Newcastle United are looking to sign Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, while Chelsea are interested in signing West Ham midfielder Mohammed Kudus. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors, and gossip from around the globe.
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ESPN SOURCES
– Florian Wirtz is expected to complete his club-record £100m transfer from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool on Friday. — Beth Lindop. Read
– Thomas Partey is expected to leave Arsenal on a free this summer, as negotiations over a new deal are at standstill. — Matteo Moretto. Read
– Bayer Leverkusen are in talks with Liverpool over a deal to sign defender Jarell Quansah. — Lindop. Read
– Torino goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić is one step away from joining Napoli for €18m, having been linked with Man United and AC Milan. — Moretto
TRENDING RUMORS
– Chelsea are interested in signing West Ham midfielder Mohammed Kudus, according to The Guardian. Kudus, 24, would be a versatile addition to the frontline but he has an £85m release clause and is also a target for Manchester United and Newcastle. Brighton’s João Pedro is another option the club have scouted in that position, but the Blues are prioritizing a move for a left winger, with Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens first choice and Lyon’s Malick Fofana as a backup option.
– Newcastle United are preparing an offer to sign Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, reports The Sun. The Toon want to “rescue” Rashford from his current limbo, as he faces the prospect of being frozen out at Old Trafford unless he secures a move away. The 27-year-old isn’t viewed as a replacement for Alexander Isak by Newcastle boss Eddie Howe; instead he would be expected to provide competition for the Sweden international from the bench. It’s also unclear how much Rashford’s transfer will cost this summer, as his stock is on the rise following an eye-catching loan spell at Aston Villa.
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– Bayern Munich made another approach for Athletic Club winger Nico Williams but were rejected as he wants to join Barcelona, reports Sky Sport Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg, who adds that the 22-year-old Spain international has a verbal agreement with the Blaugrana and a release clause set at €63 million.
– Sport Bild reports that while RB Leipzig haven’t received an offer for Xavi Simons, the attacking midfielder’s brother Faustino has been negotiating with top clubs — notably Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Arsenal and Chelsea — while there are also contacts with Barcelona. Die Roten Bullen want a €70 million transfer fee to sanction the departure of the 22-year-old Netherlands international in a summer that could see them bring in €250m, with an agreement reportedly reached with Arsenal for Benjamin Sesko and Loïs Openda being another big name who will be allowed to leave.
– Arsenal will pay slightly more than Martín Zubimendi’s €60 million release clause to sign the midfielder from Real Sociedad, reports Fabrizio Romano, who adds that this will allow the Gunners to pay in installments thanks to a positive relationship between the two clubs. This move comes despite Real Madrid having tried to come in for the 26-year-old.
CONFIRMED TRANSFERS
– Nottingham Forest defender Willy Boly has signed a new one-year contract. Read
– Former Inter Milan and Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo has been appointed manager of São Paulo on a contract until December 2026. Read
– Germany midfielder Sara Däbritz has joined Real Madrid from OL Lyonnes on a two-year contract.
EXPERT TAKE
ESPN’s Sam Tighe looks at why Chelsea are keen on West Ham midfielder Mohammed Kudus.
With negotiations for Gittens seemingly stalling, it’s no surprise to see other wingers linked to Chelsea. They need to play the market and make it clear there are other options available if they hope to soften Dortmund’s stance.
Kudus is a fascinating option, as he’s such a mercurial, unpredictable player. His ability to seemingly corner himself with the ball, then miraculously beat three defenders and carry it another 50 yards, is not something many others can claim to do. Only Manchester City winger Jérémy Doku (107) registered more successful take-ons in the Premier League last season than the Ghana international (92).
For West Ham, Kudus has often played wide, but has shown the ability to play as the No. 10 or even as a split striker. Before arriving in London, his days at Ajax were split between winger, No. 8, and even as a false No. 9, so it’s no wonder he boasts such versatility.
There are drawbacks to his style of play, though. He’s so good at dribbling that he can come across as too individualistic or selfish at times, and he’s sometimes too eager to force a shot at the end of a run — rather than look for a teammate in a better position.
OTHER RUMORS
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How big of a loss would Thomas Partey be for Arsenal?
