The summer transfer window is approaching, and there's plenty of gossip swirling about who's moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Arsenal, Spurs, Man United in race for Tielemans
Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans could be available for around £40 million this summer and there's a top-four battle for his signature, says The Sun.
Tielemans, 24, has a year left on his contract and has yet to agree terms to stay. The Belgium international wants to play Champions League football, which ninth-placed Leicester won't be able to offer this season, but there are a host of interested clubs.
Arsenal, Tottenham and Man United are all fighting it out for the final spot in next season's Champions League behind Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, but will also go head-to-head to land Tielemans. One imagines that whoever nails fourth in the Premier League at the end of the season will be top of the queue to land him.
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21.39 BST: Tiemoue Bakayoko is set to return to Chelsea early from his AC Milan loan, which was originally set to last two years but could end in the summer, reports Gazzetta dello Sport. Junior Messias is expected to return to Crotone with the Scudetto contenders feeling the €5.5m transfer fee required to sign the Brazilian permanently could be better used to in a right-winger. Alessandro Florenzi is the most likely to stay beyond the term of his loan, with €4.5m needed to sign him permanently from AS Roma, while Brahim Diaz's two-year loan from Real Madrid could potentially be revised to see him leave early.
21.06 BST: Clubs in the Bundesliga and abroad are paying attention to the situation of RB Leipzig's Eric Martel, who is currently on loan at Austria Wien, reports Kicker. The 19-year-old has become a regular feature for the Austrian outfit, playing 30 matches across all competitions so far this term, but that has seemingly not been enough to convince those back in Leipzig about his future with them. Another loan is deemed unlikely considering the defensive midfielder's contract comes to an end in 2023.
20.33 BST: Torino are willing to let Vanja Milinkovic-Savic leave in the summer, whether that is permanently or on loan, reports Tuttosport. Etrit Berisha is set to stay when his loan from SPAL comes to an end following the initial agreement made, but Il Toro are also likely to go for another stopper with Cagliari's Alessio Cragno being mentioned.
20.00 BST: Ekrem Konur suggests that Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund, Leicester City and Real Betis are all hoping to sign Angers forward Mohamed-Ali Cho. The 18-year-old has made 28 appearances this season for the side sitting 14th in Ligue 1 and has two goals to his name.
19.27 BST: For a long time, it seemed inevitable that Dries Mertens would leave Napoli when his contract ends in the summer, but Corriere dello Sport now suggests that the top scorer in club history could stay another year. The Belgium international would have to take a cut in his wages, but is not concerned about that as he simply wants to play for Napoli. There is plenty of sentiment around the 34-year-old, but that will not be the sole reason if a renewal does come to fruition, as he has managed 10 goals and two assists across all competitions this term.
18.54 BST: Atletico Madrid are monitoring VfB Stuttgart's Orel Mangala with the aim of strengthening their midfield in the summer, reports AS. It's said that he would be available for a transfer fee of around €15m due to Stuttgart's struggles in Bundesliga and potential relegation. Atleti are also considering Marseille's Boubacar Kamara and FC Salzburg's Mohamed Camara.
18.21 BST: Manchester City and Newcastle United have shown an interest in signing 18-year-old Rangers midfielder Alex Lowry, who has already knocked back one contract offer from the Scottish giants, reports Football Insider. City are said to have even held a meeting with the Scotland U19 international's representatives ahead of a possible move. Lowry has made four first-team appearances for Rangers, scoring a debut goal against Stirling Albion and later providing an assist against Dundee.
17.48 BST: FC Salzburg have completed the signing of Fernando Santos from Shakhtar Donetsk, the Red Bull-backed club announced.
Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Brazilian has been training in his homeland in recent weeks and will now head to Austria. He will have to wait until next season to play competitively, though, having signed a contract until June 2027.
Some have described the 23-year-old as Karim Adeyemi's replacement due to reported interest in the Germany international from the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
⚡ 𝐎𝐋𝐀 𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎 ⚡ pic.twitter.com/sRwsD6eyr4
— FC Red Bull Salzburg EN (@FCRBS_en) April 21, 2022
17.15 BST: Sevilla have begun talks with Blackburn Rovers regarding the possible signing of Ben Brereton Diaz, reports Ekrem Konur. The 23-year-old striker has made the headlines on various occasions after becoming a key man for the Chile national team almost immediately, while he also has 21 goals in 34 Championship games this season.
