LIVE Transfer Talk: Man City eye Inter's Barella if Silva leaves

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: Inter’s Barella on Man City’s list

Manchester City could look to Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella if they lose Bernardo Silva this summer, according to Tuttomercatoweb.

The £50 million-rated star is also wanted by Liverpool and Newcastle United, but City boss Pep Guardiola is keen to strengthen his midfield following the departure of Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona, as well as Silva’s potential exit before the start of the new season.

City are reportedly negotiating with Paris Saint-Germain over the possible departure of Silva for a fee of around €100m. Should the 28-year-old midfielder complete his move to the French capital, then City were sufficiently impressed by Barella’s quality and attitude in the Champions League final to believe he could be the ideal replacement.

Inter, though, are reluctant for Barella to leave, and have already rejected a bid from Newcastle this summer. Along with Newcastle, Liverpool have been tracking 26-year-old Barella for some time, and the two clubs fear that City’s interest might now drive up his fee.

Inter could even ask for as much as the £105m fee Arsenal paid West Ham United to sign Declan Rice, due to Barella still under contract for three years and being such a key and talismanic player.

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

LIVE BLOG

16.07 BST: So you’re a big club — or a supporter of one — and you missed out on your big summer transfer target. It happens. There are only so many potential difference-makers out there, and someone always has a bigger checkbook than yours. (There’s always someone more desperate, too.)

Sometimes, victory comes to those with the most well-formed Plan B or C. If you missed out on a big target, or you’re looking at who to spend money on after losing a big star, allow me to help. For 10 of the biggest transfers of the summer thus far — and for five other huge deals that could come to fruition in the coming weeks — I have devised some alternatives.

Using tools like the tables at FBref.com, the role and ratings data from the DAVIES database, data provided by TruMedia and StatsPerform and my own eyeballs, I came up with some players who are comparable to the big names that have changed clubs (or might) this summer.

– Connelly: Transfer alternatives for Bellingham, Rice, Kane and more

15.35 BST: New Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has said the club cannot allow for the uncertainty over the future of Harry Kane to continue much longer.

Sources have told ESPN’s James Olley that Kane, who won’t sign a new contract at Spurs, is open to leaving north London this summer should the club accept a transfer fee, but he won’t force a move away.

Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United are all interested should the club be open to his departure. Kane’s future is one of the biggest challenges facing Postecoglou as he begins his tenure as manager this summer.

“It’s fair to say I’m not relaxed about it,” Postecoglou told reporters. “I know that every time I am talking to [the press], or whenever Harry is going to talk, that’s the first question you are going to get. So, you’ve got to deal with it.

“I think, for everyone concerned, we don’t want to be doing it for too long. I don’t think that is good for anyone. I don’t think it is good for Harry, I don’t think it is good for the club, because as laser-focused as we want to be, you end up repeating yourself along the way.

“But the flip side of that is I don’t want to put a deadline on it, because that adds even more pressure. You want these things to happen for the right reasons. The reality of it is he’s still a contracted player at our football club, so that’s the way I see him.

“It’s not like his contract is ending on the 12th [of August] and he’s got to make a decision, he’s got another year. So from that part, I am not relaxed but I am not putting pressure on him or anyone else at the football club, saying: ‘Well, we need to do this.’ But I don’t think, deep down, any of us want it to go on for too long.”

14.52 BST: Lyon forward Bradley Barcola has attracted interest from Paris Saint-Germain, according to Le Parisien.

The 20-year-old scored five goals in 27 appearances for Lyon last season, and then scored twice in his four games for France at the European Under-21 Championship.

Barcola’s performances have not gone unnoticed by PSG, who are considering a move for the versatile forward who can play anywhere across the front three.

14.18 BST: Brighton & Hove Albion have signed Australian midfielder Mackenzie Hawkesby from A-League Women side Sydney FC.

The 23-year-old, who was named Sydney FC’s player of the year in 2022, helped the Sky Blues win the A-League Women finals earlier this year.

Hawkesby joins former Sydney teammate Madison Haley in signing for Brighton this summer, whole the club also announced the arrival of Spain midfielder Vicky Losada at the weekend.

The Hawk is now a Seagull! 💙✍️ #BHAFC pic.twitter.com/rzx2ZkjBo7

— Brighton & Hove Albion Women (@BHAFCWomen) July 21, 2023

13.46 BST: Burnley have signed winger Nathan Redmond on a two-year deal with the option of a third, the Premier League club announced on Friday.

The 29-year-old, who joins Burnley from Turkish side Besiktas, is their seventh signing ahead of their return to the top flight as winners of the Championship last season.

