Paper Talk: Hazard’s Chelsea future resolved; Spurs to sign £26.5m star

Rob McCarthy
Eden Hazard: Wanted by Real Madrid this summer

Eden Hazard: Wanted by Real Madrid this summer

Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard has been speaking with Real Madrid about his future, while Tottenham are closing in on a deal for a Portuguese midfielder, according to Thursday’s papers.

 

HAZARD RULES OUT MOVE AFTER ZIDANE CHAT

Chelsea forward Eden Hazard has reportedly called Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane to rule himself out of a transfer to the European champions this summer.

The Belgium star has been linked with a switch to The Bernabeu throughout the summer, despite fracturing his ankle on international duty last month.

However, the 26-year-old has spoken to Zidane and told he him that he just concentrating on getting fit again and that he plans to stay at Stamford Bridge for at least another season, according to the report in the Daily Express, via Diario Gol.

The report also claimed that Hazard refused to completely rule out a switch to the Spanish capital and when quizzed about a potential move last month he admitted: “We all dream. Of course, I would consider it if Madrid made an offer.

“I am keen to win trophies. It would be great to win the Champions League. But Chelsea’s goal is to win the Champions League as well.

“Honestly, I do not know what will happen. I only know that I still have a contract with Chelsea for three seasons and that we just had an amazing campaign.”

TOTTENHAM CLOSE IN ON SPORTING STAR

Tottenham are reportedly set to meet Sporting Lisbon bosses and thrash out deal for £26.5m-rated midfielder Adrien Silva.

The Portugal international is under contract at Sporting until 2020 but has a release clause of €45m and Spurs are ready to swoop, but not at that price.

Leicester are reported to have been close to signing the player last summer, while Everton have also shown an interest in the 28-year-old, but Spurs are the favourites for his signature.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is looking to strengthen his midfield and wants competition for the outstanding pairing of Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele.

Silva certainly brings a wealth of experience, having been a Champions League regular while he also tasted success with Portugal at Euro 2016.

AND THE REST

Borussia Dortmund are ready to make a move for Olivier Giroud after the Arsenal striker admitted he is considering quitting the Emirates (Daily Mirror)

Arsene Wenger is increasingly confident of landing No.1 transfer target Thomas Lemar on £100,000-a-week wages (Daily Mirror)

Mauricio Pochettino has told Daniel Levy to defy Jose Mourinho in the £50m battle for Eric Dier (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City are set to step up their interest in Tottenham right-back Kyle Walker after PSG confirmed the arrival of Dani Alves (Daily Mirror)

Former Liverpool Danny Murphy says his former club are “close” to completing a deal for Southampton centre-back Virgil can Dijk (Daily Mirror)

Samir Nasri is a target for Roma while PSG want the midfielder’s fellow Man City outcast Eliaquim Mangala on loan (Daily Mirror)

West Brom boss Tony Pulis is finally ready to cash in on striker Salomon Rondon (Daily Mirror)

Barcelona have admitted defeat in pursuit of Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin and identified Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta as a possible alternative (Daily Mirror)

Leicester will step up their interest in Hull goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic once they sell current No 2 Ron-Robert Zieler to Stuttgart (Daily Mirror)

New Watford boss Marco Silva is ready to join the chase for £12m Nottingham Forest striker Britt Assombalonga (Daily Mirror)

Mark Hughes is confident Stoke skipper Ryan Shawcross will end the uncertainty over his future by signing a new deal (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea left-back Baba Rahman is in the sights of Huddersfield boss David Wagner (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City want £30m defender Ryan Bertrand with boss Pep Guardiola fuming after missing out on Dani Alves (The Sun)

Mesut Ozil insists he wants to stay at Arsenal despite only having a year left of his deal (The Sun)

Ajax teenager Millen Baars has apparently confirmed his move to Manchester United amid interest from Chelsea and Arsenal (The Sun)

Stoke City have emerged as favourites to edge out West Brom in the tug-of-war over Chelsea’s on-loan defender Kurt Zouma (The Sun)

Leicester are leading the race to sign £2m-rated Oxford United winger Marvin Johnson (The Sun)

Lucas Leiva is in talks to join Serie A club Lazio, according to reports (The Sun)

Chelsea starlet Nathaniel Chalobah will join the Stamford Bridge exodus – with a £5m price tag on his head. Watford and Swansea are interested (The Sun)

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has made a £25m offer for Atletico Madrid midfielder Angel Correa (The Sun)

Newcastle are set to take a £4.5m hit on French flop Manu Riviere with Ligue 1 side Metz having offered £1.5m for the frontman (The Sun)

Leonardo Ulloa’s shock u-turn could see him sign a new two-year deal at Leicester, just six months after he vowed he would never play for the club again (The Sun)

Middlesbrough will fork out £14m for Britt Assombalonga- and offer him £60,000 a week (The Sun)

Jose Mourinho is willing to pay midfielder Ander Herrera £175,000-a-week to ward off interest from Barcelona and Atletico Madrid (Daily Star)

Manchester City have won the race to sign Brazilian wonderkid Douglas Luiz. The 19-year-old midfielder was a standout performer for Vasco da Gama last season (Daily Star)

West Ham have had an improved £20m bid for Stoke winger Marko Arnautovic rejected (Daily Mail)

Manchester City fear the jewel in their academy Jadon Sancho, 17, wants to leave the club. The news has alerted Tottenham, Arsenal and RB Leipzig, who all have a concrete interest (Daily Mail)

Manchester United will turn their focus to Roma’s £40m midfielder Radja Nainggolan as Tottenham continue to resist interest in Eric Dier (Daily Mail)

Tottenham are closing on a deal of around £8m for Estudiantes president Juan Foyth (Daily Mail)

Brighton have had an £8.4m bid for Spurs and Liverpool target Moses Simon rejected by Gent as they want £13m for the winger (Daily Mail)

Everton and West Ham want Manchester City striker Wilfried Bony (Daily Express)

Luke Shaw will be given one last chance to salvage his Manchester United career (Daily Express)

Antonio Conte fears potential new recruit Tiemoue Bakayoko will not be ready to make his full Chelsea debut until September – because of a knee injury that required surgery at the end of last season (Daily Telegraph)

Joe Hart is close to sealing a season’s loan at West Ham as he seeks to reignite his career in English football (Daily Telegraph)

Tottenham are adamant they will not be bullied over the futures of Manchester United target Eric Dier and Kyle Walker, who they have priced at £50m following interest from Man City (Daily Telegraph)

Leicester City are facing the prospect of last summer’s six major signings leaving the club. Islam Slimani, Ahmed Musa, Nampalys Mendy, Ron-Robert Zieler and Bartosz Kapustka, but Leicester could offload them all (Daily Telegraph)

Kurt Zouma is set to sign a new four-year contract before he joins other young Chelsea players seeking regular first-team football on loan (The Guardian)

PSV Eindhoven have expressed an interest in taking 24-year-old Chelsea midfielder Marco van Ginkel on loan again (West London Sport)