romeu moved from Southampton to Girona, and he has impressed by making 33 appearances and even chipping in with two goals.

After making the move back to his homeland in Spain, Romeu had paid close attention to his physicality and specifically maintaining his own levels after competing in the Premier League. It is that very trait that has attracted the attention of Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez, who now sees Romeu potentially playing a role in his midfield.

Despite the interest from both sides, a deal is not expected to be immediate as there are issues to be resolved if a move is to materialise.

Fortunately for Barcelona, Romeu is reportedly in no hurry and is willing to wait the days or weeks that it will take as he wants a return to Barcelona.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga & more (U.S.)
– Read on ESPN+: Explaining the language of the transfer window

LIVE BLOG

16.36 BST: Arsenal are closing in on an agreement with Ajax for defender Jurrien Timber, sources have told ESPN’s Rob Dawson. The two clubs are in talks about a deal for the 22-year-old Netherlands international, who can play at centre-back and right-back, although there are still details to be worked out before a deal is reached. Read the full story.

16.03 BST: Veteran Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has been offered a contract worth €30m by an unnamed Saudi club, according to Corriere Dello Sport.

The 45-year-old has a year left on his deal at Parma, the club where he began his career before joining Juventus in 2001. After 17 yerars in Turin, Buffon spent a year at Paris Saint-Germain before returning for a second spell at Juve which ended in 2021.

Buffon, who won 176 senior caps for Italy and won the World Cup in 2006, will decide in the coming days whether to remain at Parma, make the move to the Middle East or retire.

– Saudi transfer tracker: Done deals, players linked and failed talks

15.28 BST: Manchester City are preparing their opening bid for RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, sources have told ESPN’s Rob Dawson, after opening talks with Bundesliga side.

City are yet to lodge an official offer for Gvardiol but have been given encouragement the 21-year-old wants to move to the Etihad this summer and that he is potentially available for the right fee.

RB Leipzig value the highly rated Croatia centre-back at €100m although it is likely that City’s first bid will be significantly lower.

“Josko and his advisors have submitted the wish to us for a transfer to Manchester City,” RB Leipzig sports director Max Eberl told Leipziger Volksnachrichten newspaper.

“We are in talks with Manchester. There is nothing more to say about it at this moment.”

14.46 BST: The transfer window is open across Europe’s top leagues so there’s no better time to look at some young talent, aged 23 or younger, who could make a real impact.

The likes of Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, Barcelona’s Gavi, Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao are all world-class players that fit the age requirement, but are far too expensive for most clubs to sign.

So we’ve put together a Best XI of under-the-radar players from the Big Five leagues in Europe, in a 4-3-3 formation, who could be available for a relatively modest fee.

– Who makes our best XI of young bargain signings in Europe’s top leagues?

14.09 BST: Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic will turn down Lyon this summer, preferring instead to move to AC Milan after agreeing to a deal in principle with the Serie A club, sources told ESPN.

Lyon have submitted an offer to Chelsea for the United States star, sources told ESPN, although it is less than reported €25m fee, a significant portion of which is made up in add-ons. Lyon are also unable to meet Milan’s wage offer, sources added.

ESPN reported on Friday that Pulisic had agreed on terms in principle with Milan, and sources told ESPN the Italian club intend to make an improved offer after seeing their opening bid of €15m turned down, with Chelsea valuing Pulisic at €25m.

Sources have told ESPN that Pulisic does not see Lyon as the right move, instead wanting to remain playing Champions League football, which Milan can offer.

13.23 BST: Back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas is “close” to extending her contract with Barcelona, according to the club’s president Joan Laporta.

Putellas, 29, missed most of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, but she returned for the final six games of the season and has been named in Spain’s squad for this summer’s World Cup.

However, with one year to run on her contract, which expires in 2024, some reports had suggested Barca were open to letting her go after winning the Champions League without her this season.

“With Alexia, we are close to an agreement to renew her contract,” Laporta told La Vanguardia, knocking back suggestions offers would be entertained for the club captain.

In Putellas’ absence, midfielder Aitana Bonmati has emerged as the team’s star player. She was named the best player in the UEFA Women’s Champions League this season and, with a contract until 2025, Laporta says there are no concerns over her immediate future.

“Aitana still has longer to run on her contract than Alexia so we still haven’t started the process [of negotiating a new deal],” Laporta added.

