Football
ESPN 3y

LIVE Transfer Talk: Tottenham Hotspur halt Antonio Conte talks amid budget dispute

With most of the major European seasons now complete, the rumour mill has been sent into overdrive as clubs ponder their moves ahead of what will be a busy transfer window. Check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.

TOP STORY: Spurs, Conte deal off over transfer budget

Tottenham Hotspur have pulled out of talks with Antonio Conte to take over as their coach, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Earlier in the week it looked like Conte was ready to take the Spurs job, fresh from leading Inter Milan to the Serie A title last season.

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- Euro 2020 on ESPN: Stream LIVE games and replays (U.S. only)

Reports in Italy have suggested that Conte was starting to have doubts over his transfer budget, with sources telling ESPN that Harry Kane's future was a key topic of discussion.

Conte won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2016-17 but was sacked a year later after winning the FA Cup and finishing fifth. Before that he won Serie A three times as Juventus coach and took Italy to the quarterfinals of Euro 2016.

Despite the apparent collapse of talks with Conte, Fabrizio Romano reports that former Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici will still join Tottenham as new director of football.

With Conte's arrival an apparent no-go, Mauricio Pochettino could still leave Paris Saint-Germain with interest from former club Tottenham, according to Le10Sport. The Argentine manager has been at the heart of speculation and was reportedly keen on a return to North London, but the French outlet believe the manager's entourage is in contact with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.

LIVE BLOG

22.30 BST: According to Gazetta dello Sport, incoming Roma manager Jose Mourinho wants a bring in a veteran goalkeeper with Tottenham's Hugo Lloris, Wolves' Rui Patricio, and Juventus' Wojciech Szczesny among the options. 

While Mourinho will have familiarity with Lloris from his managerial stint at Spurs, but the report details that Szczesny may be a more viable option of those candidates.

21.45 BST: It seemed that Georginio Wijnaldum's free transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona was all but confirmed, but sources told ESPN on Friday that Paris Saint-Germain are planning to swoop in for the Dutch midfielder.

The latest on in a transfer saga that seemed to be set in stone:

21.10 BST: Ligue 1 side Marseille are close to signing Gerson from Brazilian powerhouse Flamengo, according to Goal. The deal for the 24-year-old winger is set for €25m with the Rio de Janeiro club keeping a sell-on percentage of at least 15%.

Marseille boss Jorge Sampaoli was apparently keen on Gerson joining him at the Velodrome, with OM set to play in the Europe League next season. 

It would be Gerson's second stint in Europe, following three years on the books with AS Roma. The ex-Fluminense product was loaned by Roma to Fiorentina in 2018, before returning to Rio for the other side of the fierce Flu-Fla derby. He may also feature for Brazil's Olympic squad in Tokyo before heading to France. 

20.45 BST: It will be odd to not see Gianluigi Donnarumma playing for AC Milan after failing to agree to a new deal with the club last month. Donnarumma made 251 appearances and debuted for the Serie A side at age 17, but looks like his time at the San Siro is up -- especially after AC Milan signed Mike Maignan from French champions Lille.

Gab Marcotti explains what happened between Donnarumma's agent Mino Raiola and AC Milan.

20.15 BST: Jean-Clair Todibo appears to make his move to Nice permament as the French club are set to pay Barcelona at least €8.5m for the defender's service, with additional €7m also eyed based on certain measures, according to journalist Gerard Romero. 

Todibo, 21, has spent more time on loan than at Camp Nou with stints at Nice, Schalke, and Benfica. The centre-back signed with Barca from Toulouse in 2018.

19.35 BST: ICYMI - Carlos Tevez announced he is leaving Boca Juniors on Friday, but didn't say he would be fully retiring from football.

"I don't know if I can say that I am retiring, because in three months maybe I will have the desire to play again. But I won't be wearing Boca's colors, that chapter is closed," Tevez said. 

Tevez, who was a Premier League title winner with Manchester United and Manchester City and a Serie A champion with Juventus, helped Boca win two league titles since returning to the Buenos Aires club for a third stint in January 2018. He also won the Champions League with United in 2008 and was an Olympic gold medalist with Argentina in 2004.

19.15 BST: Southampton, Leeds United, and Newcastle United are all in the mix to sign French left-back Romain Perraud, according to L'Equipe.

