Transfer Talk: Cristiano Ronaldo could help Real Madrid weather Karim Benzema injury
The summer transfer window is closed for the major leagues in Europe. However, with an eye on January, there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Ronaldo could return to Real Madrid with Benzema out
As the fallout continues from Cristiano Ronaldo‘s interview about his second stint at Manchester United, Real Madrid have emerged as favourites to help the striker facilitate his exit from Old Trafford, according to Sport.
Ronaldo’s criticism of Man United manager Erik ten Hag and the club in general has opened up the potential for a move in January, with the situation between club and player seemingly irreconcilable.
Ronaldo’s problem is that few clubs can afford his salary. United, in attempting to cut ties with the striker, are negotiating with the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, to try to find an amicable agreement that ensures he leaves without United having to pay him much of his remaining salary.
That is where Real Madrid could come in. With striker Karim Benzema sustaining an injury while training in Qatar for the World Cup, Los Blancos are in the market for someone to boost their attack for the second half of the season.
Benzema is not expected to be out long term, but since early October he had been dealing with lingering injury problems even before he was ruled out of the World Cup. Thus, a short spell in Madrid seems to suit both parties as the 37-year-old is still revered at the Bernabeu.
However, Marca’s insiders cast doubt that Madrid will make an offer for the Portuguese star, and instead believe Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Napoli are more likely destinations.
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13.31 GMT: Rick Karsdorp‘s future at Roma has grown more uncertain with the Dutch defender not showing up at training.
Roma resumed practice on Sunday and Karsdorp, who was accused by Roma coach Jose Mourinho of being a “traitor” following his poor performance in a league draw against Sassuolo earlier this month, was a no-show.
Karsdorp, 27, was dropped for Roma’s next game against Torino as punishment for his negative attitude.
Roma travel to Japan on Tuesday as part of the 2022 EuroJapan Cup. It remains to be seen if Karsdorp, who is under contract with Roma until June 2025, is part of the travelling party.
12.44 GMT: Gareth Southgate said Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel are eyeing up the England job because he has “made the impossible look possible.”
Former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain boss Pochettino said last week he was “open” to the idea of managing England if the role became available while Tuchel has privately circulated his interest following his departure from Chelsea.
Southgate is under contract until 2024 but speculation persists that he could end a six-year tenure following the tournament in Qatar, particularly if England underperform.
Upon taking charge, England were mired in disappointment and controversy with Roy Hodgson sacked following a humiliating last-16 exit to Iceland at Euro 2016 and his successor Sam Allardyce axed following off-field controversy involving allegations of advising third parties on circumventing transfer regulations.
Southgate has since guided England to the 2018 World Cup semifinals and last summer’s delayed Euro 2020 final, losing to Italy in a penalty shoot-out, as the 52-year-old has made huge progress in what has been dubbed “the impossible job.”
Southgate said: “Maybe we’ve made the impossible just look possible. Yeah, look, maybe we’ve made it look possible and it’s exciting for other people and I can understand that.
“We want England to be competitive for years to come and I believe that our academy system has got that.
“I think there are challenges within that because we’re back to 31 per cent of the league being eligible for England and only four or five exports of a high level so there are still some challenges for us in terms of development of players and opportunity for players.
“But we have also got some good players and we should be competitive for the next six, eight years with this group.”
11.53 GMT: Frenkie de Jong has insisted he wants to stay at Barcelona for another decade despite the ongoing tension between the midfielder and the club’s board.
De Jong, 25, resisted summer interest from Manchester United and Chelsea among others to stay at Barca, who would have been open to letting him go if the transfer helped ease their financial problems.
The Netherlands international then began the season out of the side but has won his place back in Xavi Hernandez’s team and started seven of the eight games before the World Cup, only sitting out the dead rubber in the Champions League against Viktoria Plzen.
“I am very happy in Barcelona,” De Jong told De Telegraaf ahead of the Netherlands’ opening game at the World Cup in Qatar against Senegal on Monday. “When I play, it’s great, and in terms of living there, life is perfect. I see myself at Barcelona for as long as possible. I would personally hope for another eight or 10 years.”
Barca held talks with United in the summer, with club sources telling ESPN that if De Jong did not agree to a salary reduction — his wages increase over time due to accepting a large deferral on payments during the pandemic — they would have been forced to consider transferring him.
11.18 GMT: Rangers have sacked manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst with the second-placed team nine points behind bitter rivals Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, the club announced on Monday.
