Transfer rumor roundup 6/26: Naby Keita eyeing Leipzig exit
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.
Monday’s transfer news is highlighted by German journalist Raphael Honigstein’s report that RB Leipzig’s Naby Kieta wants to leave the club this summer.
The 22-year-old has been regularly linked with a move to Liverpool, who The Guardian reports are considering a £50 million bid, but Honigstein understands Leipzig will remain firm on their €80 million asking price.
After joining from partner club Red Bull Salzburg last summer, Keita went on to tally eight goals and seven assists in his debut Bundesliga campaign.
A dynamic box-to-box presence, Keita also ranked in Leipzig’s top five in average shots (1.4), tackles (2.6), interceptions (2.6), key passes (1.3) and completed dribbles (2.7) per game, according to WhoScored.
Such success resulted in Leipzig seeking to sign him to a new contract at the end of the season, but in rejecting those advances, Keita has alerted interested parties abroad.
Whether Liverpool are willing to meet Leipzig’s valuation remains to be seen, but Keita’s apparent openness to a departure could help the process.
A 22-year-old midfielder that seems increasingly certain for a summer transfer is Monaco’s Tiemoue Bakayoko, who Goal reports could be a Chelsea player by the end of this week.
Following prolonged negotiations, it appears Chelsea and Monaco have finally agreed to terms to allow the Frenchman to join the Blues.
According to the report, Antonio Conte’s club will pay £35.2 million for Bakayoko, whose strength and athleticism figures to complement his busy countryman N’Golo Kante excellently in Chelsea’s central midfield.
With Bakayoko only in need of passing a medical to seal his deal, Chelsea are already preparing to offload fellow combative midfielder Nemanja Matic.
ESPN reports Manchester United are close to signing the Serbian international, who played under Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho during the both of their second stints at Stamford Bridge.
Soon to be 29 years old, Matic scored once and finished with a career-best seven assists while winning the Premier League this past season.
Should Matic indeed join United, that would seemingly end the club’s interest in Paris Saint-Germain’s Blaise Matuidi, which could result in him moving to Juventus.
L’Equipe reports the Italian champions are prepared to offer €15 million for Matuidi, who Juve thought they had secured last summer until PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi blocked the transaction.
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However, with only a year left on his current contract, Matuidi could very well be allowed to depart the French capital this time around, particularly with Juventus still on his case.
Besides having to consider a Matuidi sale, L’Equipe reports PSG have made an initial approach to buy French sensation Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund.
New PSG sporting director Antero Henrique has directly contacted Dembele’s entourage to gauge whether the player would be open to returning to his home country.
While it’s yet to be seen whether Dembele is receptive to PSG’s project, his €90 million price tag represents another significant factor in any deal.
In his first campaign abroad, the 20-year-old attacker registered 10 goals and 21 assists across all competitions for Dortmund, earning the Bundesliga Rookie of the Season award for his breathtaking displays.