The 23-year-old Perraud has had a solid two seasons at Ligue 1 side Brest, who are looking to fetch €10m-€15m for the ex-Nice player.

Southampton are reportedly the leaders in among those interested teams, having been in contact with Perraud since January.

18.35 BST: Italy star Andrea Belotti is on AS Roma's radar but Torino president Urbano Cairo said that the player won't go for less than €30m.

According to Tuttosport, the Roman side offered €15m plus add-ons for Belotti but Cairo bristled at the low-ball price, calling it "provocative."

Belotti is in the final year of his deal and could sign with any club in six months, putting the Turin-based club in a possible economic dilemma if they don't act. The Granata were in a relegation fight all season and would risk further turmoil if they struggle again and also lose the 27-year-old playmaker on a free.

17.55 BST: It looks as if Aston Villa are set to win the race with Arsenal for Norwich playmaker's Emiliano Buendia's signing.

John Percy of The Telegraph tweets that an initial fee of around £30m, which can rise to £40m with various add-ons, has been agreed, with personal terms also settled and Buendia undergoing his medical in Argentina, where he is on duty for the national team, today. 

The 24-year-old scored 15 goals and had 16 assists in Norwich's Championship-winning campaign last season.

17.42 BST: Olivier Giroud may have seen his Chelsea contract extended on Friday, but reports in Italy suggest that talk of a summer move to AC Milan is not yet finished.

According to Calciomercato, Giroud's agents believe that there is an agreement between Chelsea and the 34-year-old than he can move on a free transfer if he receives an acceptable offer from a club outside of the Premier League. 

Giroud has reportedly been offered an two-year contract by Milan on a salary of €4m-a-season, but they cannot afford to pay a transfer fee for the striker. 

17.00 BST: Inter Milan have warned Atletico Madrid they will not be selling Lautaro Martinez this summer, reports Tuttosport. 

Lautaro, 23, is expected to sign a new contract with the newly crowned Serie A champions, though financial constraints at Inter mean his future isn't entirely clear cut. 

Inter are hoping to sell Achraf Hakimi to Paris Saint-Germain for €80m to fix their finances, and make sure they do not have to accept offers for Lautaro. 

The Argentina international was heavily linked with Barcelona before the coronavirus pandemic hit, with Atletico now thought to be in pole position should the situation change. 

16.08 BST: Karim Benzema has again talked up the prospect of Kylian Mbappe making the move from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid

Mbappe, 22, has been linked with Real Madrid for several years and with only one season left on his contract he could move on this summer. Benzema and Mbappe have now linked up on France duty ahead of Euro 2021, and when asked the Los Blancos forward said he hoped the two could play together at club level too.

"All the big players want to come one day to Real Madrid, so I hope that he can do so quickly, if he wants to leave PSG - who are also a good team," Benzema said during a news conference. "He's a good player as he has already shown. For his young age, he knows how to do everything.

"These are the players that I love, who know how to take a touch to do something meaningful. Agile, quick, efficient. We haven't played much together but we're finding after two training sessions that it's easy. He knows how to play football and that's very important to have."

15.22 BST: Arnaut Danjuma is attracting interest from bigger clubs after he was unable to help fire Bournemouth to an immediate return to the Premier League. The Daily Mail reports that Leicester, Wolfsburg and Lyon are all considering making a move for the Netherlands international.

Danjuma, 24, joined Bournemouth from Club Brugge two years ago and scored 15 goals in 33 Championship games as the Cherries missed out on promotion after being beaten by Brentford in the playoff semifinals. 

The former PSV Eindhoven and NEC forward, who has also been linked with Southampton and West Ham United, has not hidden his desire to play top-flight football again.

14.40 BST: Calciomercato reports that there is a strong chance that Miralem Pjanic could return to Juventus from Barcelona

Pjanic, 31, moved to the Camp Nou last summer as part of a swap agreement which took Arthur Melo to Turin. But the Bosnia and Herzegovina international struggled to adapt to life in La Liga, making 19 appearances in a forgettable campaign. 

But the report states that the financial details of the original move mean Barca, in their own financial plight, would have to take a loss on the player to get him off their books. It could be that Pjanic initially returns to Serie A on loan, and he has spoken to new Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri.

13.58 BST: Gab Marcotti discusses the possibility of Kylian Mbappe making a move from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid.

