“One day he tells me one thing and the next he tells me another, personally I would like him to remain in Europe and until the transfer window shuts, I can’t rule out anything.
“I can confirm that he likes the Italian league and would really enjoy playing in Italy. He told me he could play there until he’s 40 years old.
“At the moment, there are many offers and he has to decide, but I’d love it if he signed for Lazio, because even if Rome is quite far away, it’d be a huge opportunity for him.
“I know it’s unlikely he’ll come back to Spain, as he always tells me to rule out the idea of a return to Valencia.”
Today I need to think about my future very well.
I have a contract with the club and I need to respect it, obviously, if I have to leave it will be for the best.
We have to be calm and wait.
Last season I played continuously, this one less so.
This year has been more complicated: I have lost continuity and confidence. I do not like this. At this age I need to play to be called up for the national team.
“Eric Garcia announced to us he doesn’t want to extend his contract with City, he has one more year and then after that, he doesn’t want to extend.
“We wanted to but he doesn’t want to.
“We imagine he wants to play in another place.”
“I am extremely pleased to be welcoming Ledley into the first team group as we continue our preparations for the new season.
“He has a tremendous affinity with this football club and the fans appreciate just how much he has accomplished as a true Spurs man both on and off the pitch.
“We have developed a good relationship since I arrived, and we hope to use his experience and insight to support the work we are doing with the squad.”
“I’m excited to welcome Ethan to Blackpool, and I am really looking forward to working with him.
“He’s a highly rated, athletic midfielder who I have been aware of for a number of years and watched him develop at Sunderland.
“I believe he will be a valuable asset to the team, and he fits the profile well of the type of player we want to bring to the Club.”
“I think Chris has shown, over his career at Manchester United, how valuable he is for United.
“This season was about him being a regular and going to Roma, showing and proving how good a centre-back he is.
“I wanted to give Harry [Maguire] and Victor [Lindelof] and maybe Axel [Tuanzebe] a chance and so he found out that it was best for him to go to Roma to play for a year.
“Now he’s coming back. Chris has shown this season that he will be valuable so I’ve been speaking to Chris throughout and been delighted with his season.”
Williams said: “Signing this contract is another really proud moment for myself and my family. Having been at Manchester United since I was seven years old, it’s genuinely a dream come true to be playing in the first team.
“It’s taken a huge amount of hard work to reach this point and been really special for me to break through into the squad.
“I’ve learned a lot throughout the season from the manager, his coaching staff and my team-mates and I want to repay the trust that they have all shown in me.
“I know that everyone at the club is working really hard every day to achieve success in the coming years and I am really excited to be a part of that.”
“Chelsea need defensive reinforcements and we don’t think they’ll look much further than Declan Rice.
He’s odds on to move to Stamford Bridge this summer,” said Coral’s Harry Aitkenhead.
Real Madrid have paid tribute, stating: “Real Madrid CF wants to show his appreciation, admiration and love for one of the greatest legends of our club and world football.
“The best goalkeeper in the history of Real Madrid and Spanish football came to our house when he was 9 years old.
“Here our shirt was formed and defended for 25 years, being forever one of our most iconic captains. Iker Casillas has earned the love of Real Madrid and is a benchmark of the values that represent Real Madrid.”
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl said: “This is more good news for the future of this team, as these young players are important for our philosophy
“Jake has developed well this season and made some big steps forward. He has good qualities, which he has shown in matches and also in his training with us. He is calm on the ball but also brave, and I like this attribute in my players.
“He must keep working hard on his game, and we will be sure to do this with him. There are many areas that he can improve in further, so this is a good opportunity for him to make the most of his potential.”
Arsenal are set for a £100million spree in the transfer market this summer as they eye three major targets.
The Gunners have identified Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey as their priority signing and will look to return with an improved bid after seeing an earlier offer rejected.
Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes is also on Mikel Arteta’s wishlist as he looks to add reinforcements to his problem defence.
They face competition for the Brazilian though with Man Utd and Everton also keen.
Arteta hopes to raise funds by offloading some of his current crop, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira all up for sale.
Torreira has been attracting interest from Serie A, and Arsenal plan to replace him by bringing Dani Ceballos back to the club on a permanent deal.
Chelsea star Willian is also expected to complete his switch across London in the next week on a free transfer.
The forward is set to sign a three-year deal at The Emirates.
Frank Lampard says Chelsea have done all they can to keep hold of him, but are braced for his departure as they aim to land Kai Havertz as a direct replacement.
The Blues are being made to wait until after Bayer Leverkusen have wrapped up their Europa League campaign though, and chiefs at the German club have made it clear the 21-year-old will not be allowed to leave on the cheap.