16.42 BST: What does the future hold for Cristiano Ronaldo?
16.10 BST: Besiktas left-back Ridvan Yilmaz is on the radar of Tottenham, says TRT Spor.
Yilmaz, 20, has been tracked by Leicester, Torino and VfB Stuttgart but will reportedly see scouts from Spurs and Atalanta arrive to watch him play in the league game against Kasimpasa SK on April 25.
The Turkey international has a contract which expires in 2023, so clubs may be eyeing a potential bargain in the summer for a player of some potential.
15.18 BST: MLS side D.C. United are in talks with Gareth Bale's representatives about a summer move, says the Washington Post.
Bale, 32, will leave Real Madrid when his contract expires in the summer and there had been talk he might retire if Wales don't qualify for the 2022 World Cup in November.
D.C. are reportedly prepared to pay more in wages to land the winger than when they signed Wayne Rooney from Everton in 2018, as they seek a third Designated Player. But talks are only at an earlier stage.
15.02 BST: Meet Man United manager Erik ten Hag, the 'tactically brilliant' coach who became a winner at Ajax. Tom Hamilton spoke to the man himself to get the lowdown on his style.
Ten Hag comes to United as a much-admired manager -- someone who has worked under Pep Guardiola (at Bayern Munich), has helped nurture some of Europe's best young players, and has a philosophy influenced as much by the Dutch "Total Football" school of thought as it is by Guardiola's way of playing, with a dab of Germany's "Gegenpressing" philosophy.
I last spoke to Ten Hag back in December. Back then he was masterminding a Champions League campaign with Ajax, but was also hinting at his growing hunger to try something different. At the time, he was being linked with all manner of top jobs, and was asked about whether he pays any attention to it.
"Don't look in Google... I live by the day, and I'm very satisfied at Ajax," he said. But then he paused; when asked whether he'd eventually be tempted by one of the European giants linked with him, he answered: "It would be great. We will see if it comes, if they want to sign me. I am looking forward for a plan, and I feel comfortable to do a job like this."
Six months on, he's landed at Old Trafford, by far the biggest job of his career. But how did he get here?
14.23 BST: Manchester City are reportedly closing on a move for Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.
13.32 BST: Arsenal have been tracking Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez, but Tuttomercatoweb has a shock for them.
They claim that Martinez wants to sign for Liverpool if he makes a move to England, so that may scupper the Gunners' interest.
Chelsea have also been linked with the Argentine as they seek a way to get €115m summer signing Romelu Lukaku back into form, but it seems as if Martinez only has eyes for Anfield.
13.05 BST: Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard was pictured in the stands at the Stade Velodrome as Marseille edged Nantes 3-2 in a five-goal Ligue 1 thriller, reportedly to watch Boubacar Kamara, according to the Daily Express.
Kamara, 22, is a free agent in the summer and has attracted interest from a host of top clubs.
Villa are keen to get their name into the mix, while Gerrard has also been spotted at the Wanda Metropolitano last week to watch Atletico Madrid's Geoffrey Kondogbia in the Champions League draw with Manchester City. He is also reportedly interested in PSV duo Ibrahim Sangare and Noni Madueke.
12.34 BST: Tennis star Serena Williams and Formula One titan Lewis Hamilton have joined Martin Broughton's bid to buy Chelsea, a source told Reuters on Thursday.
Former Liverpool chairman Broughton's consortium includes World Athletics President Sebastian Coe and wealthy investors from around the world, who the group says all wish to maintain Chelsea's top status in world football.
Private equity veterans Josh Harris and David Blitzer, who own sport teams including the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, are also backing Broughton's bid.
Williams and Hamilton have pledged an estimated £10m ($13.06m) each to the bid.
11.59 BST: Kicker reports that Bayern Munich stars Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer are in line to get one-year contract extensions.
Muller, 32, and 36-year-old goalkeeper Neuer have been stalwarts at the German champions for years.
Both could sign up for new terms beyond 2024 if they perform well, with no plans to replace them in the first team yet.
11.12 BST: Manchester United have appointed Ajax's Erik ten Hag as their new manager.
ESPN reported in early April that United were set to finalise the appointment of Ten Hag and the Dutchman has agreed a three-year deal to take over at Old Trafford, with the option of another year.
Ten Hag becomes United's fifth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, following David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Former players Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick have also held caretaker positions during that time.
Ten Hag will stay in charge of Ajax until the end of the season before taking over at United. Ajax end their campaign with a trip to Vitesse on May 15.
