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Manchester United aiming to strike £42m Andre Onana deal
Manchester United are still pursuing Andre Onana, but at the time of writing (Tuesday morning) they have not tabled an official bid.
Inter are going to have to sell some stars, even with €18m incoming for Marcelo Brozovic, who was announced as a new Al-Nassr player yesterday.
Manchester United want to do a deal for under £42m (€50m). Inter value Onana higher.
Manchester United’s approach is fully in keeping with the club’s desire to get two players in early for around £100m, with Mason Mount having taken up £55m from that budget (and a potential £5m in add-ons in the future).
Manchester United will play on the fact Inter need to sell and, as with Mount, stick to their valuation.
Manchester United will also want to resolve the David de Gea situation quickly. He is now a free agent, and it would be really disappointing and unsettling for Erik ten Hag to enter into the main part pre-season without knowing who his No.1 is.
Dean Henderson is back training with the club following a loan spell at Nottingham Forest. But unless he’s crowned No.1, the 26-year-old wants to leave. Forest are expected to make a bid. And for Henderson to change his mind and agree to stay at Old Trafford he would have to be positive no one is ahead of him in the pecking order.
Liverpool end Khephren Thuram pursuit to focus on Romeo Lavia
Liverpool are no longer actively pursuing Nice’s Khephren Thuram despite reports of scheduled talks with Nice this week.
There’s no doubt Liverpool explored the deal, but the arrival of Dominik Szoboszlai means other targets are being looked at instead now.
Liverpool were certainly not put off by the price. Thuram is available for far less than the €60m that is sometimes reported.
Thuram is quite prepared to leave Nice for the right suitor. But he will want regular game time with a view to making France’s 2024 Euros squad having been capped for the first time this year.
Liverpool are very much in the race for Romeo Lavia, though. Arsenal and Chelsea are considering the Southampton midfielder as well, but neither club are quite as active yet. Of course that can change.
Chelsea are focused on Brighton’s Moises Caicedo (and I am told to expect a hectic week on that front) and Arsenal, after completing the Declan Rice deal, will wait and see if Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka leave. Neither club can be discounted for Lavia just yet.
Southampton want £50m for Lavia, although a deal for a lower fee may be possible, especially with Southampton relegated last season. Although Manchester City’s £40m buy-back clause doesn’t kick in until 2024, suitors are very much using it as a valuation yardstick.
New start in new role for Kai Havertz as Arsenal move confirmed
Kai Havertz has been officially unveiled as an Arsenal player. The fee could end up being £67.5m. Real Madrid also looked at Havertz, but they were not prepared to go too much higher than £45-£50m.
In the end, it was a deal that suited all parties. Chelsea needed the fee, Havertz wanted the move and it’s now a fresh start for a player who was unfortunately a little goal shy last season.
Mikel Arteta has already provided a clue as to how he will utilise Havertz. “Kai is a player of top quality,” said the Arsenal manager. “He has great versatility and is an intelligent player. He will bring a huge amount of extra strength to our midfield and variety to our play.”
The beauty of Havertz is he is a hybrid player. Thierry Henry noted similarities with his back to goal to Robin van Persie. But it seems more likely Havertz will be used more as a No.10 than a forward, giving him the chance to reinvent himself after a difficult spell in that position for most of his Stamford Bridge career.
Of course, Havertz can lead the line, but that effectively means he’s competing with Gabriel Jesus. It is more logical he’ll play behind Jesus with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka forming the front line.
Newcastle relaxed after missing out on James Maddison and Dominik Szoboszlai
Newcastle are delighted with the arrival of Sandro Tonali from Milan for a total package of £60m (€70m). At just 23, Tonali becomes a record sale for an Italian player, surpassing the £49m (€57m) Chelsea paid Napoli for Jorginho in 2018.
Tonali is far more than just a defensive midfielder. He is really a No.8. And his arrival led Newcastle to pivot from James Maddison. Maddison was a long-term target, and Newcastle even bid for him last summer, but Spurs moved quickly, and Newcastle were happy to back out the race.
Newcastle were also certainly alert to Dominik Szoboszlai’s release clause. Szoboszlai has now joined Liverpool. Again Newcastle chose to walk away knowing the player really wanted the Liverpool move over the weekend.
I don’t think Newcastle are too worried about missing out on either target. I still expect them to move for a creative-minded midfielder. Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher is a player Eddie Howe likes. Chelsea would prefer a sale not a loan and value Gallagher around £40m. Although there are also Raphinha links (and to several clubs) doing the rounds, I understand he ideally wants to stay at Barcelona.
The other priority position is left-back. Newcastle haven’t been able to strike a deal to date with Southampton for Tino Livramento. They have also considered Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney. But nothing is advanced there. First Tierney needs to speak to Arsenal to clarify his future.
And speaking a little more broadly of left-backs, I would also keep an eye on Borna Sosa, who is drawing Premier League and Serie A interest. He could potentially leave Stuttgart this summer. Manchester City have looked in the past.