Transfer Talk: Barca to offer Dest as part of deal to land Lewandowski

The summer transfer window is approaching and there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: Barca to use Dest in deal for Lewandowski?

Barcelona are on the lookout for a high-profile striker in the summer and Sport reports that they are in talks to sign Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski, with Sergino Dest potentially moving the other way.

Poland international Lewandowski is set to become a free agent in 2023, with no signs that he will pen a new contract in Bavaria after eight years at the club.

The 33-year-old has scored 339 goals in 367 appearances across all competitions for Bayern, becoming one of the most feared strikers in Europe. His tally last year broke Gerd Muller’s 49-year record for most goals in a Bundesliga season and his 31 this season shows he is not slowing down.

Lewandowski’s contractual issues could see Barca boss Xavi Hernandez pounce on the opportunity to land him, though Bayern value the striker at €65 million, something that could be too much for Barca given their financial difficulties.

That’s where Dest comes in, with the report claiming that Bayern are interested in the United States international full-back as an option for the future. The 21-year-old, who has started just 15 league games this season, could be included in a swap deal plus cash that would suit both sides.

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20.31 BST: Real Madrid are preparing a squad clearout this summer, Marca reports, with Dani Ceballos, Luka Jovic, Jesus Vallejo, Mariano, Kubo, Reinier, Alvaro Odriozola and Brahim Diaz all available. However, Los Blancos are said to be insistent on receiving a transfer fee for all of them, despite having no futures at the Bernabeu.

18.47 BST: Romelu Lukaku hasn’t even been back at Chelsea for a year yet, but already it seems the 28-year-old striker could already be on his way out of west London, having contributed just 12 goals in 35 appearances across all competitions this season. According to quotes attributed to Belgium manager Roberto Martinez in the Sun, Lukaku and Real Madrid outcast Eden Hazard could find themselves in new homes come this fall.

“I’m not going to judge or assess the condition of any player until after the summer because it is not a normal situation, the former Everton boss is quoted as saying. “It is still seven months to the World Cup, and probably you will go into the details of how a player feels when it gets closer to it than now.

“But there will be a lot of players who change clubs or are going to feel in a different way in the summer. Romelu needs to be assessed on how he feels in September, the same way Eden Hazard does and some others. But he is one of the players for whom the summer could be a big moment for their careers.”

17.00 BST: Torino defender Gleison Bremer has been attracting attention with his performances in Serie A, but the club want at least €30m to sign him, says TuttoJuve.

Bremer, 25, reportedly has Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Juventus, Tottenham and Bayern Munich on his trail and could leave this summer.

Torino are happy to do a deal at €30m, given they signed the Brazilian for around €5m from Atletico-MG in 2018.

16.15 BST: Tuttosport says two strikers dominate the thoughts of Arsenal as they look to build a new strikeforce in the summer.

Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez are the two players named, though Napoli wouldn’t accept less than €100m for Osimhen and Martinez is rated at around €65m.

Arsenal could lose Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah when their contracts expire this summer, meaning the club would have no recognised central strikers with experience unless they bring in a new arrival or two when the transfer window opens.

The Gunners have some money to spend, but they also have other areas to address in their squad.

15.37 BST: Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele has yet to agree a new contract and has Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain on his trail, says 90min.

Dembele, 24, is out of contract in the summer but has won his place in the first-team back after being dropped when negotiations over a new deal halted.

The France international has to decide whether to stay at Camp Nou and accept the terms of his new deal, or to go on the free-agent market this summer.

Plenty of top clubs in Europe would be keen on signing the winger, but Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain lead the way.

15.01 BST: Liverpool snapped up Diogo Jota from Wolves for £45m in 2020 and, despite being 5-foot-10, his aerial ability has really caught the eye.

14.20 BST: Sevilla’s Jules Kounde is already one of the most highly rated young centre-backs around and has Barcelona, Chelsea, Man United and more after his signature. Here’s why he’s so in demand.

There’s style and there’s substance. Few other centre-backs are as engaging to watch as Kounde, especially when he sets off on attacking runs with the ball at his feet in central areas of the pitch. Those runs, obviously aimed at creating a numerical advantage higher up the pitch, can still come as a surprise and be a source of havoc among the opposition.

Kounde’s excellent ability on the ball makes him extremely useful in starting attacks, either by picking out a midfielder centrally or by hitting a pinpoint crossfield ball out to the left winger to gain possession high up the pitch. His wonderful ball-carrying and technical skills also make him an attacking weapon in his own right. He can deliver decent crosses from deep positions as well as taking part in combination play in and around the penalty area (his Copa del Rey goal against Barcelona is a fine example).

Sure, a centre-back breaking forward to take part in the attacking build-up is nothing new, but with his continuous eagerness to set up overlaps and one-twos, Kounde is probably the closest you’ll find to perfecting the art. Furthermore, his average of 1.85 dribbles per game as a central defender almost exclusively playing in a back four offers further proof of his adventurous style, just as his smooth ball control also comes in handy when evading the opponent’s pressing game.

