LIVE Transfer Talk: AC Milan eye USMNT’s Folarin Balogun and Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek

The summer transfer window may not be open yet in Europe, but teams are getting ready for it, and there’s plenty of gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: AC Milan interested in USMNT’s Balogun, Chelsea’s Loftus-Cheek

AC Milan are looking at signing Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun, who is on loan at Stade de Reims in France, as well as Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Eintracht Frankfurt attacking midfielder Daichi Kamada, according to Calciomercato.

Balogun, who recently committed to playing for the U.S. men’s national team, is the priority for the Rossoneri, with Arsenal willing to listen to offers for the 21-year-old despite his impressive loan spell in Ligue 1, in which he has scored 20 goals.

However, Milan will face competition for Balogun’s signature, most notably from RB Leipzig. Arsenal’s demands of a €30 million transfer fee could also cause problems. However, the Serie A giants are planning to make contact with the striker’s agent before the season comes to an end.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga & more (U.S.)
– Read on ESPN+: What stats say about new USMNT recruit Balogun

With Chelsea needing to offload a number of players from their bloated squad, Milan are also looking at Loftus-Cheek, who has managed 18 starts and five substitute appearances in the Premier League this term.

Kamada is expected to join as a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the season, with the 26-year-old having scored 16 goals and assisted another six across all competitions this season, though has also been linked with Dortmund.

LIVE BLOG

21.25 BST: Manchester United are planning on checking the situation of Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze, according to Ekrem Konur. The 24-year-old has impressed with six goals and an assist in his past eight Premier League matches.

20.52 BST: Bayern Munich are willing to listen to offers for goalkeeper Alexander Nubel, who is currently on loan at Monaco, reports Sky Sport Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg. The Bavarian club wants a transfer fee between €15m and €20m with no concrete offer having been made yet.

20.19 BST: AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli wants the club to sign Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, reports Gazzetta dello Sport. The 28-year-old Serbia international is entering the final year of his cotract and could be available for a transfer fee between €25m and €30m.

19.46 BST: Chelsea are stepping up their interest in Steve Biko striker Adama Bojang after his brace in Gambia’s opening match of the U20 World Cup, reports the Daily Mail. Their plan would be to immediately loan out the 18-year-old due to expected work permit issues, although the Blues face competition from Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur, Sporting CP, Internazionale and FCSalzburg.

19.13 BST: Borussia Monchengladbach striker Alassane Plea is not happy with his situation at the Bundesliga club and could leave, according to Foot Mercato. The 30-year-old is expected to command a transfer fee between €10m and €12m, with Lyon, Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Fulham all interested.

18.40 BST: Various Turkish Super Lig clubs are looking to sign AC Milan striker Divock Origi, according to Calciomercato, which adds that Fenerbahce are currently the most serious. The Rossoneri are hoping to secure a transfer fee of at least €10m for the 28-year-old, as they prepare to make a big move for a striker in the summer.

18.07 BST: Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa is keen to leave the club after being criticised by the Premier League outfit’s fans, reports Football Insider. The 30-year-old former Portugal youth international has been a regular for most of the season but has been left on the bench for both of Wolves’ last two matches.

17.34 BST: Manchester United are monitoring the situation of Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby, reports Sky Sport Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg, who adds that any next steps depend on the Red Devils’ ownership situation. Leverkusen will demand a transfer fee between €70m and €80m to sanction the 23-year-old’s exit, with Newcastle United also having the Frenchman on their list of options.

17.00 BST: Nottingham Forest are continuing negotiations to sign Trabzonspor goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, according to Ekrem Konur. Galatasary and Sheffield United are also interested in the 27-year-old, who is a Turkey international.

16.23 BST: United States international midfielder Weston McKennie will leave Leeds United and return to Juventus at the end of the season, says The Athletic.

McKennie, 24, has been on loan at Elland Road since January, with a clause to sign permanently set at €40m.

However, even if Leeds stay up and avoid relegation on the final day of the Premier League season, McKennie is set to return to Italy.

