Liverpool have learned how much it’ll cost to sign a Man Utd target whose girlfriend is already house-hunting in Merseyside, while Chelsea have been given the greenlight to sign Sadio Mane and Aston Villa are sizing up an impressive Barcelona coup – all in Wednesday’s Transfer Gossip.
LIVERPOOL LEARN COST OF SIGNING MAN UTD TARGET
Around €50m (approx. £44m) will be enough to seal a Liverpool deal for a player Erik ten Hag tried and failed to bring to Man Utd last summer, per a report.
By and large, Ten Hag turned to those he knew well during his first window at the helm in Manchester.
Lisandro Martinez and Antony arrived from former club Ajax. Tyrell Malacia also arrived from the Eredivisie, while fellow Dutchman Frenkie de Jong was his primary midfield target.
Another player targeted who Ten Hag knew up close and personal was versatile Ajax defender, Jurrien Timber.
A deal ultimately wasn’t made, though fast forward 10 months and it’s sounding like Timber will be on the move.
Indeed, reports out of the Netherlands recently claimed Timber is keen to push through a move and Anfield – not Old Trafford – is his next port of call.
Adding fuel to the fire was the claim his girlfriend has already been spotted house-hunting in Merseyside.
Timber, 21, can operate at either centre-back or right-back and as such, would appear to be a match made in heaven Jurgen Klopp.
Klopp lacks a natural back-up for Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, while centre-halves Joel Matip, Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams could all depart at season’s end.
Fabrizio Romano recently reported Liverpool would target a centre-back and a full-back this summer and Timber would tick both boxes by himself.
Timber recently suggested a summer switch is nearing, declaring to De Telegraaf: “My transfer is getting closer. There is a lot of specific interest for the summer.
“Last summer, Ajax asked me to renew my contract and to stay for one more season. Out of love for the club, I did this.”
But a summer move is now taking shape and Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg has claimed €50m is the valuation Ajax have settled on.
Plettenberg stressed Ajax would much rather retain their star defender, though in the end, money can and often does talk.
Concrete offers are yet to be lodged, though it’s reiterated Timber “wants to join a top club”.
Another advantage in Liverpool’s favour is the presence of Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk who’s understood to have played a role in convincing Cody Gakpo to join the Reds in January.
SADIO MANE TO CHELSEA?
Mauricio Pochettino looks set to see his wish of managing Sadio Mane at Chelsea granted after a report claimed Bayern Munich have greenlit an exit.
Eyebrows were raised when Liverpool sold Mane to Bayern Munich for a relatively modest £27.4m (prior to add-ons) last summer. However, Mane has endured what can only be termed a disappointing campaign in Bavaria.
He’s struggling on just seven league goals and went six months between late-October to late-April without scoring in the Bundesliga.
The Senegalese, 31, was also fined and suspended for one match in April after punching teammate Leroy Sane. All in all, it’s fair to say his post-Anfield career has not gone to plan.
Sky Germany recently reported Bayern are open to allowing a high profile winger to depart this summer. Serge Gnabry was the player mentioned in the accompanying tweet by Florian Plettenberg, though 90min suggest Mane will be the one to make way.
The online outlet state Bayern are ‘open to parting ways’ with Mane after just one season in Germany. New manager Thomas Tuchel has reportedly been left unimpressed by what he’s seen from the ex-Liverpool great and has ‘made it clear’ to Bayern’s decision-makers Mane can leave.
That’ll be music to the ears of would-be next Chelsea manager, Mauricio Pochettino.
Indeed, Football Insider reported Pochettino has ‘given the move [for Mane] the green light during his own contract situations.’
Chelsea’s profligacy in front of goal has plagued the Blues from start to finish this season. While Mane hasn’t exactly lit up the Bundesliga since leaving Liverpool, a return to the Premier League where he is as proven as they come could relight his fire.
FI claimed a Mane move to Chelsea could be an ‘instant affair’ given Chelsea’s desperation for firepower and Bayern’s willingness to sell.
A bid of around £30m could reportedly be enough to seal a deal that would draw an interesting reaction from those up at Anfield.
ASTON VILLA HATCH BARCELONA PLAN
Aston Villa have made a “formal” enquiry into bringing Barcelona’s director of football, Mateu Alemany, to Villa Park.
A Barcelona statement recently confirmed the 60-year-old would leave the club on June 30.
“Alemany will end his time at the club on 30 June to begin new project — despite having a contract until 2024,” read the statement when translated into English. “FC Barcelona will shortly announce changes in the football executive structure.”
Alemany will continue to lead Barca’s recruitment drive up until the final days of his departure. But per Fabrizio Romano, Alemany has already received a concrete offer to join Aston Villa.
The trusted journalist tweeted Villa have made a “formal proposal to Mateu Alemany to start new project and work together with Unai Emery.”
Romano concluded that joining Villa is one of the most “concrete” options open to the Spaniard.
A subsequent update from Romano revealed Alemany is “prepared to accept” Villa’s offer.
