Chelsea are looking at a deal to sign Barcelona winger Ansu Fati, while Arsenal have made their move for Benjamin Sesko. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors and gossip from around the globe.
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TOP STORIES
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– Alexander Arnold on Liverpool fans: ‘Never felt so loved’
TRENDING RUMORS
– Chelsea are interested in signing Barcelona winger Ansu Fati, according to COPE. Ansu, 22, was once tipped to be the successor to Lionel Messi at Camp Nou, but a series of injuries have hindered his development and he spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Brighton. The Spain international made just three starts for Barça this season and will be allowed to leave the club this summer, despite having a contract until 2027, with sources telling ESPN that Monaco are in talks over a loan deal.
– Arsenal have initiated contact with RB Leipzig over a potential move for striker Benjamin Sesko, according to Sky Sport Germany’s Florian Plettenberg. Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta reportedly recently met with RB chief Marcel Schäfer to discuss the potential structure of a deal. The Bundesliga club missed out on Champions League qualification are under pressure to raise funds this summer from player exits and could potentially allow Arsenal to sign Sesko for a cut-price deal, which The Sun reports could be around €75 million. Another forward under consideration is Sporting CP ace Viktor Gyökeres, who is believed to be available at €60m.
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– Matheus Nunes could be used as a makeweight in any potential deal between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City for Morgan Gibbs-White, according to The Sun. City are willing to cut their losses on the Portugal midfielder, who has spent most of his time at right-back this season. Nunes, 26, was signed for £53m in 2023 from Wolverhampton Wanderers, but has failed to provide the desired impact so far at the club. Gibbs-White, by contrast, has enjoyed a stunning campaign for high-flying Forest, and is thought to be on Pep Guardiola’s shortlist of midfielders to replace Kevin De Bruyne.
– Arsenal want to sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to compete with David Raya, according to The Sun. Martinez, 32, left the club in 2020 after failing to break into the first XI and went on to win the World Cup with Argentina and become one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He waved to the Villa Park crowd with tears in his eyes after final home game of the season last week, suggesting he might be moving on this summer, but it would be a strange move to head back to the Emirates only to sit on the bench.
– Benfica left-back Álvaro Carreras is closing in on a return to Real Madrid, says Marca. Madrid want the defender to be part of their Club World Cup squad and are prepared to meet his €50m release clause. The 22-year-old previously spent three seasons in the academy, before moving to Manchester United in 2020, and is keen to return.
EXPERT TAKE
ESPN’s resident scout Tor-Kristian Karlsen looks at why clubs are interested in signing Benjamin Sesko.
The Slovenia international has been on the radar of the elite European clubs for several years. Though his development has proved more gradual than explosive, the season brought some interesting takeaways. On one hand, his goal tally stayed pretty much the same — 21 this campaign; 18 in the previous — but his game is getting more polished.
What makes Sesko stand out are his core qualities: a tremendous shot (70% of his efforts find the target) with his right foot, aerial dominance thanks to his 6-foot-5 frame, and acceleration which allows him to stretch defences. He also has above-average dribbling skills and an elite positional sense in the final third. Indeed, when he’s on the top of his game, he can be a striker who can cause damage single-handedly … in many different ways.
Not unusual for a centre-forward in his early 20s, Sesko is still morphing into becoming a top-class No. 9. He needs to get on the ball slightly more and, given his physique, more assertiveness in attacking duels (43% success rate) is required. He could also stand to win more free kicks and improve his decision-making when it comes to shooting or passing to teammate.
At 21, Sesko is a highly attractive proposition for any top club. He’s learning, adapting and will surely score at a higher rate in a more possession-heavy side (Leipzig are at 51%). It’s just a matter of who pounces first.
OTHER RUMORS
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How Manchester United can recruit for the rebuild
Mark Ogden talks about Manchester United’s recruitment approach to improve the squad for next season under Ruben Amorim.
– Liverpool have made the first official bid to sign Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz for a fee of over €100m. (Fabrizio Romano)
– Manchester City have asked Wolves about the signing of left-back Rayan Aït-Nouri. (Fabrizio Romano)
– With Alexander Isak set to stay at Newcastle, Liverpool will turn their attention towards a move for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitiké. (Sacha Tavolieri)
– Real Madrid are not interested in signing Athletic Club winger Nico Williams, despite his release clause of €58m. (El Chiringuito)
– Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia has a €25m release clause and a host of clubs interested in signing him, but Barcelona are ready to join the race and plan to loan him out. (Fabrizio Romano)
– Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen are keen on signing Wolves striker Fábio Silva, who is currently on loan at Las Palmas. (Rudy Galetti)
– Talks are ongoing between Al Duhail and midfielder Marco Verratti. The 32-year-old’s contract at Al Arabi expires at the end of June, meaning he’s looking for a fresh challenge elsewhere. (Footmercato)
– Leeds United will need to stump up £16m if they want to sign highly rated Dynamo Kyiv forward Vladyslav Vanat, who has scored 21 goals this term. (Football Insider)
– Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka, 32, wants to return to former club FC Basel before he retires. But not yet. (Bild)
– Atletico Madrid are considering a move to sign 23-year-old Stuttgart forward Nick Woltemade, who has impressed this season. (AS)
– Real Betis forward Antony says his only focus is Wednesday’s Conference League final against Chelsea amid speculation over his club future once his loan from Man United ends. Betis are keen to keep the Brazilian at the club beyond the summer, but Antony said: “I still don’t know what is going to happen.” (Cadena Ser)
– Sporting CP forward Viktor Gyokeres also says he “doesn’t know anything” regarding reports of a summer move to Arsenal. (Record)
– Como coach Cesc Fabregas remains Roma’s No. 1 one candidate to succeed Claudio Ranieri as coach. (Sky Italia)