11.01 BST: Should Man City let USMNT goalkeeper Zack Steffen leave?
10.22 BST: AS reports that PSG are set to allow Angel Di Maria, Mauro Icardi and Leandro Paredes to depart.
Di Maria's contract expires in the summer of 2022 and the 34-year-old won't get new terms, despite the club having the option of another year, while PSG will be seeking a transfer fee for fellow Argentina internationals Icardi and Paredes.
09.52 BST: Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham is a target for Real Madrid, according to The Daily Mail.
Bellingham, 18, is one of the best young players in world football and Dortmund have no desire to let him leave for less than €150m.
But Madrid are planning an overhaul of their squad and see the England international has a long-term addition.
09.25 BST: LAFC star Carlos Vela is in the process of finalizing a new Designated Player contract to remain with the Black and Gold "at least through 2023," sources confirmed to ESPN.
Vela's current deal is due to expire on June 30, and as such he has been free to sign a pre-contract anywhere in the world since the start of the year. Sources cautioned that Vela hasn't signed the deal just yet, but now the former Mexico international looks set to remain in Los Angeles through the end of the 2023 campaign, if not beyond.
Vela, 33, has been LAFC's marquee player since arriving ahead of the club's inaugural season in 2018. Since then he has scored 63 goals and added 40 assists in 97 league and playoff appearances, leading LAFC to the Supporters' Shield in 2019 and winning the league's MVP award that same season. It was during that campaign that he scored a league record 34 goals.
09.00 BST: The Evening Standard reports that Tottenham plan to make Dejan Kulusevski's loan from Juventus permanent at the end of the season.
Kulusevski, who will celebrate his 22nd birthday on Monday, is on loan at Spurs until the summer of 2023, but he has made such an impact that boss Antonio Conte wants to complete the transfer as soon as possible.
The Sweden international can be signed by Spurs this summer for a transfer fee off £24.9m, which is in addition to the £8.3m loan fee already paid. However, if Spurs don't sign the attacker until the summer of 2023, the transfer fee could rise to £29.1m.
Kulusevski has three goals and six assists to his name in 10 Premier League starts since.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)
- Bayern Munich have named the transfer fee if Robert Lewandowski is going to leave the Allianz Arena in the summer, reveals Bild. The Bundesliga club are keen to renew his deal, but if the 33-year-old striker hasn't agreed terms by the end of the season, they will consider moving him on for a transfer fee of €40m. Barcelona have been regularly linked with securing his signature.
- Antonio Conte has made Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips a priority target for Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window, according to The Daily Telegraph. The 26-year-old looks to be at the top of the shortlist of potential Spurs midfield reinforcements, with the north London club expected to allow Conte to overhaul the squad. Phillips has started just 12 games for Leeds in the Premier League this season, having sustained injury problems throughout the campaign, though he has also remained on the radar of Manchester United too.
- Barcelona have made a contract offer to Sergi Roberto, with hopes of extending the defender's deal at Camp Nou, reveals Sport. The 30-year-old is out of contract in the summer, and after postponing talks in December, manager Xavi Hernandez has this week decided to resume negotiations. It is reported that his representatives met with the Blaugrana on Wednesday, with the player keen to continue his career with them.
- Paul Pogba is open to joining another Premier League club when his contract expires in the summer, according to Sky Sports. The Manchester United midfielder looks almost certain to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season, and it is reported that he hasn't ruled out a potential move to domestic rivals. Juventus have also been in contact with the 29-year-old's representatives, with the Bianconeri looking to negotiate a deal that includes a lower salary than the £290,000-per-week he earns at Old Trafford.
- Sam Johnstone is reportedly keen to join Tottenham when his contract expires with West Bromwich Albion in the summer, according to Football Insider. The Premier League club have been scouting the England goalkeeper throughout the season, and the 29-year-old is believed to be keen on making the switch to north London to challenge Hugo Lloris for the No. 1 spot.
- Nemanja Matic is open to moving to AS Roma, reveals Calciomercato. Matic revealed on Friday that he will leave the Premier League club at the end of the season, bringing an end to his five-year spell at Old Trafford. Matic, who is under contract at United until 2023, has made 26 appearances across all competitions for the club this season. The Serie A club would like to compromise on Matic's deal that currently sees him earn a €7m yearly salary, though he is keen to work under Jose Mourinho again for a third time.