13.10 BST: There are serious doubts about the future of Kingsley Coman at Bayern Munich with Sport1 reporting the France international wants a huge wage rise to stay at the Bundesliga club. 

Coman, who celebrates his 25th birthday next weekend, is now represented by super agent Pini Zahavi who is seeking to agree a new contract, with his current terms expiring in 2023. 

Sport1 chief reporter Florian Plettenberg says Coman earns €12m-a-season, with Bayern prepared to increase that by €1m. But Zahavi is demanding Bayern come up with an offer of €20m-a-season. 

Bayern will lose David Alaba on a free transfer to Real Madrid at the end of this month, and they will want to settle Coman's future one way or another to avoid a repeat in two years' time. 

12.36 BST: Barcelona have set their sights on Valencia left-back Jose Luis Gaya to reinforce their defensive line, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Gaya, 26, is Valencia's captain and fits the profile that Barca are looking for, due to his attacking style as well as his strong defensive performances. Gaya has a contract with Valencia until June 2023 but has halted talks over an extension, leading to speculation that the player could consider leaving to take a step forward in his career.

11.44 BST: Reports in Germany suggest Liverpool will sell Marko Grujic after he failed to show the necessary progress to become part of Jurgen Klopp's first-team plans. 

Grujic, 25, joined Liverpool from Red Star Belgrade five years ago but has spent much of his time out on loan, playing for Cardiff City, Hertha Berlin and most recently FC Porto.

The winger has made just eight Premier League appearances for the Reds, and a report in the Berliner Kurier claims he is available for as little as €14m and could head back to Hertha, where he played for two seasons from 2018-2020.

 11.01 BST: Paris Saint-Germain are trying to hijack Barcelona's attempt to sign Georginio Wijnaldum on a free transfer, multiple sources have told ESPN.

Wijnaldum, 30, is set to leave Liverpool at the end of the month when his contract expires at Anfield.

10.17 BST: Manchester City agreed a deal to sign 17-year-old forward Kayky from Fluminense earlier this year, and now Goal reports that are set to return to the Brazilian club to sign teammate Metinho.

Metinho, who has only made one appearance as a substitute for the first team, is an 18-year-old midfielder who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo but moved to Brazil aged one. 

Fluminense's coaching staff have likened him in style to Paul Pogba.  

09.30 BST: FC Porto have announced that Sergio Conceicao will continue as coach for another three seasons. Conceicao, 46, has signed a new deal through June 2024 with his current contract expiring this month.

Porto finished runners-up to Sporting CP in the Primeira Liga last season and reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League before being eliminated by Chelsea. Coceicao was a reported target of Napoli. The former Inter Milan, Lazio and Parma player has managed Porto for four seasons.

PAPER GOSSIP

- Chelsea's Tiemoue Bakayoko could be set to extend his stay in Italy with Fabrizio Romano claiming that there is interest from Fiorentina for a loan deal. The defensive midfielder spent last season on loan at Napoli and featured 32 times in Serie A, but the 26-year-old appears unable to find a way into Thomas Tuchel's plans at Chelsea.

- Aston Villa are facing competition for Burnley's Chris Wood with the striker now on the radar of two other Premier League clubs. Football Insider reports that Everton and West Ham United will join the race for the 29-year-old forward, who scored 12 goals while leading the line for Sean Dyche last season, though any deal would see Burnley demand a fee in the region of £30m.

- Arsenal are monitoring Internacional's Yuri Alberto. According to Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte, the Gunners have been interested in the 20-year-old striker since his days at Santos. A fee in the region of €13m would reportedly be required to see the Brazilian move to north London, but Arsenal could face competition with Barcelona also rumoured to be interested.

- Le10Sport are reporting that Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti could begin a squad clearout with Gareth Bale, Isco and Marcelo deemed surplus to requirements. The La Liga club are continuing their rebuild after missing out on the title last season, and despite reports that Bale could be given a chance back at the Bernabeu after his loan spell with Tottenham, it looks like the Wales forward remains out of favour in the Spanish capital.

- Bayern Munich have confirmed Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has signed a two-year contract extension, cementing his status as the backup to Robert Lewandowski. Choupo-Moting joined Bayern in October on a free transfer for one season after his contract with PSG expired. The Cameroon forward scored three goals in 22 Bundesliga appearances but won plaudits for stepping up to replace Lewandowski when the Poland striker was injured for Champions League games against PSG.

^ Back to Top ^