Transfer Talk: Silva to shock Man City, PSG, Barcelona and take Saudi deal

The summer transfer window is open for some leagues 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: Silva on verge of Saudi move

Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva is close to finalising a move to the Saudi Pro League, according to Marca.

The 28-year-old has been linked with a €70 million move away from the Etihad this summer, with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona both reported to hold an interest, However, the Portugal international looks set to become the latest European star to move to Saudi Arabia.

Silva is under contract with City until 2025, but it is reported that he is open to leaving the club in order to seek a new challenge. Silva played an integral role under Pep Guardiola last season, featuring 55 times across all competitions, netting seven goals and eight assists.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante are amongst the most notable stars who will play in Saudi Arabia next season as the country looks to follow in the footsteps of neighbours Qatar and prepare a bid to host the 2030 World Cup.

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15.08 BST: Manchester United are interested in signing Gambia U20 forward Adama Bojang, says Fabrizio Romano.

Bojang, 19, has also attracted interest from Newcastle, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Tottenham and Wolves in the Premier League after his performances at the U20 World Cup in Argentina. As well as Eintracht Frankfurt, RB Leipzig and Strasbourg across Europe.

He is reportedly available for about €3m from Steve Biko FC in the Gambia.

14.46 BST: Newcastle are on brink of completing a transfer for Italy and AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali worth around €70m.

14.00 BST: Manchester City are preparing to rival Arsenal in the race to sign Declan Rice by tabling a formal offer for the West Ham United midfielder, sources have told ESPN.

City have been monitoring developments as Arsenal had two bids rejected earlier this month for the 24-year-old, the latest of which totalled £90m ($114.9m) comprising £75m and a further £15m in add-ons.

Sources have told ESPN that City were waiting for Ilkay Gundogan to decide his future before moving for a new midfielder and now he has chosen to turn down a new deal to join Barcelona, Pep Guardiola’s side are ready to act.

West Ham value Rice in excess of £100m and Arsenal are expected to return with a third offer. It remains to be seen how much City are willing to bid but the Premier League champions signalling their interest will likely drive up the fee.

Sources have told ESPN that Arsenal were confident that Rice wanted to move to Emirates Stadium but City will test that confidence, especially given they can tempt West Ham with a player-plus-cash deal.

13.15 BST: Real Madrid have confirmed that captain Nacho Fernandez has signed a new one-year contract at the club.

The defender, 33, announced earlier this month that he had decided to accept Madrid’s offer of a new deal, having previously considered a move away from the club in search of more playing time.

A club statement said on Thursday: “Real Madrid and Nacho Fernández have agreed an extension to our captain’s contract, keeping him tied to the club until the 30th of June 2024. Nacho has represented Real Madrid for 22 years, ever since joining the club’s Under-11s academy side back in 2001.

“He has made 319 appearances for the Real Madrid first team, winning 23 trophies: three European Cups, five Club World Cups, four European Super Cups, three LaLiga titles, two Copas del Rey and four Spanish Super Cups.”

12.32 BST: Gareth Bale said Lionel Messi will have less pressure to win in Major League Soccer because clubs “accept losing a lot better over there.”

Earlier this month, Messi announced that he intends to join MLS club Inter Miami following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain, although a deal is yet to be finalised. The 2022 World Cup winner was linked with a return to former club Barcelona but decided to move to the United States and said he wanted to enjoy his football “in a calmer way.”

Barca took a swipe at Messi’s decision by releasing a statement saying he chose to “compete in a league with fewer demands.”

Bale, who finished his playing career at LAFC, agreed that Messi would enjoy an easier life in the U.S. without the constant spotlight to win every week.

“It is a lot more chilled,” Bale told BT Sport. “If you lose at Real Madrid, it is like the world has ended. You are crucified. You feel down. You go home and you’re not happy.

“They accept losing a bit more [in MLS]. There is no consequence. You can’t get relegated over there. When you lose a game you go on to the next one. They accept losing a lot better over there. They know how to lose but they celebrate every win like you have won the championship. He will definitely enjoy it.”

11.50 BST: Manchester United have made a second bid of £50m to sign Mason Mount but Chelsea are holding out for a fee closer to their valuation of £70m, sources have told ESPN.

11.04 BST: Napoli are ready to offer striker Victor Osimhen a two-year contract extension, but won’t rule out his departure this summer if a huge offer comes along.

Osimhen, 24, scored 26 goals and set up four more in 32 league appearances to help Napoli win the Serie A title this season and has a contract until June 2025. But the Nigeria international is keen to play in the Premier League and is a target of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

Napoli will only allow Osimhen to leave if their €160m asking price is met and his agent Roberto Calenda will reportedly meet club president Aurelio De Laurentiis this weekend to discuss the player’s future.

“We already spoke with Victor before I organised the Napoli party [to celebrate the title win],” De Laurentiis said. “We agree on extending it [his contract] for another two years. I have said for some time that Osimhen must stay. If a crucial offer arrives, we will see and evaluate.”

10.27 BST: Atletico Madrid midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia is “going back and forth” between one destination and another, Diario AS reports, with a deal to join Besiktas unlikely due to the player’s wage demands, but moves to Saudi Arabia and Marseille both on the table.

Kondogbia, 30, joined Atletico in 2020 but played a reduced role last season, making just 10 starts in LaLiga.