Redmond made over 250 Premier League appearances during spells with Southampton, Norwich City and Birmingham City.

⚽ 📝 pic.twitter.com/Wish1pMFYc

— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) July 21, 2023

13.12 BST: There’s a strong chance that Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo could be lining up for Saturday’s U.S. friendly opponents Chelsea next season, if the two clubs can agree a transfer fee.

Having fended off interest from Arsenal in January — which saw the 21-year-old publicly push for a move before extending his contract until 2027 — Brighton now seem more amenable to letting him leave. But with the Gunners opting to spend £105m to bring in Declan Rice from West Ham instead, sources have told ESPN’s James Olley that Chelsea now head the queue to sign Caicedo and have seen a £70m bid rejected already.

With his transfer valued at around £100m, the Ecuador international’s career has skyrocketed since joining Brighton in August 2021 from Independiente del Valle, a club renowned for its first-class academy, for just £4m. He was sent out on loan to Beerschot in Belgium to gain experience straight away, but when he returned Caicedo took little time to find his feet in the Premier League, establishing himself one of the top young midfielders in the game during his first full campaign.

Here’s the lowdown on Chelsea’s potential new arrival.

– Karlsen: How would Brighton star Caicedo fit at Chelsea?

12.29 BST: Benfica president Rui Costa has said Joao Felix is “an Atletico Madrid player, period” after the forward was linked with his former club as a potential escape route this summer.

Felix is pushing for a move away from Atletico, saying this week that he would “love to play for Barcelona,” but sources have told ESPN’s Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez that the only interest shown so far in the Portugal international has come from Aston Villa.

Barca’s finances mean they would only be able to bring in Felix on loan, and there is debate inside the club as to whether that would be a smart move.

Felix left Benfica in 2019 after coming through their academy, but club president Costa said they have “not much availability” in terms of arrivals or departures this summer, having already brought in Angel Di Maria on a free transfer.

11.57 BST: Carlo Ancelotti has said he’s “very happy” with his Real Madrid squad this season after the arrivals of Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler, Joselu, Fran Garcia and Brahim Diaz — and insisted they can compete for trophies even if they don’t bring in another forward.

The departures of Karim Benzema and Mariano Diaz mean Spain international Joselu is currently the only natural centre-forward in the Madrid squad, as they continue to pursue Kylian Mbappe.

“[The new signings] are going to bring quality to the squad,” Ancelotti told reporters in Los Angeles on Madrid’s first day of training at UCLA. “Fran Garcia will help cover the left-hand side. Joselu will give us a bit more in the air. Guler has a lot of talent. Bellingham is a great midfielder, with qualities we didn’t have in the squad.”

The Italian coach — who refused to talk about ongoing reports linking him with the Brazil job in 2024 — has said he’ll try out a new formation in pre-season, starting against AC Milan in Pasadena on Sunday.

“I want to try something new at first to see how it goes,” Ancelotti said. “If it doesn’t work, we always have the old system.

“You adapt the system to the characteristics of the players there are. A player has arrived who will give us a lot in attack: Bellingham.”

– To infinity and beyond! New Real Madrid away kit is glorious

11.21 BST: Tottenham Hotspur are considering Fiorentina striker Arthur Cabral if Harry Kane leaves the club, the Daily Mail reports.

Sources have told ESPN’s James Olley that Kane will consider leaving Tottenham if the club decides to accept a transfer bid but won’t force a move away this summer.

Spurs had been hopeful of staving off interest from Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United by tying down Kane on a long-term basis, given he has just one year left on his £200,000-a-week deal.

However, his refusal to agree a fresh deal places renewed pressure on Spurs over their reluctance to let Kane, who turns 30 next week, leave the club.

If that happens, Spurs could turn to Cabral. The Brazilian scored 17 goals in 48 appearances last season as Fiorentina reached the final of the Europa Conference League and finished eighth in Serie A.

10.36 BST: Chelsea forward Armando Broja is determined to stay at the club despite reported interest from West Ham and the arrivals of more attacking players at Stamford Bridge, the Daily Express reports.

Broja, 21, got a taste of first-team action at Chelsea last season, making two Premier League starts and opening his account for the club in a 3-0 win over Wolves. The Albania international had scored nine goals for Southampton during a loan spell in the 2021-22 season.

However, with the summer signings of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson, places in the Chelsea attack will be even harder to come by. But the Express reports that Broja is willing to stay at the club and fight for a place under new boss Mauricio Pochettino.

09.55 BST: Celta Vigo have signed Real Madrid Castilla midfielder Carlos Dotor on a five-year contract.

Dotor, 22, starred for Madrid’s reserve team last season under coach Raul Gonzalez, providing 11 goals and two assists.

