MAURICIO POCHETTINO is set to be sacked by PSG, with Zinedine Zidane reportedly having agreed to take over as manager.
The former Real Madrid boss is said to be travelling to Qatar to finalise terms on a deal to take charge at the Parc des Princes.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid and Man City are reported to be interested in Chelsea’s Reece James.
The Blues right-back has two years left on his contract and is said to have not yet been approached with regards to a new one.
And Liverpool have reportedly offered £68m up front, rising to £85m with add-ons for Darwin Nunez.
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Forest chasing Maitland-Niles
Newly promoted Nottingham Forest are reportedly keen on a move for Arsenal outcast Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
The versatile Maitland-Niles spent the second half of last season on loan at Roma.
And now Forest have made contact with the Gunners regarding a deal for the 24-year-old, according to the Mirror.
Maitland-Niles has just one year left on his Arsenal contract and is keen to play regular first-team football.
The Gunners are open to selling, while Forest are looking to strengthen their squad ahead of a first Premier League campaign since 1998-99.
Burnley release 14 players
The relegated Clarets have confirmed 14 players will depart the club this summer.
Centre-backs Ben Mee and James Tarkowski will both leave when their contracts expire, as will Aaron Lennon.
Elsewhere in the first team set-up, Phil Bardsley, Dale Stephens and Erik Pieters have been set for release.
Meanwhile in the U23S Joel Mumbongo, Richard Nartey, Anthony Glennon, Ethen Vaughan, Sam Unwin, Anthony Gomez Mancini, Calen Gallagher-Allison, Joel Connolly and Harry Allen will all leave in the summer.
Kounde keen on Sevilla exit
Sevilla general director Jose Maria Cruz de Andres has confirmed Chelsea target Jules Kounde wants to leave the club to play in a “more competitive team”.
SunSport exclusively revealed last month that the French defender is desperate to sign for the Blues this summer.
And De Andres told Sport Witness: “Again, the player, I am sure, respects Sevilla FC. He is happy with us. In the case of Kounde, it is not a matter of money.
“It’s a matter of him wanting to play in a more competitive team than Sevilla FC.
“I am sure he is a player that is attractive for teams like Chelsea, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and these types of teams.
“He wants to play in a more competitive team.”
Gareth Bale NOT joining Getafe
Gareth Bale has provided an update on his future, and confirmed he WON’T be joining LaLiga side Getafe.
Getafe’s president had claimed Bale had offered himself to the club, who finished 15th in LaLiga last season.
But Bale was quizzed today on whether he was close to sealing a move to a new team.
And the Wales talisman replied with a laugh: “No but it’s definitely not Getafe that’s for sure!”
Credit: PA De Jong greenlights United switch
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has reportedly given the green light for a move to Manchester United.
According to The Athletic, the 25-year-old has agreed to join Erik ten Hag’s Old Trafford revolution.
All that’s thought to be left now is for the two clubs to agree on a transfer fee.
Barca are understood to want to recoup as much of the £65million they paid to sign De Jong from Ajax in 2019.
United are said to be currently proposing an offer of £50million for his services.
Woodman close to Newcastle departure
Goalkeeper Freddie Woodman is inching closer to a move away from Newcastle, according to the Northern Echo.
The 25-year-old is set to join Preston North-End on an initial loan move, with the view to a permanent transfer.
Woodman is currently third-choice at St. James’ Park, and with Toon on the lookout for a new stopper, first team football will be hard to come by.
It’s claimed his move to Preston will be a season-long loan deal, and the Lilywhites will have the option to sign him permanently next summer.
Leeds eyeing Bayern swoop
Leeds United are in talks over the signing of Bayern Munich midfielder Marc Roca for £10million, according to reports.
The 25-year-old is expected to leave the Bundesliga champions this season, via the Daily Mail and The Athletic.
Director of football Victor Orta is confident Roca would suit the style of the Premier League.
West Ham are believed to have an interest in the Spaniard too but the Hammers are supposedly looking at other targets.
Roca was part of the squad that won the Under-21 European Championships in 2019 with Spain.
Azpilicueta set for talks on future
Cesar Azpilicueta is set to hold talks with Chelsea next week over his future, writes ANDREW DILLON.
The club captain wants to leave but does not want to submit a transfer request out of respect to the club he has served for ten years.
Barcelona are keen to sign the veteran right back but are reluctant to pay a transfer fee even though the player has 12 months left on his contract.
Boss Thomas Tuchel has hinted that Chelsea’s longest serving player could be allowed to leave for nothing as a reward for his loyalty and key part in bringing huge success to the club.
