🚨 Liverpool star considering his future, Arsenal eye PSG duo, Julian Alvarez talks planned, Chelsea open to surprise sale, & more
Today's biggest transfer stories, plus Villa and Palace reach European finals!
Good morning everyone and welcome to another Daily Briefing! Thanks as always for reading, and hope you enjoy! :-)
Today’s top stories:
Bradley Barcola to Arsenal, and much more!
Aston Villa thrash Forest to reach Europa League final
Aston Villa came from 1-0 down in the first leg to thrash Nottingham Forest in the Europa League semi-final.
Ollie Watkins broke the deadlock in the first half, before Villa ran away with it in the second period thanks to a penalty from Emi Buendia, and a superb brace from John McGinn.
Villa will now take on Freiburg in the Europa League final on the 20th of May as they look to win their first trophy in 30 years.
FT Aston Villa 4-0 Nottingham Forest (4-1 on aggregate) [Pictures from TNT Sports]
Crystal Palace reach first ever European final
Crystal Palace beat Shakhtar Donetsk to book their place in the Europa Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano.
The Eagles won 2-1 on the night and 5-2 on aggregate in an impressive semi-final performance to reach their first ever European final.
The result also means an English club will feature in each of the three European finals this season!
FT Crystal Palace 2-1 Shakhtar Donetsk (5-2 on aggregate) [Pictures from TNT Sports]
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Arsenal
Arsenal have been informed that signing Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid this summer will cost them a staggering €100m transfer fee. (Mundo Deportivo)
Arsenal have been gathering information on PSG winger Bradley Barcola ahead of a potential summer move, though the Frenchman is also on the radar of Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona. (Florian Plettenberg)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is another ambitious target for Arsenal from PSG, though they’re unlikely to be able to afford the Georgian winger. (TEAMtalk)
Arsenal have made checks on talented young Porto midfielder Victor Froholdt ahead of a potential summer transfer move, with other Premier League clubs also keen. (Bold.dk)
Arsenal are keeping an eye on Mika Godts as a potential summer target as his €75m price tag could drop if Ajax miss out on European football. (TEAMtalk)
Arsenal are one of a number of Premier League clubs in the mix to sign Roma full-back Wesley this summer. (Calciomercato)
Barcelona
Julian Alvarez favours a move to Barcelona, but they may be unable to afford the Atletico Madrid striker unless his €100m price tag drops. (Mundo Deportivo)
Barcelona are ready to cash in on Marc Casado this summer, but the player himself has made it clear he’s keen to stay at the Nou Camp. (Sport)
Raphinha has slammed media “lies” over speculation that he could look to leave Barcelona this summer. (ESPN)
Bayern Munich
Anthony Gordon’s talks with Bayern Munich have been confirmed by reliable sources, with Newcastle also in contact with the Bundesliga giants about a possible sale. (Keith Downie)
Leon Goretzka is now very close to agreeing his next move as he heads towards the Bayern Munich exit. (ESPN)
Chelsea
Chelsea are under pressure to make a big sale this summer, with Enzo Fernandez a likely candidate as he attracts interest from Real Madrid. (Mark Brus, the Daily Briefing)
Chelsea are continuing talks with top manager target Xabi Alonso, who is not ruling out taking the job, though he still has some demands about the amount of control he’d have at Stamford Bridge. (Simon Phillips)
Chelsea are up against Tottenham for the potential transfer of highly-rated Argentine wonderkid Ian Subiabre this summer. (Soy del Millo)
Crystal Palace
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is “close” to joining Crystal Palace as their new manager for next season. (El Chiringuito)
Inter Milan
Lautaro Martinez has spoken out on his Inter Milan future - full quotes here!
Inter manager Christian Chivu has been offered a new contract, adding one year to his current deal to keep him at the club until 2028. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
Liverpool
Virgil van Dijk could end up making the surprise exit from Liverpool this summer, with the experienced Dutchman seriously considering his future despite only signing a new contract a year ago. (Fotomac)
Liverpool look ready to pounce for the signing of exciting young Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara this summer amid uncertainty over the future of Alexis Mac Allister. (TEAMtalk)
Liverpool also seem to have an eye on another impressive Ligue 1 midfielder - full story here!
Manchester City
Manchester City are in the race alongside other Premier League clubs for this exciting Brazilian talent - full story here!
Manchester United
Manchester United could be set to miss out on hiring Andoni Iraola as he’s being strongly linked with Andoni Iraola by sources in Spain. (El Chiringuito)
Mateus Fernandes is emerging as the top target for Manchester United as they look to get a deal done quickly for the West Ham star, who is also wanted by rivals Liverpool. (TEAMtalk)
Manchester United want to win the race for this highly-rated Portuguese winger - full story here!
Newcastle United
Newcastle United are making Chelsea striker Liam Delap a top target for this summer, and they currently appear to be in pole position for a deal. (Give Me Sport)
Anthony Gordon’s talks with Bayern Munich have been confirmed by reliable sources, with Newcastle also in contact with the Bundesliga giants about a possible sale. (Keith Downie)
Real Madrid
Federico Valverde or Aurelien Tchouameni could be sold by Real Madrid this summer after their fight in training that led to the Uruguay ace being hospitalised. (AS)
Valverde has released a statement insisting that someone has been spreading rumours and exaggerating what happened - full quotes here!
Real Madrid have discussed Enzo Fernandez as a target, with Chelsea open to selling for the right price this summer. (Mark Brus, the Daily Briefing)
Parents of Real Madrid players have apparently been complaining to club president Florentino Perez about a lack of minutes this season. (Cadena Cope)
Tottenham
Tottenham are competing with Chelsea for the potential transfer of highly-rated Argentine wonderkid Ian Subiabre this summer. (Soy del Millo)
Tottenham are also one of the clubs, alongside Liverpool, targeting a summer move for Juventus left-back Andrea Cambiaso. (TuttoJuve)
Tottenham are competing with Aston Villa for the signing of Benjamin Nygren from Celtic at the end of the season. (TEAMtalk)
Pedro Porro’s Tottenham future is in doubt, with Barcelona preparing a €30m bid to see off competition from rivals Real Madrid for the right-back’s signature. (Fichajes)