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There were some interesting updates yesterday on the status of Douglas Luiz. He could certainly leave Aston Villa in this summer transfer window, and is a concrete option for Juventus.
First, in the next hours, Thiago Motta will sign his contract as the new manager of Juventus, until 2027, then Teun Koopmeiners is very important for Juventus in the middle of the field, and the player is very willing to go. Juve can make both of these deals happen by going out with the players involved – it's not easy, but they are working on both deals.
Therefore, Juventus will work on Koopmeiners, but they see an opportunity with Luiz. However, there are two important points. The first is the salary – Luiz has a significant salary at Aston Villa, so his salary with Juve will have to match what they offer their other big players, or the deal will not happen. And another important point, as of today, is that the only way for Juventus to make this transfer happen is through a transfer agreement. Juve cannot go to Villa to pay 60 million euros – they want to negotiate with Villa and this will follow in the coming days, but the only way is through a transfer agreement.
In terms of potential players, Juve are ready to discuss Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling-Junior. Both players are out of contract next summer at Juventus, and are currently not close to extending their contracts. Both players are being discussed, but money will be important for Aston Villa.
If it doesn't work out for Juventus, other clubs could join the race for Luiz, as there is also interest from the Premier League. Luiz is open, salary will be important, so let's see what happens.
Benjamin Sesko is staying at RB Leipzig – the decision was made by the player and his agent after taking their time. He had opportunities from Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal – these three clubs gave Sesko the opportunity to join Premier League football.
But, Sesko had a new contract offer from Leipzig since three weeks ago and he decided to accept it. It is an important contract, he is expected to be a team player, a key player for Leipzig next season, and an important player for manager Marco Rose.
Sesko decided to stay because he decided that this is the best way for his development, something similar to what Erling Haaland did in the summer of 2021 when he was at Borussia Dortmund.
So, Sesko stays and his new contract will be signed in the next 24 hours, then a future in the Premier League is still very possible, but not this summer. Sesko remains at RB Leipzig.
I wanted to clarify something about Joao Palhinha because yesterday we had some reports in England about the interest of Manchester United and Barcelona. However, at the moment, Man United is still waiting to resolve the manager's situation before attacking any market position.
Yes, United are still looking at the market, but they will not move forward in negotiations until they know who will be their manager. So at the moment Palhinha is not negotiating with Manchester United, we will have to wait and see what happens there with Erik ten Hag, or if they decide to go for someone else.
Palhinha has also been linked with Barca, but with their Financial Fair Play status at the moment, they can't go there and spend 40-50 million euros on the Fulham midfielder. So, there is interest, but in practical terms, Bayern Munich has an agreement with Palhinha on a contract – salary, project – and Palhinha wants to go to Bayern.
Now, Bayern need to agree a financial deal with Fulham and will push hard this week to try to reach an agreement as quickly as possible. It is clear that Fulham are playing their game, but at the moment a hijack is not expected, with Bayern working hard on the Palhinha deal, and new manager Vincent Kompany giving his green light to the board, so it is up to Bayern to make it happen. . The talks with Fulham will continue, so let's follow that, step by step.
As reported yesterday, Youssouf Fofana is 100% leaving Monaco this summer. Right now the situation is calm, there is nothing close or advanced from any Fofana group from what I have heard. He just wants to try something new and Monaco don't want to lose him for free in 2025, so both teams are willing to leave this summer.
Let's see who will enter the race as it is still early, but in my opinion, he is perfect for English football, I can see him doing well in the Premier League…last summer, he was on Manchester United's list.
Michael Olise is a favorite of Manchester United, he has been on their list for many months so that could be something to watch, but we also know that Chelsea have been keeping an eye on him as one of their targets this summer after they came very close to signing him last year.
So, Chelsea are still there, but so are United. For United it is very important to make some room financially by selling someone like Jadon Sancho, and Mason Greenwood. They have to sell both players, and I think the amount they get from these two deals will be very important to see how much they can invest in a winger like Olise.
Many fans have been asking me more about Sancho's situation, but at the moment what I know is what I have shared, I still have no information about other clubs that could enter the race along with Borussia Dortmund.
What I have been told is that Man United expects other clubs to join the race, not just Dortmund. As for Sancho, he loves BVB and staying there has always been his priority but the financial package could be a problem, that's why the situation is 100% open.
Pep Guardiola spoke yesterday to confirm that Manchester City and Barcelona will soon have a discussion about Joao Cancelo. Barca will be strong on Cancelo after his loan spell at Man City last season, and the plan is the same for Joao Felix in the coming days and weeks. It may take some time because Financial Fair Play is necessary, but Barcelona wants to keep these two players.
Newcastle are pushing ahead with a deal to sign James Trafford from Burnley. They have an agreement with the goalkeeper on personal terms, and are working on a new bid in excess of £15m after their first bid was rejected. Trafford have already said yes to the move.
Borussia Dortmund are working to sign a striker, and Serhou Guirassy remains their top reserve. They have been working on this for a few weeks, and there is a release clause in Guirassy's contract at Stuttgart, worth around €17.5m. Guirassy will take his time to consider all the options, but Dortmund are certainly pushing to do so. They want to be quick but it is not easy because many clubs are attracted by Guirassy. Dortmund's aim now is to continue negotiations with the players in the following days and weeks because they really want to sign the Guinean player, who they consider to be the right fit for their job.
Despite some talk of Arsenal wonderkid Chido Obi Martin now in advanced talks with Bayern Munich, I have been told that the situation with Obi Martin is still open. Bayern and Borussia Dortmund have been showing interest in the talented young striker for months, but Arsenal are still on their toes and are still trying to get him to sign a new contract and keep Chido at the club. Let's see what happens in the coming days.
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