Credit: AFP Merson: Lukaku’s a bargain Belgian
Paul Merson believes Arsenal are the perfect club to rescue Romelu Lukaku from his Chelsea nightmare.
And the former Gunners star reckons his old team could land the Belgian for a cut-price fee.
“Arsenal should make a cheeky £60m bid for Romelu Lukaku this summer,” Merson said in his column for the Daily Mirror.
“Because if Chelsea are so desperate to let him go that they’re talking about loaning him to Inter Milan, surely they would take the money!
“I know he hasn’t scored a lot of goals this season but Lukaku is an elite goalscorer. Arsenal play great football up to the edge of the box but then it often fizzles out.
“Arsenal go through the lines. They want their striker on the edge of the box. It would suit him.”
Lukaku scored just eight goals in 26 Premier League appearances last season following his £97.5m move back to Stamford Bridge.
Spurs in ‘advanced’ Spence talks
Tottenham are in advanced talks with Middlesbrough regarding a £20m deal for Djed Spence.
Transfers journalist Pete O’Rourke reports that Spurs are closing in on the 21-year-old, who recently won promotion to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest.
Spence enjoyed a brilliant season on loan at the City Ground after being deemed surplus to requirements by then-Boro manager Neil Warnock.
Forest had hoped to keep hold of the defender after returning to the top-flight for the first time since 1999.
However, they now look set to lose out to one of the ‘big six’ while Boro receive a windfall for a player they had previously written off.
Gunners plotting Old Lady revenge
Arsenal were left reeling when Juventus beat them to the signing of Dusan Vlahovic back in January, but they are now preparing for some swift revenge.
Juve are said to have identified Verona centre-forward Giovanni Simeone – son of Atletico Madrid boss Diego – as a potential strike partner for Vlahovic.
However, according to Tuttomercatoweb, the Gunners are now considering swooping for the 26-year-old from under the nose of the Old Lady.
The 26-year-old Simeone bagged 17 goals in 36 Serie A appearances for Verona last term.
Kenny set for Everton exit
Jonjoe Kenny will leave Everton this month after 16 years with the Merseyside club.
The 25-year-old right-back had been offered a new deal to stay with the Toffees, but has instead opted to look for first team football elsewhere.
Kenny joined the club’s youth system at the age of six, but has struggled to cement a place in the team in recent seasons, having to make do with a number of loan spells away.
Also leaving Everton when their contracts expire at the end of this month are Fabian Delph, Cenk Tosun and Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Spurs want to lead Eagle
Tottenham have turned their attention to Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi as they look to boost their squad ahead of the new season.
Antonio Conte had identified AC Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni as his number one defensive target, but the Italian now looks destined to remain at the San Siro.
And so Spurs are now preparing to test Palace’s resolve with a bid for one of their young stars.
Guehi impressed during his first season at Selhurst Park following his move from Chelsea, and earned his first cap for England in March.
Arsenal enter race for Raphinha
Arsenal are the latest club to be considering a bid for Leeds United ace Raphinha, according to The Telegraph.
The Brazilian is widely expected to depart Elland Road this summer with a number of of European giants linked to the 25-year-old.
Barcelona had been considered favourites to land the forward, but their financial constraints may make it difficult to finalise a deal – and now the Gunners are hoping to take advantage.
The Londoners will make an attractive offer for Raphinha, supplemented by the sale of record signing Nicolas Pepe.
De Jong nearly done deal
Manchester United are on the verge of confirming the signing of Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.
TalkSPORT sources understand that a deal for the 25-year-old midfielder will be completed swiftly, and he could be unveiled as a Red Devil over the weekend.
New United boss Erik ten Hag has been keen to bring in the Dutch international, who he first worked with at Ajax.
De Jong left Amsterdam for the Nou Camp in 2019 for €75m, and he has gone on to score 13 times in 139 appearances for the Catalans.
Forest suffer huge Samba blow
Nottingham Forest have been dealt a shock blow after goalkeeper Brice Samba told the club he wants to leave.
The fan’s favourite is about to enter the final year of his contract and is reluctant to sign a new deal, according to The Athletic.
The Congo-born stopper became a hero at the City Ground after saving three penalties in the play-off semi-final penalty shootout versus Sheffield United.
And it’s because of his achievements and popularity that he wants out.
Samba’s decision is not said is to be financially motivated but about respect.
It comes as a surprise considering Samba has formed a strong bond with the city and the club.
Rivaldo: Richarlison should join Arsenal
Brazilian legend Rivaldo believes that a move to Arsenal would be perfect for his compatriot Richarlison.
