Paper Talk: Man Utd learn Lingard stance amid talk of bid for £80m lynchpin
Manchester United have learnt what Jesse Lingard’s plans are in relation to a proposed swap deal, while Tottenham are leading the race to sign a highly-rated Serie A defender and an Arsenal flop could leave after one year – all in Tuesday’s transfer gossip.
CHANCES OF LINGARD-RICE SWAP RATED
Jesse Lingard does not want to be used as a makeweight in any deal for Manchester United to sign Declan Rice from West Ham. (ESPN)
Lingard spent the second half of last season on loan at West Ham and revived his career during the process. He was previously frozen out at Old Trafford but found his form in stunning fashion at the London Stadium.
Nine goals and four assists were the result of 16 appearances for the 28-year-old, who earned an England recall as a result. He did not remain in the final squad for Euro 2020, but the fact he was even in contention spoke volumes of his improvements.
Since his loan spell ended, there has been much speculation about his future. Only one year remains on his contract with Man Utd, who must now decide whether they have a place for him.
If not, West Ham would be prime suitors – and those links increased recently when the Red Devils revived their interest in Hammers midfielder Declan Rice.
Rice is valued highly by the East London outfit. Therefore, including Lingard as a makeweight could help drive the cost of signing Rice down for Man Utd.
July 5 Transfer Chatter - Manchester Utd boost for Camavinga, Barcelona want Coutinho out and Chelsea working on another Italian full-back
Manchester United receive a boost from Rennes in the race for Eduardo Camavinga, Barcelona willing to accept staggeringly low offer for Phillippe Coutinho and Chelsea in talks with exciting Italian full-back, all in today's transfer chatter.
But according to ESPN, Lingard does not want to be a makeweight in a deal for the £80m-rated Rice.
What his exact plans are remain to be seen. There has been talk of a potential contract extension at Old Trafford. But it still seems West Ham would be his most likely destination if that does not happen.
Perhaps he would be concerned about joining them, though, if they sell one of their best players in the process.
Both clubs likely still want each player, but will have to find a different way of negotiating.
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TOTTENHAM WINNING CENTRE-BACK RACE
Tottenham are winning the race for Fiorentina centre-back Nikola Milenkovic. (Viola News)
Arsenal goalkeeper Alex Runarsson is close to leaving for Altay SK on loan after just one season. (Daily Mirror)
Sergio Ramos will undergo a medical with Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday ahead of his move as a free agent. (ESPN)
PSG have also made an offer to Lionel Messi after his Barcelona contract officially came to an end. (Daily Mail)
Arsenal are looking to sell Alexandre Lacazette, Reiss Nelson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles this summer. However, they are yet to make a decision about Joe Willock. (Sky Sports)
CHELSEA MAN COULD RETRACE STEPS
AC Milan are aiming to take Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko back on another loan, after a previous stint in 2018-19. (Corriere Dello Sport)
Tottenham want to sign striker Haris Seferovic, who could be on his way out of Benfica this summer. (Daily Mirror)
Manchester United want to spend £50m on Raphael Varane and £25m on Eduardo Camavinga. (Marca)
Everton will allow Richarlison to represent Brazil at the Olympics after his commitments at the Copa America. (The Times)
Director Oliver Kahn is optimistic that Bayern Munich will keep Kingsley Coman away from the interest of Liverpool. (Daily Mirror)
GUARDIOLA GIVES STRIKER INDICATION
Pep Guardiola says it is more likely that Manchester City will not buy a striker this summer. (Mundo Deportivo)
Tottenham are in talks with Southampton over a move for defender Jannik Vestergaard. (The Times)
Harry Kane’s Tottenham teammate Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is telling Denmark how to stop him ahead of the Euro 2020 semi-final with England. (Daily Mail)
Cristiano Ronaldo is in discussions with Juventus over signing a new contract. (Gazzetta Dello Sport)
Barcelona have been unable to register any of their summer signings due to being over the salary limit. (Goal)
AND MORE TRANSFER GOSSIP
Patrick Vieira wants Celtic midfielder Ryan Christie to be his first signing as Crystal Palace manager. (Daily Record)
Former Manchester City and Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli will join Adana Demirspor in an effort to rebuild his career. (Goal)
Rangers could sign Hibernian striker Kevin Nisbet if they clear out a couple of attackers first. (Daily Record)
Cameron Carter-Vickers will leave Tottenham this summer amid links with Newcastle. (Football London)