LIVE Transfer Talk: PSG eye Joao Felix after Chelsea loan

ESPNJul 1, 2023, 01:55 PM ET11 minutes of reading

The summer transfer window is now open in Europe and there is plenty of gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, made deals!

TOP STORY: Joao Felix ready for PSG?

Paris Saint-Germain are keen to sign the Atletico Madrid striker Joao Felixaccording to Relief.

The Ligue 1 champions are in the market for attacking reinforcements this summer following the departure of Lionel Messi to Inter Miami CF and the continuing saga of Kylian Mbappes transfer to Real Madrid.

Felix, 23, had a disappointing loan spell at Chelsea in the second half of last season, scoring just four goals for the west London club.

The Portugal international has struggled at Atletico since his €126m move from Benfica in 2019, scoring 34 goals. After a high-profile falling out with manager Diego Simeone last season, the LaLiga outfit are reportedly keen to offload Felix this summer. But with a contract until 2027, Atletico are looking for a hefty fee and not another loan spell.

Former coach for Barcelona and Spain Luis Enrique is reportedly keen to make Felix his first signing when he joins PSG. The French side are looking to replace Christophe Galtier, who has already been sacked but remains under contract and is at the center of an investigation into allegations of racism at his former club Nice.

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LIVE BLOG

6.55pm BST: Lyon ahead Bradley Barcola has attracted the attention of Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig, according to Fabricius Roman.

However, a deal is not close as Lyon hope to keep the France international and are working to extend his stay. Liverpool had previously been linked with the 20-year-old and have reportedly sent scouts to observe him on more than one occasion.

Barcola started his professional career with Lyon’s B team and made the jump to the first team in 2021.

17.43 BST: Will USMNT forward Ricardo Pepi shine on PSV?

3.51pm BST: Andres Iniesta said farewell to Japanese football on Saturday with his first league start of the season as title-chasing Vissel Kobe had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to Consadole Sapporo.

The 39-year-old midfielder joined Kobe from Barcelona in 2018 but has found playing time increasingly hard to come by, with the latest appearance taking him to just 94 minutes across 18 games this season.

A sell-out crowd of 30,000 at the Noevir Stadium gave Iniesta a warm send-off and organized a tifo display which showed the player wearing Kobe’s No. 8 shirt and holding banners reading “Gracias Andres.”

3.30pm BST: Juventus have completed the purchase of the American winger Timothy Weah from Lille, the Serie A club announced on Saturday.

Weah, 23, played the majority of last season as a full-back for Lille, although he plays as a right wing for the USMNT. Since joining the French team in 2019 from rivals Paris Saint-Germain, he has made 107 appearances and scored eight goals. He also helped Lille win the Ligue 1 title in 2022 and the Tropheé des Champions later that year.

Weah joined PSG’s academy in 2014 when he moved to France from the US and made five appearances for PSG’s senior team from 2017-19 – which included two league titles. He was also loaned out to Celtic for the second half of the 2019 campaign, winning the Scottish league title.

He has been a key part of the USMNT since his international debut in 2018. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he started all four games and scored against Wales in the group stage opener. In total, he has 31 games and four goals for the American team.

Weah is now the second USMNT star on Juventus’ roster, joining Weston McKennie. Whether the two share the pitch for Juventus remains to be seen, however, as McKennie has been linked with a move away following his loan spell at Leeds United.

15.07 BST: CBS saying it Cristiano RonaldoAl Nassr could shift focus to signing Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva if a deal for Chelsea’s Referee Ziyech break down.

Ziyech, 30, reportedly struggled with his doctor during negotiations over a £7million move to Saudi Arabia.

Silva is keen to leave Man City but prefers to join PSG or Barcelona, ​​although a £75m fee could prove prohibitive for any club but one based in the Saudi league.

14.24 BST: Zack Steffen is available to leave Manchester City this summer, with Leicester City showing an interest in the American goalkeeper, sources have told ESPN.

Steffen, who has 29 caps for the United States, spent last season on loan at Middlesbrough but narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League.

City are open to allowing the 28-year-old to leave permanently during the transfer window, but sources have told ESPN they will ask for a fee before sanctioning any move. Steffen is under contract at Etihad until 2025.

According to sources, Leicester have registered their interest in Steffen, although they have not yet made a formal offer.

1.40pm BST: The transfer window is confusing because it’s designed to be confusing. Nobody in European football benefits from you or me being able to understand how they spend their money or why they spend their money. And with the influx of sovereign wealth funds and venture capital over the last decade-plus – entities somewhat haphazardly preoccupied with “winning football games” – that’s truer than ever.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t try! So, as the summer transfer window across Europe opens on July 1, here’s your dictionary guide to the terms that will define the summer of 2023.

