Manchester United targets Mbappe
Sources have told ESPN that Kylian Mbappe is on the list of potential Manchester United targets as they make a move to a big name next summer.
United are open to the possibility of adding another player to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squad this transfer window, with the club interested in a central midfield and right-back position ahead of the 31 August deadline. United are also building for the future, and plan to sign the centre-forward in the 2022 summer window, with Solskjaer and the recruiting team working out a list of options.
Edison Cavani is expected to leave Old Trafford at the end of this season - possibly returning to South America with Boca Juniors - and Solskjaer is keen to bring in an established striker to fill the gap. Along with Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland, Tottenham striker Harry Kane and Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez, Mbappe is one of the options on the table.
Mbappe has entered the final year of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain, and United are monitoring his condition. Real Madrid officials openly discussed the possibility of signing the 22-year-old, who is also linked with Liverpool, during talks for Rafael Varane's transfer from the Bernabeu to Old Trafford this summer. A source said Madrid need the money generated by Varane's departure for their "Project Mbappe" initiative, although the LaLiga side privately admits a transfer is unlikely this summer.
Sources said United have a long-standing interest in Madrid's Mbappe and appreciate that a move to the Premier League is not one of the two options if it comes down to a substitute between Spain and England. . A PSG source said Mbappe sees Real Madrid as his preferred option, although he has told senior team-mates he hopes to stay in Paris for another year, which will scramble for his signature next summer. Will do
Mbappe being a free agent would make the deal a particularly attractive proposition, as he would not command a transfer fee, although only a select few clubs in world football could sign his salary and fee. Mbappe is the second most expensive footballer in history, following his €180 million move to PSG in 2018. Neymar, at €222m, remains the most expensive.
Manchester City are keen to sign Kane from Tottenham ahead of the transfer deadline this summer, but United expect the England captain and Mbappe to be available next year as well. Kane is valued at over £150m by Tottenham as he still has three years left on his contract, leading to a standoff between Spurs and City.
Haaland is set to stay at Dortmund for another season despite Chelsea's interest, having signed former United striker Romelu Lukaku earlier this summer. - Rob Dawson and Julian Lawrence
Varane almost missed out on his big United reveal
Sources told ESPN that Rafael Varane almost missed Manchester United's unveiling on Saturday due to traffic around Old Trafford.
Now THAT is an Old Trafford welcome 🤩#MUFC @RaphaelVarane
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 14, 2021
After United missed the noon BST deadline on Friday to register Verne to play in his opening game against Leeds United, a plan was put in place to announce the French international's arrival on the pitch before kickoff. .
The games are produced by the Premier League, and United had to get special permission to take Varane out in front of fans. And the 28-year-old, who signed from Real Madrid for around €41m, almost missed the cut-off point after a traffic delay on the way to the stadium, according to ESPN sources. United had earlier warned supporters to arrive early at 12.30 pm. BST kickoff due to possible disruptions.
The stunt was well received by Old Trafford, with full crowds for the first time since March 2020, with United starting their campaign with a 5-1 win.
Verne watched part of the game at Old Trafford before returning to Carrington for a training session. He did not take part in Tuesday's friendly at home against Burnley, but could make his debut against Southampton on Sunday.
Messi's frenzy big... but not that big
The arrival of Lionel Messi in PSG has created a stir in the city. The deal rocked football and "Messimania" is running well among fans of the French capital side.
Shirts with Messi 30 sold out on the club's website within hours when they were first put up for sale.
- Lawrence: The inside story of Messi's first week at PSG
- Messi business: how the Camp Nou icon was swapped for the Parc des Princes
Sales have continued to increase since then, but despite various reports, PSG has yet to reach sales of 800,000 Messi shirts a week.
"It's crazy to mention figures like this," said Fabian Alegre, PSG's head of brand diversification. "It's true that the sales trend has been phenomenal, but we're far from a million shirts sold. We're not magicians. The deal with Messi happened very quickly, so we have to make do with what our kit maker takes at the time." Looks in production. Shirt."
Benzema's real deal
Real Madrid will follow this week's renewal of Thibaut Courtois with a new contract for Karim Benzema, sources have told ESPN, with an extension also in the works for Federico Valverde.
The club has also announced the renewal of Luca Modric, Lucas Vazquez, Nacho Fernández and Dani Carvajal in recent months.
On Monday, Madrid announced a two-year extension to keep goalkeeper Courtois at the Bernabeu until 2026. Next in line is a new contract for 33-year-old forward Benzema, whose deal expires in June 2022. Renewal terms - for an additional year, until 2023 - have already been all agreed, with the club looking to France internationals Casemiro and Modric a seasoned leader in the dressing room.