A goalkeeper is also a priority for Lampard, who is desperate for an upgrade on current stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen is their first choice but Chelsea know they face a battle to prise him from the Nou Camp.
One man who could be leaving Spain in the coming weeks is Gareth Bale, whose time at Real Madrid looks to be over.
The Welsh winger was left out of Madrid’s Champions League trip to Man City as his relationship with boss Zinedine Zidane hits rock bottom.
Bale’s extortionate wages will likely prove a stumbling block to any transfer, and his agent has previously insisted he will not be leaving the club before next summer.
Elsewhere Man City are planning to add further signings after completing a double swoop for Ferran Torres and Nathan Ake; Liverpool continue to be linked with Bayern Munich star Thiago Alcantara and Norwich’s Jamal Lewis; and Man Utd’s Jadon Sancho saga rumbles on.
Keep up with all the latest transfer news and updates right here.
Borussia Dortmund have attempted to snooker Man Utd in their pursuit of Jadon Sancho by offering the winger a mega-money contract extension.
United continue to stall over meeting Dortmund’s £108million asking price for the 21-year-old with just days remaining on the German club’s deadline.
Dortmund were willing to listen to serious offers for their star man but only if they were submitted by August 10 – which is on Monday.
Bild now report if United do not submit an offer that meets Dortmund’s demands by that date, the Bundesliga giants will tempt Sancho into staying with a huge wage increase worth £3.5m.
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Southampton have reportedly joined the race to sign Liverpool midfielder Harry Wilson.
The 23-year-old has returned to the club after a spell on loan with Bournemouth.
However he could now be sold this summer to raise funds for transfers, and the Saints are keen on taking him back to the south coast, according to Football Insider.
They face competition for his signature though, with Leeds, Aston Villa and Newcastle all interested in the £20m-rated star.
Leeds are looking to capitalise on Brentford’s playoff failure by nabbing striker Said Benrahma.
The highly-rated forward looks set to move on this summer after The Bees missed out on promotion to the Premier League.
Several top-flight clubs are interested, including Aston Villa, West Ham and Tottenham, but The Express reports Leeds are hoping to swoop in with a £20m bid.
Pep Guardiola has ruled out a swoop for Real Madrid outcast Gareth Bale this summer after the Welshman missed the trip to The Etihad on Friday.
The Welsh winger was left back in Spain as Madrid crashed out of the Champions League at the hands of Guardiola’s side.
City are one of the only sides capable of financing a move for Bale, who is on extortionate wages at Madrid, but Guardiola insists that will not be happening.
“We are not interested in making any move for Gareth,” he said.
Bale’s future is now up in the air, with his time at Madrid seemingly at an end.
Crystal Palace look set to miss out on signing talented QPR prospect Eberechi Eze.
The 22-year-old has been linked with a step up to the Premier League, with Palace leading the way on negotiations.
But they had a bid worth a total of £12million knocked back by the Championship club and refuse to meet QPR’s £20m valuation.
The Sun report West Ham are also interested and could outbid Palace to land the forward.
Former Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic is looking to make a return to the Premier League amid interest from top-flight clubs.
The 36-year-old captained Zenit to the Russian Premier League title last season and claims he has received an offer from Everton.
However the free agent would prefer to move back to West London and could end up at Chelsea’s nearby rivals Fulham, according to Bleacher Report.
Lille defender Zeki Celik has been tipped as a potential replacement for Serge Aurier at Tottenham.
Aurier looks set to depart this summer with both AC Milan and Monaco interested.
Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is also aiming to offload Juan Foyth to raise transfer funds, and Celik could be brought in to fill the roght-back slot.
The Telegraph state that Lille would expect a fee in the region of £18million for the Turkish star.
Chelsea have been told they must stump up the cash if they want to sign Kai Havertz as Bayer Leverkusen will not let him go on the cheap.
Talks are ongoing between the two clubs over the 21-year-old forward but they are still some way off agreeing a fee.
Leverkusen value their star man at £90m, while Chelsea were hopeful of landing him for closer to £70m.
Rudi Voller, Leverkusen’s sporting director, told Gazzetta:
“We know that Chelsea are strongly interested in him, but we’ll not sell any player before the end of the Europa League.
“If Chelsea want to sign Kai they must pay what we ask. No lower price because of Covid.”
Newcastle United are the latest Premier League club wanting to sign Liverpool academy graduate Harry Wilson, according to the Northern Echo.
There have been widespread reports that Liverpool will allow the 23-year-old Wales international to leave the club this summer, having loaned him out to Derby County and Bournemouth over the past two seasons.
