Football
ESPN 5y

LIVE Transfer Talk: Barcelona plan shock move for Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette

With the transfer window for Europe's biggest clubs set to open soon -- find out exactly when the Premier League transfer window opens -- rest assured that Transfer Talk is scouring the world's media and setting correspondents loose to see what is on the agenda. You can click here to review all the latest transfers.

TOP STORY: Barcelona eye shock swoop for Lacazette

Spanish giants Barcelona have set their sights on a stunning move for Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette, according to reports in the Express.

The Frenchman impressed Barca scouts while netting a brace in his side's 3-1 victory over Valencia in the Europa League last Thursday, and the Catalans believe Lacazette's close relationship with technical advisor Eric Abidal will prove decisive in any negotiations.

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde is keen to strengthen his central striking options, with Luis Suarez now well into his 30s, and the Spaniard has also identified Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann as a potential target.

Any sale would represent a tidy profit for the Gunners, after they spent £46.5 million to make Lacazette their record signing in July 2017. The 27-year-old has scored 35 goals in 85 appearances since then, and a £70m fee could be enough to seal a deal for the La Liga champions.

LIVE BLOG

21:00 BST: Danny Welbeck will leave Arsenal in the summer. Gunners boss Unai Emery confirmed the England striker's upcoming departure following the team's 1-1 draw with Brighton on Sunday. Welbeck joined Arsenal in 2014 for £16m from Manchester United. He has not played since breaking his ankle in November. 

20:30 BST: Chelsea have confirmed that Kylian Hazard will permanently join Cercle Bruges. The younger brother of Blues star Eden Hazard had scored four goals in 21 appearances in all competitions for the Belgian side this past campaign. Eden remains tied to a potential move to Real Madrid while another brother Thorgan will move to Borussia Dortmund from Borussia Monchengladbach. 

18.18 BST: Atletico Madrid captain Diego Godin will become the best-paid player at Inter Milan, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Though his transfer as not yet been confirmed, it is strongly expected the Uruguay international will move to San Siro this summer.

17.20 BST: You can expect big changes at Manchester United after their disappointing season has come to an end.

Speaking after their 1-1 draw against bottom-side Huddersfield, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed there will be departures from Old Trafford.

"I can't talk about individuals now but there's a chance you've seen the last of players anyway," Solskjaer said. "There's always a chance it's a last time but I wouldn't say that about any individual now, I don't think that's fair."

16.24 BST: Sticking with The Sun, Tottenham are reportedly ready to make a £45 million bid for Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek.

Van de Beek scored the only goal when the two sides met in the Champions League semifinals on Tuesday.

15.31 BST: Former England No. 1 Joe Hart could leave Burnley for arch-rivals Blackburn, according to The Sun.

The ex-Manchester City goalkeeper has struggled for game time at Turf Moor and could drop down to the Championship in the summer.

14.22 BST: Sky Sport Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio is incredibly reporting that Celtic are interested in hiring Jose Mourinho as a permanent replacement for Brendan Rodgers.

The ex-Manchester United boss has been heavily linked with various sides in France...but would he fancy a move to Scotland?

13.19 BST: Franck Ribery will leave Bayern Munich at the end of his contract this summer, the Bundesliga club said on Sunday.

Ribery, 36, has made over 400 appearances and won 21 major honours with Bayern since joining from Marseille in 2007. His trophies include eight Bundesliga titles, the Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup.

"When I came to Bayern, it was a dream come true. It won't be easy to say goodbye, but we must never forget what we've achieved together, we've won so much -- more than 20 honours," Ribery told the club's official website.

Former France international Ribery will join fellow veteran forward Arjen Robben in leaving the club at the end of the campaign, breaking up the iconic "Robbery" partnership at the Allianz Arena.

12.28 BST: Gary Cahill is not leaving Chelsea on whimper, after he launched a stinging attack on Maurizio Sarri, saying he struggles to show any respect for the manager who has sidelined him at Stamford Bridge.

Sarri has publicly said that Cahill is not technically good enough to play a possession-based style of football, leading to the defender not making a single competitive appearance since November and being in the matchday squad on only four occasions since then.

Cahill, 33, said Sarri's treatment of him has left a sour taste, after the Italian did not discuss the situation directly with him.

"It's been really terrible for me personally," Cahill said of his final season at Chelsea, with his contract expiring in the summer. "It will just be erased out of my head when I leave Chelsea. My last memory will be last season's FA Cup final [1-0 win vs. Manchester United].

11.31 BST: According to the Mail on Sunday, the race for Ajax star Donny van de Beek is hotting up with Tottenham, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich all interested.

10.44 BST: The Daily Mirror are the latest paper to report that Real Madrid will announce the signing of Eden Hazard within days. We'll believe that when we see it considering Chelsea have two, perhaps three, huge games still to play later this month.... 

10.00 BST: Joao Felix of Benfica is probably the hottest prospect in European, or perhaps even world football right now. According to Portuguese paper Record, Manchester City have met with the player's parents to try and persuade them that the Etihad is the best place for his future. 

PAPER ROUND (By James Capps)

Mata offered a one-way ticket home

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata the chance to return to La Liga with various Spanish clubs interested in his signature, with the Spaniard's future at Old Trafford looking increasingly uncertain.

United have offered the 31-year-old a one-year contract to extend his stay at the club, but the Mirror believes Mata is unconvinced that he will get sufficient game time next season to warrant signing an extension.

The former Chelsea man has several potential suitors across Europe, with former side Valencia also keen to bring him back to his homeland, and Brighton boss Chris Hughton is hopeful of making a surprise move for the Spain international.

Arsenal gunning for British talent in summer spending spree

Arsenal will look to bolster their British ranks this summer, and the Gunners hierarchy have identified Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser and Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha as their top targets.

The impending departure of Aaron Ramsey to Juventus has further depleted Unai Emery's quota of homegrown players, and the Sun claims the north London club will look to redress the balance in the coming months.

Fraser and Zaha are long-term Gunners targets, but a run of three straight Premier League defeats means moves for the pair are in jeopardy, with funds for transfers dependent on which European competition the side will be playing in next season.

A place in the Europa League next season would result in a measly £40m kitty for Emery, which would almost certainly price him out of a move for the highly sought-after Zaha.

Tap-ins

- The Mirror claims transfer plans at Wolverhampton Wanderers have been put on hold while they decide exactly how much cash to splash on marquee targets. Nuno Espirito Santo's side have been linked with big-money moves for AC Milan striker Andre Silva and Marseille midfielder Morgan Sanson.

- AC Milan are leading the race to sign Nice forward Allan Saint-Maximin, but Calciomercato says they face competition for the Frenchman's signature from Borussia Dortmund. The 22-year-old has impressed in Ligue 1 this season with six goals and four assists, and Milan sporting director Leonardo has been tracking the player since the turn of the year.

- Barcelona will exercise the buyback option in full-back Marc Cucurella's Eibar deal at the end of the season. The Spaniard will return to the Nou Camp for around €4m, but Marca claims the player could be sold on again, with Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach and AC Milan rumoured to be interested in a deal.

^ Back to Top ^