Transfer rumors, news: Al Hilal eye Sesko as Arsenal talks stall
Al Hilal are ready to swoop for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko as his talks with Arsenal have stalled, while Napoli are looking to sign Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors, and gossip from around the globe.
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TOP STORIES
– Source: Tottenham agree £55m deal for West Ham’s Kudus
– Source: Newcastle agree £55m deal for Forest winger Elanga
– Everton sign Villarreal striker Barry for €35m
TRENDING RUMORS
– With Victor Osimhen set to join Galatasaray on a permanent deal, Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal are turning their attention towards RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, says The Sun. Sesko, 22, has been in talks with Arsenal, but the Gunners have failed to agree a fee with Leipzig and are ready to walk away from negotiations as they target a €70m move for Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyökeres instead. In case Al Hilal can’t persuade Sesko to move, they are also tracking Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta.
– Napoli have returned to their pursuit of Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, reports The Mirror. Negotiations are ongoing between the two sides as they look to reach an agreement, with the Serie A club hopeful that a €50m proposal would be enough to land the Argentina international. The Red Devils were previously looking for around €65m to offload the 21-year-old, but following a fallout with manager Ruben Amorim, it is expected that they could be open to accepting a lower offer.
– Newcastle have joined the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Magpies are among several Premier League teams, including Liverpool, who are keen on the 23-year-old, while there is also interest from the Saudi Pro League. But it is reported that Ekitike’s preference is to remain in Europe if he leaves the Bundesliga for around €100m this summer, following a campaign in which he scored 15 goals in 33 league appearances, and the St. James’ Park hierarchy have identified him as an alternative option to bolster manager Eddie Howe’s attack after former Brighton forward João Pedro made the switch to Chelsea.
– Talks between Real Madrid and the representatives of forward Rodrygo are set to be held next week, reports Fabrizio Romano. It is reported that Los Blancos won’t stand in the 24-year-old’s way if he makes the decision to leave, and would accept offers of over €80m, amid continuing uncertainty over his future at the Santiago Bernabeu. Rodrygo made three appearances for new manager Xabi Alonso at the FIFA Club World Cup, but started none of their five total matches before they were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals on Wednesday.
– On-loan Galatasaray striker Álvaro Morata is set to return to AC Milan before completing a move to Como, reports Calciomercato. The Rossoneri have reached an agreement to terminate his loan in Turkey, while they have already agreed a new loan deal with Como worth €6m (which also includes a €9m mandatory clause to sign him permanently). Morata is reportedly keen on the move after speaking to Como manager Cesc Fabregas, who is a former teammate of his from their time at Chelsea.
COMPLETED DEALS
– Argentina forward Angel Correa has joined Mexican club Tigres UANL on a permanent transfer from Atletico Madrid. He scored 88 goals in 469 appearances for Atletico. Read
– Former Man City and Man United striker Carlos Tevez has been unveiled as the new coach of Argentinian side Talleres Cordoba ahead of the start of the Clausura tournament. Read
EXPERT TAKE
ESPN’s resident scout Tor-Kristian Karlsen looks at why clubs are interested in signing Benjamin Sesko.
The Slovenia international has been on the radar of the elite European clubs for several years. Though his development has proved more gradual than explosive, the season brought some interesting takeaways. On one hand, his goal tally stayed pretty much the same — 21 this campaign; 18 in the previous — but his game is getting more polished.
What makes Sesko stand out are his core qualities: a tremendous shot (70% of his efforts find the target) with his right foot, aerial dominance thanks to his 6-foot-5 frame, and acceleration which allows him to stretch defences. He also has above-average dribbling skills and an elite positional sense in the final third. Indeed, when he’s on the top of his game, he can be a striker who can cause damage single-handedly … in many different ways.
Not unusual for a centre-forward in his early 20s, Sesko is still morphing into becoming a top-class No. 9. He needs to get on the ball slightly more and, given his physique, more assertiveness in attacking duels (43% success rate) is required. He could also stand to win more free kicks and improve his decision-making when it comes to shooting or passing to teammate.
At 22, Sesko is a highly attractive proposition for any top club. He’s learning, adapting and will surely score at a higher rate in a more possession-heavy side (Leipzig are at 51%). It’s just a matter of who pounces first.
OTHER RUMORS
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Ogden: Chelsea need to move players on
Mark Ogden says Chelsea need to think about moving players on as their squad starts to fill after adding João Pedro.
– Talks between Arsenal and Sporting CP over a move for striker Viktor Gyökeres have stalled. (Independent)
– Newcastle are considering making a move to sign Manchester City winger Jack Grealish. (Football Insider)
– Juventus are interested in Man United winger Jadon Sancho, and could land him for a bargain fee of €20m. (GMS)
– Juventus are set to make Paris Saint-Germain a new loan offer for striker Randal Kolo Muani. The deal is expected to include an obligation to be made permanent after one season. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
– Benfica are considering acquiring a percentage of Joao Felix‘s sporting rights from Chelsea to bring the Portuguese forward back to the club this summer. (Record)
– Atalanta striker Mateo Retegui is on the verge of joining Al Qadsiah in a €65m transfer. The Italy international has already agreed a a four-year contract worth €20m per season with the Saudi Pro League club. (Ansa)
– Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu is expected to stay at the club despite interest from Galatasaray. (Corriere dello Sport)
– Talks are ongoing between Bournemouth and Chelsea regarding a move for goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic. (TalkSPORT)
– Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest are interested in a £25m move for Manchester City midfielder James McAtee. (Sky Sports)
– Al Ettifaq have made an enquiry to the representatives of striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is set to terminate his contract with Al Qadsiah. (Ben Jacobs)
– Brighton forward Simon Adingra is closing in on a £21m move to Sunderland. He will undergo a medical on Thursday. (Fabrizio Romano)
– Negotiations are ongoing between Sassuolo and Inter Milan regarding a transfer fee for wing-back Tajon Buchanan. The Neroverdi have offered him an initial four-year contract until the summer of 2029. (Nicolo Schira)
– Flamengo right-back Wesley Franca has rejected a move to Zenit St. Petersburg amid hopes of joining Roma. (Fabrizio Romano)
– Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma intends to stay at the Amex Stadium this summer despite interest from Bayern Munich. (TalkSPORT)
– Paris Saint-Germain center back Milan Skriniar is “one step away” from sealing a permanent move to Fenerbahce. A fee worth €10m has been agreed. (Nicolo Schira)
– West Ham center back Konstantinos Mavropanos is on the radar of Roma. (Gianluca Di Marzio)
– Juventus see Marseille right-back Jonathan Clauss as a potential replacement for Timothy Weah. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
– An offer worth in the region of €17m would be considered by Inter Milan for midfielder Kristjan Asllani, who is on the radar of Real Betis as a potential replacement for Johnny Cardoso. (Rudy Galetti)
– Gent would be willing to part ways with left-back Archie Brown for €8m. Brown, an England youth international, is on AC Milan’s shortlist. (Calciomercato)