Here’s a roundup of the latest news and transfer rumors surrounding which players could be joining new teams in the coming months.
Just ahead of the biggest match of his young career, Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe is said to be the subject of an €85 million transfer bid from Manchester United, according to Italian publication Gianluca Di Marzio.
Of course, the precocious 18-year-old, who has bagged an astounding 24 goals across all competitions this season, is set to take on Italian giants Juventus in the first leg of a Champions League semifinal on Wednesday, making the report rather timely.
Although Di Marzio asserts that Monaco will hold out for at least €120 million for their brightest starlet, and also claims his teammate Fabinho and Roma’s Radja Nainggolan to be among United’s other summer transfer targets, Sky Sports denies a bid has been made for Mbappe.
Elsewhere in Italy, AC Milan technical director Massimo Mirabelli has already secured a transfer for Villareal defender Mateo Musacchio, according to Di Marzio, but with the financial backing of new Chinese ownership, he’ll meet with the agents of Atalanta midfielder Franck Kessie and Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata on Wednesday.
While Morata is Milan’s dream striker to add this offseason, Mirabelli reportedly intends to beat Roma to Kessie’s €28 million transfer by offering him wages of €2.2 million per season, an increase from the Giallorossi’s proposal of €1.2 million per year.
In his first season at Atalanta, the 20-year-old Kessie, who cuts a figure similar to former Milan man Michael Essien, has contributed six goals and three assists. Meanwhile, Morata has notched 13 goals and four assists despite playing just 1166 minutes in La Liga thus far.
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Along with Kessie, another African midfielder garnering transfer interest is Nice’s Jean Michael Seri, who The Guardian reports has caught the attention of both Arsenal and Tottenham, as well as Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain recently.
Seri’s agent was in London last week for informal discussions with the Premier League outfits, but PSG could accelerate their chase if Marco Verratti is lured back home by Juventus.
With six goals and nine assists to his name, the diminutive Seri reportedly has a €40 million release clause, but Nice are believed to be open to offers around £20 million.
Besides Seri, The Guardian also continue Arsenal’s links with Red Bull Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita, while The Sun posits that 21-year-old Pablo Fornals could be the Gunners’ next Spanish import.
Fornals, who made his senior international debut last May, is apparently stalling on a transfer from Malaga to Valencia amid interest from Arsenal, who see him as a potential replacement to countryman Santi Cazorla.
Finally, former Gunner Carlos Vela has been linked by ESPN with a move to MLS.
The Mexican forward’s contract with Real Sociedad is set to expire in 2018, making expansion franchise LAFC a prime candidate for his services.
Across town, LA Galaxy is another mooted suitor, but Vela’s transfer figure of $10 million could pose a problem for MLS, which previously engaged in talks for him to join the league ahead of the 2016 campaign.