Author: moshood

Georginio Wijnaldum will discuss his Liverpool future with manager Jurgen Klopp once he returns to Melwood from international duty with the Netherlands, reports say.

The 29-year-old, who has entered the final 12 months of his current Liverpool deal, has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona after being earmarked as a top transfer target by his former international boss Ronald Koeman.

Liverpool have been unable to agree terms on a new contract with Wijnaldum and he is currently on course to leave the club for free next summer when his existing terms expire.

The Premier League champions are also monitoring Thiago’s future at Bayern Munich but will only sanction a deal for the Spain international if Wijnaldum leaves.

Thiago, who is also in the last year of his contract, is desperate to move to Anfield but Liverpool are refusing to match Bayern’s €30m (£27.3m) asking price for the 29-year-old.

Barcelona’s interest in Wijnaldum intensifying, the Netherlands international is set to thrash out his Liverpool future with Klopp in the coming days to find out whether he will be staying or going this summer.

Wijnaldum has played an instrumental role in Liverpool’s success in England and Europe since signing from Newcastle in a £24m deal in the summer of 2016, making 35 starts during their first ever Premier League-winning campaign last season.

Moreover, Liverpool’s No.5 finished last season with the best pass success rate at the club in the Premier League (90.8%)

AC Milan have confirmed the arrival of highly rated Brescia midfielder Sandro Tonali on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy.

The Serie A giants have agreed a €10m (£8.9m) loan fee with Serie B outfit Brescia and will pay a further €20m (£17.8m) to make the switch permanent next summer.

Tonali is regarded as one of Italian’s best young prospects and leaves boyhood club Brescia after they were relegated from Serie A last season.

Inter and Juventus have both been heavily linked with a move for the Italy international in the last 12 months but gave Milan a free run at his signature.

Neither side are currently in the market for a player of Tonali’s ilk but the fact they have allowed such a hot prospect to join a direct rival unchallenged has certainly raised eyebrows.

The 20-year-old impressively managed one goal and seven assists in his maiden Serie A campaign last season with 1.9 key passes pg and a dribble success rate of 78%.

Wolves are set to sign Porto midfielder Vitor Ferreira on loan with an option to buy.

The 20-year-old – also known as Vitinha – is due to join Wolves later this week once back from Portugal Under-21 duty.

He will be part of their squad to face Belarus tomorrow, along with Molineux duo Pedro Neto and Ruben Vinagre, and will then join on a season-long loan with a view to a permanent deal.

It is understood Wolves would have to pay around £18million to make his stay permanent.

Ferreira – a client of Jorge Mendes – made eight appearances as Porto won both the Primeira Liga and Taca de Portugal last season.

The attack-minded central midfielder’s arrival is set to follow that of teenage striker Fabio Silva from the Portuguese side for £35m – a new club-record fee for Wolves.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s charges also snapped up Lyon defender Fernando Marcal at the weekend, stepping up their transfer activity ahead of the start of the new Premier League season at Sheffield United on Monday.

Meanwhile, Vinagre has been linked with a move to Porto but nothing is thought to be imminent.

Everton have signed Colombia midfielder James Rodriguez for £22m from Real Madrid.

The 29-year-old has signed a two-year deal with an option for a third season in a move that sees him link up with Carlo Ancelotti for the third time, having played under him at Bayern Munich and Real.

Ancelotti signed James from Monaco as Real manager in 2014, but the former World Cup Golden Boot winner failed to truly establish himself in the Spanish capital, before going on a two-season loan to Bayern in 2017, by which point Ancelotti was in charge of the German side.

With one year remaining on his Real contract, James had been deemed surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu by Zinedine Zidane.

“I am really, really happy to be at this great club, a club with so much history, and here with a manager who knows me really well,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to achieving great things here – and winning things, which is what everyone’s aim is.

“I’ve come here to try to improve, to get better. I’ve also come here to help the team to win, to play good football – entertaining football.

“I’m convinced, with Carlo and his technical staff, we can achieve big things and one of the big reasons [I signed] was the presence of Carlo Ancelotti.

I have enjoyed some great times with him previously at two different clubs. That was a massive reason to come here.”

James was named in the team of the tournament at last year’s Copa America, where Colombia reached the quarter-finals.

He has 76 international caps and 22 goals – in addition to 25 assists – following a debut against Bolivia in October 2011, netting his first strike the following June in a meeting with Peru.

