The summer transfer window is approaching, and there's plenty of gossip swirling about who's moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Lewandowski eyes Camp Nou switch
Barcelona are keen on signing Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and have even started initial talks, as has been reported by Sky Sports Deutschland.
Lewandowski, 33, has been a key man for Bayern since joining from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2014 and has hit the back of the net with scary regularity. This season, he has managed an outstanding 46 goals and four assists from 40 matches across all competitions.
However, Bayern are in a slightly precarious position as the Poland international's contract ends in 2023, with the veteran open to change as it would fulfil a dream to play in LaLiga and boost his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or.
The reports adds that Lewandowski hasn't made his decision yet, or asked Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn to let him leave in the summer. Bayern don't want to see their main striker leave and a fee would need to be negotiated if he is allowed to depart.
Barcelona feel that Lewandowski can guarantee them at least 30 goals-per-season, so are looking to offer him a contract of two or three years worth between €30m-€35m -- a yearly raise of over €10m.
- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- Don't have ESPN? Get instant access
LIVE BLOG
22.00 BST: Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking to sign talented youngster Andrey Santos from Vasco da Gama, according to Globo Esporte. Wolves have made an enquiry for the 17-year-old midfielder, but they will have to follow up on initial interest soon as the Brazil U20 international has been tipped to join Barcelona, while Vasco prepare a new contract to keep the defensive midfielder in Brazil.
21.27 BST: Diego Simeone wants to reinforce the Atletico Madrid midfield with Fenerbahce midfielder Miguel Crespo, according to Mundo Deportivo. The Spanish capital club reportedly have already approached the Turkish side for a loan deal for the 25-year-old. Despite remaining the favourites to sign Boubacar Kamara from Marseille, Simeone wants to strengthen his midfield with the addition of the ball-winning midfielder.
20.54 BST: Villareal centre-back Pau Torres is eyeing a big-money summer move, and Goal reports that Manchester United are interest in the 25-year-old defender with the potential departures of Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe. A move to a top European club this summer will be likely if the Yellow Submarine can knock out Bayern Munich to reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time in their history.
20.21 BST: 20.54 BST: Torino are looking to negotiate a deal with Leicester City to retain Dennis Praet, Calciomercato reports. The 27-year-old joined the Turin-based side last summer on loan from Leicester, and they are keen to extend his stay, but are unwilling to pay the pre-agreed transfer fee of €15m due to the midfielder's injury problems, sustaining a fractured metatarsal in February that ruled him out of the rest of the season. Unless a new deal can be negotiated, it is likely that the Belgium international will return to Leicester, with two years remaining on his contract.
19.48 BST: Jurgen Klopp is looking to sign the "next Luka Modric" to strengthen an aging Liverpool midfield, according to SportBILD. Liverpool are interested in signing Luka Sucic from FC Salzburg, who has been a transfer target of AC Milan since last November.
After the departure of Georginio Wijnaldum to Paris Saint-Germain and with both Jordan Henderson and Thiago 31 years old, Klopp is looking to freshen up the Liverpool midfield this summer. Nineteen-year-old Sucic, who is capable of playing across the midfield, looks a strong candidate.
19.15 BST: The future of goalkeeper Dean Henderson is in doubt as Manchester United look to sign Sam Johnstone, according to the Mirror.
The 25-year-old has endured a difficult season, making only three appearances, none of which being in the Premier League. The academy graduate looked to directly compete with David de Gea, but he has failed to replace the veteran goalkeeper in the starting lineup. The England international was keen to leave United in January, but he remains at the club as an understudy, with his contract expiring in 2025.
Manchester United are instead preparing for a transfer battle with Tottenham Hotspur for the return of Johnstone. The 29-year-old, who never made an appearance in his seven years at Manchester United, is likely to leave West Bromwich Albion when his contract expires this summer. A move back to Old Trafford in the summer likely pushes his England teammate, Henderson, closer to an exit.
18.42 BST: Juventus have given Matthijs de Ligt an ultimatum, Gazzetta dello Sport reports: extend his contract or leave at the end of the season. Although the 22-year-old's contract does not expire until 2024, Juve want to avoid the potential for the Dutchman leaving on a free transfer, a situation they're battling with Paulo Dybala right now.
