More from PST What we learned | Premier League transfer news | Latest USMNT news

Transfer Rumor Roundup

transfer rumors
Photo by Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images

Transfer rumor roundup: Gotze available on free transfer; Saul to Man Utd

By Nicholas MendolaMay 23, 2020, 10:30 AM EDT
Leave a comment

Borussia Dortmund hero Mario Gotze will be looking for a new home this summer, announced BVB sporting director Michael Zorc.

Gotze, 27, has played 20 times this season with three goals and an assist, and of course is known for his World Cup-winning goal for Germany against Argentina.

[ MORE: Bundesliga rising stars ]

He was linked with Everton last month, with West Ham, Gladbach, and AC Milan also connected in that Bild report.

The target forward also can handle attacking midfield duties but has struggled to keep a consistent spot in the Starting XI at Dortmund and Bayern over the past few years.

A BVB youth, Gotze connected for 41 goals and 45 assists in first five seasons between Germany’s top two sides, but posted just 16 and 16 in the next five (though he had seven goals and seven assists last season.

It’s clear Dortmund has a monster at center forward in Erling Haaland, whose release clause won’t be active for another two years according to reports.

Gotze’s younger brother Felix is also at Augsburg, having left Bayern Munich in 2018.

A report out of Spain claims that the oft-rumored Saul Niguez to Manchester United move is “practically done.”

The news was shared and translated by The Manchester Evening News, who points out that the Atletico Madrid hero’s release clause is well into nine figures at $168 million.

Saul, 25, has become an indispensable part of Diego Simeone’s midfield and was one of the steadiest parts of Atleti’s victory over Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League.

Saul, Koke, and Thomas Partey give Atleti three of the best central midfielders in the world, and United would see a similar threesome between Saul, Bruno Fernandes, and Scott McTominay or Fred.

Transfer rumor roundup: Weghorst loves Liverpool, Estupinan in demand

Transfer rumor roundup
Photo by Swen Pförtner/picture alliance via Getty Images
By Nicholas MendolaMay 15, 2020, 2:45 PM EDT
Leave a comment

From the Netherlands to Germany and now, just maybe, England, Wout Weghorst has held a flame for one Premier League club.

That’s not news, as the Wolfsburg free scorer has spoken up his love for Liverpool in the past.

[ VIDEO: Premier League highlights ]

Well now the 27-year-old is angling for a move to the Premier League as he restarts his second season in Germany with 33 goals and 12 assists in 70 matches so far.

Will his beloved Reds answer the bell? Who knows, but he’s not being shy about it so we should assume Everton and Manchester United may not enter into the equation should Jurgen Klopp lack interest.

From Goal.com:

“I always found Liverpool very special. I still get goosebumps from ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. There are other great English clubs too, and I always liked Milan because so many Dutch played there. I am ambitious and want to get ahead. Maybe at some point play at another club, whether in Germany or in England? But at the moment it is still far away. I feel good and try to achieve the maximum here.”

Wolfsburg opens play Saturday at Augsburg, and the club is in shouting distance of a return to European football. Wolfsburg is a point back of sixth-place Schalke, and seventh place will likely be a European spot if Bayern Munich, Borussia Monchengladbach, or Bayer Leverkusen win the German Cup and avoid a precipitous drop below sixth.

Watford may have a hot commodity on its hands, if indeed they are willing to sell left back Pervis Estupinan.

Once-capped by Ecuador, the 22-year-old has impressed on loan to Osasuna in La Liga. He has a goal and three assists this season, averaging 1.3 key passes and 1.9 successful dribbles per outing. Defensively, he has averaged 2.7 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, 1.5 clearances (WhoScored).

Estupinan was in the Watford family since 2016, having left Quito for Udinese, who is owned by the father of Watford owner Gino Pozzo.

This is his fourth loan away, having spent time with Granada, Almeria, and Mallorca.

A report by the Sport Witness says Manchester United is hoping to purchase the player from Watford and loan him elsewhere in England for more experience.

Left back is an in-demand spot almost anywhere, so Estupinan may want to try his hand at impressing a new boss at Watford or any of the other suitors linked in the report: Barcelona, Spurs, and Atletico Madrid.

The price tag is said to be around $8 million, and that seems like it could be a good value even if the plan is for well into the future.

Transfer rumor roundup: Meunier to Spurs, Newcastle linked with trio

transfer rumor roundup
Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images
By Nicholas MendolaMay 10, 2020, 1:47 PM EDT
Leave a comment

Soon-to-be free agent Thomas Meunier is being linked with a move to North London.

The sought-after Belgian defender, 28, has been with Paris Saint-Germain since a 2016 move from Club Brugge.

[ VIDEO: Premier League highlights ] 

Meunier has been linked to Manchester United and Everton since the start of 2019, but Spurs are said to be leading the race according to Le Parisien.

Also carrying 40 Belgian caps with seven goals, Meunier is a third-place finisher at the World Cup and has won three Ligue 1 crowns.

Separate reports have added Chelsea and Juventus to Meunier’s list of suitors, as transfer fee-free players could be all the rage this summer as teams monitor their budgets during the coronavirus pandemic.

Newcastle United continues to be linked with nearly every player under the sun.

