Transfer Gossip: Liverpool go in for 52-goal midfielder as Klopp spies £25m saving; Tottenham ask Barcelona to name price for dream Levy signing
Liverpool are exploring a move for a quality midfield signing from Napoli with a discounted deal on the cards, Man City may have found a buyer for an unwanted €60m star, while Monday’s Transfer Gossip claims Tottenham are pushing to sign a top star from Barcelona.
KLOPP KEEN TO SIGN ZIELINSKI FOR LIVERPOOL
Liverpool are reportedly ready to go back in for long-term target Piotr Zielinski this summer – and the Reds believe a discounted deal could be on the cards.
The Poland star will still be in celebration mode after helping Napoli win a first Serie A title in 33 years last week. And Gli Azzurri’s success could prove a perfect way to end his time in Italy amid claims a move to Liverpool is back on the cards.
The midfielder has been a target for Klopp throughout his time at Anfield. Initially chasing him in summer 2016 while leaving Udinese, Klopp sees the 28-year-old as a perfect addition to his side.
He was also in for him again in summer 2018 after selling Philippe Coutinho earlier in the year. But it could finally be a case of third-time lucky with Polish outlet Meczyki.pl claiming Klopp is seriously considering a fresh move for Zielinski.
The midfielder has an excellent 52 goals to his name and is rated in the £50m bracket by Napoli.
However, his current deal is due to expire in summer 2024. And while he has been offered an extension, he has so far failed to sign agree a new deal.
Discounted Zielinski deal for Liverpool
And reports are indicating a reduced £25m offer could be enough to convince Napoli to sell this summer.
Zielinski is in the peak of his powers and his arrival would undoubtedly give Liverpool a lift.
Furthermore, it’s claimed Klopp knows Zielinski’s agent well and that could help secure a deal. Indeed, Bartlomiej Bolek also represents Lukasz Piszczek and Kamil Grabara, who have both played under the German.
Klopp is targeting at least three new midfield signings this summer. James Milner is on the brink of sealing a move to Brighton. And Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will also depart as free agents. The departure too of failed loan signing Arthur Melo will further increase Klopp’s need to bring in several new faces.
And a discounted deal for Zielinski could be the perfect way to kick off their summer rebuild.
CANCELO AGENT MEETS WITH SPANISH GIANTS TO DISCUSS TRANSFER
The agent of Joao Cancelo is looking to fix his client up with another club as soon as possible.
The 28-year-old star has been binned off by Pep Guardiola and seemingly has no way back at Manchester City.
Indeed, amid claims of a falling out with the City boss, Cancelo was surprisingly allowed to leave for Bayern Munich in January.
Signing on an inital loan, Bayern have the option to make the move permanent this summer.
However, the former Juventus and Benfica star has struggled to nail down a regular place with the Bundesliga leaders.
And it seems doubtful that Cancelo will be given the chance to make his stay in Bavaria permanent this summer.
As a result, the 42-times capped full-back has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.
However, according to Sport, Cancelo’s agent has met with Barcelona to discuss a move to the Nou Camp. They claim Xavi is desperate to fund a deal to bring the Portuguese star to the Nou Camp this summer. And the club will look to offload some unwanted stars to try and finance the move.
That could see the likes of Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessie and Clement Lenglet – all linked with Tottenham – depart.
And should the move go through, Cancelo will not be the only City player to move to Barcelona this summer.
Indeed, reports claim his City teammate Ilkay Gundogan is on the brink of finalising his move to Catalonia as a free agent.
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TOTTENHAM ASK BARCELONA TO NAME PRICE FOR MIDFIELD STAR
To free up space for Gundogan and funds for Cancelo, Barcelona could do themselves a major favour by offloading Franck Kessie first.
And according to Sport, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is stepping up his pursuit of the Ivorian midfielder.
Indeed, Spurs have long been on his trail and were keen to secure his signing last summer when he was quitting AC Milan.
However, the free agent instead chose to move to Barcelona, much to Levy’s disappointment.
Struggling to impress Xavi initially, doubts soon emerged as to whether Kessie had made the wisest career choice.
He has since though knuckled down and gone on to make 39 appearances in all competitions. And with Kessie on the brink of becoming a champion in Spain as well as Italy, he will feel the move has proved a good choice.
His time at Barcelona though could prove short-lived. And if the report is accurate, then his sale to Spurs looks increasingly likely this summer.
Indeed, per the report, Levy has now asked Barcelona to ‘name their price’ for Kessie’s signature.
The Spanish giants will reportedly seek up to £30m for the player and will see his sale as good business, especially if they pick up free-agent Gundogan as his replacement.
The midfielder could be the first of three deals Tottenham strike with Barcelona this summer too. Reports also claim they are keen to turn Clement Lenglet’s loan into a permanent move. And Levy is also reportedly casting glances towards Andreas Christensen, who himself moved to Catalonia as a free agent from Chelsea last summer.
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