Since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018, the team's attack has become more dependent on Benzema. He scored 23 league goals last season and started the new LaLiga campaign last Saturday with a brace in a 4-1 win at Alaves.
Madrid are also close to securing an extension for Valverde, the 23-year-old midfielder. Uruguay is highly rated by new coach Carlo Ancelotti. Valverde still has four years to run on his contract, which was agreed in 2019, but the terms of a new deal will reflect his growing importance to the team. --Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faizu
Lyon indiscipline is no laughing matter
Leon defender Marcelo has been expelled from the first-team squad after he was caught laughing during captain Leo Dubois's speech following a heavy loss at Angers last weekend.
After the humiliating performance, manager Peter Bos first told his players how unhappy he was with their performance and then Dubois tried to rally his troops but Marcelo, 34, laughed at him.
Marcelo also had a verbal spat with teammate Maxwell Cornet. The Brazilian, who is considered one of the team's leaders and scored his own goal in the defeat, will now train with the reserve team as the club looks to advance him. It will be no easy task as he signed a contract extension last March and is under contract till June 2023.
Lyon's dressing room has been full of poor discipline for some time now. Sports director Juninho Pernambucano and Bose are also unhappy with the behavior of some other players. Marcelo, Thiago Mendes, Islam Slimani and Ryan Cherki are believed to be on the transfer list along with Arsenal target Houssem Auer. But there is no suggestion that those players are available to go because of what happened last weekend.
Lyon have had a poor start in Ligue 1 with draws and losses. Bose is unhappy with the lack of reinforcements for his squad, although the club are looking to sign Xherdan Shaqiri from Liverpool and Sardar Azmoun from Zenit St Petersburg.
Arsenal expect Ramsdale to take Leno's No. 1 spot
Sources have told ESPN that Arsenal's decision to pay £30m on Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has surprised many, but seniors at the club believe it will be Bernd Leno's final season in north London .
Instead of signing Ramsdale as Leno's understudy, the pair are expected to fight for the No. 1 spot this time around.
Arsenal's lack of European competitiveness means manager Mikel Arteta does not have as many games as he wants to rotate his squad and offer fringe players more minutes, but Ramsdale's arrival at the club at the end of the campaign. Any pressure will be reduced, the position of the leno should not change. Leno's contract expires in 2023 and he has previously hinted at seeking a new challenge after joining the club from Bayer Leverkusen in 2018.
Arsenal have allowed players to terminate their contracts in the past, or are more susceptible to low offers from teams with one year remaining on their contracts, weakening their bargaining power. But Ramsdale's impending arrival will put him in a stronger position to pursue Leno for a fee when he has a year left on his deal.
No final decision has been made on Leno's future, but Arteta worked hard to sign Ramsdale, overcoming resistance from Sheffield United, who were originally desperate to join Arsenal with a low fee. Were out for £40m before being accepted.
Tottenham to keep trust with Winxo
Sources have told ESPN that Tottenham Hotspur have not expressed their desire to fire Harry Winks despite speculation that he could be linked to Everton or Aston Villa.
The 25-year-old started in nine Premier League games last season and was an unused substitute in last weekend's 1-0 win over Manchester City.
However, Winks was involved in a first-leg loss against Pacos Ferreira in Thursday night's Europa Conference League play-offs and sources claim he is keen to fight for his place under new head coach Nuno Espirito Santo.
Spurs are believed to be keen to field a number of players, including another midfielder Tanguy Nombele - who was offered Lyon in a potential swap deal for Houssem Auer - but sources told ESPN that Winks, who Also attracted interest from Sevilla and Valencia, he has not been informed that he is among those deemed surplus for necessities.
Barring a late change of heart, Winks will spend another year at Spurs aiming to revive his club and international career, having last played for England against Iceland in November 2020.
Wolves see LaLiga chasing Geddes
Wolves are looking to make a big splash before the transfer deadline expires as they look to sign Valencia attacker Goncalo Guedes, ESPN sources can reveal.
The Premier League side have told Valencia, through agent Jorge Mendes, they will make their inaugural offer soon. Mendes works closely with both clubs and will oversee all aspects of any deal.
Valencia decided at the beginning of the summer to let Guedes leave the club the player was eager to leave. They are looking for a fee of between €25-30m for the Portugal international - an amount Wolves have indicated they are willing to pay.
Valencia were keen to land Wolves' Rafa Mir in the deal, but Sevilla beat him in the race for the striker, who would return to LaLiga the following season. Sevilla are also keen on Geddes and will try to strike a cash-plus-players deal, but Wolves will remain in the driving seat for the 24-year-old.