Chelsea and Liverpool will battle to sign Real Betis winger Jesús Rodriguez, while Arsenal are set to turn their attention to signing Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors, and gossip from around the globe.
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TRENDING RUMORS
- Chelsea and Liverpool are set to go head-to-head in the battle to sign Real Betis winger Jesús Rodriguez, says the Daily Mail. Rodriguez, 19, has a €50m release clause in his contract and the Spain Under-19 international is ready to make the step up. He has impressed on both wings for Betis this season, first as a right winger and then on the left after moving to accommodate Manchester United loanee Antony.
- Arsenal are set to turn their attention to signing Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, says Sport. The Gunners are ready to spend around €60m to bring in Real Sociedad's Martín Zubimendi in the summer, but will likely have to replace both Jorginho and Thomas Partey. De Jong, 27, could be available for a cut-price €40m fee as his contract expires in 2026 and the Catalan club need to raise funds amid their financial issues. Manager Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal to have a number of options to complete with Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Martin Ødegaard in central midfield, as well as young star Ethan Nwaneri.
- Juventus are interested in Atalanta trio Ademola Lookman, Éderson and Mateo Retegui, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport. This comes despite Premier League competition and high finances being involved in any move for the first two players mentioned, while La Dea could be willing to let Retegui leave. Juventus will also require departures to make the deals happen, with Andrea Cambiaso and Kenan Yildiz among those who could move on.
- Calciomercato have offered more insight into Juventus' summer plans for their frontline. Juve boss Thiago Motta remains an admirer of Joshua Zirkzee, after the pair worked together at Bologna, and wants to sign the 23-year-old from Manchester United, who are being linked with Sporting CP's Viktor Gyökeres. Juventus also want to renew Randal Kolo Muani's loan from Paris Saint-Germain and offload Dusan Vlahovic to make room for Zirkzee.
- Manchester City are considering a summer move for Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, according to Football Transfers, who add that the 22-year-old is seen as an ideal successor to Ilkay Gündogan and Bernardo Silva. City boss Pep Guardiola strongly supports the move and feels that Camavinga will suit his style of play.
EXPERT TAKE
ESPN's resident scout Tor-Kristian Karlsen on why Jesus Rodriguez has caught the eye.
A member of Spain's Euro U19 Championship-winning squad last summer, Rodriguez drew plenty of attention from the scouting contingent during the tournament and also showed Real Betis head coach Manuel Pellegrini why he was ready for first-team football.
The 19-year-old made his LaLiga debut on Dec. 1, 2024 and duly followed it up with a goal -- an exquisite drive in off the post from the edge of the box -- in his full (starting) home debut against Alavés in January. Last week, Rodriguez was also chosen to start in the 2-1 home win against Real Madrid, in which he registered a solid performance (especially defensively.)
Though early comparisons to Betis legend Joaquín (who had nearly 500 games for the club) are inevitable, Rodriguez excels through brilliant footwork, quick, delightful touches, flicks and turns. Though he is right-footed, he now operates on the opposite flank after the arrival of Antony on loan, and stands out for his remarkable balance. His natural body strength allows him to win an eye-catching 3.65 fouls per 90 minutes -- likely to be one of the main reasons for the interest from the tough Premier League.
In addition to attacking flair, dribbles and shots with either foot, his willingness to work defensively brings added value. Albeit from a small sample size, his defensive numbers are stunning for a winger: he recovers the ball 5+ times per 90 minutes, and wins half of his defensive duels.
While it goes without saying that there are areas to improve -- shooting accuracy, more precise passing and coordinated movements -- Rodriguez does possess the requirements to become an elite-level winger in European football.
OTHER RUMORS
Steve Nicol and Shaka Hislop give their immediate reaction to Manchester United's 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad in the Europa League.
- Joshua Kimmich and Bayern Munich have reached an agreement on a contract extension until 2029. (Sky Germany)
- Newcastle are exploring striker options in case Alexander Isak leaves, with Ipswich's Liam Delap, Lille's Jonathan David and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko on their shortlist. (Daily Mail)
- Manchester City are looking for a new No. 1 goalkeeper amid uncertainty surrounding Ederson's long-term future and have Espanyol's Joan Garcia, Lille's Lucas Chevalier, Benfica's Anatoliy Trubin, and Parma's Zion Suzuki on their list. Or they could move for Burnley's James Trafford and Sunderland's Anthony Patterson as a No. 2 if they promote Stefan Ortega. (TBR)
- Manchester United are looking to move players on to raise funds but will then look to activate the €80m release clause in the contract of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko. (Caught Offside)
- Liverpool are also on the Slovenia international's trail ahead of a planned summer overhaul. (GMS)
- Liverpool are interested in VfB Stuttgart defensive midfielder Angelo Stiller. (Christian Falk)
- Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are all among the notable European clubs who have been heavily scouting Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, with the French club willing to let him leave if an offer in the region of €45m-€50m is received. (Ekrem Konur)
- Juventus hope to lower FC Porto's €30m asking price to sign Francisco Conceicao on a permanent transfer following the end of his loan this summer. (A Bola)
- Wolves are among the Premier League clubs interested in signing Genoa defender Koni De Winter, but will face competition from Inter Milan at around €25m or above. (TEAMtalk)
- West Ham and Crystal Palace are among those looking at Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, 23, this summer. (Football Insider)
- Barcelona sporting director Deco has begun talks with Frenkie de Jong's agent to keep the midfielder at Camp Nou for three seasons, with the 27-year-old's deal ending in 2026. (Sport)
- All options are open for the future of Napoli midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa with negotiations over a new contract on standby and his current deal ending in the summer. (Fabrizio Romano)
- Barcelona could entertain offers of around €80m to sign midfielder Gavi this summer, with PSG at the front of the queue. (El Nacional)
- The club plan to offer goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny a new one-year contract. (Marca)
- And, as a result, Galatasaray will move to sign Iñaki Peña, who has not renewed his deal yet and has lost his place to Szczęsny. (Mundo Deportivo)
- Manchester United are unlikely to move for Victor Osimhen when the striker's loan from Napoli to Galatasaray ends due to the 26-year-old wanting £400,000-per-week in wages. (Football Insider)
- Barcelona want to sign a new goalkeeper but have been rebuffed in their approach for Real Madrid's Andriy Lunin. (Defensa Central)
- Manchester City have agreed a deal in principle with Hibernian for young goalkeeper Ben Vickery. (Fabrizio Romano)
- Napoli are planning on making an opening offer worth €25m for Feyenoord winger Igor Paixão. (Ekrem Konur)
- Neymar hasn't decided on his future as the winger is focusing on Santos and staying fit. Staying in Brazil is still an option and Barcelona are interested in the 33-year-old. (Florian Plettenberg)
- Liverpool are keen to sign AFC Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez, while Manchester United have been put off by the Cherries' demands and Real Madrid are prioritising AC Milan's Theo Hernandez over the 21-year-old. (TEAMtalk)
- Aaron Ramsdale wants to join Chelsea with the Blues preparing a move to sign the Southampton goalkeeper in the summer. (Football Insider)
- Manchester City are increasingly likely to let John Stones leave in the summer, when the centre-back will be entering the last year of his contract. (Football Insider)