Transfer news LIVE! Arsenal get Rice boost; Chelsea win Ugarte race; Man Utd agree Kim Min-jae deal; latest
The summer transfer window opens next week, and the football season is yet to finish, but clubs are already making moves to strengthen their squads. Arsenal are desperate to go one better than last season after their title race collapse, while Chelsea and Tottenham simply must improve after dismal campaigns.
The Blues have already made big changes with the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager, and he will not be wasting any time and also already earmarker six midfield targets. Manuel Ugarte has reportedly agreed to a six-year contract in a £52million switch from Sporting CP, though Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are also in the mix. The future of Mason Mount needs to be resolved, while Christopher Nkunku will come in.
Big-name signings are expected in abundance with English football showing no sign of slowing down on the spending front. For Arsenal, a £200million plan could include deals for Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo as Granit Xhaka nears a move away, though Bayern Munich have tabled a huge bid for Rice and PSG want Martine Odegaard. Manchester United look to have agreed their first summer signing in Kim Min-jae, and interest in Tottenham striker Harry Kane persists. Follow all the latest transfer news, rumours and updates with Standard Sport’s live blog!
Live updates
Arsenal set new transfer budget
Arsenal have a transfer budget of £180million this summer, according to the Mail.
West Ham captain Declan Rice is their number one target, but with Manchester United and Bayern Munich also interested a bidding war would not suit the Gunners.
Any player sales would boost Mikel Arteta’s budget, and Emile Smith Rowe, Kieran Tierney and Rob Holding are all up for sale, and Thomas Partey could also leave. Granit Xhaka is set to join Bayer Leverkusen.
Martin Odegaard, though, is not for sale despite interest from Paris Saint-Germain.
Chelsea confirm new CEO
Another day, another appointment at Chelsea.
Chris Jurasek has joined as the club’s new chief executive officer.
A statement reads: “Jurasek will take responsibility for all the business areas of the club and will report to the board alongside co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, who will remain responsible for all the sporting activities of the club.”
Jurasek said: “I’m delighted to be joining Chelsea, a club which is loved and followed all over the world. I’m enormously proud to be leading it into the next chapter in its rich history.
“We have huge opportunities to grow on and off the pitch and to engage our exceptional fans both in London and wherever they are supporting us from. I’m looking forward to working closely with our owners, leadership and everyone around the club.”
Van der Sar leaves Ajax
Some interesting breaking news coming out of Holland as Edwin van der Sar has resigned as chief executive of Ajax.
Van der Sar was appointed to the role in 2016, having worked as the club’s marketing director for four years.
Ajax have endured a tough season, having lost both manager Erik ten Hag and star forward Antony to Manchester United last summer.
Big shoes to fill now at the Amsterdam ArenA.
Why Pochettino has to wait (kind of)
Mauricio Pochettino will begin planning for next season immediately after finally being confirmed as Chelsea boss on Monday, writes Dan Kilpatrick.
Under the terms of his exit from Paris Saint-Germain a year ago, Pochettino cannot officially begin his new role until July 1 but he Argentine has already started the groundwork for a crucial summer, including speaking to Blues players.
Pochettino is also expected to hold talks with outgoing interim head coach Frank Lampard — who has been critical of the players, saying “standards have dropped” — and begin discussions with co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, with whom he will work closely, on summer plans.
Pochettino is due in London tomorrow for a series of meetings and will split his time between the capital and Barcelona in the next month, while he is also due in Manchester on June 11 for SoccerAid.
Read more here!
Messi agrees £1billion Saudi contract
Lionel Messi has agreed a two-year deal with Saudi Arabia side Al-Hilal worth an eye-watering £1billion.
The Argentine’s preference is to return to Barcelona, but his camp have agreed reached an agreement to move to the Middle East.
Unsurprisingly, that’s the biggest contract in football history and more than double what Cristiano Ronaldo currently earns in the same league.
Messi will be a free agent from June 30 when his Paris Saint-Germain contract expires.
Kane staying put this summer
Harry Kane is expected to stay at Tottenham this season despite interest from Manchester United.
The Mirror report that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will again simply not entertain bids from a Premier League rival despite the striker entering the final year of his contract.
Levy, the report states, believes selling now, rather than losing Kane on a free transfer next summer, would be more damaging given the club’s current plight.
Kane is understood to only want to stay in the Premier League as he targets beating Alan Shearer’s Premier League goal record, which he could do within two seasons.
Sterling reacts to Pochettino appointment
Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling has reacted to the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as his new manager.
The former Tottenham manager has a job on his hands and Sterling insists the club will be winning trophies again “very soon”.
“From his time before at Tottenham, I heard a conversation about him and he’s the exact person that we need,” Sterling told Arab News.
“He will bring leadership, he will challenge players physically and mentally and I think he is going to come here and he is going to have the personality that everyone is going to respect. That’s what we need, someone in charge.”
Read more here!
PSG make Odegaard move
Paris Saint-Germain have made contact over a deal to sign Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard.
The Mail claim that the Les Parisiens sounded out a deal for the Gunners captain after his fantastic year leading the team to a Premier League title challenge.
But Arsenal are not interested in a selling their captain as they look to go one better in next season’s title race.
Man Utd agree £50m Kim Min-jae deal
Manchester United have reached an agreement to sign Kim Min-jae from Napoli.
According to reports in Italy, a £50million deal has been accepted by the Serie A champions and personal terms with the player were agreed some time ago.
The centre-back is expected to become United’s first summer signing and will fly to Manchester next week to finalise the move.
Pochettino has SIX midfield targets
Mauricio Pochettino has six midfield targets after being new Chelsea manager.
Manuel Ugarte is a key target as the Blues look to beat PSG to his signature, with a new partner in the middle for British record signing Enzo Fernandez top of the agenda.
While Sporting Lisbon’s Ugarte is the main target, The Guardian claim that Chelsea also like Declan Rice, but expect him to go to Arsenal.
The Blues are also said to have watched Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, Youssouf Fofana of Monaco and Brighton duo Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo.
A new goalkeeper and striker is also of interest.
