Soccer transfers news summary: Sunday 18 July 2021
Transfer updates live | Sunday 18 July
This live transfer feed is now closed, however don't dismay as we have a brand new blog up and running with all the latest transfer gossip, breaking news and done deals.
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Real Madrid offer Vinicius to Manchester United
Real Madrid are considering selling Vinicius this summer and according to reports in England, have offered the Brazilian to Manchester United. While Carlo Ancelotti is keen to count on Vini for the new season, the club have other ideas - selling him would bring in cash to finance the operation to sign Kylian Mbappé and simultaneously resolve the problem Madrid have with too many non-EU players on the books.
Atlético don't want to lose Trippier - in spite of his desire to leave
Right-back Kieran Trippier is not for sale and will only leave if he hands in a transfer request and if Atlético Madrid receive a suitable offer. He has been linked to Manchester United and reported to be house hunting in the north west. Simeone's plan is to keep the squad more or less in tact.
Heinze sacked from Atlanta United post
Atlanta United have parted ways with coach Gabriel Heinze. The Argentinean had been in the job for just three months but a poor runs of results (just two wins in 13 games), together with his problematic decision to blacklist star player Josef Martínez, forced the club to act. Yesterday, the team suffered a new defeat - their straight game without a win, the worst run in club history.
AC Milan close to sealing Vlasic deal
AC Milan and CSKA Moscow are close to agreeing a deal for attacking midfielder Nikola Vlasic. The Croatian international is poised to join the Italians on a one-year loan with an obligatory option to buy him for 30 million euros. Last season he scored 12 goals and gave out five assists.
Gameiro makes Strasbourg return
Racing Strasbourg have confirmed that Kevin Gameiro has returned, 13 years after he left the club. The 34-year-old French striker was without a club after his contract with Valencia expired in June. He left Strasbourg in 2008, enjoying stints with Lorient, PSG, Sevilla, Atlético Madrid and Valencia.
Crystal Palace sign Guehi from Chelsea
Crystal Palace have signed highly-rated young English defender Marc Guehi from Chelsea on a five-year contract, the south London Premier League club announced on Sunday. British media reported Palace agreed a deal worth 20 million pounds ($28 million) for the 21-year-old centre back, who spent the previous season-and-a-half on loan at Championship side Swansea.
Guehi becomes new Palace boss Patrick Vieira's second signing following the arrival of midfielder Michael Olise from Reading.
Chelsea plotting Hudson-Odoi swap deal for Coman
L'Équipe claim that Chelsea are considering a swap deal with Bayern Munich for Kingsley Coman with Callum Hudson-Odoi moving in the opposite direction. The deal could be viable for Bayern as Coman's contract will run out in 2023 and he has turned down several offers to renew.
Saúl closer to Manchester United
According to journalist Francesc Aguilar, the swap deal involving Antoine Griezmann and Saúl Ñíguez remains at a standstill and Saúl's agent Jonathan Barnett is negotiating with Manchester United. As things stand, United are the favourites to sign the Spanish midfielder.
Gray and Townsend close to Everton - reports
The Times report that Rafa Benítez's Everton are on the brink of signing two wingers - Demarai Gray, who is set to return to the Premier League after a season in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen. The former Leicester and Birmingham City player looks set to move to Goodison for a fee of around two million euros. And he could be joined by Andros Townsend, a free agent after competing his contract with Crystal Palace.
United's Sancho announcement is "imminent"
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted that Jadon Sancho's move to Manchester United is all but sewn up with only a few minor details to be ironed out. "From what I understand only paperwork [remains to be completed], small, little details, hopefully we can announce something. Let's get all the paperwork done and get him over the line and then I can say what I truly feel about the player," the United manager explained this afternoon.
England international Sancho is set to join from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of around 85 million euros.