15.31 BST: Al Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Saudi Arabia and could seek a return to Europe, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Ronaldo, 38, has scored 13 goals in 17 appearances for the club but hasn’t settled in the country. The Portugal international has another year left on his contract but could pay a compensation fee to be released from it early.

14.53 BST: Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti says that winger Vinicius Junior is happy to stay at the club, despite suffering racist abuse in recent LaLiga matches.

Video Assistant Referee Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva has been dropped from Wednesday’s LaLiga game between Real Betis and Getafe, with sources telling ESPN the decision is punishment for his role in the sending off of Vinicius during Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat at Valencia on Sunday.

Vinicius was shown a red card in the 97th minute at Mestalla — having earlier been subjected to racist abuse from the home crowd — after clashing with Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and substitute Hugo Duro.

Spanish police said on Tuesday that seven people have been arrested in connection with two separate racist incidents involving Vinicius, but the Brazil international isn’t looking to move clubs as a result.

“Vinicius loves Real Madrid,” Ancelotti told a news conference. “His love for Real Madrid is big. He wants to have his career here and play for this team… He knows his future has to be here. A lot of things go through people’s heads in these moments but his idea isn’t [leaving], he wants to play for Real Madrid.”

14.17 BST: Footmercato claims that Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal want to sign Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard.

Hazard, 32, has a contract which expires in 2024 but the club are ready to move him on after a disappointing spell in Madrid.

The Belgium international is happy to run down his lucrative contract and leave for free next summer, but Al Hilal could move for him when the transfer window reopens.

14.00 BST: Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka has signed a new long-term contract at the Emirates Stadium, the club announced on Tuesday.

ESPN reported in February that the 21-year-old was close to agreeing terms with Arsenal after they triggered an option at the turn of the year to extend his existing agreement through to 2024.

“It’s great for the club that Bukayo has extended his contract,” Mikel Arteta said in a statement. “Retaining our best young talents is key to our continued progress and Bukayo represents such an important part of our squad now and for the future.

“As well as being a fantastic talent, Bukayo is a special person, he’s loved by us all and he is a credit to himself and his family for the hard work and commitment they have all made to get to this level today.

“Together with our supporters, we’re so looking forward to enjoying Bukayo’s continued development with us in the years to come.”

13.45 BST: What makes Man City’s Pep Guardiola such a good manager?

12.48 BST: Arsenal are interested in pursuing a deal for Ilkay Gundogan if the midfielder fails to agree terms with Manchester City, sources have told ESPN.

The 32-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and has so far resisted City’s attempts to sign him to fresh terms.

Sources have told ESPN that City are so far willing to offer only a one-year extension while Barcelona are prepared to hand him a two-year deal.

It is unclear at this stage what contract Arsenal are ready to put on the table but they are likely to have space in the squad for an experienced player with Granit Xhaka in talks to join Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth around €15m.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta wants to sign two central midfielders this summer with West Ham’s Declan Rice and Brighton’s Moises Caicedo on their shortlist. However, Gundogan would be a far cheaper option and Arteta worked with the Germany international during his three years at City as a coach under Pep Guardiola.

12.23 BST: Deco will be tasked with finalising the signing of Brazil striker Vitor Roque in his new role as Barcelona’s sporting director, according to Sport.

Barca want to bring in an understudy for Robert Lewandowski this summer and have made the Athletico Paranaense 18-year-old their No.1 target. They hope the arrival of Deco will boost their chances of getting a deal over the line.

Deco has not yet been officially appointed but will replace the outgoing Jordi Cruyff as Barca’s new sporting director. He will work alongside director of football Mateu Alemany, who U-turned on his decision to leave for Aston Villa last week.

Born in Brazil, Deco has excellent knowledge of the South American market and good links with the clubs on the continents, per the report in Sport. Barca, therefore, will leave negotiations for Roque, valued at around €30m, in his hands.

11.28 BST: Replacing Sergio Busquets is Barcelona’s top priority this summer, followed by securing the return of Lionel Messi, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Busquets has announced he will leave Barca at the end of the season when his contract expires and finding a deep-lying midfielder to take his place is at the top of the club’s to-do list.