Gab & Juls debate Thomas Partey’s future at Arsenal after talks for a new contract stalled.
– Manchester City will sign Freddie Lawrie for their youth ranks when his Aston Villa scholarship expires this summer, with the 16-year-old able to play center midfield and center back. (The Athletic)
– Juventus are looking at AS Monaco’s Eliesse Ben Seghir and Tottenham Hotspur’s Mikey Moore as they aim to sign a young winger who can replicate the success they’ve had with Kenan Yildiz. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
– Manchester City’s move for Morgan Gibbs-White isn’t dead and three other Premier League clubs are looking at the Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder. (Daily Mail)
– AFC Bournemouth attacking midfielder Justin Kluivert is open to joining Bayer Leverkusen, with Die Werkself interested in the 26-year-old replacing Florian Wirtz. (Football Insider)
– Eintracht Frankfurt want to sign Copenhagen midfielder Victor Froholdt as they expect to lose Hugo Larsson in 2026. (Kicker)
– As Paris FC prepare for life in Ligue 1, they have made progress in their attempts to sign Nantes winger Moses Simon and are looking at Nice midfielder Pablo Rosario. (L’Equipe)
– Everton plan to revive their interest in a £10 million deal for West Bromwich Albion winger Tom Fellows after a move fell through on deadline day of the January transfer window. (TEAMtalk)
– Negotiations are continuing between Liverpool and Napoli over the transfer of Darwin Núñez, reports Gianluca Di Marzio. The Uruguay international is very likely to leave Anfield this summer, amid reports that Liverpool are targeting a new No.9. Napoli have already been active in the summer transfer market, acquiring Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer and Luca Marianucci from Empoli. Núñez has been on Merseyside since he arrived for €75m in July 2022, scoring 25 goals in 95 Premier League appearances. The 25-year-old is under contract at Liverpool until June 2028.
– Internazionale are closing in on the signing of Parma striker Ange-Yoan Bonny, Sky Sports News reports. Their pursuit of the player comes after the recent snub of Rasmus Højlund, who has instead opted to stay put at Manchester United. With personal terms yet to be fully agreed, Napoli could still emerge as a late contender for Bonny.
– Fulham are considering an approach for PSV and United States striker Ricardo Pepi, according to Fabrizio Romano. Pepi, 22, scored 18 goals in 29 games last season but is open to a move and clubs from Spain and Italy are also interested. The former Dallas FC striker signed a contract until 2030 recently, so PSV would be able to hold out for a decent transfer fee.
– Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, 27, has threatened to go on strike as he looks to make an €80m transfer this summer, with Arsenal and Manchester United interested. (Mirror)
– Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, 32, wants to move to Manchester United, but his club are looking for a fee of £40m. (GMS)
– Liverpool want to sign Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, 25, this summer and are willing to pay more than the £100m they are already paying to sign midfielder Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen. (GMS)
– Having chosen not to sign Jadon Sancho from Man United on a permanent deal, Chelsea only have Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke and young Tyrique George as options on the wing, but with 18-year-old sensation Estevao joining soon, the club are open to offers for Madueke. (Guardian)
– AC Milan left-back Theo Hernandez is still of interest to Saudi giants Al Hilal at around €35m. (Fabrizio Romano)
– Barcelona are preparing a €30m offer to sign AS Monaco right-back Vanderson. The Brazil international has been a star for Monaco since joining the club in 2022 from Gremio. (Goal)
– Leeds United have made a £26m offer (plus £6m in add-ons) to sign Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz, 24, but it has been rejected. (Evening Standard)
– Leeds are interested in Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz, who is expected to leave this summer. (Tuttosport)
– The club have also made an offer to sign Lecce forward Nikola Krstovic. The Montenegro international, 25, scored 12 goals in 38 appearances last season, and has a contract until June 2027, with an option to extend it for a further season. (Sky Italia)
– Como are in talks with Real Betis to sign Spanish striker Jesus Rodriguez. Rodriguez, 19, has scored two goals in 21 league appearances since being promoted to Betis’ first team in January and has a contract until June 2029. (Sky Italia)
– Brentford striker Yoane Wissa is being tracked by Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, Arsenal, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, but his club won’t let him go for less than £50m. (TEAMtalk)