Leeds United, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace have all been linked with signing Wilson on a permanent deal, but the report from the North East suggests Steve Bruce’s Magpies want to take him on another loan.
Read the latest Liverpool transfer news here.
West Ham United manager David Moyes says the club have not received any bids for Chelsea target Declan Rice.
The midfielder has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge but the Hammers are reluctant to sell the England international, who started his career at Chelsea.
“At the moment there have been no offers for Declan and we don’t want any,” Moyes told the Evening Standard. “There’s always interest but we don’t want to encourage it.”
Read the latest Chelsea transfer news here.
James Rodriguez seems likely to depart Real Madrid this summer, with Arsenal reportedly interested in signing the Colombian playmaker.
Spanish outlet AS claims James has played his last game for the Spanish giants after he was left out of their Champions League squad for the last-16 second leg against Manchester City.
Philippe Coutinho is on Arsenal’s radar as they look for more creativity in the final third, with Willian having been offered a deal by the north London club, but James could also be a target.
Read the latest Arsenal transfer news here.
Jadon Sancho is in contact with several high-profile Manchester United players, according to journalist Ian McGarry of The Transfer Window podcast.
“He has been in constant touch with England international colleagues who currently play for Manchester United and indeed in daily contact with them,” said McGarry of the Borussia Dortmund winger.
“It’s even believed he’s on a WhatsApp group with some of the Manchester United players as well.”
Read the latest Manchester United transfer news here.
Liverpool are reportedly eyeing a move for Ben White after watching the Brighton defender impress while on loan at Leeds United last season.
White was key to Leeds’ promotion-winning Championship campaign, starting all 46 games as the Whites secured a return to the Premier League after a 16-year absence.
The centre-back was scouted extensively by the Reds during his loan spell at Leeds last season, according to the Liverpool Echo – and he could be the perfect signing to provide competition for Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.
Read the full story here.
Arsenal are reportedly set to launch a £100million summer spending spree to sign Thomas Partey, Gabriel Magalhaes and Dani Ceballos.
But the Gunners, who this week announced plans to make 55 staff redundant, will have to sell players first, according to The Sun.
The publication says likes of Lucas Torreira, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Matteo Guendouzi and Shkodran Mustafi must all be sold to raise cash for the recruitment drive.
Read more here.
Liverpool want to sign Norwich City’s Jamal Lewis for his football ability, but the Northern Ireland international is also an impressive athlete.
As a teenager, Lewis faced a tricky decision over whether or not to pursue a career in football or on the track.
The website balls.ie has unearthed Lewis’s athletic records from his youth as listed on thepowerof10.info, and they show his huge promise at various distances.
In 2012, Lewis could run 100m in just 12.3 seconds – just two seconds outside the current under-18 world record.
Read the full story and more of Lewis’s impressive records here.
Rio Ferdinand says football fans are being denied the chance to see “generational talent” Gareth Bale in action as his standoff with Real Madrid continues.
Bale, who was not in the squad as Madrid lost to Manchester City on Friday night, has come close to leaving on a couple of occasions but has stayed in the Spanish capital.
Ferdinand thinks Bale needs to quit the club, saying: “I think its time now, really. Either cut your ties with Real Madrid or at least go on loan.”
Read the full story here.
Gent forward Jonathan David is set to join Lille for £27million, according to Sky Sports, in news which will come as a blow to Arsenal and Manchester United – who were both linked with a move for the Canada international.
David was joint top scorer in the Belgian league with 18 goals last season.
While the Gunners and Red Devils miss out, Rangers fans will welcome the news, as it means Lille are likely to end their interest in Gers star forward Alfredo Morelos.
Former Real Madrid, Manchester City and AC Milan star has left Turkish champions Istanbul Basaksehir.
He joined the club in January 2019 and made 15 appearances as Basaksehir won their first Turkish Super Lig title this season.
The club thanked the 36-year-old for his service in a statement on their official website, saying: “The contract of star football player Robinho, who has been wearing our orange-blue jersey since 2019, has expired.
“We thank Robinho, who is an exemplary athlete with both his humble personality and character, for his efforts to our club and wish him success for the rest of his career.”
Manchester United are reportedly monitoring Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret as they search for a replacement for current No1 David de Gea.
De Gea’s numerous high-profile errors this season have prompted United chiefs to consider a change of shot-stopper.
And ESPN claims United have identified Meret as a promising option who could inherit No1 status in the near future.
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Tottenham are reportedly eyeing Barcelona riight-back Emerson with a view to a transfer this summer.
The 21-year-old has been on loan at Real Betis for the past two seasons, with whom Barca have shared ownership of the player.
Jose Mourinho is keen on adding the defender to his ranks, according to Diario de Sevilla, with Spurs said to have already made contact over a potential deal.
