Here’s a roundup of the latest news and transfer rumors surrounding which players could be joining new teams in the coming months.
Tuesday’s transfer headlines are dominated by speculation surrounding two of Tottenham’s standout defenders, Kyle Walker and Toby Alderweireld.
Despite leading Spurs to the best defensive record in the Premier League thus far, both players are reportedly considering their futures elsewhere.
According to the Independent, Walker is the likeliest of Tottenham’s regular starters to leave this summer after falling out with manager Mauricio Pochettino over fitness and selection. The Englishman was most recently left out of Tottenham’s lineup for Sunday’s 2-0 win over rivals Arsenal.
The report credits Manchester City, Manchester United and Barcelona with transfer interest in Walker, whose evaluation is said to sit between £35 million and £50m.
Along with Walker, Alderweireld has garnered attention from Manchester City, who The Times reports are keen to capitalize on the Belgian twice rejecting a new contract with Spurs.
The source of Alderweireld’s contention with Tottenham is his insistence that a £25.3 million release clause be inserted in his contract should Spurs exercise their right to extend it beyond 2019.
Elsewhere in north London, Barcelona’s endless transfer pursuit of local product Hector Bellerin has grabbed the front pages of Mundo Deportivo and Sport once again.
According to the papers, Bellerin is Barcelona’s top target to improve their right-back position, and Arsenal’s current state of uncertainty could influence the Spaniard to return home.
While Manchester City chief Txiki Begiristain reportedly used the Citizens’ recent FA Cup semifinal against Arsenal to start informal discussions with Bellerin’s representatives, Mundo Deportivo posits the player would rather play for Barcelona than another Premier League outfit.
Should Arsenal continue to rebuff the Catalan club’s interest in Bellerin, however, Sport mention Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta and Bayer Leverkusen’s Benjamin Henrichs as alternative transfer options.
Another young player who’s been the subject of transfer contact recently is Torino’s Andrea Belotti, who ESPN reports has caught the eye of Manchester United.
In the wake of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s season-ending knee injury, which has put his United future in considerable doubt, senior figures of the Red Devils’ board have reportedly held talks with Torino over Belotti, who is currently tied for tops in Serie A with 25 goals.
At only 23 years old, “Il Gallo” is fresh off signing a contract extension in December that saw a whopping €100 million release clause added to his pact, making United one of few clubs that could afford his services.
Finally, although the Champions League semifinals are set to kick off this week, one player not involved is reportedly using the occasion to conduct business with a club visiting nearby.
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According to Cedric Chapuis of France Football, Paris Saint Germain star Marco Verratti and his agent are in Monaco on Tuesday to meet with Juventus, who are scheduled to play in the principality Wednesday.
Those talks will inevitably center around a potential transfer to bring Verratti back to his native Italy, giving credence to Tuesday’s claims by L’Equipe that Tiemoue Bakayoko could be on his way to PSG.
The French paper states Bakayoko has met with representatives from the capital club, who are joined by Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City with transfer interest in the imposing midfielder.