Euro Paper Talk: Arsenal eye £53m defender deal; Liverpool’s Meyer hope

 

Max Meyer has rejected a new contract at Schalke, Ousmane Dembele wants to move to London and Arsenal are back in the hunt for Jose Gimenez, according to Tuesday’s European papers.

 

WENGER BACK ON TRAIL OF GIMENEZ

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is reportedly planning to make a move to sign Atletico Madrid centre-back Jose Gimenez.

Wenger is well aware his backline needs strengthening with Per Mertesacker set to retire, Shkodran Mustafi’s underwhelming season so far and Laurent Koscielny’s injury problems. And Spanish outlet GOL report that Uruguay international Gimenez is back on Wenger’s shortlist.

Gimenez, 23, was believed to be a target when Mustafi arrived at The Emirates in August 2016 and he was again linked with the Gunners and Manchester United last summer.

The right-footed centre-back is contracted to Atletico until June 2020 and has a £57m release clause in his contract in the Spanish capital.

 

RAIOLA LOOKS TO MOVE STAR DUO ON TO MANCHESTER UNITED

Manchester United will be given first option to sign Milan-based stars Mauro Icardi and Alessio Romagnoli – if Mino Raiola gets his way.

That’s according to Italian newspaper Tuttosport, who claims the super-agent is growing ever hopeful of succeeding Icardi’s wife Wanda Nara as the Inter Milan forward’s agent.

Nara has been trying to engineer her husband a move to Real Madrid, but it’s believed their priorities lie elsewhere, with Harry Kane, Edem Hazard and Paulo Dybala among their first-choice signings.

And with Icardi looking for a route out of Inter following a disastrous 2018 so far, Tuttosport believes Raiola is close to becoming the Argentinian’s new agent and helping him secure a €97m move to Manchester United.

Furthermore, the paper reckons Raiola is also trying to help Jose Mourinho announce the surprise signing of AC Milan centre-half Romagnoli.

 

Romagnoli has shone in recent weeks as AC Milan have hit their stride in their 12 game unbeaten run, but with the player only earning a reported €2million a year, Raiola is looking to move his client on – with United among those thought to be interested.

The defender is under contract until 2020 and is said to be valued at €40million. The possible double capture would set United back €137million – just over £120million at the current exchange rate.

 

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AND THE REST

Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United linked midfielder Jean-Michael Seri has emerged as a viable target for Roma in the summer (Corriere dello Sport)

Barcelona are ready to send Ousmane Dembele on loan next season and Chelsea are his preferred destination (Gol Digital)

David De Gea has leaked details about Man Utd’s potential swoop for Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti to Real Madrid president Florentino Perez (Diario Gol)

Liverpool and Arsenal target Max Meyer has rejected a new £5million-a-year contract with Schalke. He is a free agent in the summer (Bild)

Sergio Ramos has warned Real Madrid over making whole sale changed to the squad in the summer (Don Balon)

Lionel Messi has backed Antoine Griezmann’s potential €100m signing at Barcelona – with the club looking at the duo to play in a ‘famous five’ alongside Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez (Sport)

Jose Mourinho is “hell-bent” on signing Isco this summer and could even sacrifice Paul Pogba to land the Real Marid playmaker (Diario Gol)

Juventus are ready to hijack Manchester United’s bid for Brazilian midfielder Fabinho (RAI Sports)

Harry Kane will be targeted by Bayern Munich if the club sell star striker Robert Lewandowski this summer (Bild)

Napoli have slapped a huge €65m asking price on Piotr Zielinski amid claims Liverpool will come back in for the midfielder this summer (Corriere dello Sport)

Roma frontman Stephan El Shaarawy may leave the club this summer after talks over a new deal were put on ice (Corriere dello Sport)

Juventus are confident they can announce a deal for Liverpool midfielder Emre Can next week (Gazzetta dello Sport)

Real Madrid attacker Gareth Bale has reportedly discovered the club’s plans to try and swap him with Liverpool sensation Mo Salah this summer (Don Balon)

Napoli will try to sign Bayer Leverkusen custodian Bernd Leno as Pepe Reina’s replacement in the summer (Calciomercato)

Bernd Leno: Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper linked with Liverpool

Man Utd defender Matteo Darmian has been spotted in Turin to spark speculation he has agreed to return to the city with Juventus on a two-year deal this summer (Il Bianconero)

French giants Paris Saint Germain have emerged as serious rivals to Liverpool for  goalkeeper Alisson Becker (Corriere dello Sport)

Swansea City winger Jefferson Montero has cut short his season-long loan spell at Getafe to join Ecuadorian side Emelec

Vice-commissioner to the Italian football federation (FIGC) Alessandro Costacurta says Chelsea boss Antonio Conte remains his choice to be the new head-coach of the national team (Gazzetta dello Sport)

French midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia will almost certainly sign for Valencia on a permanent €25m deal this summer after the decided, after all, to try and make his move permanent (Gazzetta dello Sport)

Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon has decided what he’ll do after this season, but will announce it “when the time comes” (Tiki Taka)

Luis Suarez should face further punishment for his attempts to be booked in the closing stages against Girona, according to La Liga president Javier Tebas (Cadena Ser)

Manchester United have reportedly agreed to pay £35million to sign Nice star Jean-Michael Seri this summer (Mundo Deportivo)

Atletico Madrid duo Yannick Carrasco and Nico Gaitan have completed surprise transfers to Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang

 

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