Leeds have no concerns that Marcelo Bielsa will sign a new contract as talks between the two parties continue.
Bielsa has led Leeds back to the Premier League but is currently not contracted to be in charge next season.
However The Athletic report it is a case of when, not if, Bielsa will sign, as the formalities of the agreement are just taking a little time to pull together.
Frank Lampard insists Chelsea did everything to keep want-away Willian and will hold no grudges if he leaves.
Chelsea boss Lampard said: “In terms of being disappointed, certainly as a club we have done everything we can to explain to Willian.
“Mine and his relationship is very close and I would have no feeling of disappointment if he does move on. He is a fantastic man and a fantastic player.
“I think he will feel like that about Chelsea. I will leave him to say his own words. But I don’t want anyone to try to find a negative attitude.
“The club have acted very well in this as well. If he moves on I personally will wish him well. That is where we are at.”
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Liverpool have enquired about the availability of 18-year-old prodigy Talles Magno, according to a report from Brazil.
Magno, a versatile forward able to play as a central striker or on the left, is considered one of the brightest prospects in the Brasileirao and plays for Vasco da Gama.
Vasco da Gama are well aware of the talent they have on their hands and moved last November to hand Magno a new deal which included a £45million release clause.
He remains contracted at Sao Januario Stadium until 2022 and Liverpool have made contact to determine whether a transfer is realistic, according to Yahoo Esportes.
Given the current strain on the club’s finances, is believed Vasco may be willing to part ways with Magno for substantially less than the release clause fee and £18million may be enough to bring him to Europe.
Read the full story here
David Silva would be open to a move to Lazio amid interest from the Serie A club.
The Spanish veteran will be a free agent once Man City’s Champions League campaign ends in the coming weeks but is yet to decide on his next destination.
Silva’s father Fernando told Sky Sports:
“One day he tells me one thing and the next he tells me another, personally I would like him to remain in Europe and until the transfer window shuts, I can’t rule out anything.
“I can confirm that he likes the Italian league and would really enjoy playing in Italy. He told me he could play there until he’s 40 years old.
“At the moment, there are many offers and he has to decide, but I’d love it if he signed for Lazio, because even if Rome is quite far away, it’d be a huge opportunity for him.
“I know it’s unlikely he’ll come back to Spain, as he always tells me to rule out the idea of a return to Valencia.”
Manuel Neuer has admitted Bayern Munich would be losing their “midfield engine” if Thiago Alcantara leaves the club this summer.
The Bayern skipper has watched Thiago in action at close quarters since his arrival from Barcelona seven years ago.
Since then the 29-year-old has helped his side to as many successive Bundesliga titles – four of which have been part of illustrious doubles.
Bayern are now facing the very real prospect of Thiago moving on though, with Liverpool the favourites to land his signature.
Thiago has just a year remaining on his current contract and Bayern would rather not lose him for nothing next year.
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Today I need to think about my future very well.
I have a contract with the club and I need to respect it, obviously, if I have to leave it will be for the best.
We have to be calm and wait.
Last season I played continuously, this one less so.
This year has been more complicated: I have lost continuity and confidence. I do not like this. At this age I need to play to be called up for the national team.
Read the full story here
Willian is said to be ‘upset and offended’ by Chelsea’s limited attempts to keep him at the club.
The Brazilian forward is expected to seal a free transfer to London rivals Arsenal in the next week after spending seven years at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea were not willing to offer Willian the new three-year deal he was demanding as they stuck to their policy for players over the age of 30.
Instead they tabled a two-year contract but Willian – who turns 32 next week – has snubbed the offer.
According to ESPN, Willian feels Chelsea have showed a lack of desire to retain his services, hence his decision to seek pastures new.
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Ajax are interested in taking Tottenham youngster Ryan Sessegnon on loan.
Spurs boss Jose Mourinho has insisted the £25million star will not be sold, but could be open to a temporary deal.
According to The Guardian, Fulham are also keen on taking back their former charge, but they are more likely to land Spurs midfielder Oliver Skipp.
Leeds are lining up a £15million bid for Liverpool midfielder Harry Wilson.
The 23-year-old has returned to the Merseyside club following a loan spell with relegated Bournemouth, but is deemed surplus to requirements.
Liverpool are open to offers for Wilson, who they valued at £20m last summer after successful stints at Hull and Derby.
Reds’ chiefs were hopeful of selling him on for closer to the £30m mark, though realise that figure could be unrealistic in the current climate.
The Sun report that Leeds are now hopeful of landing the player with a bid worth half of Liverpool’s most recent valuation, but are not the only club interested.
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