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Jonathan David to Lille
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Report: Canada’s David agrees terms with Lille

By Nicholas MendolaJul 7, 2020, 2:07 PM EDT
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Linked with some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs, Canadian starlet Jonathan David is opting to stay closer to his current club.

Gent playmaker David, 20, had been linked with Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Arsenal with reports saying his agent was targeting a club somewhere between the quality of the Belgian top-flight and the UEFA superpowers, with Lazio, Porto, Ajax, Lyon, Everton, and Leicester City in that group.

If the reports are true, his agent is getting his way with David agreeing to terms with Ligue 1’s Lille, who are in the Europa League next year following a fourth place finish in France.

RMC reporter Mohamed Bouhafsi reports that Lille has offered $28 million to Gent, who would like to get $34 million. Seems like a bridge that can be crossed.

[ MORE: Premier League stats ]

It takes little more than an hour to drive from Gent to Lille.

The move could signal changes for Lille, who has a bevy of young attackers including American forward Timothy Weah, ex-Chelsea man Loic Remy, transfer rumor mill mainstay Victor Osimhen, and French youth international Jonathan Bamba amongst others.

David’s 18 goals tied for the Belgian league high with ex-Hull and Norwich man Dieumerci Mbokani, and scored five more goals in the Europa League including markers versus Saint-Etienne and Roma.

He has 37 goals and 15 assists in three seasons with the Belgian powers.

The Brooklyn-born David also has 11 goals in 12 caps for Canada, though those admittedly came against some of the minnows of CONCACAF.

Transfer news: Ake to Man United; Rice to Chelsea

Nathan Ake Manchester United
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By Joe Prince-WrightJul 7, 2020, 11:38 AM EDT
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In the latest transfer news Nathan Ake has been linked with a move to Manchester United, while Declan Rice could be heading back to Chelsea.

[ MORE: New PL TV schedule ]

Starting in Manchester, a post-game chat between Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Nathan Ake has turned heads following Man United’s 5-2 win against Bournemouth at the weekend.

Apparently Solskjaer told Ake: “We need a left-footed centre-back, so keep going.”

Ake, 25, has been linked with a return to Chelsea (who have a $48 million buy-back clause) and Manchester City, but it appears Nathan Ake to Manchester United has some legs. Solskjaer has been looking for a new center back with Kalidou Koulibaly, Dayot Upamecano and others linked to line up alongside Harry Maguire.

Victor Lindelof has struggled at times and is ahead of Eric Bailly in the pecking order and Man United do need to strengthen their defense slightly as they have plenty of options in midfield and attack, although a new true holding midfield could be a must in the next few windows.

If Bournemouth are relegated from the Premier League, Ake will surely leave and Man United could pick him up for a lot less than $48 million.

Declan Rice to Chelsea
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Switching to west London, Declan Rice could be heading back to Chelsea this summer.

A report from The Times states that Chelsea want Rice, 21, to return and become a ball-playing center back to shore up their defensive unit.

The report goes on to state that the boyhood Chelsea fan is seen as the perfect successor to John Terry at the heart of the Chelsea defense.

Rice has shone in recent weeks and is the one player in West Ham’s team who has been consistent despite their struggles at the wrong end of the Premier League table this season.

Chelsea have been searching high and low for defensive reinforcements and want more power and strength at center back. Rice can play at center back and in a three he would be prefect. His main position is in holding midfield and his flexibility to strengthen Chelsea’s shaky defense would be key. Rice is close friends with Mason Mount and after leaving Chelsea’s academy as a 14-year-old he has forged out a very good career for himself as a regular for West Ham and England.

Rice would cost a huge sum and this move to Chelsea may hinge on whether or not West Ham are relegated in the final weeks of the 2019-20 Premier League season.

Transfer news: Havertz to Chelsea; Saint-Maximin to Arsenal

Kai Havertz to Chelsea
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By Joe Prince-WrightJul 6, 2020, 11:27 AM EDT
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In the latest Premier League transfer news Kai Havertz to Chelsea continues to gather steam, while Allan Saint-Maximin is linked with a move to Arsenal.

[ MORE: New PL TV schedule ]

Starting in west London, Kai Havertz continues to be linked with Chelsea and a report from the Daily Express says that Frank Lampard is willing to sell six players to sign the Bayer Leverkusen and Germany 21-year-old.

Per the report, Marcos Alonso, Michy Batshuayi, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Kenedy, Danny Drinkwater and Emerson Palmeri are the players Chelsea want to offload in order to afford a move for Havertz, plus bring in a new left back.

Havertz has been a star for Leverkusen during the 2019-20 season but they just missed out on qualifying for the Champions League and lost in the German Cup final at the weekend. Havertz is due to play for Bayer in the UEFA Europa League in August, but will he be a Chelsea player by then?

With Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech joining Chelsea this summer, Lampard has a host of attacking options to choose from but Havertz is seen as one of the top young attacking midfield talents and he can also play as a false nine. Chelsea would have to spend close to $112 million to sign him but if they can replace quantity with quality, this has to be the way to go for Lampard.

Chelsea are in a strong financial position given the money they saved during their FIFA transfer ban and with the market values currently low due to the coronavirus pandemic, they have pounced to sign Werner and Ziyech.

Saint-Maximin to Arsenal
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Switching to north London, Allan Saint-Maximin has been linked with a move to Arsenal once again. Saint-Maximin, 23, has been sensational since arriving at Newcastle from Nice last summer for $19 million.