Rodriguez becomes the second South American midfielder to join Everton during this transfer window after Brazilian Allan arrived from Napoli on a three-year contract.

Newcastle have completed the signing of Ryan Fraser on a free transfer.

The Scotland international left Bournemouth at the end of last season after his contract expired and has signed a five-year deal with Steve Bruce’s side.

The 26-year-old is the second ex-Bournemouth player to join the Magpies on Monday, following Callum Wilson’s £20 million ($26m) transfer.

Ex-Aberdeen winger Fraser spent seven years with the Cherries, having joined in 2013 when they were in League One.

He made 208 appearances for the club as they ascended to the Championship and then the Premier League, where they spent four years before their relegation last term.

The winger says the decision to return to the English top-flight with the St James’ Park outfit was a “no-brainer” after penning a long-term contract.

“I’m absolutely buzzing for it – I came down to see the place the other day and it was all just good things; the manager, the place, the fans, the messages I’ve been getting,” Fraser told Newcastle’s website.

“It was just a no-brainer, really, to play in such a big stadium with such passionate fans, and being back up in the north again is big as well.

“So I’m really looking forward to it and I just can’t wait to show everyone what I can do, help the team and help us get back to where we belong.”

Meanwhile, Newcastle manager Bruce is excited to see Fraser in action for his side next season.

“I’m delighted to bring Ryan to Newcastle United. We have held off big competition to get his signature and that says a lot about what this club has to offer,” Bruce said.

His ability and his contributions on the pitch speak for themselves and I’m looking forward to seeing him getting to work in a Newcastle shirt.

“He has wonderful chemistry on the pitch with Callum Wilson, which excites me, and I hope it excites our supporters ahead of the new season.”

Newcastle, who finished 13th in the Premier League in 2019-20, will start the new campaign with a home match against West Ham on September 12 and host Brighton the following week.

Barcelona and Juventus are negotiating a fee that will allow Luis Suarez to make the move to the Serie A champions.

According to reports, the Uruguay international, Suarez has already reached a personal agreement over a three-year contract worth €10 million (£9m/$12m) per season with the Turin giants.

Suarez is set to sit an Italian language exam in the coming days to get a passport to allow him to make the move.

The 33-year-old is in the final year of his contract at Camp Nou, which will automatically renew for a further year should he feature in more than 60 per cent of matches.

New Barca boss Ronald Koeman has decided Suarez has no place in his plans for the future and the attacker called for clarity on his place in the squad from president Josep Maria Bartomeu last month.

The Catalan side could release Suarez but it would cost €14m (£13m/$17m) to terminate the former Liverpool star’s contract, which is far from ideal considering the financial issues the club has had to contend with amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Barca are already plotting a move for Inter star Lautaro Martinez to take Suarez’s place and partner fellow Argentina star Lionel Messi up front after the latter confirmed to Goal on Friday that he will stay despite his desire to leave for free this summer .

Koeman’s side have also been linked with a move for Lyon and Netherlands star Memphis Depay, who recently suggested he would be open to leaving the French side in the current transfer window. Lyon coach Rudi Garcia admitted on Sunday that he would not stand in the 26-year-old’s way if Barca made an offer.

Juve, meanwhile, are in need of a new forward after new coach Andrea Pirlo confirmed Gonzalo Higuain will leave a year before his contract expires.

Suarez joined the Blaugrana from Liverpool in 2014 and has scored 198 goals in 283 appearances as he helped them to four La Liga titles and a Champions League crown.

He scored 21 times in 36 games in all competitions last season as they finished second in the Spanish top-flight and crashed out of Europe’s top club competition at the quarter-final stage with an 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have bolstered their defensive options with the signing of Fernando Marcal from Lyon.

The 31-year-old, who can play at both left wing-back and centre-back, has arrived at Wolves on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

After starting out his career in his native Brazil with Gremio, Marcal moved to Portugal, where he played for Torreense in the second tier and then Nacional in the Portuguese Primera Liga.

Following spells on loan from Benfica with Gaziantepspor and Guingamp, Marcal joined Lyon in 2017.

He made 42 Ligue 1 appearances and helped the French side reach the semi-finals of last season’s UEFA Champions League.

Marcal will report for testing on Monday a week before Wolves’ opening match of the season at Sheffield United.