12.53 BST: Marcelo Brozovic‘s transfer to Al Nassr from Inter Milan is expected to be announced soon, according to Sky Sports.

Inter have accepted an €18m offer from the Saudi Pro League side to sign The Croatia midfielder Brozovic on a permanent transfer.

The 30-year-old has already undergone a medical in Paris and agreed personal terms with Al Nassr, who are offering him a three-year contract worth a total €100m net.

12.15 BST: Newcastle United have announced the signing of midfielder Sandro Tonali from AC Milan.

The Italy international, 23, leaves Milan after three seasons having been a key part of the side that won the 2021-22 Serie A title and reached the semifinals of last season’s Champions League.

Tonali arrives at St James’ Park for a fee reported to be around £52m.

✍️ We are delighted to announce the signing of Sandro Tonali from @acmilan.

The 23-year-old joins the Magpies for an undisclosed fee and has agreed a contract at St. James’ Park initially until 2028.

Welcome to Newcastle United, Sandro! 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/BbxrNUzVNo

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) July 3, 2023

11.54 BST: Villarreal have announced the signing of Ilias Akhomach as a free agent from Barcelona.

Ilias, 19, has penned a four-year deal with the LaLiga club after his contract with Barca expired at the end of June. Barca had held negotiations over an extension with Ilias, who spent 12 years at the Catalan club over two spells, but could not reach an agreement with his camp.

The winger is with Spain at the European Under-19 Championships and will join up with Villarreal for preseason once La Roja‘s participation in the tournament ends.

Ilias made three first-team appearances under Xavi Hernandez in the 2021-22 campaign but did not feature at all this past season. ESPN reported earlier this year that he had reached an agreement to join Leeds United when his Barca terms expired but that deal collapsed when Spanish sporting director Victor Orta left the English club.

Ilias Akhomach is a Yellow 💛!

👉 The young Spanish-Moroccan player joins Villarreal CF after previously playing for Barcelona

Welcome, Ilias 🤝!

— Villarreal CF English (@VillarrealCFen) July 3, 2023

11.19 BST: Inter Miami owner Mas has confirmed longstanding interest in surrounding the incoming Lionel Messi with players he is familiar with, including Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. He also said Miami will make “two or three” further signings but played down reports that two of Messi’s close friends — former Barca forward Luis Suarez and Argentina winger Angel Di Maria — could arrive this summer.

“For us, it was essential to surround Messi with players of his level,” Mas said. “We have been talking to ‘Busi’ [Busquets] for about a year now … There have been talks with Jordi Alba”.

He added: “He [Suarez] is under contract, he has a clause, and I don’t know if this will materialise. We have also spoken to Di Maria but it seems that he is about to sign for another team.”

Mas also said it took him three years of negotiations to bring Lionel Messi to the MLS club.

“In 2019 [when Messi was still at Barcelona], we started thinking about how we could bring him,” Mas told Spanish newspaper El Pais.

“I spent three years on it, a year-and-a-half [working] very intensely. There were many conversations with [Messi’s father and agent] Jorge. [Inter Miami co-owner] David [Beckham] talked to Leo, only about football issues, because he was a player.”

Messi, 36, had initially considered a return to Barca, the club he had left in 2021 due to its financial crisis, while he also rejected a lucrative deal from Saudi Arabia’s PIF fund to join Al-Hilal.

“I saw it as done at the end of May,” Mas said. “I didn’t want him to feel under pressure. We had spoken in Barcelona, Miami, Rosario, Doha … I spent the whole World Cup in Qatar, watching Argentina.

“The Apple contract was very important to close the deal.”

10.37 BST: Barcelona president Joan Laporta believes the club will reach an agreement for defender Clement Lenglet to return to Tottenham Hotspur on a permanent basis this summer. Laporta also confirmed the club are working on Sergino Dest’s exit and won’t stand in Franck Kessie‘s way if the midfielder wants to leave this summer.

Barca are pressing ahead with reducing the squad size and the wage bill to be able to commit money to new signings, with LaLiga only permitting them to spend 50% of anything they save or raise. After announcing an agreement to rescind Samuel Umtiti’s contract, the Spanish champions are now working on moving other players on.