Broja pens new five-year deal with Chelsea
Albanian striker Armando Broja has signed a long-term contract at Chelsea that will keep him at Stamford Bridge until June 2026. The teenager, a graduate from Chelsea's youth academy, made his first-team debut as a substitute against Everton in March 2020. He spent last season on loan at Vitesse Arnhem, scoring 11 goals in 34 appearances.
Begovic set to join Everton on a free
Asmir Begovic is reported to have passed a medical ahead of completing his move to Everton. The 34-year-old Bosnian goalkeeper will act as cover for Jordan Pickford after signing a one-year deal with the Merseysiders with the option of a second year.
Kessié close to new deal with Milan
Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessié is close to sealing new terms with AC Milan. Only the final flecks of the deal remain to be resolved, the Rossoneri will pay the 24-year-old five million euros per season plus performance-related bonuses, journalist Nicolò Schira reports. Kessié's existing contract is due to expire next summer.
Liverpool hoping to offer new deals to Alisson and Henderson
Liverpool are reported to be preparing to offer contract extentions to captain Jordan Henderson and goalkeeper Alisson Becker. Henderson's current contract is due to expire in 2023 while Alisson's will be up in June 2024.
Everton and West Ham enquire about Lenglet
According to transfer specialist Ekrem Konour, Everton and West Ham are in talks with Barça to find out about Clement Lenglet's situation.The French centre-back is not on the transfer list, at least at the moment, but Barcelona may not rule out selling him if a they receive a decent offer to alleviate their economic problems. A loan deal could also be an option.
Rico to Turkey?
With a plethora of goalkeepers at PSG, Sergio Rico is set to exit the French side with Besiktas in Turkey being suggested as a possible destination for the Spanish stopper.
CR7 posts cryptic message
The Juve star posted a enigmatic message on his Instagram account simply stating "decision day". It's not quite clear if the striker is referring a decision with the Serie A club...
Arsenal eye Lokonga
Arsenal are hoping to complete a deal for Anderlecht midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga within the next week, says the Daily Mail.
Lewandowski now Thomas Tuchel's top target
Robert Lewandowski has moved to the top of Chelsea's wish list, according to sources in the UK.
The Poland international scored a record 41 league goals for Bayern Munich last season and is under contract through 2023.
But Thomas Tuchel wants a prolific scorer and Lewandowski would certainly fit the bill, should Bayern accept a £50million offer for the 32-year-old.
USMNT: Reggie Cannon eager to leave Boavista FC
Reggie Cannon was included in the 23-player roster to participate in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament with the United States men’s national team. The 23-year-old defender was hoping to use the campaign to showcase his talent and attract other clubs ahead of the start of the 2021/22 season in Europe. But he's struggling to get a game.
Even though he would like to leave the club, not seeing minutes with the USMNT doesn’t help his case. According to SBI Soccer, there are teams from England, Belgium and Turkey interested in him and Besiktas are very keen on a loan deal. The Turkish side is looking for a right-back and Cannon seems to top the list of possible signings for the upcoming campaign.
Madrid offer Vinicius to Man Utd
During talks between Manchester United and Real Madrid for Varane, it has been reported by The Mirrorthat Los Blancos offered up Vinicius Jr.
United, who have already agreed personal terms for the French centre-back, now appear interested in signing the Brazilian attacker, although the costs involved may still be prohibitive.
'Vinicius Jr, 21, has been made available for £68m, three years after signing from Flamengo in a £36m deal,' reads the report.
The most feasible option, according to the news outlet, is a loan with an option to buy later, as Madrid continue to try and reduce the wage bill in order to aid their pursuit of Kylian Mbappé. But with the cost of Varane, plus the already completed signing of Jadon Sancho (€85 million) and suggestions of others, including Atlético's Kieran Trippier, it may be one too many.
Liverpool's 'new' signing
Virgil van Dijk missed the majority of last season through injury but, after sitting out the Euros for the Netherlands to get fully fit, he is back training with the squad in pre-season.