13.45 BST: The Daily Mail says that Leicester City want to raise £50m by letting midfielder James Maddison leave this summer.

Maddison, 25, has 13 goals in 40 appearances this season and has attracted interest from Arsenal, Man United and Tottenham.

Leicester could also see interest for star midfielder Youri Tielemans, who has one year left on contract, plus Ayoze Perez, Kelechi Iheanacho and Caglar Soyuncu, as they look to bring in cash for a summer spending spree of their own on a centre-back, midfielder and forward.

12.40 BST: Sergio Ramos doesn’t want to leave Paris Saint-Germain, says RMC Sport, despite struggling in his first year at the club.

Ramos, 36, has had persistent injury problems since arriving on a free transfer from Real Madrid last summer.

The Spain defender has been linked with a move to MLS, but the report claims he is not ready to give up on his career in Paris just yet.

11.27 BST: If Man United miss out on the Champions League then they will struggle to attract star players in the summer.

10.55 BST: Newcastle are ready to offer £20m to sign Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, says The Sun.

Sanchez, 24, has impressed on the south coast and Newcastle boss Eddie Howe wants to bring in competition for first-choice Martin Dubravka.

Newcastle have also been linked with more high-profile options in recent weeks, with Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga, Man United’s Dean Henderson and Arsenal’s Bernd Leno on the shortlist as they have fallen down the pecking order at their respective clubs.

10.02 BST: The Daily Mirror says that Birmingham City want Manchester United forward Tahith Chong back on loan next season.

Chong, 22, did well at St Andrew’s in the first part of season but underwent surgery on a groin problem that ended up sidelining him for over four months and returned to Old Trafford in November, before returning to the club in February.

United have taken up the year’s option on Chong’s contract but the Netherlands U21 international needs first-team experience and could end up out on loan again next season after previous spells at Werder Bremen and Club Brugge.

09.39 BST: Manchester City are optimistic they can see off competition from Real Madrid to sign striker Erling Haaland this summer, sources have told ESPN.

City are in the market for a striker and are confident they can put together a financial package to cover the €75m release clause in Haaland’s contract with Borussia Dortmund (which comes into effect this year), the Norwegian’s wages and other associated fees including payments to agents.

Sources said that the departures of Angelino, Ferran Torres and Jack Harrison (for combined fees of around €85m) have left City in a strong financial position ahead of the summer window.

They also believe the lure of working with Pep Guardiola and a track record of success which has seen the club win three of the last four Premier League titles can convince Haaland to spend the next stage of his career at the Etihad Stadium.

09.00 BST: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said Ajax manager Erik ten Hag could be a strong candidate to succeed him.

Ten Hag is also among a handful of names linked to the top job at Manchester United as interim manager Ralf Rangnick’s tenure is set to conclude at the end of the campaign. Sources have told ESPN that Ten Hag has held talks over the role at Old Trafford.

Guardiola joined City in 2016 and has a contract until the end of next season. He said in January he might make a decision on his future this summer.

“Could Erik ten Hag be here at City? Definitely. I think he could be the one,” Guardiola said. “For the way he approaches the game, definitely.”

Guardiola worked with Ten Hag at Bundesliga club Bayern Munich for two seasons when Ten Hag was in charge of the second team.

PAPER GOSSIP (by Luke Thrower)

– Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are monitoring a move for Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante in the summer, says AS. Kante, 31, has become one of the most successful players of his generation, winning eight trophies since moving to the Premier League, including an unlikely title triumph with Leicester City. However, with his contract expiring in 2023, the France international’s time in England could soon be up, with Los Blancos and the Parisiens eyeing a transfer.

– Real Madrid are eyeing a move for Bayern winger Serge Gnabry, according to Marca. The 26-year-old, who has scored 11 goals and six assists in the Bundesliga this season, is uncertain over his future due to his contract expiring in 2023. This has opened up the possibility of him leaving the club, with Los Blancos eyeing someone to play on the right as Vinicius Junior holds down the left.

– Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking to extend the contract of midfielder Ruben Neves until 2026, reports Ekrem Konur. The 25-year-old has made 28 Premier League appearances this season, becoming a crucial player for the Midlands club, but missed out on the Saturday derby win over Aston Villa where manager Bruno Lage claimed he was a “big loss.” Two other Premier League clubs are said to be interested in a move, with the Portugal international out of contract in 2024.

– Kalidou Koulibaly has been linked with a move away from Napoli for a number of years now, but he could extend his stay with the Azzurri and Nicolo Schira reports that the club have offered him a new deal. The 30-year-old has been at the club since 2014, with his deal expiring in 2023. The current offer runs until 2025, with the club captaincy along with it due to Lorenzo Insigne‘s impending move to Toronto FC in the summer.

– Mohamed Salah has been the centre of contract speculation over the past few months, with his deal at Liverpool expiring in 2023. However, the saga has taken another dramatic twist as the Mirror reports that the Egypt international is set to sign a deal that will see him stay at Anfield for the rest of his career.