18.09 BST: Xavi Simons could return to Barcelona at the end of this season, according to Le Parisien. The 18-year-old, who has only featured seven times for Paris Saint-Germain, could return to Barcelona, after leaving them for Paris in 2019.
17.36 BST: Arsenal defender Pablo Mari wants to stay in Serie A next season, reports Gazzetta dello Sport. The 28-year-old joined Udinese on loan in the January transfer window after falling out of favour with Mikel Arteta, making only 14 Premier League appearances for his parent club since his initial signing from Flamengo in 2020 for £7m.
17.03 BST: AC Milan are looking to sign Gianluca Scamacca from Sassuolo ahead of Arsenal, according to Calciomercato. The 23-year-old forward is a popular figure in Italy, scoring 13 goals in his 30 appearances this season.
With doubts over the future of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, technical director Paolo Maldini is looking to rebuild his strike force. Divock Origi's transfer on a free from Liverpool is reportedly imminent, but that is apparently not enough for the Serie A side.
16.30 BST: Borussia Dortmund star Gio Reyna has struggled this season.
16.05 BST: Manchester United are set to miss out on a £12m transfer fee for Andreas Pereira, sources have told ESPN's Mark Ogden, with Brazilian club Flamengo preparing to abandon a deal to sign the midfielder at the end of his season-long loan spell.
Pereira, 26, moved to Flamengo last August, with United giving the two-time Copa Libertadores winners an option to sign the Belgium-born Brazil international for a fee rising to £12m based on appearances.
But despite making 34 appearances in all competition for the Rio de Janeiro-based team, sources have said that Pereira has not done enough to convince Flamengo to sign him in a permanent move.
15.50 BST: RB Leipzig have signed Belgian goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt from Genk, but he won't join the club for another two years.
The highly rated 20-year-old has signed a five-year contract beginning in 2024.
Vandevoordt said: "I'm very happy about my upcoming transfer to RB Leipzig. The club have a clear idea of football and have become one of the best names in Europe in recent years, especially for young players."
#RBLeipzig have signed Belgian goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt from @KRCGenkofficial! ✍️
— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN) April 12, 2022
The 20-year-old has signed a five-year contract beginning in 2024.
🔴⚪ #WeAreLeipzig pic.twitter.com/X2tmCHTuAx
15.34 BST: Shakhtar Donetsk winger Manor Solomon is closing on a move to Fulham, says the Daily Telegraph.
Solomon, 22, can leave the Ukrainian club amid the war with Russia, but Fulham are willing to spend €10m to sign him in the summer.
The Israel international would replace Fabio Carvalho, who is moving to Liverpool.
15.05 BST: Ralf Rangnick has been told it is imperative Manchester United qualify for Europe next season even if they miss out on a place in the Champions League, sources have told ESPN's Rob Dawson.
Defeat at Everton on Saturday left United seventh in the table, six points behind Tottenham in fourth, with seven games to play.
It has raised the possibility that Rangnick could look to use the remaining games to rotate his squad and play youngsters from the academy but sources have told ESPN that during meetings with the board, Rangnick has been reminded that securing European football for next season is important for the club's finances -- even if it's via the Europa League or Europa Conference League.
United reported matchday revenue of £34.6m in their latest quarterly results, a period during which eight games were played in front of a capacity crowd at Old Trafford.
14.41 BST: Benfica striker Darwin Nunez is being courted by Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, but Mundo Deportivo reports that Atletico Madrid are also in the running.
Nunez, 22, has 31 goals in 36 games this season and is valued at around €80m, though he also has a reported €150m release clause.
Atletico need a long-term replacement for Luis Suarez and could opt to sign his Uruguayan teammate, with agent Jorge Mendes set to bring Nunez under his management. However, they will struggle to match that kind of transfer fee.
14.12 BST: Barcelona are interested in Arsenal defender Gabriel, according to Sport.
Gabriel, 24, joined the Premier League side from Lille in 2020 and has become a key player under coach Mikel Arteta, making 62 appearances in all competitions since signing for a fee of around €25m.
