Football gossip: Barcola, Vinicius Jr, Guimaraes, Diaz, Ndiaye, Zirkzee, Diomande, Tomiyasu, PhillipsFootball gossip: Barcola, Vinicius Jr, Guimaraes, Diaz, Ndiaye, Zirkzee, Diomande, Tomiyasu, Phillips

Transfer movements and club valuations

Liverpool and Paris St-Germain are reportedly at odds over the valuation of France forward Bradley Barcola, 23, despite a verbal agreement for him to join Liverpool. The potential move for Barcola could prompt PSG to pursue Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande, 19, from RB Leipzig, potentially competing with Real Madrid for his signature.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid has no intentions of selling Brazil forward Vinicius Jr, 26, whose contract is set to expire next summer. The club is confident that he will agree to a new deal. However, some reports suggest that Arsenal is also considering Vinicius Jr or Barcola as potential replacements for Leandro Trossard, though Vinicius Jr’s desire to remain at Real Madrid is noted.

Bradley Barcola in action for France against England
Bradley Barcola to the Premier League could be possible this summer.Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA Credit: theguardian.com

In other transfer news, Everton is reportedly seeking around £70m for Senegal winger Iliman Ndiaye, 26. Both Manchester United and Al-Hilal have shown interest in the player. Al-Hilal is also reportedly interested in Colombia forward Luis Diaz, but Bayern Munich has no plans to sell him, and the 29-year-old has expressed his desire to stay with the German champions.

Midfield and defensive considerations

Newcastle United sources have indicated that the club is not in discussions with Arsenal regarding the sale of their captain, Bruno Guimaraes, 28. The Tyneside club expects the Brazil international to return to training on Friday. This comes amidst ongoing speculation surrounding various midfield talents across Europe.

Nottingham Forest is reportedly close to finalizing a 40m euros (£34m) deal for Ivory Coast centre-back Ousmane Diomande, 22, from Sporting. This potential acquisition highlights clubs’ efforts to strengthen their defensive lines ahead of the new season. Additionally, Coventry City has agreed to a club-record deal worth an initial £22.5m to sign English goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, 25, from Brighton.

Striker and loan movements

Manchester United is reportedly open to allowing Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee, 25, to leave the club and is in talks with Juventus regarding a potential deal. If Zirkzee departs, Ollie Watkins, who will be 31 before the year ends, is considered a possible replacement. United could also see young left-back Harry Amass move to Coventry, either permanently or on loan.

Former Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, 27, is currently training with Crystal Palace after leaving Ajax in the summer. However, no discussions have taken place regarding the Japan international joining the Eagles. Meanwhile, Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips is finalizing a loan move to Championship side Sheffield United, having been excluded from City’s pre-season tour squad.

The future of João Palhinha has also been a subject of speculation, with Bayern Munich’s sporting director, Christoph Freund, indicating a desire to trim their squad. While Aston Villa is a potential destination for the Portuguese midfielder, he reportedly prefers to remain with his current club. His former manager at Fulham, Marco Silva, is said to want him at Benfica on loan.

Finally, Mohamed Salah remains without a club after his departure from Liverpool. His next destination could be Besiktas, with a potential reunion with Darwin Núñez if the Uruguayan also joins the Turkish club from Al-Hilal. Several Saudi clubs and even Sporting Kansas from MLS have been linked with Salah.

Source: bbc.com

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By Kwame Ofori

Kwame follows politics and current affairs, with a focus on Accra and national government.