The coronavirus pandemic has made the transfer market uncertain – and you can find out when the windows open here – but here are the rumors floating around in the big leagues in Europe and beyond.
MAIN STORY: Chelsea eye loan move for Stones
It has already been reported that Chelsea are looking for the Brighton & Hove Albion defender Lewis Dunk, but the Mirror has also hinted that they are looking to bring in an unwanted Manchester City center-back John Stones borrowed.
The report states that the Blues’ success in pursuing Dunk, or vice versa, will have no impact on their decision making regarding the Stones.
This news comes with Frank Lampard looking to improve his team’s defense, having conceded 54 league goals during this period, the highest in the Premier League top 10.
They are apparently not put off by the fact that 26-year-old Stones only made 15 starts in all competitions for City during the entire 2019-20 campaign. The defender was also linked to Arsenal this summer.
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One player who could enter is the former Man City goalkeeper Joe Hart. The 33-year-old is available on a free transfer after leaving Burnley this summer and counts as a national player for both the Premier League and UEFA odds.
Sources told ESPN’s James Olley that Spurs are thrilled with Hart as a backup of the number 1 Hugo Lloris.
08.23 BST: Lazio will face competition from Valencia to sign the Real Madrid forward Borja Mayoral, according to Sky Italia.
Valencia has reportedly joined the race to sign the 23-year-old by making a € 15m bid in Madrid. Lazio had reached personal relations with the Spaniard but had not yet found an agreement with the La Liga champions and, with the slowdown in the negotiations between the two companies, Valencia entered the race for the acquisition of Mayoral.
Mayoral, whose contract with Real will expire in June 2021, has spent the last two seasons on loan at Levante.
08.00 BST: Full-back of Inter Valentino Lazaro is ready to return to the Bundesliga and join Borussia Monchengladbach with a one-year loan ahead of the definitive transfer, reports kicker
Lazaro, 24, left Germany in 2019 when he moved from Hertha Berlin to Inter Milan. However, in January he joined the Premier League club Newcastle United on loan. He is now ready to end the Italian chapter of his career and reunite with his former FC Salzburg manager Marco Rose at Gladbach.
Gladbach will have the opportunity to make the transfer permanent and sign the Austrian international for a share of around € 20 million.
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Concern for Juventus in pursuit of Aouar
Juventus likes the idea of signing the Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar, reports Calciomercato.
Juve is said to have been monitoring him for a couple of seasons, although now they fear they may be beaten to his signature after a string of impressive recent performances, as has happened with Corentin Tolisso, who signed for Bayern Munich from Lyon in 2017.
The Old Lady still wants to sign the Frenchman, but with Lyon’s asking price of € 70m out of their league, as well as competition from Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, this move may not come through.
If they manage to complete a transfer, their tendency to sign a player from the club that knocked them out of the Champions League will continue, having brought Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid and Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax for the past two years.
Cavani is finally getting close to a move
Edinson CavaniThe future has been in the air for some time now, but Le Parisien says he could soon complete the move to Benfica.
The Uruguayan left Paris Saint-Germain, who are preparing for a Champions League semi-final against RB Leipzig, upon the expiration of his contract and has since been linked to various clubs, including Atletico Madrid and the Leeds United.
It is now suggested that the 33-year-old will join Benfica for a span of two to three seasons.
The two sides are rumored to be close in their position in the coming days, so the Portuguese giants may be ready to add Cavani to their ranks, having already signed former Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen.
Tap-in
– Leeds United are monitoring midfielder Molde Fredrik Aursnes, according to the Sun. It is claimed that it would take £ 5 million to remove the 24-year-old from the club that helped develop Erling Haaland. The Lilywhites will face competition from French Toulouse side in search of his signature.
– The Portuguese outlet A Bola suggests it Nacho Fernandez will leave Real Madrid in this transfer window. He says Benfica and Valencia are the two teams showing the most interest, with the Spanish international likely going first. The 30-year-old has managed only six starts in all competitions in this period and a move for him is not expected to require more than € 10 million.
– Lyon are the last team to have made a move for Hearts full-back Aaron Hickey, according to the Scottish Sun. The youngster may have endured the pain of relegation, but he has many options, having already visited Bayern Munich and Bologna training centers. It is claimed that the 18-year-old is also wanted by Aston Villa, Lazio, Manchester City and Celtic.
– The Queens Park Rangers have agreed a £ 2 million tax with Livingston for the striker Lyndon Dykes, according to the Mail. The club reportedly expects to lose Eberechi Eze to a Premier League club this summer and targeted the 24-year-old Australian, who has yet to be capped by the Socceroos, as a replacement.
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