TOP STORY: Barca goal Betis’ Fekir
Barcelona president Joan Laporta is claimed to be readying a bid of €60 million for Real Betis midfielder Nabil Fekir, in accordance with Sport.
Fekir has been spectacular for the Spaniards following his transfer from Lyon in 2019, scoring 19 targets and including 20 assists in his first 100 appearances and forming a harmful attacking trident alongside Sergio Canales and Juanmi.
Fekir’s type noticed him just lately rewarded with a brand new contract that runs till 2026, with the Frenchman becoming a member of teammates Borja Iglesias, Canales and Alex Moreno in placing pen to paper on a chronic keep underneath boss Manuel Pellegrini.
Information of Fekir’s extension is claimed to have pissed off Laporta, however he stays undeterred and ready to plot a big-money transfer for the 28-year-old. Betis, although, are stated to be solely keen to let him go for a determine nearer to €80m.
That determine could possibly be a difficulty for Barca, who will not be solely planning a bid for Borussia Dortmund prodigy Erling Haaland in the summertime, however who additionally want to bolster all through the facet, significantly in defence.
LIVE BLOG
09.00 GMT: Everton supervisor Frank Lampard heaped reward on Donny van de Beek after the on-loan Manchester United midfielder’s spectacular efficiency fired them to a dominant 3-0 win over Leeds United within the Premier League on Saturday.
The 24-year-old, who began alongside Allan in central midfield, was a relentless presence as he managed the sport and performed an element in Everton’s opener that was scored by Seamus Coleman in a rampant first-half efficiency.
“I believed Donny van de Beek was nice. To play like that at residence — his calmness, work charge and intelligence was nice,” Lampard advised reporters after his first league win as Everton boss. “I believe he can do totally different roles and that is why I moved so rapidly to get him. He performed in a double No. 6 immediately and has the expertise to hyperlink and get us by means of the traces. He is a purpose risk, too, in order that was one of many massive pulls of bringing him in.”
The Netherlands worldwide signed for United from Ajax in August 2020 however failed to ascertain himself as an everyday at Previous Trafford, making simply 4 league begins earlier than his deadline-day to Goodison Park final month.
“Dele Alli was [also] lively when he got here on, Lampard added. “There will probably be extra from them each. They’re nice additions and I imagine they may get higher.”
PAPER GOSSIP (by Nick Judd)
– Chelsea‘s Cesar Azpilicueta is out of contract in June, and Sport believes the defender is edging nearer to a transfer to Barcelona. They imagine the 32-year-old has an settlement in precept to hitch the Catalan membership later this yr, and his versatility throughout the defence could possibly be invaluable to Xavi Hernandez’s new-look defence. Andreas Christensen might observe his captain to the Nou Camp too, with Barca additionally reportedly engaged on getting a second free agent from west London in a lift bolster their again line.
– Antonio Conte has made no secret of his need to strengthen his Tottenham facet in the summertime, and high of his wished record seems to be AC Milan‘s Franck Kessie, adopted by Internazionale‘s Arturo Vidal. Sport says Spurs have made a “highly effective provide” for Kessie, even supposing he is reportedly already agreed phrases with Barcelona. Vidal, in the meantime, performed underneath Conte at Inter and can be out of contract in the summertime. Nonetheless, Spurs face competitors from Aston Villa, Marseille and Galatasaray.
– Following Ralf Rangnick’s assertion of the plain want for a brand new striker for Manchester United, the membership look like turning their attentions to Alexander Isak or Patrik Schick, in accordance with the Daily Mail. Arsenal have been closely linked with Real Sociedad striker Isak however the Gunners have been reluctant to pay the Sweden worldwide’s launch clause of £75m. Schick is another choice, and the Bayer Leverkusen man has netted 18 occasions in 22 appearances.
– Recent from signing Niklas Sule, Borussia Dortmund are actually engaged on bringing in Karim Adeyemi for subsequent season, in accordance with Fabrizio Romano. The 20-year-old striker has scored 14 targets in 17 matches in Austria’s high flight for Salzburg, plus an extra three targets within the Champions League. Adeyemi has been strongly linked with a transfer to Sign Iduna Park for a while, following within the footsteps of Haaland, who made the identical transfer in 2020.
– AC Milan’s Alessio Romagnoli is out of contract in the summertime, and has been linked with a transfer to Serie A rivals Juventus and Lazio. That’s in accordance with CalcioMercato, which means that Romagnoli’s agent, Mino Raiola, would like that the defender would be part of Juve.