Transfer rumor roundup 6/14: Bayern to confirm Tolisso deal
By Nick Pitner
Here’s a roundup of the latest news and transfer rumors surrounding which players could be joining new teams in the coming months.
Wednesday’s transfer news is headlined by Bild’s report that midfielder Corentin Tolisso has arrived in Germany for a medical with Bayern Munich.
The Frenchman was previously linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs, and even rejected to move to Napoli last summer, but Bayern now appear poised to announce his €40 million transfer imminently.
At 22 years old, Tolisso made his senior national team debut back in March, which came in the midst of a season that saw him finish with 14 goals and seven assists for Lyon across all competitions.
Capable of playing in an attacking, holding or box-to-box role, Tolisso’s versatility figures to serve himself well in Bayern’s setup, particularly as the Bavarians aim to replace the retired Xabi Alonso this coming campaign.
With stars Thiago Alcantara and Arturo Vidal nailed on as starters under manager Carlo Ancelotti, Tolisso figures to compete with fellow summer signing Sebastian Rudy for minutes in a deeper role early on.
Given those two offseason additions, however, it appears more likely that Bayern will sell Portuguese youngster Renato Sanches after just one year at the club.
Elsewhere in Germany, Bild also reports Cologne talisman Anthony Modeste is garnering interest from China.
After hitting 25 Bundesliga goals while leading his team to Europa League qualification this past season, Modeste was the subject of a meeting between representatives from Cologne and Tianjin Quanjian.
The Chinese club is reportedly prepared to table a €30 million transfer bid and intends to tempt Modeste into joining by offering him a far superior salary than he’d receive in Europe.
The report states the 29-year-old could earn around €10 million per season should he sign a multi-year deal with Tianjin Quanjian, who already boast striker Alexandre Pato and added Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel in January.
Another Frenchman that could be set for a summer switch is Monaco’s Valere Germain, who RMC journalist Mohamed Bouhafsi reports has a contract agreement in place with Marseille.
With his current Monaco deal scheduled to expire next year and the reigning Ligue 1 champions sporting a bevy of attacking talent already, Germain is certainly someone that could depart the Principality, and interest from his hometown club provides an ideal exit route.
The 27-year-old has put together back-to-back seasons with at least 10 league goals, which could make him a nice bargain for Marseille at the quoted €5 million figure.
While Germain is seemingly on his way out of Monaco, goalkeeper Diego Benaglio is anticipated to sign for Leonardo Jardim’s team.
According to L’Equipe, Benaglio was in Monaco earlier this week to finalize terms of a two-year deal with an option for a third.
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The 33-year-old is available for a free transfer after spending the past nine years with Wolfsburg, for whom he posted 80 clean sheets in 321 career appearances.
Also Switzerland’s No. 1 goalkeeper prior to his international retirement, Benaglio figures to compete with Danijel Subasic for opportunities this season.
To conclude, a transfer that’s been confirmed is Roma’s capture of Mexican Hector Moreno.
The 29-year-old has inked a four-year contract with the Giallorossi following a two-season stint at Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven.
Although Moreno is capable of lining up at left-back, virtually all his appearances came at center-back last season, when he scored an impressive seven goals from defense.
In joining Roma, Moreno became the first signing of the club’s legendary new director of football, Monchi.