Manchester United have set their asking price for Scott McTominay and it could harm their chances of selling him to West Ham, while Tottenham may have to pay for a player they thought they’d got for free – all in Wednesday’s transfer gossip.
MAN UTD MAKE MCTOMINAY REQUEST
West Ham’s interest in Man Utd midfielder Scott McTominay could soon be shelved after the asking price for the transfer came to light.
It was reported on Tuesday afternoon that West Ham were in talks for the signing of McTominay. Man Utd are willing to cash in on the midfielder this summer after he fell down their pecking order.
Man Utd have already added Mason Mount to their midfield during the current transfer window and the sale of McTominay would help clear space for a second recruit like Sofyan Amrabat.
However, when Sky Sports News revealed West Ham’s talks, it was stressed that there was a gap in the two clubs’ valuations of the player.
Now, the Daily Mirror has confirmed that Man Utd’s asking price for McTominay is £40m – and they won’t accept anything less.
Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph says the price tag could be up to £45m after also reporting the minimum £40m limit.
It is a high enough request to put off West Ham, despite the fact they are receiving up to £105m for selling Declan Rice to Arsenal.
And while Man Utd are inviting offers for McTominay, who is open to leaving but not desperate, they do not feel under pressure to sell him. After all, he is under contract until 2025 with the option of an extra year.
Erik ten Hag still believes the Scotland international could be a useful depth option, so would have no issue with keeping him. That said, it would probably be in everyone’s best interests to go their separate ways.
Per the Telegraph, McTominay will wait until closer to the transfer deadline at the start of September to assess his place in the Man Utd squad, rather than rushing into a decision to leave.
But as a product of their academy, Man Utd are hoping they could record a massive profit for the books if the time does come to sell McTominay.
TOTTENHAM MAY HAVE TO PAY FOR SOLOMON
Tottenham recently signed Manor Solomon on a free transfer after he suspended what remained of his contract with Shakhtar Donetsk.
However, the Evening Standard has now revealed that Tottenham may have to pay a fee for the former Fulham loanee after all.
Shakhtar’s chief executive Sergei Palkin has proposed that Tottenham match the £5.6m fee that they originally paid to sign Solomon themselves.
The two clubs will compete in a friendly match on August 6, before which Palkin is aiming to meet with his Tottenham counterparts to discuss the issue.
Shakhtar are not aiming to make any profit on Solomon, but merely want to be covered for their losses due to the circumstances behind Solomon’s exit being beyond their control.
“We are sure Tottenham executives understand that Shakhtar invested significant money in the Solomon transfer, investment that Ukrainian clubs in our difficult position, simply cannot afford to lose,” Palkin told the Standard.
“We hope we will have a meeting with Tottenham representatives on the eve of our friendly match and in good faith we will find a solution to the Manor Solomon issue. The solution should satisfy both sides.
“We are not trying to receive some kind of profit. We need just to cover everything that we lost, and that’s it. I believe that we will find a solution, an amicable solution, to have all parties happy.”
BARCELONA READY TO DITCH MAN CITY OLD BOY
Former Manchester City forward Ferran Torres could be sacrificed by Barcelona this summer, according to reports in Spain.
Torres joined Barcelona from Man City in January 2022 and has since scored 14 goals for them. However, his future with the club is now in doubt.
According to Diario Sport, Barcelona have to get rid of an attacker this summer. After Ansu Fati resisted attempts to place him elsewhere, Torres is now the man they are seeking a solution for.
Likewise, Torres does not want to leave, but Barcelona have set a €40m asking price for him. Alternatively, they would be willing to send him away on a two-year loan – which currently seems to be the more likely scenario.
As for whether Torres could return to the Premier League, a La Liga stay seems more likely at this moment. His suitors, per the report, include Atletico Madrid and Villarreal, plus some Italian interested parties.
