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Riccardo Calafiori gives green light to Arsenal, but Chelsea still in the race
The big story of the last few days is with Riccardo Calafiori and if you’ve been following on here then you’ll know since last week about the strong interest from Arsenal and Chelsea. Both clubs are really interested in Calafiori, and now Arsenal have presented their proposal to the Italy international – it’s a long-term contract, the salary is not an issue at all, and they also presented their project to the player, and he is open to joining Arsenal in case they can reach an agreement with Bologna.
So, there is already a green light from Calafiori to Arsenal, but what about Chelsea? My understanding is that Chelsea are prepared to approach Bologna, and that they will try to include players in the negotiation. It’s a different strategy, but Chelsea are still there, even if Arsenal are the favourites at the moment.
Arsenal have a shortlist with three names in that position – left-footed defenders who can play centre-back or left-back. Jorrel Hato fits the bill in that respect and also remains one of the most appreciated talents by Arsenal, but for now Ajax still insist to keep him for one more season. So, Calafiori is exactly what Arsenal are looking for in that position, and Mikel Arteta has approved the potential deal and we’re now waiting for the next step. Let’s see what will happen between Arsenal and Bologna, this is now the crucial point.
It’s also important to note that Calafiori has given the green light to Arsenal because Juventus are almost no longer in the race. For weeks and weeks, Juventus wanted Calafiori, they had an agreement on the salary with Calafiori, but they are now considered out as they cannot agree on a deal with Bologna. The truth is that Bologna are furious with Juventus after their manager Thiago Motta made the move there this summer, and so that’s why they are furious with Juve and they would prefer to sell the player abroad.
Now they have the chance, because Arsenal are there and Arteta is really keen to bring Calafiori to the club. The relationship between Arsenal and Bologna is also very good after they previously negotiated the deal for Takehiro Tomiyasu, so let’s see if Chelsea can come up with something, or if Arsenal will now win the race for one of the most talented young defenders around. Despite rumours about PSG and Bayer Leverkusen, I’m told that the only two clubs in the race are Arsenal and Chelsea, with Arsenal ahead at the moment.
It will be interesting to see his development from here, and how Arsenal plan to use him if they manage to complete this signing. He can play easily as a centre-back or left-back, he’s excellent in both positions; he was a left-back for his whole career before this superb season as centre-back last season.
What does Joao Palhinha transfer mean for Joshua Kimmich?
Joao Palhinha to Bayern Munich is now a ‘here we go’ as there has been a breakthrough in talks between Bayern and Fulham. Palhinha asked very clearly to be allowed to join Bayern, and now it looks closer to going through, so what could this mean for the future of other Bayern midfielders?
There has been a lot of speculation about Joshua Kimmich in particular as he’s in the final year of his contract at Bayern now, and some fans have asked me if Palhinha’s arrival means he’s replacing him.
Let’s see what happens because Bayern have still a chance to extend Kimmich’s contract. Still, the most likely scenario at the moment is for Kimmich to leave and try a new experience, it will also depend on proposals because Kimmich will explore all the options available to him after the Euros.
Truth about Liverpool swap deal and Marc Guehi links
It’s been a quiet summer for Liverpool so far, but we know there was recently interest in Anthony Gordon, and there has been some speculation about a failed attempt at agreeing a swap deal with Newcastle.
Some outlets have reported that Joe Gomez was one of the names being offered by Liverpool to Newcastle, but I can’t confirm this. Newcastle and Liverpool had a contact for Gordon, as reported a few days ago, but a swap deal was never something close or concrete, so I don’t have this information I’m afraid.
In terms of names coming in for the defence, Marc Guehi has been linked with Liverpool (as well as other clubs) several times and he’s impressing with England at the Euros. There is interest from many clubs, but nothing close or concrete yet as he wants to focus on the tournament now and not be distracted. For sure Guehi remains an interesting name for this summer with two years left on his contract at Crystal Palace.
Ederson to Saudi remains one to watch
There is a lot of movement in Saudi Arabia – the market there has restarted and we’re heading into important days. Al Ittihad also have a new manager in Stefano Pioli, and something could happen from the Premier League in the next days.
One concrete possibility is for Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson to move to Saudi – it remains the case that he has proposals from Saudi clubs, as I reported at the end of May. There are discussions ongoing between Al Nassr and the agents of Ederson, though they’re not the only ones showing an interest. Ederson is open to a move to Saudi, and Man City are open to letting him go.
Now City are waiting for an official bid from Ederson, and of course a move will depend on the financial proposal. Still, City have been aware of this possibility since May and so they extended the contract of Stefan Ortega, because if Ederson leaves, Ortega will be the new first-choice goalkeeper for Pep Guardiola and City will bring in a new backup for that position.
Real Madrid remain ready to sign Davies and Yoro this summer if the money is right
Real Madrid have had a busy few months and they have two more big names on their list at the moment – Alphonso Davies at Bayern, and Leny Yoro of Lille. So what’s the latest with these players?
Real Madrid remain very keen on Davies and never stopped contacts on the player side. However, it depends on the asking price, because if Bayern put Davies on the market for a normal fee, Real Madrid are happy to start a negotiation, otherwise they are very happy with the squad they have.
If Davies were then to stay at Bayern but not sign a new contract, then the chances for Real Madrid to move for the Canadian left-back next summer as a free agent would be very concrete. So it could either be Davies now for a reasonable price, or Davies in 2025 if he doesn’t extend his contract at Bayern.
With Yoro, the situation remains quite clear – Real Madrid want the player, and the player wants to go to Real Madrid. The message to the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain has always been clear – his desire is to go to Real Madrid, so he is pushing to go there and he is ready to wait for them.
Real Madrid don’t want to pay big money for a player who’s out of contract next summer, so it’s a similar situation as with Alphonso Davies, it would also in this case need to be a fair price. Still, there is the feeling that Lille would be ready to sell the player this summer, and this is why it remains a very strong topic for this summer, with contacts taking place.
For now, the only way for clubs like Man United, Liverpool and PSG to enter strongly into the race is if negotiations between Lille and Real Madrid collapse. In that case, Yoro could open the door to other clubs, but for now Real Madrid is his absolute priority.
Crysencio Summerville to PSG links explained
There has been an interesting story coming out about PSG being interested in Leeds United winger Crysencio Summerville. I’ve spoken before about the expectation being for Summerville to leave Leeds after they couldn’t win promotion back to the Premier League, and I’ve also reported on Summerville to Brighton being discussed, so what about these new links with PSG?
My understanding is that the situation is: Summerville shares the same agents as Feyenoord defender Lutsharel Geertruida. PSG are in talks with Geertruida on personal terms, so Summerville was mentioned during talks but there’s still no negotiation ongoing between the clubs or the player’s agents. It’s an open race with Brighton and more clubs interested.