The Everton forward has been linked with the Emirates after his exploits in helping the Toffees beat the drop last season.
And Rivaldo feels it could be a signing that suits Mikel Arteta’s team too.
Speaking in his role as Betfair Ambassador, the former Barcelona star said: “This could be a big summer for Richarlison.
“He looks set to leave Everton, with several big clubs interested, and Arsenal looks a good option for the forward.
“The Gunners have Edu as their director and, after working with Tite until 2019, the ex-Arsenal midfielder knows Richarlison very well from the Brazilian national team.
“Joining a club that fights near the top of the Premier League could be important for Richarlison, after a tough season with Everton, in which he was crucial to saving the club from relegation.
“If he gets a big move, he will have a better chance of becoming a first choice forward for Brazil at the World Cup in Qatar.”
Big Blues offer for Koulibaly
Chelsea hope to tempt Kalidou Koulibaly to Stamford Bridge with a whopping €10m-per-year offer, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Napoli centre-back has previously spoken about his desire to finish his player career with the Italian club, but may be enticed by the contract tabled by the Premier League outfit.
However, any deal would have to be financially beneficial to Napoli too, and the Serie A side are holding out for a transfer deal in the region of €40m.
The 30-year-old Senegalese international has made more than 300 appearances in eight years with the Naples club.
Kante available for reduced fee
Manchester United are hoping to land Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante at a knocked-down price this summer.
The Red Devils have been tracking the status of the French international, and plan to take advantage of the fact that only one year remains on his current deal at Stamford Bridge.
Thomas Tuchel hopes to keep hold of his midfielder, but there are concerns within the club over his injury record.
The Blues boss had previously said: “I think he is our key, key, key player; but key, key, key players need to be on the pitch.
“He plays only 40% of the games. So it’s maybe a miracle that we arrived in third place.”
Seagulls swoop for talented teen
Brighton are on the verge of completing the signing of Julio Enciso for £10m, report The Athletic.
The 18-year-old Paraguay international has been saying his goodbyes to teammates and staff at current club Libertad, and is expected to officially move to the Amex on July 1.
The pint-sized attacking midfielder has six caps for his country, having first represented them last summer.
United favourites to land Asensio
Manchester United are among the favourites to land Real Madrid star Marco Asensio, according to Mundo Deportivo.
The Spanish international is eyeing a move away from the Bernabeu in order to guarantee regular first team football ahead of November’s World Cup.
Juventus are also keen on the 26-year-old attacking midfielder, who is said to have had a number of offers from abroad.
Asensio scored ten goals in 31 LaLiga appearances for Real last term.
Gunners confirm Nketiah contract offer
Arsenal have included Eddie Nketiah among the list of players whose contracts are due to expire this month as the Premier League prepare to announce their free transfer list.
However, the Gunners are keen to point out that a new deal has been offered to the striker, and discussions are ongoing.
In a statement on the club’s website, Arsenal said “Please note, any further developments regarding players extending their contracts; joining/re-joining us; or leaving us will be officially communicated as soon as they are confirmed.”
Zidane set for first signing
Zinedine Zidane hasn’t even touched down in Paris yet, but his first signing as new Paris Saint-German manager is already in the works.
Zidane is currently flying in from Qatar to replace Mauricio Pochettino, and the French legend is not expected to be the only new arrival the Parc des Princes.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the French champions have tabled an opening offer of €50m for Inter defender Milan Skriniar.
The Serie A club are said to be holding out for €70m despite the Slovakian centre-back only having a year left to run on his current contract.
Poch on the brink at PSG
Paris Saint-Germain are set to sack Mauricio Pochettino and replace him with Zinedine Zidane, according to reports.
The French side are expected to relieve the former Tottenham boss of his duties imminently.
Waiting in the wings is ex-Real Madrid manager Zidane.
According to Mundo Deportivo’s Ramon Fuentes, Zizou is travelling to Qatar to finalise his contract with PSG’s owners.
They expect the deal to be formally completed tomorrow.
Zidane, 49, has been out of work since leaving Madrid at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Wilson: Fulham in good Nec
Welsh World Cup hero Neco Williams should quit Liverpool to join newly-promoted Fulham.
That’s the view of international teammate Harry Wilson, who made the same move himself last summer.
Williams spent the second half of last season on loan with the Cottagers as they claimed the Championship title, and starred for his country in the weekend’s play-off triumph over Ukraine.
Liverpool have slapped a £15m asking price on the right-back, but are already considering replacements with a move for Aberdeen teenager Calvin Ramsey looking likely.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
