Manchester City are monitoring Tijjani Reijnders ahead of a big summer rebuild, while Chelsea are ready to move on Mykhailo Mudryk and Christopher Nkunku. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors, and gossip from around the globe.
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TRENDING RUMORS
– Manchester City will make an offer of around €60m to try to sign AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, Calciomercato reports. Even though the 26-year-old signed a contract to stay with the Rossoneri until 2030, the finances involved could interest the Serie A giants, while the player is said be keen on making the move to the Premier League. City’s interest in Netherlands international Reijnders comes hot off the back of Pep Guardiola’s side being linked with moves for Nottingham Forest ace Morgan Gibbs-White and Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz earlier this week. Lyon starlet Rayan Cherki has also been added to the mix and is seen as a cheaper alternative to Wirtz. That is according to Football Transfers, which claims that Guardiola is looking for an attacking midfielder to replace Kevin De Bruyne. The outlet says that Man City aiming to sign as many as five players so, while Wirtz is somebody they admire, spending €150m on one player could prove too much.
– Chelsea are looking to offload both Mykhailo Mudryk and Christopher Nkunku in the summer, says The Sun. Mudryk, 24, has been provisionally suspended by the Football Association after failing a drugs test and, amid the winger’s poor form since his €70m move in 2023, the Blues are ready to move him on. Nkunku, 27, will receive more interest, with Man United and PSG linked, but the club will be lucky to recoup the €60m they spent to bring the France forward in from RB Leipzig that same year.
– Bayern Munich have moved ahead of Real Madrid and Liverpool in the race to sign Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen, says TEAMtalk. Huijsen, 19, has been one of the breakout stars of the Premier League this season and Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany is reported to be keen to ensure his club land the Spain international before anyone else. Bournemouth are looking for a fee of at least £50m, having signed him from Juventus for £12m last summer.
– After reports linked Fikayo Tomori with an exit from AC Milan in the summer, TEAMtalk has suggested that Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a move for the centre-back. That comes with this being a key position for Spurs after injuries to Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin exposed a lack of depth at the heart of Ange Postecoglou’s defence this season.
– Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba says he has had “offers from all over” following the end of his doping ban. The 32-year-old, who tested positive for DHEA — a banned substance that raises levels of testosterone — in 2023, had his ban reduced from four years to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in October and is now free to play again. Sources have told ESPN that he is prioritising a return to one of Europe’s major leagues. And he told GQ: “Today, there are offers. Coming from all over. From all over. I want to see what suits me best. Because I am in a crucial period of my life and career. It’s a decision I’m going to take the time to consider.”
EXPERT TAKE
ESPN’s resident scout Tor-Kristian Karlsen looks at why Man City could make a move for Tijjani Reijnders.
Reijnders arrived at Milan for a fee of €20.5m in the summer of 2023 and though the initial idea may have been to deploy him as a defensive midfielder, he has blossomed as something akin to a traditional box-to-box No. 8. Indeed, he has made a significant attacking impact this season, scoring 12 goals in all competitions.
In addition to his mobility, smart off-the-ball movement and dribbling, Reijnders excels at picking out passes from deep — often filtering the ball through two defensive lines to find a teammate (1.6 key passes per 90 is high for a No. 8). His goal-scoring antics also suggest that he times his attacking runs to perfection and he is often found slotting the ball into the net from just inside the penalty area with a one-touch finish. Though he is also able to shoot from distance, too.
Another interesting aspect of Reijnders’ game is his speed, which is unusual for a central midfielder. Not only does he accelerate quickly, his size and easy running style allow him to break free of his markers and evade pressure unlike many others.
With licence to move forward this season, his defensive output has dropped, so to get the most out of his attacking potential, he is best suited playing alongside a more defensive-minded central midfielder.
OTHER RUMORS
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– Despite the upcoming arrival of Estevao from Palmeiras this summer, Chelsea are looking for another winger and have Jamie Gittens (Borussia Dortmund), Nico Williams (Athletic Club) and Mathys Tel (Bayern, on loan at Tottenham) on their radar. (Irish Sun)
– Man City could make an €80m move for Barcelona winger Raphinha, who has 27 goals and 20 assists from 44 matches this season. (El Nacional)
– Manchester United want at least €15m from clubs interested in signing 33-year-old midfielder Casemiro, who signed from Real Madrid for €70m in 2022. (Ekrem Konur)
– Tottenham could make a triple swoop on Wolves as they look to land midfield pair Joao Gomes and Andre, as well as left-back Rayan Ait Nouri, in the summer. (TBR)
– Atlético Madrid have made an enquiry about signing Espanyol winger Javi Puado, with the 25-year-old’s contract coming to an end this summer. Espanyol are trying to renew Puado’s contract, while Sevilla are also interested in signing him. (Relevo)
– Atlético are also interested in making Clément Lenglet’s loan from Barcelona permanent, but the two clubs are struggling to agree on how much the centre-back’s transfer is worth. Los Colchoneros want the 29-year-old for almost nothing, while Barça are demanding €10m. (Sport)
– The impressive performances of Union Berlin centre-back Diogo Leite have resulted in growing interest from other Bundesliga clubs, plus those from Spain and Italy, but Union want to renew the 26-year-old’s contract with his deal set to expire in 2026. (Rudy Galetti)
– Juventus are looking at signing Pierre Kalulu from Milan for around €14m, after moving on from previous target David Hancko of Feyenoord. (TuttoJuve)
