Arsenal are warming up the Emirates fax machine after making inquiries to Milan about Sandro Tonali, the 22-year-old holding midfielder who helped the Rossoneri win a Scudetto last season. The Milan manager, Stefano Pioli, wants to keep the former Brescia player, sometimes dubbed the “new Pirlo”, but a bid from the Gunners in the region of £50m may make things happen.
Staying with Italian midfielders, Chelsea’s proposed move for Cesare Casadei of Internazionale looks to be in danger of being hijacked by Ligue 1’s Nice. Todd Boehly and co are said to have already had more than one offer rebuffed by Inter – the Nerazzurri reportedly want £20m as well as a buy-back clause – and it now seems the French club are willing to outbid the Blues in yet another transfer setback for Tommy Tuchel.
As reported by Jacob Steinberg yesterday, Borussia Dortmund have thrown their hat in the ring as Callum Hudson-Odoi eyes the Stamford Bridge exit door. The England winger has two years left on his deal at Chelsea but was left out by Tuchel for the opening weekend victory at Everton and is consequently keen to move on to pastures new.
Meanwhile, reports in Spain say that Manchester City and Barcelona have agreed a transfer fee of £46m for the Portugal international midfielder Bernardo Silva. The 28-year-old is widely rumoured to be enthusiastic about the prospect of a switch to the big-spending Catalan club – while Pep Guardiola is being linked with a swoop for Lyon’s Lucas Paquetá. At 24 the Brazilian would set City back somewhere in the region of £70m, and is being talked up as a long-term successor to Kevin De Bruyne.
Up in Liverpool, Jürgen Klopp is preparing to move for Yeremy Pino of Villarreal as he seeks to further spruce up his now Sadio Mané-less attacking options. The right winger has also been touted as a target for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, mind you, and valuations of anywhere between £40m and £65m are being bandied around. At only 19 years of age, Pino certainly appears to be a good vintage (sorry).
The former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Willian continues to be linked with a move back to London and the Premier League with promoted Fulham. The 34-year-old was shipped out by Arsenal to Corinthians in his native Brazil last year but things have gone far from swimmingly in São Paulo. “I cannot guarantee anything,” the Corinthians manager Vítor Pereira was quoted as saying in regard to Willian’s future. Who can these days?
Erik ten Hag is laughing off claims of his Manchester United reign already being in crisis by sizing up moves for Ismaïla Sarr of Watford and Cody Gakpo of PSV Eindhoven. Sarr, who cost the Hornets somewhere in the region of £30m in 2019, would seem a logical target after dropping down to the Championship. But any move for Gakpo might be stymied should the Dutch club defeat Rangers and progress to the Champions League proper via the playoffs (they edged past Monaco in dramatic fashion in the third qualifying round on Tuesday).
Last night, Fabrizio Romano tweeted that Bologna had anticipated a fresh bid from Manchester United for Marko Arnautovic, but that United have now abandoned the deal entirely in response to the uproar among fans in response to their once-great club targeting the 33-year-old. Nothing like strong leadership and a clear strategy, is there?
