Euro Paper Talk: Lazio star gives Liverpool a lift; Barca to sell quartet

A contract impasse has given Liverpool hope in their hunt for a Lazio defender, while Real Madrid and Barcelona are both planning widespread changes to their squads, according to Monday’s European papers.

 

LIVERPOOL STILL IN WITH DE VRIJ SHOUT

Liverpool and Juventus have been given hope of a possible January deal for Stefan De Vrij, with the player still to agree a new deal with Lazio.

The Dutch defender will be out of contract at Lazio next summer and will be able to negotiate terms with interested overseas clubs from January 1. With Liverpool keen on the Dutchman, that would seemingly put Jurgen Klopp’s side at the front of the queue.

However, Italian publication Il Tempo claims that De Vrij has agreed terms with Lazio over a new deal; the issue the two parties are facing, however, lies over the release clause. Lazio are keen to to insert a €45m exit clause in the deal, but the player and his agent are looking for something much less and nearer the €25m mark.

And the paper believes that if a compromise is not reached soon, Lazio will be either be forced to listen to offers for the player, or bow to his requests. Either way, it looks like a parting of ways between De Vrij and Lazio will happen sooner rather than later….

 

BARCA TO OFFLOAD QUARTET

Barcelona will offload several players in January, according to reports in Spain.

Ernesto Valverde wants to sell three players in January with Arda Turan, Thomas Vermaelen and Paco Alcacer all set to leave, reports Catalan paper Sport, while Mundo Deportivo claims Alcacer and Gerard Deulofeu could leave  before the start of next season.

Barca want to trim their squad and Alcacer, who has played just three games for Barca this season, Vermaelen, who has not made an appearance this term and Turan, who is believed to be an Arsenal target, could all leave.

Sport refer to a report from CNN in Turkey that claims Arsenal are tracking Turkey ace Turan’s situation. The 30-year-old almost joined Galatasaray in the summer transfer window, but Arsenal are understood to be still interested in the player.

Meanwhile, Mundo Deportivo suggest former Everton forward Deulofeu, could also depart the Camp Nou next year.

The winger, who is under contract until 2019, has a €20m buyout clause.

REAL MADRID TO MOVE OUT BALE AND RONALDO NEXT SUMMER

Real Madrid are planning their biggest summer of transfers yet, according to sensational reports in the Spanish media.

Mundo Deportivo claims Los Blancos president Florentino Perez will allow both Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo to leave the Bernabeu and sign for the highest bidder. Both Manchester United and AC Milan have been mentioned as possible destinations for Bale in the past and it would be no shock to see both try and prise the Welshman away should he be made available.

The possible departure of Ronaldo, meanwhile, would come as a bigger surprise given the enormous success the Portugal forward has enjoyed at the Bernabeu.

But the Spanish paper claims Perez wants to cash in on Ronaldo before his value and form decline – with their record-breaking star being allowed to leave “under the right circumstances”. PSG have been mentioned as a possible destination.

In return, Mundo Deportivo claims Real have a shortlist of three names to replace Bale and Ronaldo – and will go all out to sign two of them this summer.

The paper claims Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski are all being linked – with two from three tipped to join the club next summer in what could be a £500m summer of ins and outs for the La Liga giants.

 

AND THE REST

Manchester United forward Anthony Martial is on the radar of Barcelona (Mundo Deportivo)

Barcelona are also making plans to sign Antoine Griezmann in the 2018 summer transfer window (Mundo Deportivo)

The La Liga giants are also keeping tabs on AC Milan striker Andre Silva ahead of a potential future bid (Mundo Deportivo)

Juventus are preparing a fresh January move to sign Kevin Strootman (Calciomercato)

Kevin Strootman: Wanted by Man United and Inter Milan

Emre Can admits he is flattered by talk linking him with Juventus (Kicker)

Cagliari midfielder Niccolo Barella is wanted by both Inter Milan and AC Milan (Tuttosport)

Borussia Dortmund could snap up Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Kevin Trapp in a €15m deal (Le Parisen)

Daley Blind or Matteo Darmian could be leaving Manchester United in the January transfer window. Blind has been linked with Galatasaray (Calciomercato)

Leicester, Swansea, Watford and West Brom have been offered the chance to sign former Liverpool midfielder Raul Meireles

Manchester City are prepared to pay the €40m (£35.8m) release clause in Sergi Roberto’s contract at Barcelona (AS)

Raphael Varane has hinted that he would be open to staying at Real Madrid for the remainder of his career (L’Equipe)