According to AS, he’s now likely to leave this summer and is weighing up his next move, with both sporting and financial considerations playing a part in his decision.

09.49 BST: There’s internal debate at Real Madrid on whether they should make more signings this summer, Cadena SER reported on Wednesday, with some senior figures believing it would be “a risk” not to do so.

According to the radio station, coach Carlo Ancelotti and chief scout Juni Calafat would favour bringing in another centre-forward to replace Karim Benzema, while president Florentino Perez is more concerned with preserving the club’s finances.

SER claims that with Joselu — who has arrived on loan from Espanyol — as the only senior centre-forward in the squad, Ancelotti and Calafat fear that Madrid will struggle to compete at the top level.

Madrid have so far brought in Joselu, Jude Bellingham, Brahim Diaz and Fran Garcia, and have announced a new contract for Toni Kroos.

AS’ frontpage story on Thursday claims a “hat trick of renewals” is imminent, with fellow midfielders Luka Modric and Dani Ceballos set to join Kroos in extending their deals — with Modric signing for another year, and Ceballos until 2027.

09.25 BST: AC Milan are looking to sign Fenerbahce attacking midfielder Arda Guler, according to Estadio Deportivo.

Guler, 18, scored four goals and set up four more in 20 league appearances to help Fenerbahce finish runners up in the Turkish Super Lig.

PSG, Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund and Napoli are among the other European clubs that are monitoring the Turkey international. He is under contract with Fenerbahce until June 2025 and has a release clause of €17.5m, which Milan are prepared to pay now.

09.00 BST: Veteran striker Edin Dzeko has signed for Fenerbahce from Inter Milan on a free transfer.

Dzeko, 37, scored 14 goals and provided five assists for Inter across all competitions in the 2022-23 season, as the club reached the Champions League final.

The Turkish giants have reportedly signed him on a two-year contract, subject to a medical.

08.44 BST: Atletico Madrid are keen to re-sign AC Milan left-back Theo Hernandez, according to Sky Italia.

A youth product of Atletico, the France international left the Rojiblancos in the summer of 2017 to join Real Madrid.

Hernandez, 25, made 45 appearances across all competitions for Milan last season. His contract with the Rossoneri expires in June 2026, but Milan will only listen to offers in the region of €80m … an amount that Atletico are not prepared to pay.

08.18 BST: Luis Suárez‘s teammates at Gremio and the Brazilian club’s president expressed concern on Wednesday after media speculation that the striker is on the verge of retirement because of persistent knee pain.

The 36-year-old former Barcelona and Liverpool striker has not commented on Brazilian media reports this week, but Gremio president Alberto Guerra, defender Reinaldo and midfielder João Paulo Bitello have spoken publicly about the veteran player’s difficulties in training and matches. His right knee is his main injury concern.

“[He needs] a lot of injections, a lot of medicine,” Guerra told reporters during an event at the club’s stadium. “It is reaching a limit. But we don’t know where that limit is, when is his last [match].”

Guerra said Suárez could even need knee replacement surgery at some stage.

08.00 BST: Barcelona have reached an agreement with Manchester City to sign Ilkay Gundogan as a free agent when his contract expires on June 30, sources confirmed to ESPN.

Gundogan, 32, has agreed a two-year deal with Barca with an option for a third year, turning down an offer to extend his seven-season stay at City as well as proposals from Premier League side Arsenal and clubs in Saudi Arabia, sources said.

The deal is pending the results of a physical, which Gundogan underwent on Wednesday, sources said.

PAPER GOSSIP (by Rajan Hothi)

– Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is attracting the interest of Saudi clubs, who are willing to spend €40m in installments for the 30-year-old’s transfer, per Fabrizio Romano. Arsenal are set to undergo a midfield transformation this summer, with West Ham United‘s Declan Rice high on the Gunners’ priority list, leaving the door open for Partey to exit. Romano suggests that the Ghana international has not made a decision on his future, with there also being interest in Europe.

– Newcastle United are close to reaching an agreement with AC Milan for midfielder Sandro Tonali, reports the Athletic. The report suggests that the Magpies are on the verge of agreeing a €70m deal for the Italy international, who featured 48 times in all competitions last season, registering 10 assists. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe looks set for a busy summer as he tries to build a side that can compete in the Champions League, as well as domestically next season.

– Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur are stuck in a stalemate over the transfer fee for goalkeeper David Raya, according to Rudy Galetti. The Spanish goalkeeper has been high on Spurs’ priority list for the summer with Hugo Lloris set to leave the north London outfit. Galetti reveals that while Brentford have lowered their valuation of Raya, from an initial €50m, Spurs are still not willing to meet it.

– Newcastle United are joining the race for forward Habib Diallo, reports Football Insider. The 28-year-old has a plethora of admirers within Europe, with Newcastle scouts present to watch Diallo score in Senegal‘s 4-2 triumph over Brazil on Tuesday. Diallo netted 20 goals for Strasbourg last season, with the French club valuing Diallo’s transfer at €25m.

– Bayern Munich are close to finalising a deal for Napoli defender Kim Min-Jae, per Sky Sports Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg. The tweet reveals that talks between the South Korea international and the German champions have progressed as they are prepared to activate his €50m release clause, which will see the centre-back sign a five-year deal. Manchester United were previously linked with the 26-year-old, however, they have seemingly missed out after negotiations stalled.