Paper Talk: Barca kid snubs PL trio; Everton raid on Newcastle
Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City face transfer disappointment after a Barcelona striker Abel Ruiz opted to stay, while Everton are being linked with moves for Tim Krul and Axel Witsel, according to Wednesday’s newspapers.
BARCELONA YOUNGSTER SNUBS PREMIER LEAGUE TRIO
Barcelona youngster Abel Ruiz has reportedly turned down the chance to leave this summer.
According to Spanish publication Sport, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City were all hoping to persuade the 16-year-old to move to the Premier League this summer, with thew youngster instead opting to sign a three-year deal with Catalans instead.
The Gunners are thought to have had a bid knocked back in January, while Chelsea are said to have held preliminary talks with the youngster’s family.
And incoming City manager Pep Guardiola reportedly considered Ruiz as a priority signing ahead of his move to the Etihad Stadium.
He caught the attention of the Premier League clubs after his impressive performances in the Under-17 European Championship last month, when Spain were beaten in the final by Portugal.
Ruiz, who arrived at the Nou Camp from Valencia in the summer of 2012, is considered as one of the hottest prospects in Barca’s academy system.
KOEMAN PLOTS DOUBLE RAID FOR EVERTON
Ronald Koeman is ready to target Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul as one of his first signings, with Everton also considering a move for Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel, according to both The Guardian and Daily Express.
The Toffees have been alerted to reports that Belgium midfielder Witsel could be made available by Zenit for around £30million, with the player known to be keen on a move to the Premier League, having previously been linked with Tottenham and Stoke.
Zenit want to recoup a sizeable part of the €40m fee they paid to activate Witsel’s buyout clause at Benfica in 2012. The former Standard Liege player has 12 months remaining on his contract with the Russian club and it will be left to Koeman to decide whether to pursue a deal for the international colleague of Everton players Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Mirallas.
Newcastle goalkeeper Krul, meanwhile, is another player on Everton’s radar, with the Holland international having only 12 months remaining on his contract. Krul would be made first-choice goalkeeper at Everton following Tim Howard’s departure and could be available for around £8million.
Newcastle’s relegation means some players will leave and with the Toon able to call on Karl Darlow and Rob Elliot, the sale of Krul could tick all the boxes.
AND THE REST
Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola are locked in a £50m battle for Everton and England defender John Stones (Daily Star)
Stoke have opened talks with West Brom about a £5m move for striker Saido Berahino, 22. The Baggies are ready to sell the former England Under-21 international this summer as he can leave for nothing in 12 months’ time (Daily Mail)
Kevin Ratcliffe has urged Wales to become sporting immortals by ending their 32-year wait to beat England (Daily Star)
Manchester City have made an initial enquiry concerning a move for former Manchester United goalkeeper Victor Valdes (Daily Star)
Manchester City have joined Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain in the race for West Ham and France star Dimitri Payet (The Sun)
Southampton striker Graziano Pelle has emerged as a target for Chelsea this summer (BetStars)
Manchester United face Zlatan Ibrahimovic competition from Bayern Munich, with the Germans targeting a replacement for Robert Lewandowski (Daily Mirror)
French defender Aymeric Laporte decided to stay with Athletic Bilbao as they are “the best option at the moment”. The 22-year-old was a target for Manchester City
West Ham are to be offered a transfer swap of West Brom’s Saido Berahino for fellow striker Diafra Sakho (Daily Mirror)
Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, 26, who spent last season on loan at Roma following the signing of Petr Cech, says he will make a decision on his future after Euro 2016 (Daily Star)
Fulham have offered an improved contract to 19-year-old French forward Moussa Dembele, who has been linked with a move to Galatasaray (GetWest London)
Chelsea have been rocked with the news that Roma are planning to hand Radja Nainggolan a bumper new contract (Daily Express)
Patrice Evra says France have fewer egos than in the past and ‘the team is the star’ as Les Bleus arrive in Marseille for the Albania clash (Daily Mail)
Manchester United will NOT introduce a women’s team despite criticism over the failure to be more inclusive (Daily Mail)
England will look to cut off the supply line to Gareth Bale against Wales rather than man-marking the Real Madrid forward (Daily Mail)
France are preparing to axe stars Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann as Didier Deschamps gets ruthless ahead of playing Albania (Daily Mail)
Raheem Sterling is set to retain his England place ahead of Daniel Sturridge for Thursday’s Euro 2016 clash against Wales (The Independent)