12.30pm BST: Man United close on the signing of Mason Mount from Chelsea for £55m

11.46 BST: Man City winger Riyad Mahrez closing in on a move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli, says Rudy Galetti.

Mahrez, 31, was reportedly unhappy at being snubbed for Man City’s FA Cup and Champions League finals and could move on with personal terms of £45m. per year that had already been agreed with Al Ahli.

A big offer could persuade City to let the Algerian star go, but the club are loathe to lose both him and Bernardo Silvawho has also been linked with Saudi clubs for around £75m.

11.15 BST: Manchester United are interested in bringing FC Porto forward Mahdi Taremiaccording to Newspaper.

Taremi, 30, made 31 goals and 14 assists in 51 games for the club last season and his transfer value is around €20m.

United are looking to bolster their striking options and the Iran international is available.

10.26 BST: Transfer market requirements who Real Madrid want to replace Karim Benzema with PSG star Kylian Mbappebut will wait to get him on a free transfer next summer.

Mbappe, 24, has a contract that expires in 2024 and has already said he will not sign a new one. PSG are ready to move him on for €150m. this summer, but few clubs can afford it and Madrid are prepared to wait.

Meanwhile, Madrid want to sign the Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic loaned out for a year to cover them, with the option to sign permanently included in the deal.

10.14 BST: Chelsea have terminated the contract with the 18-year-old striker Alex Matos from Norwich City.

Matos, who scored three Premier League 2 goals for Norwich U21s last season, is a highly-rated young player and England youth international.

10.03 BST: Inter Milan has it announced the signing from the France international striker Marcus Thuram on a free transfer.

Thuram, 25, scored 34 goals in 111 games for Borussia Mönchengladbach but chose not to extend his contract and move to Serie A.

09.56 BST: Manchester United are planning face-to-face talks with David De Gea in an effort to resolve his contract standoff, sources have told ESPN.

De Gea’s existing deal at Old Trafford officially expired on Friday when the goalkeeper became a free agent. He is to be married at the weekend and sources said United are allowing the 32-year-old to spend time with his family in Spain without interruption.

However, club bosses, including director of football John Murtough, are keen to meet De Gea in person to discuss his contract situation.

09.26 BST: Liverpool are closing in on a move for the RB Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, Sources have told ESPN.

Liverpool have activated a release clause in Szoboszlai’s contract, believed to be in the region of €70m, sources said.

Szoboszlai, 22, is expected to travel to Liverpool this weekend for a medical, having already agreed personal terms. If the move goes through, he will become Liverpool’s second summer signing after Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister arrived for an initial £35m.

09.00 BST: USA international Christian Pulisic has an agreement in principle on a long-term deal to leave Chelsea and join Serie A giants AC Milan; however, the clubs have not yet agreed on a transfer fee, a source in Italy with knowledge of the situation told ESPN.

Pulisic, 24, is willing to take a significant pay cut to make the transfer work, the source added, with only minor details still to be worked out before a full agreement on personal terms can be reached.

Negotiations remain over the fee, with Chelsea wanting 25 million euros ($27.3 million) while Milan are thinking more in the 15-18 million euro range, the source said.

PAPER CLUB (by Rajan Hothi)

– Atletico Madrid have entered into an agreement with Chelsea’s defender Cesar Azpilicuetawho signs a two-year agreement with the club, per Fabricius Roman. The tweet suggests Chelsea will allow the 33-year-old to leave on a free transfer, despite the Spaniard signing a two-year deal last summer in recognition of his 11 years of service.

– AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho is keen to sign the Manchester United midfielder Peaceaccording to Sun. The Portuguese coach signed Fred for the Red Devils in 2018, with the report indicating the Brazil international could leave Old Trafford this summer as he enters the final year of his contract. United are keen to offload more players in the transfer window who can fund their own summer signings.

– Manchester United have asked the goalkeeper David De Gea not to find a new club as they remain unsure of their goalkeeper situation this summer, per Sun. Despite the 32-year-old being a free agent, the report reveals United are unsure if they can afford to sign a new No.1 keeper, leaving the door ajar for De Gea to land a New deal.

– Atalanta have shown interest in Tottenham’s defender Japheth Tangangaaccording to Transfer market. The 24-year-old played a minimal role for the north London club last season, with just 146 minutes of Premier League action. With just two years left on his deal, Tanganga could be on the move this summer and has previously been linked with a move to AC Milan.