Euro Paper Talk: Liverpool tease Barcelona with minimum Darwin Nunez asking price; Milan looking to poach £26m Tottenham man
Darwin Nunez Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp has had his say on the matter after Liverpool have reportedly named their asking price for Darwin Nunez amid firm interest from Barcelona, while Friday’s Euro Paper Talk reveals interest from AC Milan in a fringe Tottenham defender who has come in for plenty of stick this season.
KLOPP RESPONDS TO BARCA-NUNEZ LINKS
Liverpool have reportedly named their asking price for Darwin Nunez this summer, amid strong rumours that a move to Spanish giants Barcelona is on the cards.
Nunez has attracted plenty of headlines in the wake of last weekend’s 4-2 victory over Tottenham, having erased every photo of him in a Liverpool shirt from his Instagram page.
The 24-year-old has been linked with a switch to Barcelona by some sources, which was only magnified as he joined their centre-back, compatriot Ronald Araujo, for a trip to Disneyland during some rare time off this week.
And Mas Que Pelotas (via Sport) claims that the Reds are ready to do business at a minimum of €85m (£73m), which is £12m less than the Reds paid for the striker back in the summer of 2022.
Nunez has scored 33 goals in 94 appearances for Liverpool so far and despite performing better this season than his debut campaign, he is still being dubbed a flop in many circles.
Klopp knows nothing of Nunez exit talk
But despite some glaring misses this season, Jurgen Klopp insists he has no issues with Nunez and knows nothing of any talk of a move to the Camp Nou.
Speaking ahead of Monday night’s trip to Aston Villa, the outgoing Reds boss reacted to all the rumours, telling reporters: “There’s no speculation. That must be an external speculation, because I don’t know about it.
“But maybe! I’m not involved anymore. There’s no speculation, just the situation we’re in.”
“Darwin was definitely not happy missing that chance [against Spurs]. He was unlucky in so many situations, where he’s doing everything right, then the ball still doesn’t go in.
“It’s really tough for a young man. He knows about the expectations, he has big expectations for himself.
“He has to go through it. It’s part of a footballer’s career. That’s all.”
If there is any truth in the Barcelona rumours, the main issue for the Catalan side is raising that sort of capital to pull off a deal for Nunez, given the club’s continued financial constraints.
But if they do, and Nunez also wants to leave, then it will likely leave incoming boss Arne Slot with a healthy transfer budget to bring in his own players in what could be a mini revamp of Klopp’s current squad.
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WEST HAM, VILLA EYE FORMER MAN UTD WINGER
West Ham and Aston Villa are keen on signing Galatasaray winger, and former Palace and Man Utd star, Wilfried Zaha this summer. (Various)
AC Milan will prioritise Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee in their search for a striker this summer, with the 22-year-old also on the radars of both Arsenal and Juventus. (Tuttosport)
Barcelona are determined to bring in a new winger this summer but Athletic Club star Nico Williams is not an option. The Catalan giants are now targeting Porto’s left-winger Pepe instead. (Mundo Deportivo)
Paris Saint-Germain have identified Napoli star Kvicha Kvaratskhelia as the ideal replacement for Kylian Mbappé next season. (RMC Sport)
Aston Villa and Manchester United are looking at Atletico Madrid defender Reinildo Mandava. (Various)
Manchester United are reportedly looking to sign Benfica starlet Joao Neves this summer with Casemiro set to make a Saudi Pro League move. (Record)
REAL MADRID LINE-UP PERFECT KROOS REPLACEMENT
Real Madrid could sign Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz to replace Toni Kroos in the summer of 2025. (Sport Bild)
Barcelona and Real Betis defensive midfielder Guido Rodriguez have a verbal agreement in place for the player to sign a two-year deal with the option of a further year until 2027. (Fabrizio Romano)
Soon-to-be free agent Fulham winger Willian has attracted interest from three clubs this summer, with two in England and one in Italy. (PL Brasil)
Federico Bernardeschi is reportedly in talks with Toronto FC over a new deal after an upturn in form for the Major League Soccer side. (Calciomercato)
Fulham are keen on signing long-term target Lucas Ocampos from Sevilla this summer. (Vamos Mi Sevilla FC)
Barcelona are not as committed to re-signing Cancelo, but are happy to do so if they can seal another loan from Manchester City next season. (Sport)
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MILAN MOVE FOR TOTTENHAM DEFENDER
Tottenham defender Emerson Royal has emerged as a favourite target for AC Milan in the summer transfer window. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
Tottenham are braced for an improved bid to sign versatile defender Emerson Royal
Bayern Munich are reportedly looking to make a late attempt to sign Palmeiras wonderkid Estevao ‘Messinho’ Willian, who has held talks with Chelsea. (Various)
Nicolò Barella will soon sign a contract extension with Inter becoming the highest Italian player in Serie A with a €7m-a-year salary, including add-ons. (La Gazzetta dello Sport)
Joaquin Correa will return to Inter at the end of the season as a €10m obligation-to-buy clause was only valid in case Marseille qualified for the Champions League in 2024/25 (Fabrizio Romano)
PSV Eindhoven will not exercise their option to sign Sergino Dest permanently after the United States defender tore his ACL in training last month. (ESPN)
Atletico Madrid defender Javi Galan has indicated he wants to stay at Real Sociedad next season. (Diario AS)
Danilo Iervolino is looking to sell Salernitana and has received two offers from interested parties in the United States. (Tuttosport)