Real Madrid are getting closer to signing Manchester City’s Caroline Weir, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Weir, 26, is under contract with City until the summer and the Spanish side are confident they will secure her signature on a free transfer.
The Scotland international has been nominated for FIFA’s Puskas award for the last two years and was a regular starter in Gareth Taylor’s side this year as the pipped Manchester United to the final Champions League spot.
The Telegraph is reporting that while there are football reasons that have enticed Weir to leave, the deals on offer from others clubs are better than what City are willing to offer.
Chelsea are reportedly keen on signing AC Milan captain Alessio Romagnoli on a free transfer this summer.
Romagnoli’s contract expires with the Serie A giants when the season ends, and the Blues are eyeing up a swoop for the defender, according to Mundo Deportivo.
However, Bayern Munich and Sevilla are also tracking Romagnoli, the report adds.
Meanwhile, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter are considering Romagnoli as one of their replacements if they sell Alessandro Bastoni, who could join Manchester City.
It will be recalled that former Chelsea manager almost signed Romagnoli for the west London club in 2016. But the AC Milan rejected the move after the Serie A club had accepted Chelsea’s £35million bid.
Paris Saint-Germain have given up on keeping Kylian Mbappe at the club next season and expect the forward to announce a move to Real Madrid imminently, according to ESPN.
There are still some details to be sorted out between Mbappe’s attorney and LaLiga champions Madrid, but nothing that would prevent the deal from happening, sources added.
PSG were confident of Mbappe staying as recently as last week, the report said, and they tried everything they could to convince the 23-year-old, who was voted Ligue 1 player of the season by his peers for a third season in a row, to remain with the club after five years at the Parc des Princes.
They offered Mbappe a huge new deal, promised him a better squad for next season, offered him the captain’s armband and 100% of his own image rights, according to sources.
For Mbappe, who is having the best season of his career with 25 goals and 17 assists in 34 Ligue 1 matches, it was never about money, sources said. His ambition was always to play for Real Madrid one day, and there is a feeling right now in Paris that he will fulfill his dream.
Chelsea’s £4.25billion takeover is now set to be confirmed by the Government THIS WEEK.
And directors Marina Granovskaia and Bruce Buck are among club executives who will share a £50million bonus from new owner Todd Boehly.
On Monday, Government sources suggested Roman Abramovich’s demands could see the Blues takeover “fall apart”.
The contentious issue was how the £1.6bn owed Chelsea to the Russian would be moved into a new account to fund the planned charitable foundation.
But after days of wrangling involving club and government lawyers, the trustees of Jersey-based Camberley International Investments were given indemnity from any legal action.
That clears the way for the initial £2.5bn payment from the Boehly consortium to be paid into a Government-controlled holding account before being transferred to the foundation – once Treasury officials confirm no money will end up in Abramovich’s pocket.
Arsenal may struggle to hang on to three key players in Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes if they do not qualify for the Champions League.
The Express have suggested the Gunners could struggle to keep Saka, who is out of contract in 2023, with the winger showing ‘no immediate sign’ of renewing his deal. Similarly, Martinelli has been tracked by Europe’s elite and may consider a switch to a bigger club, while Gabriel is wanted by Barcelona and Juventus.
Losing the young trio would only prove Mikel Arteta’s words to be true after the Spaniard admitted the north London club cannot offer what other European heavyweights can in terms of financial packages and top-level football.
The Spaniard said last month: “Sometimes it is inevitable because you cannot offer the same competition level as they’ve been offered or because you think it is the right moment to make a move. But in principle we want to maintain our best players and keep them and get better.”
Bayern Munich have added Chelsea target Ousmane Dembele to their list of summer transfer targets.
Dembele is set to leave Barcelona on a free transfer when his contract expires in the summer.
Some of Europe’s biggest clubs have been linked with a potential swoop for the forward, including Paris Saint-Germain and the Blues.
The West Londoners were planning to go all-out to sign the France international in the coming months, however, they now face some serious competition from Bayern.
According to Sky Sports, the German champions are very interested in signing the 24-year-old and have already made contact with his representatives.
Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann is eager to sign a new forward who has the ability to make a difference in attack as he faces the risk of losing star man Robert Lewandowski
Paul Merson believes Frank Lampard is to blame for Antonio Rudiger’s Chelsea exit.
He declared: “Losing Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid is going to break Chelsea’s heart – but his mind was made up 18 months ago with the way he was treated by Frank Lampard.
“He got completely binned out the team by Lampard and I think that left a lasting effect on Rudiger. That’s when he decided that he’s not signing a new contract.
“Now Chelsea are letting a £70m-80m defender go on a free transfer and they’re going to bring someone in for £70m in that will be nowhere as good as Rudiger.”
Paulo Dybala was visibly distraught as he said goodbye to Juventus fans, with the supporters jeering President Andrea Agnelli and his directors for pushing La Joya out.
His contract will expire on June 30 and, after seemingly reaching an agreement in December, the club withdrew the offer and preferred to let him leave as a free agent.
Dybala never disguised that he wanted to continue in Turin and he held on as long as he could before the emotions spilled out.
Juventus had several initiatives to celebrate Giorgio Chiellini’s farewell after 17 years, but practically ignored the fact it was Dybala’s last game too.
His teammates ruined that by throwing the Argentina international into the air, at which point he let it all come out.
Every time President Agnelli or the directors appeared on the screens inside the Allianz Juventus Stadium, the crowd jeered loudly, blaming them for pushing Dybala out.
Many fans were seen crying and Dybala looked moved as well.
The 28-year-old played his last game at the Allianz Stadium against Lazio on Monday and was subbed off after 78 minutes.
The whole crowd gave him a standing ovation and Dybala briefly sat on the bench before taking one last walk around the pitch to say goodbye to his fans after seven years. The Argentinean spent a long time signing autographs and taking pictures with every fan and was still busy with them when the game ended after a late Sergej Milinkovic-Savic equaliser.
Tottenham are now in the driving seat to qualify for next season’s Champions League after Arsenal slipped to a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Monday evening.
The result leaves Arsenal fifth in the Premier League with one game remaining and two points behind fourth-placed Spurs.
Arsenal, who host Everton on the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday, now need Antonio Conte’s side to slip up in their final game away to Norwich City, who have already been relegated.
Mikel Arteta’s side struggled to get going at St James’ Park and after a poor first half as Ben White’s own goal and Guimaraes’ strike condemn Gunners to back-to-back defeats
Arsenal’s hopes of leapfrogging Tottenham Hotspur and returning to the top four were dealt a huge blow as they lost 2-0 at Newcastle United.
Newcastle had the best chance of the first half on 36 minutes with Allan Saint-Maximin’s arrowed low shot, which Aaron Ramsdale did well to save.
The Magpies took the lead after 55 minutes when Joelinton broke down the left and delivered a low cross that forced an own goal from a sliding Ben White.
Callum Wilson went close on three occasions to doubling the lead, narrowly missing out on a wonder goal as a long-range volley dropped inches wide.
Instead, it was Bruno Guimaraes who scored the deserved second goal in the 85th minute, following up when Wilson was denied by Ramsdale.
Back-to-back defeats leave Arsenal in fifth spot on 66 points, two behind Spurs, with one match remaining each.
Newcastle’s second Premier League win in 19 matches against the Gunners takes them to 12th with 46 points.