The 47-year-old replaced Liverpool great Steven Gerrard just over a year ago and guided them to the Europa League final last season, which they lost to Eintracht Frankfurt. He also helped them win the Scottish Cup.
Under Van Bronckhorst, himself a former Rangers player, the club also sealed their first Champions League qualification in 12 years but crashed out following the group stage with six defeats.
They were the first Scottish side to lose all their group games and returned the worst goal difference of any team in the three decades of Champions League group competition.
10.41 GMT: Roma’s general manager Tiago Pinto denied reports that Roma were considering signing Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer.
Reports in Italy claimed Roma were among the options that Ronaldo was considering to leave Manchester United in August. That move would have seen Ronaldo reunite with former Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho.
“The truth is that Cristiano has never been a possibility,” Pinto said. “These rumours have never had any foundations, but in Italy we talk about three different players every day, it is perhaps normal to approach each other because we are Portuguese [he and Mourinho] and he [Cristiano] is Portuguese, but this, I repeat, has never had any basis.”
Ronaldo, 37, is under contract with Manchester United until June 2023 but his future at the club remains uncertain after the explosive interview he gave last week criticising his club and coach Erik ten Hag.
09.49 GMT: Marco Asensio says he will enter contract talks with Real Madrid after the World Cup. Asensio, 26, is out of contract at the end of the season and there were rumours circulating in Spain that Asensio had strongly considered leaving Los Blancos in the summer transfer window.
“There is talk that I am changing Real Madrid’s mind,” said Asensio, who is on international duty with Spain at the World Cup. “But I have always tried to give the best that I have and then we shalle see.
“The one who decides, too, is the club, It not only depends on me. After the World Cup, we’ll both make a decision. Do I want to renew? I hope so. I hope that it can happen, that I can be very happy at Real Madrid for many years. Hopefully, all the conditions will be there so that I can stay for 10 more years.”
Asensio has scored three goals and set up three more in 15 appearances for Madrid this season.
09.00 GMT: Tottenham Hotspur are continuing to monitor Everton forward Anthony Gordon, reports Football London.
Gordon, 21, was hotly tipped to join Chelsea before the summer transfer deadline, but the Blues failed with a number of transfer offers for the England under-21 international.
Now Spurs are hoping to muscle their way into the picture, having already taken Richarlison from the Goodison Park club this year.
PAPER GOSSIP
– Barcelona are looking to refresh their right-back department in January, but to do this they first need to offload Hector Bellerin after just six months at the club, according to AS. The 27-year-old has played just three games in all competitions since joining from Arsenal in the summer, and Barca boss Xavi Hernandez has not been convinced by the Spaniard. Instead, Xavi is after new blood in that area of the pitch, and for Bellerin, that could open up the possibility of a move to Roma, who themselves are looking to part with Dutch defender Rick Karsdorp.
– Manchester United have been keeping an eye on Canadian striker Jonathan David, but Newcastle United are hoping to beat them to his signature in January. That’s according to French outlet MediaFoot, which reports that the Magpies will return to Lille for the second time after having failed to land him in the summer. The 22-year-old has been tipped to be one of the breakout stars of the World Cup for Canada, and Newcastle boss Eddie Howe wants to steal a march on his rivals by getting a deal done before other clubs wade into the race.
– Barcelona are contemplating a move for Borussia Dortmund youngster Youssoufa Moukoko, according to Sport. The 18-year-old striker is one of the players who could light up the World Cup in Qatar if given playing time by Germany, particularly if he can replicate his club form of six goals in eight starts. Moreover, his contract expires on June 30, which has a whole host of clubs eager to land a winter bargain in January, or a free transfer in six months’ time. Moukoko has been a surprise star for Dortmund this season, and the German side are now attempting to keep him at the club beyond his existing contract.
– Paris Saint-Germain are not giving up on landing defender Milan Skriniar, but they might need to offer him €10m a season to prevent him staying at AC Milan, according to Tuttomercatoweb. As it stands, everything points toward the 27-year-old extending his contract in Milan and accepting the €6m-a-year deal he’s been offered by his existing employers, but French league leaders PSG are huge admirers of the Slovakian defender. They consider the option of bidding for him still very much open, and could offer him a huge signing bonus to add to the lucrative salary on offer.
– Barcelona are turning their attentions to Belgium in the hope of landing a bargain central midfield reinforcement, with Nicolas Raskin believed to be on their watch list, according to Fichajes. The 21-year-old is valued at €7m and under contract until next summer at Standard Liege, which makes him a perfect candidate for the kind of player Barca are trying to attract. Raskin is also a target for Scottish side Rangers.
