Transfer mailbag: Rice to Arsenal latest, Kane’s future and what next for Mbappe?
The transfer window officially opened on Wednesday and there has already been activity in the Premier League and Europe – most notably the move of England midfielder Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid.
To keep up to date with all the ins and outs of this summer, you can follow us the athlete‘s live transfer blog, while our dedicated club reporters bring you news and analysis of what’s happening across your team.
But we also want to get in direct contact with our readers and find out what She You want to know what’s happening in the world of referrals. That’s why earlier this week we called for questions to our experts – and they answered.
Here we’ve compiled the most frequently asked questions along with answers from David Ornstein, Raphael Honigstein and others.
Follow the summer transfer window with the athlete…
We had a lot of questions about Arsenal with D asking about Declan Rice and also asking if the club have any attackers in their sights?
David Ornstein: West Ham are ready to sell Rice for what may be a British record transfer fee and over time Arsenal have emerged as favorites to sign Rice. Personal conditions shouldn’t be a problem, but the clubs have to agree on a price.
As the athlete As reported yesterday (Thursday), Arsenal made an opening offer to sign Rice but it was turned down. This development followed talks between Arsenal manager Tim Lewis and fellow West Ham player Karren Brady at the Premier League AGM. Sporting director Edu and football director Richard Garlick are leading the process for Arsenal.
There is interest from other clubs – not least from treble winners Manchester City. They are actively exploring their own approach for the 24-year-old.
Arsenal also want to recruit a more attacking player. They initially targeted Mason Mount, but when it became apparent he would rather join Manchester United, the focus shifted to another Chelsea player: Kai Havertz. A first proposal was submitted as part of contacts between the clubs and with the German international.
GO DEEPER
Why do Arsenal want Havertz? Where would he fit in? How will he be remembered at Chelsea?
Chelsea want to tie Havertz to a new contract – his current contract expires in the summer of 2025 – or sell him at what they think is an acceptable price. If the 24-year-old stays, there is optimism that he will bounce back to form after a difficult season under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino.
However, if a deal is struck that suits all parties, there is a strong possibility that he will leave Stamford Bridge.
We had many questions, including one from Adrian H, about Manchester United’s transfer business and whether they will be signing a new number 9; David J also asks if the takeover situation has affected their plans…
Ornstein: Signing a new striker is a priority for Manchester United this summer. Manager Erik ten Hag wants Harry Kane but I don’t think it’s the same for everyone at United. Despite Kane turning 30 next month and entering the final year of his Tottenham contract, it would still require a hefty transfer fee to sign him. Spurs CEO Daniel Levy does not want to sell, certainly not to one of their direct domestic rivals.
As my colleague Laurie Whitwell reported on WednesdayUnited have opted against an official approach to Kane.
Other options include Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani and Napoli’s new Serie A champion Victor Osimhen, although the latter is likely to be out of United’s reach financially. But a lot will depend on United’s budget and the uncertainty surrounding their ownership isn’t exactly helping.
Quite a few people questioned whether Kylian Mbappe might be leaving Paris Saint-Germain and what impact that would have on the market – and Gabriel M. specifically asked about the possibility of a move to Manchester United.
Ornstein: It is unclear. If Mbappe stays it won’t have any real impact this summer. If he goes, it will have a big impact. The result is in the air. Earlier this week he sent PSG a letter saying he would not be extending his contract until 2025 and then stressed he had no interest in leaving this summer.
Let’s assume he’s moving – the first question then is “Where?”. Real Madrid are the most connected, but you can imagine there would be competition. For example, teams like Manchester United also need a new striker. Currently, the demand for this position is higher than the supply.
Mbappé’s entry into the market would increase the talent pool and make it easier for clubs to recruit. But it could also bar the way for someone like Harry Kane if Madrid or Manchester United plan to push for him but then focus on Mbappe.
However, Mbappe’s departure would also free up a spot at PSG and offer potential targets a chance few of us expected this summer.
There was also interest in James Maddison’s future following Leicester City’s relegation.
