Here’s a roundup of the latest news and transfer rumors surrounding which players could be joining new teams in the coming months.
This week’s transfer news is headlined by Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas’ revelation that star striker Alexandre Lacazette has a verbal agreement with Atletico Madrid, ESPN reports.
Aulas’ admission comes after Lacazette told French publication L’Equipe at the end of last week that “it’s the right time” to leave the club this summer.
At 25 years old, Lacazette has been one of Ligue 1’s most consistent performers in recent times, evidenced by his 91 league goals over the last four years.
With a brace in Saturday’s 3-3 draw against Nice, Lacazette brought his tally for this season to 28, marking a personal best since breaking into Lyon’s first-team setup in 2010.
According to Aulas, the club has accepted Lacazette’s demand to negotiate exclusively with Atleti, but any move is dependent on the Spanish side’s transfer ban being lifted.
As it stands, Atleti are unable to recruit players until 2018. Although they’ve appealed that decision and expect a ruling later this month, the ban represents a final, albeit significant, hurdle standing in the way of Lacazette’s departure.
However, after being linked with Arsenal and Liverpool the past couple summers, it appears Lacazette is now Atleti’s to lose.
A transfer verging on completion is Mateo Musacchio’s move to AC Milan, who tweeted a video Monday of the defender arriving for his medical.
The Argentine is fresh off his seventh season with Villareal, who clinched a Europa League berth by placing fifth in La Liga this year thanks to the league’s second-best defensive record.
Following a long three-season stint without European competition, Milan’s sixth-place finish ensures they’ll join the Yellow Submarine in that pool.
That resurgence, along with new Chinese ownership, has already resulted in Milan reinforcing their side ahead of next season’s expanded schedule.
After reportedly securing deals for Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessie and Swiss defender Ricardo Rodriguez in the past week, the 26-year-old Musacchio is anticipated to ink a four-year contract with the Rossoneri, Goal reports. His transfer figure is expected to be around €18 million.
In the wake of helping his team stave off relegation, Swansea midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson is a target of his former team, according to the Daily Mail.
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Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino aims to bolster Spurs’ attacking ranks even further this summer, and reportedly sees Sigurdsson as a superior option to Everton’s Ross Barkley.
While the players occupy similar positions, the 27-year-old Sigurdsson is not only seen as more of a finished product, but is also likely to cost considerably less than Everton’s £50 million valuation of Barkley.
Sigurdsson was on Tottenham’s books from 2012 to 2014, when he was sold just as Pochettino was taking charge.
The Argentine manager reportedly wasn’t involved in the decision to offload the Icelandic international, however, and has since stated Sigurdsson would ‘have been perfect for us’.
Sigurdsson has scored 27 goals in three Premier League season since moving to Wales, and finished third in England’s top-flight with 13 assists this season.
Just outside of London, Watford, who finished just one spot above the drop zone, have started putting their summer plans in motion by enquiring about the availability of EA Guingamp striker Alexandre Mendy, L’Equipe reports.
The 23-year-old notched three goals in merely five Ligue 1 starts this season, and also scored three times in four Coupe de France outings.
Those early returns may be enough for Guingamp to move on from Mendy after just one season.
The French outfit purchased Mendy from Nice last summer, and although they’re reportedly open to selling to Watford, the Hornets could have competition from Angers and Bordeaux for his signature.