The report says that from there, the Blaugrana will target Messi, Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan and Atletico Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco, in that order.

Depending on how far their finances stretch, Barca will then turn their attention to signing a right-back, with City’s Joao Cancelo on loan mentioned as an option, and Athletic Bilbao centre-back Inigo Martinez, who is out of contract next month and has already agreed terms on a move.

Finally, Xavi Hernandez is said to want young Brazilian striker Vitor Roque to come in as an understudy to Robert Lewandowski, with Chelsea’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang an option if a deal for Roque proves impossible.

Barca’s final piece of business, the report continues, could be the arrival of Wolves and Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves, with president Joan Laporta holding positive talks with the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, in recent weeks.

10.55 BST: ICYMI – Chelsea have made Dusan Vlahovic their No. 1 target for the summer, making an €80m offer for the Juventus striker, sources told ESPN.

Vlahovic, 23, arrived in Turin from Fiorentina in January 2022 for €70m and has three years left on his contract.

He has scored 23 goals in 62 games in all competitions for the Bianconeri but has failed to settle, due to coach Massimiliano Allegri’s defensive approach and the uncertainty over Champions League qualification next season for the club.

10.11 BST: Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez says he would be willing to cut his salary to bring Argentina teammate Lionel Messi to Aston Villa.

Messi, 35, has not made a decision regarding his future with his contract at PSG expiring this summer, but has been linked with a return to Barcelona, as well as moves to MLS and Saudi Arabia.

“If need be, I would cut my salary,” the Villa goalkeeper told ESPN when asked what he would do to lure Messi to Villa. He then added jokingly: “If Leo is being whistled [at PSG], I would bring him to Aston Villa. I would give him mate [tea], I would make roasts every weekend, I would ask people to make him [decorative] flags and he would have a good time.”

09.50 BST: Aston Villa are leading the race to sign Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos, according to Estadio Deportivo.

Ceballos, 26, becomes a free agent this summer but Real Madrid have offered him a new three-year contract.

While the financial offer matches the Spain international’s demands, Ceballos is worried about the amount of playing time he will get if he remains at the Bernabeu stadium. Hence, he is considering other options. AC Milan and Villarreal are also closely monitoring Ceballos’ situation but it’s Villa that are ready to make a move.

Villa coach Unai Emery is a fan and knows that the player, who spent two seasons on loan at Arsenal before returning to Real Madrid in the summer of 2021, can succeed in the Premier League.

09.22 BST: Inter Milan CEO Giuseppe Marotta has confirmed that coach Simone Inzaghi will remain at the club beyond this summer amid talks of interest from Tottenham.

At the helm of the Nerazzurri since June 2021, Inzaghi, 47, is under contract with Inter for a further season.

Despite a poor spell earlier this year, Inter are third in Serie A and have also reached their first Champions League final in 13 years.

“This year we have never thought, not even for a second, of replacing Inzaghi,” Marotta said. “He managed to strengthen his position thanks also to the team’s performances which are the result of his technical guidance. He is and will be our coach again next year.”

08.30 BST: On Monday evening, L’Equipe reported that Manchester United have opened talks to sign Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain. However, that story appears to be wide of the mark.

ESPN’s Mark Ogden and Julien Laurens have confirmed that the current United owners, the Glazer family, have no intention of making a move for the Brazil international.

Manchester United aren’t pursuing a deal for Neymar. Not the current regime anyway.

— Mark Ogden (@MarkOgden_) May 22, 2023

PAPER GOSSIP

– Manchester City will compete with Liverpool to sign Brighton & Hove AlbionAlexis Mac Allister, as reported by the Daily Star. Man City are also looking at the 24-year-old’s teammate Julio Enciso and Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich. They have been keeping tabs on West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, with Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg reporting that Bayern also want the 24-year-old, although both are aware of Arsenal’s interest.

– Manchester United are trying to wrap up a deal for Napoli centre-back Kim Min-Jae with Paris Saint-Germain also showing an interest, claims The Sun. The 26-year-old has a release clause of €50m that becomes active on July 1, and PSG have already held talks with his representatives.