Ornstein: With Leicester relegated and his contract due to expire in 12 months, Maddison is likely to make a summer move.
Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are among those driving him out of the Premier League. Leicester are reportedly wanting £60m ($76.2m), which potential buyers think is excessive, but I still expect a deal to materialize in that window of opportunity.
How about a question for our German football expert Raphael Honigstein from Renan F who wants to know how active Bayern Munich will be in this window?
Raphael Honigstein: Bayern’s top priority is a center forward. They won’t address other needs in the squad until they’ve found a new number 9 – and that won’t cost them much less than €100m ($85.8m).
But there’s a good chance they’ll also need to sign a centre-back if Lucas Hernandez is sold to Paris Saint-Germain. The France international has informed the German Serie A champions that he will not extend his contract beyond next season; The same goes for his compatriot and fellow defender Benjamin Pavard. There’s a good chance both will leave, freeing up money to invest in replacements, as well as a defensive midfielder – coach Thomas Tuchel would like a more defensive-minded specialist to complement Joshua Kimmich.
It’s going to be a pretty busy summer in the Bavarian capital.
Next up is Jacob Whitehead to answer Chris C’s question: are Newcastle targeting two or three elite players, or are they aiming for greater squad depth and not getting carried away by their rapid progression?
Jacob Whitehead: Good question. There have been more key changes to the mood music than a Whitney Houston ballad, but as Newcastle’s budget has solidified, it’s understood coach Eddie Howe will want to add about two elite players who will improve the starting XI straight away before he does the rest of Newcastle’s needs met with depth pieces.
These eye-catching newcomers are likely to be midfielders or at least a winger/midfielder hybrid, with the cheaper options currently earmarked as development-level left-backs, right-backs and forwards.
To some extent this approach has been dictated by Financial Fair Play (FFP) – but in the final few windows Newcastle only took risks late in the process, spurred by the release of funds by new owner PIF and the magic of payback. Alexander Isak’s late signing last summer is just one example.
We turn to Andrew Jones for the next question. Justin M wants to know: who is Burnley talking to?
Andrew Jones: Negotiations are currently underway for Southampton’s Nathan Tella after being successfully loaned to Burnley last season. There is expected to be a dispute over the price, but there is hope that a compromise can be found.
Chelsea have rejected a £15m offer for Ian Maatsen. Vincent Kompany is keen to bring the left-back, another impressive loanee from last season, back to Burnley on a permanent basis. Chelsea are ready to keep him while the player himself wants another loan move to Turf Moor.
Burnley are also planning to make a second offer for Bart Verbruggen, who would replace Arijanet Muric as first-choice goalkeeper. Kompany is a big fan of the 20-year-old but they have competition for him. Burnley are also in advanced talks with Lawrence Vigouroux, 29, who was voted into League Two Team of the Season and awarded for his form as goalkeeper for title-winning Leyton Orient.
There was some interest in Teemu Pukki, who left Norwich at the end of his contract, so we reached out to our resident expert, Michael Bailey. Quinton G. asked: Where will he sign?
Teemu Pukki’s camp remains silent on what’s next for the Finnish striker. His wife only hinted on social media on Wednesday that the family had yet to decide where their next chapter should lie.
The strongest ties exist in the United States, with Minnesota United considered the main contender. There were some rumors in early May that fellow MLS teammates Inter Miami could be a realistic target but even if that were the case, Lionel Messi’s availability would likely prevent that from happening.
Less likely was an offer from Super Lig club Samsunspor as Turkey is an unlikely destination – although Pukki can’t rule out staying somewhere in Europe just yet.
The 33-year-old is currently on international duty, in the next few days he has two home European Championship qualifiers against Slovenia and San Marino ahead of him. Once they are done, Pukki is expected to make a final decision on his next move.
Do you have a question that hasn’t been asked/answered yet? We will do this again early next week. Submit your question below and we’ll put it to The Athletic’s transfer experts over the weekend.
(Top Photos: Getty Images)