“I think we will reach an agreement with Tottenham for Lenglet,” Laporta told La Vanguardia. “There is also Dest [to leave]. These things almost never happened quickly. It depends on other parties. If it was just us, they are cases we would already have resolved yesterday.”

Lenglet spent last season on loan at Spurs and reports suggest the Premier League side are only willing to pay around €5m for the Frenchman, with Barca wanting €12m. AC Milan, meanwhile, did not take up their option to sign Dest permanently after the USMNT defender’s disappointing loan spell.

Elsewhere, Kessie, who joined Barca as a free agent last summer, has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.

“We are not aware of a formal offer [from Saudi],” Laporta added of the reports. “If he wants to go, we will respect that, but he can be a useful player for Barca.”

10.05 BST: The transfer window is confusing because it’s designed to be confusing. No one in European soccer benefits from you or I being able to understand how they’re spending their money or why they’re spending their money. And with the influx of sovereign wealth funds and venture capital over the past decade-plus — entities somewhat randomly concerned with “winning soccer games” — that’s truer than ever.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t try! So, as the summer transfer window across Europe open on July 1, here’s your dictionary guide to the terms that will define the summer of 2023.

– O’Hanlon: Agent fees? Add-ons? Soccer transfer terms explained ()

09.23 BST: Newcastle United are looking at bringing in two England international midfielders on loan for next season, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips and Chelsea’s Connor Gallagher are both of interest at St James’ Park as Eddie Howe’s side prepare for their first Champions League campaign in 20 years.

Newcastle are set to announce the £52m arrival of Sandro Tonali from AC Milan later this week, meaning they will have to look for low-cost options if they want to add any more numbers to that area of their squad.

08.41 BST: Luis Castro has bid farewell to Brazilian club Botafogo as he is set to take charge of Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. at Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr.

The Portuguese coach was under contract with Botafogo until the end of the year, but Friday’s 1-1 draw against Magallanes in the Copa Sudamericana was Castro’s last game in charge of Botafogo.

Castro, 61, wrote a farewell message to the club’s fans on Instagram that he was leaving “to accept a new challenge in my professional career.”

That appointment comes after Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus returned to Al Hilal on Friday.

The former Flamengo and Benfica manager, 68, previously managed the team in the 2018-19 campaign, winning the Saudi Super Cup.

Al Hilal finished third behind champions Al Ittihad and Al Nassr last season.

08.00 BST: ICYMI, one of the transfer stories of the weekend came on Sunday with Liverpool announcing the signing of midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

The 22-year-old arrives at Anfield after sources told ESPN the club triggered the €70m release clause in his contract before it expired at the end of June.

Szoboszlai becomes the club’s second recruit under new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke after Alexis Mac Allister as Liverpool look to revamp their midfield following a disappointing season.

How will the Hungary captain fit into Liverpool’s new-look midfield?

PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)

– Next week, Chelsea will continue talks with Brighton & Hove Albion regarding their potential move for Moises Caicedo, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Blues are hoping to find a solution soon as the 21-year-old midfielder wants to move to Stamford Bridge, meaning that personal terms are not expected to be an issue.

– AC Milan are set to officially make a move to sign Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze in the next 24 to 48 hours, according to Calciomercato, who add that the 24-year-old will not be pushing for a move but would be happy for a transfer to happen. Milan will make an offer of €20m plus bonuses, although Villarreal aren’t under financial pressures after Pau Torres‘ €30m move to Aston Villa.

– Napoli, Juventus and Internazionale are among the Serie A giants actively trying to sign Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners, reports Foot Mercato, who add that the Bergamo club want at least €35m for the 25-year-old. There is also competition from the Premier League, with Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa both keen on the Dutchman, while Liverpool are monitoring the situation.

– Wolverhampton Wanderers have turned down Napoli’s offer of €35m for centre-back Max Kilman, reports The Athletic, with the Serie A giants looking to replace Kim Min-Jae, who has been heavily linked with Bayern Munich. Wolves will not accept anything under €40m and are not being put under pressure by Kilman, who is happy to stay put and has a contract that runs until 2026 and includes the option for a further year.

– Tottenham Hotspur have reached a verbal agreement with Manor Solomon and have medical tests scheduled, reports Fabrizio Romano, who states that the forward will join as a free agent if all goes to plan with Shakhtar Donetsk and FIFA rules. Romano also adds that Solomon will sign a five-year contract, having spent last season on loan at Fulham.