Jürgen Klopp and everyone associated with the club will be delighted to have their main defensive man in place as they look to return to the form that has seen them crowned champions of England and Europe in recent campaigns.
Grealish having second thoughts about City move
Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish is reportedly reconsidering a potential £100 million move to Manchester City. The Premier League champions are said to be very keen to tie-up the Euro 2020 bit-part English midfielder after his impressive performances last season.
Villa clearly don't want to lose their talismanic captain and have opened talks about a new contract.
(Photo: Reuters/Frank Augstein)
Eight players have swapped MLS for a European club
Major League Soccer is becoming one of the most important leagues in North, Central and South America. Many young talented players now appear to prefer to play in the MLS, before making the jump to a European club.
MLS: exporting young talent
So far this year, eight players from different Major League Soccer clubs have signed for a team in Europe’s top tier leagues. The latest player to leave the American league is Gianluca Busio. The Sporting KC midfielder joins Venezia FC for the 2021/22 Serie A season after his participation with the USMNT in the 2021 Gold Cup campaign.
In the next few days Sam Vines could become the ninth player to make the switch to Europe. The Colorado Rapids defender is finalizing his deal to join Royal Antwerp for a fee that could reach up to $2 million and the MLS side will retain a sell-on clause.
Rodrigo Serrano reports.
Gunners after Aouar
We told you recently that Liverpool had been tracking Lyon's highly talented midfielder Houssem Aouar, but the Daily Star is reporting today that Arsenal could be readying a tasty bid to convince the Ligue 1 club to release their man.
As the story goes, it would be a fee of around £50 million placed on the table, similar to that soon to bring in defender Ben White from Brighton.
Atlético cannot sign a striker unless Saúl leaves
Atlético brought the week to a close in Los Ángeles de San Rafael with one player attracting all of the attention - Saúl. The midfielder spent the past five days training with his future up in the air.
Saúl could end up leaving, although for now, he remains part of Simeone's squad and Atlético are not prepared to take any risks with him. While some reports have placed the 26-year-old at Barcelona next season, the situation has changed completely during the past couple of days. Saúl could still end up at Barcelona, but his agent has contacted several other clubs.
Liverpool and Manchester United are two possible destinations if he doesn't join Barça.
We bring you up to speed with the potential move.
Lewandowski to the Bridge?
According to The Sun on Sunday, Bayern Munich's Polish goal-machine, Robert Lewandowski is a serious target for Chelsea.
The striker may be at the opposite end of his career to the London club's reported preferred solution - Erling Haaland - but may be more of a viable option for this summer. This is especially true given the situation with the Norwegian's contract, making him significantly cheaper next year.
Would Bayern sell? That's another question.
Raúl Jiménez returns from injury after 230 days sidelined
In what must feel like a massive new signing, Raúl Jiménez is back!
After fully recovering from the fractured skull injury he suffered back in November 2020 in a Premier League match between Wolverhampton against Arsenal, Jiménez made his return to the pitch this weekend in a pre-season game.
Wolves lost 1-0 to Crewe Alexander at Gresty Road and the Mexico international was in the starting line-up for the first warm-up game ahead of the new campaign.
Full story from Rodrigo Serrano.
Alisson to extend Liverpool contract
According to the Daily Mirror, young Harry Wilson could be on his way out of Anfield with a bid of around £10 million suggested to be enough. That could work out nicely for all concerned.
Also being reported for The Reds is that goalkeeper Alisson Becker is about to sign a new contract which would keep him at the club until June 2026. Klopp keen to keep open his goalscoring options, it seems!
Old Lady likely to beat Arsenal... to Locatelli signing!
According to reports on Sunday morning, Juventus are in pole position to keep Manual Locatelli in Serie A.
Fabrizio Romano states that a new meeting is expected soon with the player's club Sassuolo and la Vecchia Signora, with the 23-year-old midfielder still keen on a move there.
For their part, says Romano, Arsenal are prepared to pay Sassuolo's price tag of €40 million... but the Gunners only want to sign players happy and 100% convinced to join the club.