Celta are reportedly paying a €3m fee for 50% of the player’s rights.

Real Madrid are one of the club who have been linked with interest in Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga this summer.

¿Hay un médico en la sala? ❌
Hay un Dotor en la sala ✅ pic.twitter.com/3mRy10tFiY

— RC Celta (@RCCelta) July 20, 2023

09.12 BST: Manchester United are keeping their options open with Jonny Evans and are refusing to rule out the possibility of signing the veteran defender permanently, sources have told ESPN’s Rob Dawson.

Evans has signed a short-term deal at Old Trafford to allow him to feature in the club’s preseason matches. He made his first United appearance for eight years in the 1-0 win over Lyon in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old has not been picked to travel to New York with Erik ten Hag’s senior squad but will instead join a group of young players for the game against Wrexham in San Diego.

Sources have told ESPN that Ten Hag has been impressed with Evans after joining training sessions at Carrington and remains open-minded about whether there is a place for the centre-back in his squad for next season.

Evans is looking for a new club after leaving Leicester City following their relegation from the Premier League last season.

08.30 BST: ICYMI — Inter Miami continued to compile their version of “Barca West,” signing defender Jordi Alba on Thursday to reunite with former teammates Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets.

The club’s recent overhaul comes as it is about to emerge from the All-Star break for a venture into the new Leagues Cup and a home match against Mexico’s Cruz Azul on Friday. Messi is expected to make his Inter Miami debut in that match.

Alba played 11 seasons at Barcelona, helping the legendary Spanish club to six LaLiga titles. He also played for Valencia. The attacking left-back had 37 goals with 107 assists in 605 matches across all competitions. The 34-year-old has made 93 international appearances for Spain and was part of the squad which won Euro 2012 and this year’s UEFA Nations League.

The trio of former Barcelona players will reunite with Gerardo “Tata” Martino, who just moved into the head coach role for the last-place team in the Eastern Conference.

Inter Miami is 5-14-3 (18 points) during the MLS season and are 12 points below the playoff line with 12 regular-season games remaining.

Oficial✍️🇪🇸Bienvenido @JordiAlba

We have signed Spanish international defender Jordi Alba to a contract through the 2024 season. Find out all the details:https://t.co/43s7DbZ528https://t.co/dj2lmpulM2 pic.twitter.com/DkVnMRT35n

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) July 20, 2023

PAPER GOSSIP (Nick Judd)

– West Ham are stepping up their plans to bring James Ward-Prowse from Southampton, according to the Guardian. Hammers boss David Moyes is keen to reinvest some of the money from Rice’s aforementioned departure to Arsenal to add two midfielders with Premier League experience. Moyes is particularly interested in Ward-Prowse’s set piece capabilities, and the 28-year-old could be available for around a £45m fee. Moyes is also interested in Fulham‘s Joao Paulinha and AS Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana.

– Former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has rejected a move to Inter Milan because he’s disappointed with the Italian club’s proposed net salary, according to the Daily Record. They believe the Spaniard is looking to secure a net wage of £8.7m, which far exceeds the Italian club’s offer of £4.3m, and which could even price him out of many clubs’ budgets. De Gea’s preference is believed to be a return to LaLiga after an absence of 12 seasons following his move from Atletico Madrid to United. Inter, meanwhile, have instead turned their attention to Shakhtar Donetsk‘s Anatoliy Trubin and Bayern Munich‘s Yann Sommer.

– Al Ahli are looking to sign Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, according to the Daily Mail. The Saudi Arabian club have already signed Roberto Firmino from Liverpool and Edouard Mendy from Chelsea and are close to sealing moves for Riyad Mahrez from Manchester City and Allan Saint Maximin from Newcastle United. Partey, 30, is with Arsenal for the club’s preseason tour in the United States, but the Ghanaian player is open to a move.

– Newcastle are keen on Southampton full-back Tino Livramento, according to the Sun. The 20-year-old can play at both right and left-back and though he missed last season because of an ACL injury, Magpies boss Eddie Howe believes Livramento can provide good cover for his defence. However, Newcastle are said to be working within tight FFP constraints, and so they might have to find a creative way to afford any move for the defender.

– Juventus are keen to tempt Franck Kessie away from Barcelona and are prepared to use Federico Chiesa in the deal, according to Corriere della Sera. The Italian side are looking to replace Paul Pogba, who is expected to sign with a team in Saudi Arabia. However, Juve aren’t prepared to pay a fee for 26-year-old Kessie, and so could also look for a loan option. However, Barcelona might instead go for Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix and use Kessie, alongside Ferran Torres, to seal a deal with Atleti.