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Last week it was Istanbul, this week it is Turin. Jadon Sancho’s next destination for employment is like an Interrail trip around our favourite city break destinations. According to Corriere dello Sport, Manchester United want £25m for the England winger, 25, and Juventus are interested. Helpfully, Sancho is said to be prepared to lower his wage demands in order to join the Old Lady.
Sancho’s departure will free up some cash to fund the potential signing of Ollie Watkins, because nothing says thought out transfer strategy like paying £60m for a 29-year-old striker due a big payday. Multiple back pages suggest that Jim Ratcliffe’s crew are intensifying their pursuit of Watkins, with Rasmus Højlund potentially returning to Italy.
After missing out on João Pedro, Newcastle must turn to alternatives. Anthony Elanga at Nottingham Forest has been cited as one potential target and another, it has emerged, is West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus. Again the Toon appear to have competition, with Tottenham also eyeing up the Ghanaian. TalkSport claim the Irons have already rejected a £50m bid for Kudus from Spurs but reports suggest Newcastle would want to pay around that mark.
One coveted winger who looks to be staying at his current club is Kaoru Mitoma. Bayern Munich placed the Japanese international on their wishlist, but Sky Sports have delighted all Brighton fans with an update suggesting that Mitoma wants to remain at the Amex and sign a new deal.
Sunderland have geared up for their return to the Premier League by selling Jobe Bellingham to Dortmund and Tommy Watson to Brighton. Two midfielders have come through the door in the shapes of Habib Diarra and Enzo Le Fée but the Black Cats now need defensive reinforcements, for that they have turned their attention to signing Chelsea’s Serbian goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic and Union Saint-Gilloise’s DR Congo international Noah Sadiki, 20.
Bayern Munich are interested in Lyon’s Malick Fofana. The 20-year-old has been priced at at least £51.5m, according to the Independent, which suggests a bidding war might emerge with all of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Fulham and Nottingham Forest in contact about the Belgian international.
More from Germany, with Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba another to be coveted by a host of top clubs. Foot Mercato claims that Tottenham are rivals for the 22-year-old Frenchman, along with Bayern. Lukeba is said to have a £78m release clause but Leipzig would be willing to deal for less than that.
Drama in Italy as a row between Inter captain Lautaro Martínez and teammate Hakan Calhanoglu could see the Turkish midfielder leave the club. After Inter’s exit from the Club World Cup, Martínez told reporters “whoever wants to leave, should leave”, before club president Beppe Marotta acknowledged that the Argentinian was probably referring to Calhanoglu. Although this report from the Gazetta dello Sport suggests the players are working things our privately, Galatasaray could be beneficiaries as Inter cut the asking price for Calhanoglu to €30m.
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