đš Major Arsenal star returns, Chelsea's green light for Pulisic, ten Hag makes Lindelöf decision, Newcastle face competition for Maddison and more
Today's transfer round-up, featuring Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd, Tottenham, and more!
Good morning! Welcome to the latest edition of the Daily Briefing, your essential transfer round-up, completely ad-free and straight to your inbox. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!
Todayâs top stories:
Arsenal
Nicolas PĂ©pĂ© has returned to the north Londoners after his loan deal with Ligue Un side OGC Nice expired. No decision yet on what happens next for Arsenalâs current record signing.
đŹ Arsenal fans - Can Nicolas PĂ©pĂ© find a way back into Mikel Artetaâs squad? Would you like to see him given a second chance? Let me know in the comments!
Atlético Madrid
MARCA note that Ălvaro Morata has signed a new deal with AtlĂ©tico Madrid which ties him to the club until 2026. The documents have been checked and Morataâs contract extension will be done and dusted shortly.
Bayern Munich
Konrad Laimer has joined Bayern Munich on a free transfer. His contract was signed back in January, and though some Premier League clubs tried to scupper the deal, there was never any chance that they would succeed. Laimer is Bayernâs first signing for the 2023/2024 season. The player said: âIt's a dream come true for me. FC Bayern is one of the biggest clubs in the world. I will give everything for the club and the fansâ.
Camara, the agent for Mathys Tel told BILD: âMany clubs in Europe would like to have Mathys, and not small ones. Weâve already communicated that itâs very clear to us Mathys will stay at Bayern to improve.â
Benfica
Benfica are closing in on deal to sign Liverpool target, Orkun KökĂ§ĂŒ. Medical tests are booked and the contract, which has a release clause of âŹ120m, will be for five years until 2028. Feyenoord are set to receive âŹ30m for the player plus a 20% sell-on clause.
NicolĂĄs Otamendi has signed a new deal with Benfica which ties him to the club until 2025. Itâs already signed and sealed so he will not now be leaving the Portuguese giants as a free agent.
Chelsea
Thereâs a very strong likelihood that Christian Pulisic will leave Chelsea this summer. The Blues have given him the green light to look for another club if certain conditions are met. His priority is a permanent transfer, with AC Milan one of many clubs that are informed of his situation.
Inter Milan
Milan Ć kriniar signed a pre contract with PSG back in January, and with the player set to join the Ligue Un champions on a free transfer, Inter president, Zhang told Gazzetta: âĆ kriniar has always been one of my favourite players. I will reply to this question only after the final.â
Juventus
A return to Juventus is unlikely at this moment for Arkadiusz Milik. Although the Polish striker had a decent season on loan with the Bianconeri, they have decided against paying the âŹ7m buy out fee to Marseille - with the French club unwilling to lower the price. They are willing to sell, but not for a penny less than the asking price.
Leeds
An agreement is now in place for Leeds United to be bought by 49ers Enterprises from Aser Ventures. This should provide the club with the stability it needs ahead of their Championship season. âBoth parties continue to work through the details and further updates will be provided soon,â a statement read.
Liverpool
Former Reds star Naby Keita has joined Werder Bremen on a free transfer. He has signed a three-year contract until 2026.
Benfica are closing in on deal to sign Liverpool target, Orkun KökĂ§ĂŒ. Medical tests are booked and the contract, which has a release clause of âŹ120m, will be for five years until 2028. Feyenoord are set to receive âŹ30m for the player plus a 20% sell-on clause.
RB Leipzig have had more talks with Liverpool this week over Fabio Carvalho. The Reds still donât want to let him leave on a permanent deal, but Iâm told that negotiations will continue over the weekend.
Man United
Victor Lindelöf remains untouchable for Man United. The defender has the full backing of his manager, Erik ten Hag. Atlético Madrid and Inter were keen on signing him last January and their interest remains, whilst Eintracht Frankfurt were never in concrete talks. The position, in any case, remains the same. Not for sale.
đ° Man United are set to make a controversial decision on Mason Greenwoodâs future. (Daily Mail via CaughtOffside)
Newcastle United
Tottenham and Newcastle are both in the race to sign Leicester Cityâs James Maddison, with negotiations set to begin shortly. Ange Postecoglou has specifically asked for the player, though the Magpies could have the edge in this one as theyâve been working on a deal since last summer.
đ° Newcastle could sign the âbest young right-back in the worldâ for just ÂŁ17m (90Min/Foot The Ball via CaughtOffside)
OGC Nice
Former Chelsea and Everton star Ross Barkley has left the club as a free agent. The decision has already been made and confirmed. Nicolas Pépé has returned to Arsenal after his loan deal with the Ligue Un side expired.
PSV
A deal is in place, which will be completed soon, for Peter Bosz to become the new head coach at PSV, replacing Ruud van Nistelrooy. Talks are ongoing, and he would like Ricardo Pepi to be his first signing.
RB Leipzig
Lens star, LoĂŻc Openda has already agreed personal terms with RB Leipzig, however, discussions will continue between the two clubs because the offer of âŹ30m from the Bundesliga side isnât considered to be enough.
Konrad Laimer has joined Bayern Munich on a free transfer. His contract was signed back in January, and though some Premier League clubs tried to scupper the deal, there was never any chance that they would succeed. Laimer is Bayernâs first signing for the 2023/2024 season. The player said: âIt's a dream come true for me. FC Bayern is one of the biggest clubs in the world. I will give everything for the club and the fansâ.
RB Leipzig have had more talks with Liverpool this week over Fabio Carvalho. The Reds still donât want to let him leave on a permanent deal, but Iâm told that negotiations will continue over the weekend.
Real Madrid
Fran GarcĂa has returned to the club after Los Blancos triggered the buy back clause of âŹ5m from Rayo Vallecano. His new contract runs until 2027.
Nacho will sign a one year deal with the club at some point next week. The documents are ready and just require the signatures to formalise the agreement.
đ° Real Madridâs accidental spending spree (Football Espana via CaughtOffside)
AS Roma
Negotiations for Evan NâDicka are now very advanced and into the final stages. Roma will pay the player âŹ4m per year net, as well as a signing bonus. Contract will be for five years.
Sevilla
Sevilla have triggered the âŹ12m buy option for Rennesâ Loic BadĂ©. He had been on loan in Andalusia, but now the centre-back has joined on a permanent deal until 2027.
Tottenham
Tottenham and Newcastle are both in the race to sign Leicester Cityâs James Maddison, with negotiations set to begin shortly. Ange Postecoglou has specifically asked for the player, though the Magpies could have the edge in this one as theyâve been working on a deal since last summer.
Daniel Levy has had his say on the appointment of the new manager: âThe notion that Tottenham havenât backed certain managers is incorrect. Weâre currently paying the price where some of the acquisitions have not turned out to be as we hoped. We wanted Ange Postecoglou to play attacking football and trust the Academy.â
đŹ Spurs fans - how can James Maddison benefit your midfield? Who else is a good option? Let me know in the comments!
Valencia
Valencia have triggered the buy option clause to sign Cenk Ăzkacar from Lyon. A permanent deal has been completed for just âŹ5m, with a long-term contract signed until June 2028.
Watford
Eredivisie side, Utrecht, are closing in on a deal to sign the talented England youth international, Adrian Blake, from Watford. This is expected to be completed in the next few days.
For all the very latest transfer news, read caughtoffside.com
Can definitely see why both Newcastle and Spurs are after Maddison. Will create stacks of goals for the strikers. Hard worker too. Doubt he will come cheap mind.
Pulisic would fit well in a team like Juve