Gareth Bale and Brexit provide additional headache for Real Madrid
Real Madrid have another tricky situation to negotiate as squad members gradually start to return to pre-season action with the new LaLiga campaign getting underway in mid August.
Following the implementation of Brexit as of the end of 2020, Gareth Bale now fills one of the three spaces reserved for non-EU players at the club.
The Spanish FA issued a statement at the end of December 2020 outlining the impact of British players in Spain with the ruling coming into force for the 2021/22 season. The implementation was wavered for the second part of the 2020/21 campaign and impacts on Gareth Bale and Atletico Madrid's Kieran Trippier, the latter appearing to be set for a move to Manchester United.
Marco Ruiz brings you the latest on this situation.
Barcelona's impossible task of selling Coutinho
Barcelona are working overtime in a bid to make further reductions to the squad wages bill so that they can register Messi and the four players who they signed at the start of the pre-season - Kun Agüero, Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia and Emerson Royal.
The plan is to find new clubs for the players who earn a lot but contribute little, but none of the cases they are dealing with are quite as complicated as Philippe Coutinho's.
Santi Giménez brings you the full story.
Arsenal agree fee for Ben White
Arsenal have agreed a deal in principle to sign Brighton & Hove Albion defender Ben White for 50 million pounds ($68.86 million), British media reported on Saturday. Sky Sports reported Brighton have added a sell-on clause for White, who was a late call up to Gareth Southgate's England squad for Euro 2020.
After being released by Southampton in 2014, White secured a move to Brighton and made an impact at the south coast club following loan spells with Newport County, Peterborough United and Leeds United. White was one of the standout performers for Graham Potter's Brighton last season, making 36 Premier League appearances in the heart of the defence.
Meanwhile, Brighton confirmed winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh has completed a permanent move to Dutch side Feyenoord on a three-year contract. The Iran international joined Brighton from Eredivisie outfit AZ Alkmaar in 2018 but struggled for regular first-team chances, scoring four goals in 61 appearances in all competitions. "Ali has been a very good professional and great to work with, but this move is a good one and gives him the chance of more regular game time, which is not something we are able to guarantee," Potter said in a statement. "I'd like to thank Ali for his hard work during my time here and wish him all the best for the future."
Ballo-Touré arrives in Italy to complete Milan move
Monaco left-back Fodé Ballo-Touré arrived in northern Italy to complete his transfer to AC Milan.
The 24-year-old made 24 appearances in Ligue 1 last season and served up four assists. He is expected to sort out the final details of a proposed €4.5M move to Milan where he will act as cover for Theo Hernandez.
Varane open to a four-year deal with United
It looks as though it's the right move for everyone, but how long will we have to wait till it's resolved?
Raphaël Varane is willing to accept Manchester United's offer of a contract that will keep him at Old Trafford until 2026 - if he can reach an agreement with Real Madrid to release him over the next few days.
Varane is hoping to realise his dream of playing in the Premier League but will be respectful in his negotiations with Madrid. He's a top defender, but is also injury prone.
Giroud says 'ciao' to Milan
Straight from the horse's official social media account...
'Hello Milan fans, I am very proud to have Italian origins and I can't wait to start this exciting adventure with you.
Thank you to Ivan Gazidis, whom I have known for a long time, Paolo Maldini, Frederic Massara and Mr Pioli for the welcome. Go Milan'
This particular football journalist believes the Frenchman could be a big hit for the Rossoneri.
Let's start the day with a few reminders of what went on yesterday...
Transfer news live updates: welcome
Hello and welcome to our live transfer-news blog for Sunday 18 July.
Which player or players would complete your team? Which star would you be gutted to lose to some rich super club? Are there any freebies on the market that could prove to be shrewd business? Will Barça find some pennies down the back of the Camp Nou sofa?
We'll endeavour to keep you abreast of all the happenings in this summer's transfer window as news breaks.