Barca, in theory, are not in the market for a new centre-back, with Andreas Christensen set to sign from Chelsea on a free transfer, but they would like to add a left-footed player to their defensive options.
With the club keen to move on Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet, they would be left with four right-footed central defenders for next season: Christensen, Gerard Pique, Eric Garcia and Ronald Araujo.
Arsenal are likely to command a big fee for Gabriel, with Barca short on cash, but the report in Sport suggests the English side could entertain an exchange deal. Neto, Memphis Depay and Riqui Puig are all mentioned as options, while Lenglet and Philippe Coutinho have also been linked with the Gunners before.
Meanwhile, Sky Sports Germany reports that Barca are also interested in Stuttgart left-back Borna Sosa, with the club keen to add competition for Jordi Alba next season.
13.39 BST: Luuk de Jong is keen to stay at Barcelona beyond the end of the season, with midfielder Miralem Pjanic also set to return to Camp Nou from his loan at Besiktas.
De Jong, 31, has emerged as a key player under Xavi, with his goals off the bench earning a late draw at Espanyol and clinching a dramatic 3-2 win at Levante on Sunday. He also scored the winner against Mallorca and another goal earned Barca a point against Granada.
The Dutch striker is enjoying his role at Barca, which is largely restricted to substitute appearances, and would be open to extending his stay at the club when his loan from Sevilla expires in the summer.
"After the season I will look at my options," De Jong told Ziggo, with his Sevilla contract running until 2023. "I still have to see what offers come in, but I think any player would prefer to stay at Barcelona. That's not even a question for me, it would be fantastic. I have said it before: I am going to see if anything comes up, but right now I am working hard to end the season well and then we will see what comes next."
With a decision on De Jong's future looming, Barca will also have to decide what to do with Pjanic in the summer. The Bosnia & Herzegovina midfielder is on loan at Besiktas, but the Turkish club's sporting director Ceyhun Kazanc, per Goal, says they don't plan to make the deal permanent.
Pjanic, 32, joined Barca from Juventus in 2020 but found minutes hard to come by under Koeman and was allowed to leave on loan.
13.16 BST: Fernandinho says he won't be staying at Manchester City beyond the end of the season.
"I want to play," the 36-year-old told a news conference. "I will go back to Brazil, for sure. I've decided with my family, it's the most important for me",
12.54 BST: Might Chelsea be looking to move on Christian Pulisic this summer?
12.13 BST: Antonio Conte is pushing Tottenham to make Dejan Kulusevski's loan move from Juventus permanent at the end of the season, sources have told ESPN's James Olley.
Spurs signed the Sweden international in January on an initial 18-month deal worth €10m with an option for a permanent transfer set at €30m.
Kulusevski has made a huge impact at Spurs having registered three goals and six assists in 11 Premier League appearances, forming a key part of Conte's three-man attack alongside Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min.
Conte has long been an admirer of the 21-year-old with sources telling ESPN he was keen on signing the winger during his Inter Milan tenure and the forward is said to have settled in quickly at the north London club.
Spurs are already committed to making centre-back Cristian Romero's loan move from Atalanta permanent at the end of the season for a fixed €55m fee and signing Kulusevski in addition would represent a significant outlay before pursuing fresh targets.
11.55 BST: Real Madrid winger Brahim Diaz can move for €22m, says Calciomercato.
Diaz, 22, has been on a two-year loan at AC Milan until 2023 and the club are reportedly interested in making the move permanent.
At least now they know how much of a transfer fee they will need to pay.
11.08 BST: Ajax midfielder Ryan Gravenberch looks set to join Bayern Munich, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Gravenberch, 19, is one of the best young players in Europe and is keen to make the step up, with his contract expiring in 2023. A fee of around €35m would be enough for Ajax to let him go, but Bayern are negotiating in the hope of landing him for less.
Ajax full-back Noussair Mazraoui is also reportedly in talks with Bayern, though he will depart on a free transfer when his contract expires this summer.
Agent Mino Raiola is representing both players, so that may have something to do with it.
