Manchester United are closing on the signing of a £44m France star, Liverpool and Chelsea are locking horns after Inter Milan decided to sell one of their best players, while Monday’s Transfer Gossip claims Arsenal are ready to sell a talented young star for £26.5m.
AXEL DISASI SET TO BECOME FIRST SUMMER SIGNING FOR MAN UTD
Manchester United have reportedly held positive talks with Monaco over the signing of Axel Disasi, with Erik ten Hag keen to quickly wrap up his signing.
The Red Devils have made rapid strides under Ten Hag during his first season in charge. And while the season could yet end with three trophies in the bag, plans to make their team even better next season are already well underway.
Indeed, with some more astute signings, United hope they can not just go deep into the Champions League next season, but also potentially challenge for the Premier League title.
In order to smooth over their chances, Ten Hag would ideally like his summer business wrapped up quickly. And he is targeting three big-name signings to help his side become even stronger.
To that end, the United manager wants to sign a striker, a midfielder and a versatile defender. Now it seems the first of those is close to being finalised with talks over a deal for Disasi seemingly progressing.
The Monaco defender is capable of playing at both centre-half and right-back, so appears a dream option for Ten Hag.
And with the player coming with a personal recommendation from Raphael Varane, United are reportedly closing on a deal.
Ten Hag wants Disasi signing for Man Utd quickly agreed
Per reports, the club has held positive talks with Monaco over securing his signing. In those talks, they have reportedly learned that a deal for the three-times capped France defender will cost £44m (€50m).
That price is well within United’s reach and now Ten Hag is reportedly instructing chiefs to sign off the deal.
Now it seems the 25-year-old will soon wrap up a move once the summer window officially opens.
His arrival will likely pave the way for one of Harry Maguire or Victor Lindelof to leave this summer.
And transfer expert Dean Jones, speaking to Givemesport, reckons Manchester United bosses will soon have the framework in place for Disasi.
“He’s a different sort of player, but Axel Disasi could be viewed as Patrice Evra mark two if he was to come from the same Monaco pathway.
“His ceiling is high. He has as a similar age to Evra when he first arrived at the club and I’m told the initial conversations over the past couple of months have been pretty positive around this one.”
Disasi will reportedly sign a three-year deal at Old Trafford with the option for a fourth season.
LIVERPOOL AND CHELSEA BATTLE FOR NICOLO BARELLA
Liverpool and Chelsea are ready to lock horns over a deal for Nicolo Barella this summer.
That’s according to The Sun, who claim Inter Milan are surprisingly willing to sanction his sale.
And while the midfielder is rated as one of the best around, a cut-price move may well be on.
Indeed, per the report, the Nerazzurri are placing a relatively-modest £44m (€50m) fee on his head. And while that is the minimum they would accept, that is some mark-down on the £65m to £75m fee being bandied about a couple of summers ago.
Inter have endured a difficult season and currently sit fifth in the table. As a result, doubts are being cast over Simone Inzaghi’s long-term future as boss. To that end, former Tottenham boss Antonio Conte is now seen as a genuine contender to replace him.
However, there are also doubts over several of their players too. And with cash in short supply, it seems Barella could be sacrificed if a big-money bid comes in.
Per reports, that chase is being led by Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp well in need of fresh legs in his engine room.
However, Chelsea may also look to rival them in the hunt with the Blues willing to sanction the sales of Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic.
The Blues are also seemingly looking at Southampton’s Romeo Lavia and West Ham’s Declan Rice. But Barella could prove the cheaper option of all, and brings with him more experience that the Saints star.
Despite Inter’s struggles, Barella is enjoying an excellent season on a personal level. In 28 appearances in Serie A, he has five goals and seven assists from midfield.
ARSENAL LEFT WITH BIG BALOGUN DILEMMA
Arsenal are strongly considering the sale of Folarin Balogun this summer after his superb season with Reims.
The England Under-21 striker has flourished in Ligue 1, scoring 18 goals in 30 appearances this season.
That form has seen a number of big-name suitors taking an interest in landing the 21-year-old Arsenal star.
Indeed, Bayern Munich and Juventus are among the clubs to reportedly have taken note of his progress.
However, Calciomercato reports that AC Milan are reportedly readying the first formal approach.
And they could launch an initial bid of around £26.5m (€30m) to convince Arsenal to sell.
While the Gunners do rate Balogun highly, they know his prospects of first-team football are limited. And were he to return, he’d likely find himself behind Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah in the pecking order.
To that end, the chance to cash in will surely tempt them. They also know that, after his excellent season in France, his value may never quite be as high again.
However, were Arsenal to agree to his sale, any arrangement would likely need to contain a buy-back option for Arsenal.