The French winger is full of tricks and flicks and his unpredictability is key to his success, with four goals and four assists in all competitions.

According to a report from Le10 Sport in France, Arsenal are among the clubs trying to sign him this summer with Tottenham and Napoli also in the running. It is reported that Arsenal have contacted Saint-Maximin’s agents to see what he thinks about a move to north London.

With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette potentially leaving this summer, Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Martinelli, Nicolas Pepe and Bukayo Saka would be Arsenal’s main attacking threats, so they could do with some reinforcements in this area. Especially as Mesut Ozil appears to be out of Mikel Arteta’s plans.

Saint-Maximin certainly has the talent to be a main main on a top six team in the Premier League. Could we see his famous Gucci headband and somersaults coming to the Emirates Stadium?

Report: Rangers sell one-time USMNT player Polster to New England

Matt Polster Rangers
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By Nicholas MendolaJul 5, 2020, 10:13 AM EDT
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An American abroad is coming home after an uneven time in Scotland.

Former Southern Illinois and Chicago Fire mainstay Matt Polster will return to Major League Soccer this summer with the New England Revolution.

Bruce Arena’s Revs will reportedly pony up about $375,000 to buy Polster from Rangers, where he signed on a free transfer in January 2019 following three-plus MLS seasons that saw him earn a USMNT cap.

[ MORE: Pulisic reacts to Hazard comparisons ]

He was called up to two January camps for the U.S., going 90 minutes at right back against Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2018. Polster was also a contributor to the U.S. Olympic qualification push in 2015.

Polster, 27, finishes his time with 10 appearances and an assist Steven Gerrard’s Glaswegian set, getting Scottish Premiership and Europa League experience this season.

A defensive midfielder and right back in MLS, Polster played only the latter with Rangers thanks to Scott Arfield, Ryan Jack, Steven Davis, and Glen Kamara chewing up minutes in the middle of the park.

Transfer news: Saint-Maximin in demand, Norwich back to German giants

Saint-Maximin to PSG
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
By Nicholas MendolaJul 5, 2020, 9:24 AM EDT
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The Sunday morning papers are helping the transfer rumor mill buzz after a weekend of matches in Europe.

[ MORE: Pulisic reacts to Hazard comparisons ]

Newcastle is mentioned as a home for several players but the biggest Magpies name is one linked with a departure to big, big clubs.

Saint-Maximin to PSG, PL big boys

Newcastle supporters, avert your eyes and trust Steve Bruce (What a sentence and maybe a mantra).

Magpies talisman Allan Saint-Maximin has caught the eye of everyone on Tyneside and most of the Premier League but is being linked with a big money move back home.

Steve Bruce is flat-out denying there’s any chance of selling the Frenchman, 23, who is being linked with Paris Saint-Germain and “all of England’s current top six sides.”

“ASM” has four goals and seven assists in 25 appearances entering Sunday morning’s match versus West Ham and is one of just three players to average more than four dribbles per game, his 4.7 sandwiched between Adama Traore (5) and Wilfried Zaha (4.5).

It’s not just about the numbers with Saint-Maximin, though, whose magnetic dribbling and personality keep both a defense off-balance and a team hopeful and happy. Newcastle is 1W-3D-7L in the Premier League when Saint-Maximin plays, 10-6-5 when he’s out there.

Any sale, especially with Newcastle’s takeover looming, would have to be well over the approximately $20 million paid by the Magpies last summer.

Schick to Newcastle (amongst others)

The same report lays out a more realistic shopping list for the Magpies than many of the rumors since reports emerged of a big money takeover at St. James’ Park.

Newcastle is being linked with Roma’s Patrik Schick, Nice’s Arnaud Lusamba, Benfica’s Florentino Luis, Penarol’s Facundo Pellistri, and Norwich City’s Ben Godfrey.

Let’s focus on Schick and Lusamba.

Patrick Schick Leipzig Bundesliga
DORTMUND, GERMANY – DECEMBER 17: Patrik Schick (Photo by Jörg Schüler/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Schick was once among the most sought-after names in the game. The 24-year-old Czech striker has nine goals in 22 caps for his country.

Three seasons removed from his breakout season at Sampdoria, Schick has profound his footing on loan to RB Leipzig from Roma. The center forward has 10 goals in 22 matches despite Timo Werner carrying the water in fine fashion for Julian Nagelsmann’s Leipzig.

Like Saint-Maximin last season, Lusamba has been in- and out-of-favor with Nice boss Patrick Vieira. But it’s worth noting that the manager has tried to find a place on the pitch for the 23-year-old center midfielder, deploying him at center forward and right mid at times.

Lusamba averaged 1.2 key passes and 1.3 dribbles per Ligue 1 appearances this season.

Godfrey to Borussia Dortmund

Speaking of Godfrey, could he be going from the bottom of the Premier League table to the upper reaches of Germany? For close to $30 million, to boot?

Two of the Bundesliga’s top clubs continue to monitor top young Premier League talent including the aforementioned Godfrey, with Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig eyeing the 22-year-old.

A center back in Norwich’s maligned and injury-battered defense, England youth international Godfrey has played the seventh-most minutes for Daniel Farke’s Canaries.

Relegation victims have often yielded incredible value for bigger clubs, two great cases in point being ex-Hull City man Andrew Robertson and former Aston Villa force Idrissa Gana Gueye. We don’t need to tell you where they wound up.