10.35 BST: Man United need a summer clearout. Here's what Mark Ogden and Gab Marcotti make of it.
09.50 BST: Barcelona don't have much money, as well we know, but they do have a plan to sign one big attacking player this summer.
With interest in Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland, Bayern's Robert Lewandowski and Benfica's Darwin Nunez, the club are also reported to be keen on Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix.
Felix, 22, joined Atletico for €126m from Benfica in 2017 but the Portugal international hasn't lived up to expectations and could move on for around €80m.
Sport claims that Barcelona are showing signs they might make a bid, but Atletico won't want to let him join a rival.
09.09 BST: Sergio Ramos wants to play for another "four or five seasons at the highest level" before taking on another adventure in football.
Ramos, 36, joined Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent in the summer after 16 seasons with Real Madrid.
Injuries have limited the veteran Spanish defender to just seven appearances across all competitions for PSG leading to speculation that his time in Paris could be cut short.
He made his PSG debut on November 28 after recovering from a calf injury that had kept him out of action for five months.
"I would like to play four or five years more at the highest level before moving on to another experience," he told Amazon Prime. "I've signed for two years here at Paris Saint-Germain and we are going to try and make that three years, one more, and then we'll see. "As long as I can hold out physically, I believe I can remain focused."
08.44 BST: Belgium international Leandro Trossard is one of the players Newcastle United would consider moving for this summer if winger Allan Saint-Maximin leaves the club, the Daily Mail reports.
Saint-Maximin, 25, is the club's outstanding star player and, despite substantial transfer spending in January following the takeover by the Saudi-backed PFI earlier this season, the former France youth international could leave St James' Park this summer.
If Saint-Maximin does move this summer then Brighton & Hove Albion's Trossard, Bayer Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby and Nottingham Forest's Brennan Johnson would all be potential targets to replace him.
08.00 BST: Casemiro has called on Real Madrid fans to stop whistling Gareth Bale, and said "when you whistle a player like that, you're whistling the history of this club."
Bale was jeered on Saturday when he came on as a 74th minute substitute during Madrid's 2-0 LaLiga win over Getafe, in his first appearance at the Bernabeu since February 2020. The forward has played just five times for Madrid in the league this season. Fans were angry when he was declared unfit for the team's Clasico clash with Barcelona last month, only to start for Wales -- scoring twice in a World Cup playoff with Austria -- four days later.
"When you whistle one player, you whistle all of us," midfielder Casemiro told a news conference on Monday ahead of Madrid's Champions League quarterfinal second leg with Chelsea. "Football is about opinions, everyone has theirs, but I don't agree when a player on my team is whistled. We're all on the same side, we have to support him."
Bale's contract at Madrid will expire this summer, bringing an end to a nine-year stay in Spain that has seen him win four Champions League titles -- scoring in the 2014 and 2018 finals -- but also attract criticism for his injury record and perceived prioritising of his national team.
The 32-year-old has also faced criticism in the Spanish media and slammed their coverage as "disgusting" after he was labelled a "parasite" by newspaper Marca after Madrid's Clasico defeat.
"I didn't like the whistles the other day for Bale," Casemiro added. "He's a historic player for this club. He's scored a lot of important goals for this club. When you whistle a player like that, you're whistling the history of this club. I didn't like it. I think the fans have to support us."
PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)
- Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves has emerged as one of Arsenal's priorities during the summer transfer window, reports Sky Sports. However, Wolves value the Portugal international at between £50m and £60m, while the Gunners also face competition from the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
- Real Madrid and Luka Modric are both eager to agree a new deal, with the Croatia international's terms ending in the summer, but there is a difference of opinion when it comes to wages, reports Gianluca Di Marzio. The 36-year-old took a 10% reduction last season in order to help the club's finances as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic, and his agent wants Modric to return to his former wage of €12.5m-per-season, or at least stay on what he is on now. On the other hand, Los Blancos want a further reduction.
- Brighton & Hove Albion are planning on extending Danny Welbeck's contract, reports Ekrem Konur, with the former England international's deal culminating in the summer. It is suggested that the new contract would keep the striker at the Amex Stadium for one year, with the option to extend that for another year. He has managed 20 Premier League appearances this season, scoring three goals.