Paper Talk: Man Utd hope as Bayern cut target’s fee; Aguero bid
Manchester United have been boosted after Bayern Munich slashed the asking price on one of their targets, while PSG could be set to test Man City’s resolve to keep a star player, according to Saturday’s papers.
RENATO SANCHES ASKING PRICE REDUCED BY BAYERN MUNICH
Manchester United have received a Renato Sanches transfer boost with Bayern Munich slashing his price-tag from £30.5m to £23million, according to reports on Saturday.
The midfielder was linked with a move to United last summer, but it was the Bundesliga giants who won the race for the Portuguese youngster after they struck an initial €35million deal with Benfica.
But the 19-year-old has struggled to make an impact at the Allianz Arena and featured just 25 times all competitions for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, with many of those appearances coming off the bench.
With the deal for the player reportedly including another €20million in bonuses and add-ons owing to Benfica, Bayern are ready to cut their losses on the player and had reportedly made suitors aware he would be allowed to leave the club after just one season.
Bayern were looking to get their initial investment back on the player, but after no takers emerged, The Sun claims the Germans have now slashed Sanches’ asking price to just £23million in a bid to get more clubs interested.
And the paper reckons that at that price, a move to Old Trafford could be on, with Jose Mourinho looking to add a quality addition to the centre of the park this summer.
Bayern are also expecting to say goodbye to Brazilian winger Douglas Costa, who is closing in on a switch to Champions League finalists Juventus.
PSG TO TEMPT CITY WITH £60M AGUERO BID
Paris Saint-Germain are set to put in a bid of over £60m for Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, according to Saturday’s Times.
The French club are confident of persuading City to sell the Argentinian due to his tricky relationship with boss Pep Guardiola, who often prefers January arrival Gabriel Jesus as the focal point of his attack.
Guardiola has insisted that Aguero will remain at the Etihad Stadium next season but the player has been more ambivalent and could be tempted if PSG offer him a guarantee of first-team football.
The former Atletico Madrid striker has two years remaining on his £220,000 a week City contract, but PSG are ready for a major rebuild this summer after losing their Ligue 1 crown to Monaco and would build their team around the free-scoring Argentine.
PSG had previously targeted Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, but feel Aguero offers a more obtainable target and a bid of £60million for the 28-year-old could persuade City to sell.
AND THE REST
Liverpool are prepared to lead the bidding for Kylian Mbappe if they receive any encouragement from the France striker that he fancies a move to England (The Times)
Antonio Conte is prepared to sanction the sale of Nemanja Matic to Manchester United to accelerate the signing of Tiemoué Bakayoko (The Times)
But United have dismissed suggestions they have agreed a deal with Matic (Daily Star)
Chelsea want Swansea striker Fernando Llorente as a replacement for Michy Batshuayi (Daily Star)
Wayne Rooney is struggling to find a new club with interested parties unwilling to meet his transfer fee or salary demands (Daily Mirror)
Arsenal believe they have won the race for £44m Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette
The signing of Lacazette could mean compatriot Olivier Giroud leaving Arsenal (The Guardian)
Brighton are the first team to move for Middlesbrough midfielder Stewart Downing, 32, who has been told by Garry Monk he can leave the Riverside (The Sun)
Huddersfield are prepared to offer a club-record £11.5m for Montpellier’s Steve Mounie (Daily Mirror)
Luton midfielder Cameron McGeehan has flown back from holiday for his Barnsley medical (Daily Mirror)
Burnley boss Sean Dyche is planning an £8m raid for Huddersfield striker Nahki Wells (Daily Mirror)
Chelsea have put contract talks on hold with Thibaut Courtois with the goalkeeper looking to double his £90,000 a week wages (Daily Mail)
Newcastle are closing on Benfica and Greece midfielder Andreas Samaris in a £17.5m deal (Daily Mirror)
Watford are upset after the FA rejected a work permit for Venezuelan Adalberto Penaranda for a second time (Daily Mail)
Chelsea will net £2.3m from Mohamed Salah’s move to Liverpool after they inserted a sell-on clause into 2015 deal with Roma (Daily Mail)
Arsenal fringe players Lucas Perez, Kieran Gibbs and Wojciech Szczesny fear they are being priced out of a summer transfer switch (The Sun)
Goalkeeper Steve Mandanda is refusing to return to Crystal Palace for pre-season training after losing his place to Wayne Hennessey (The Sun)
Chelsea are ready to release Loic Remy for a nominal fee to allow the striker to relaunch his faltering career (The Sun)
Arsenal are ready to sell Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool with as many as eight other first-team players following him out the exit door (The Independent)
Howard Webb will be an interested Bundesliga spectator with his partner Bibiana Steinhaus set to make history by becoming the first woman to referee a German top flight game next season (The Sun)
Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson is still keen to leave the club despite an attempt by new manager Garry Monk to keep him on Teesside (Daily Telegraph)
Manchester City want a buy-back option on striker Kelechi Iheanacho, the Nigeria international who has become a target for West Ham and Leicester City (Daily Telegraph)
RB Leipzig must “live with the fact they are destroying the dreams” of Emil Forsberg, according to his agent, as the midfielder pushes for a move to Arsenal (The Independent)