James Rodriguez is the latest, the Colombian star looking for a home away from Real Madrid.

James will cost around $34 million, and has also been linked with a bevy of clubs including MLS new boys Inter Miami CF.

And while Manchester United fans wait to see whether Shanghai Shenhua will allow Odion Ighalo to extend his loan, Newcastle is said to be open to meeting the Chinese Super League side’s $23 million asking price for a permanent deal.

Ighalo, who turns 31 in June, has fit the bill as a fill-in striker for the Red Devils, who had lost Marcus Rashford to injury. He has four goals in eight appearances for United after 46 goals in three seasons abroad.

The Magpies have a star goalkeeper in Martin Dubravka, but they are also being linked with a massive $56 million bid for Benfica star Odysseas Vlachodimos.

The 26-year-old Greek backstop has 16 clean sheets this season and six caps for his national team.

Transfer rumor roundup: Spurs lead race for Rakitic; Juve-Barca talk swap

Rakitic
Photo by Action Foto Sport/NurPhoto via Getty Images
By Nicholas MendolaMay 3, 2020, 12:10 PM EDT
Leave a comment

Sunday’s transfer rumor mill churns out beneficial news for a player Jose Mourinho believes is one of the very best center midfielders are on Earth (He’s not wrong).

[ VIDEO: Premier League highlights ] 

A report out of Spain’s Mundo Deportivo says Tottenham has pulled in front of a pack of chasers in the race to sign Ivan Rakitic of Barcelona.

Rakitic, 32, has another season on his contract and Spurs are said to be best suited to land him due to Juventus preferring a younger player and Atletico less willing to give a longer contract.

The Swiss-born Croatian has 106 international caps with 15 goals and is one appearance away from making his 300th in a Barcelona shirt.

He won the Europa League with Sevilla in 2014 before claiming the Champions League with Barca one year later. Rakitic’s minutes and attacking numbers have taken a hit this season, as 11 of his 21 La Liga appearances have come off the bench.

Other unrelated reports have linked Tanguy Ndombele with a move in the other direction. Spurs would do well to act regardless of Ndombele’s destination, depending on the length of the deal for Rakitic. If he’s not a contract albatross in four years time, Spurs will have a valuable asset in their race to rejoin the UCL elite.

But would Daniel Levy be willing to sanction a higher salary for an older player? That will be key here.

Marca has two aforementioned clubs in an interesting swap deal, where Barcelona would acquire Miralem Pjanic from Juventus in exchange for Arthur.

The 30-year-old Pjanic has again been a key player for Juventus, scoring three times with two assists in 22 Serie A appearances.

Arthur, 23, has played much less at Barcelona and it would be a symptom of its sick if they cast him aside despite strong play in limited use.

The defensive midfielder has chimed in with three goals and three assists in 700 fewer minutes. He’s missed nine La Liga games with various injuries this season.

Pjanic would certainly fit the bill of a Barca quality player but Juventus would make out like a bandit here, as Arthur has barely begun an already impressive career.

In the same report, Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici said he expects very few clubs will be able to afford Paul Pogba after the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, and that Gianluigi Buffalo and Giorgio Chiellini will spend another year with The Old Lady.

Transfer rumor roundup: Everton, Man Utd handed Van de Beek hope

transfer rumor roundup
Photo by Cees van Hoogdalem/Soccrates/Getty Images
By Nicholas MendolaApr 30, 2020, 5:33 PM EDT
Leave a comment

Everton and Manchester United are mentioned as destinations for a pair of possible Premier League debutants, while the pair are also going head-to-head for an Ajax star.

[ VIDEO: Premier League highlights ] 

It’s all in the rumor roundup.

It’s been in fashion to link Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton revolution with players from his home country.

The latest is Torino’s Daniele Baselli, who is also wanted by Napoli and Lazio according to Sportslens.

The 28-year-old center midfielder is averaging 2.7 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, and 1.5 clearances per Serie A match this season.

That’s not to say he doesn’t have attacking acumen, pitching in an average of five goals per season since moving to Turin from Atalanta in 2015.

Baselli has been capped once by Italy.

Diminutive Venezuelan winger Yeferson Soteldo is holding out hope for a move to Manchester United.

The 5-foot-3 international with 17 caps and a goal and turns 23 this summer. He’s scored 10 times with seven assists in his short time with Santos after arriving from Chilean club Universidad.

He said he’d chose United even if Real Madrid or Barcelona came calling. From The Manchester Evening News:

“I always dreamed of playing for Manchester United, the dream remains intact. There are many steps to get there, but I feel I can. I want to go to Europe, but not to go and come back.”

Soteldo has become a mainstay for Venezuela, and posted a goal and an assist against Japan in November.

Both Everton and Man Utd are being linked with a player whose fate seemed sealed just weeks ago.

Ajax star Donny van de Beek has been strongly connected to a wink-wink transfer to Real Madrid this summer, as La Liga’s giants couldn’t risk Financial Fair Play woes by adding him to their 2019 summer haul.

Shoot quotes a Spanish report that the Toffees and Red Devils believe they can land the midfielder.

Van de Beek just turned 23, and has 10 goals and 11 assists in 37 matches this season after registering 17 and 13 in 57 appearances in 2018/19.