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After deciding they’d rather pay a £5m penalty fee to Manchester United than fulfil their obligation to make Jadon Sancho’s loan deal permanent, Chelsea are in the market for a different winger who blows more hot than cold. Sancho is believed to be the subject of interest from a trio of clubs in Saudi Arabia, with Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad all believed to be interested in hosing him with money. With the future of Mykhailo Mudryk still shrouded in uncertainty after his provisional ban for allegedly testing positive for a banned substance, Enzo Maresca is expected to try to convince his employers to sign Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund. Elsewhere on the Chelsea radar, that lanky green blob you can see inching its way across the screen represents the Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who is believed to be open to a move to Stamford Bridge and with his fabled good touch for a big man would constitute a significant upgrade on Robert Sánchez and Filip Jörgensen.
In other goalkeeping news, the Mr 15% of Gianluigi Donnarumma says he is in talks about a new and improved deal for his client with Paris Saint-Germain, in what could be a ploy to drive up the price of the Italian amid rumours of interest from Manchester United and Napoli. “Many would like him, but only a few can afford him,” said Enzo Raiola. “He feels good in Paris, we’re at the European champion club, so we have no complaints. We are working on a renewal.” Donnarumma’s Southampton counterpart Aaron Ramsdale is in talks with West Ham, in a state of affairs that could result in him suffering the ignominy of being relegated from the Premier League for a fourth time with four different clubs.
Meanwhile in north London, that £51m Martín Zubimendi-to-Arsenal deal might not be as done as some Gunners were hoping, after the Spanish midfielder cast doubt over his future. “Of course there are options but it’s true that it seems like it’s going to be a different, long summer, and I don’t know how it will end,” he told Radio Nacional. Having achieved his ambition of winning a trophy with Tottenham, Son Heung-min could be leaving the club he has served so loyally for the past decade. No longer a first-team staple at Spurs and not as quick as he once was, the South Korea international is reported to be the subject of interest from various unspecified clubs in the Saudi Pro League, which could do with being lit up by his smile.
With Dean Huijsen gone to Real Madrid and Illia Zabarnyi (PSG) and Milos Kerkez (Liverpool) also looking likely to head for the Vitality Stadium exit, Bournemouth are in need of recruits to shore up a defence that is dropping bodies faster than John Wick. Bologna’s Colombian centre-back Jhon Lucumi is one man touted as a potential replacement for Huijsen, while the Rennes defender Adrien Truffert may be brought in to fill the Kerkez-shaped hole on the left side of the Cherries’ back four.
Talks between Manchester United and Brentford remain ongoing after Bryan Mbeumo was reported to have rejected overtures from Arsenal and Newcastle. Brentford are reported to be demanding £60m for the striker who scored 20 goals for the Bees last season, while Mbeumo is believed to be demanding more than £200,000 per week in wages, around four times the amount he currently trousers. Liverpool’s deal with Bayer Leverkusen to bring Florian Wirtz to Anfield for a record-breaking fee remains a work in progress, while Tijjani Reijnders is understood to be on the verge of swapping the red and black stripes of Milan for the light blue of Manchester City. The beancounters at The Etihad Stadium are expected to wrap up a deal for the Dutch midfielder in time for the Club World Cup.
