Premier League transfer news: Mo Salah, Paul Pogba, Naby Keita, Jan Oblak
Real Madrid could move for Anfield ace but Liverpool will demand monster fee for the PFA Player of the Year
Premier League transfer news and rumours
Mo Salah: Liverpool to Real Madrid?
Liverpool fans may have split loyalties if they face Real Madrid in the final of the Champions League.
According to reports in Spain, boss Zinedine Zidane will lose his job if he fails to win the trophy and if that happens his replacement will swoop for Reds star Mohamed Salah.
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According to the Daily Star, Zidane wants to make Chelsea’s Eden Hazard his main signing this summer, but Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has different ideas and wants to build a “stunning new front line that sees current striker Cristiano Ronaldo flanked by Salah and PSG forward Neymar”.
The Daily Express says that if Real do make a move they will be “willing to pay” Liverpool’s asking price – a massive £190m.
But there is some good news for Reds fans as the paper says Salah may decide to stay at Anfield thanks to his close relationship with manager Jurgen Klopp and his desire to prove his worth in the Premier League.
Naby Keita: Leipzig to Liverpool
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Guinea international Keita will finally move to Anfield this summer, but the fee Liverpool must pay has yet to be decided, reports The Times. This could have the bean counters on Merseyside casting anxious glances at the Bundesliga table over the next few weeks.
“It is understood that Liverpool will pay about £48m for the midfielder if Leipzig end up seventh or below,” explains the paper. “That rises to £52.75m should they qualify for the Europa League, which they are on course to do, and £59m if they earn a place in the Champions League.”
Marouane Fellaini: Man Utd to West Ham
Hammers boss David Moyes wants another reunion with Belgian midfielder Fellaini, who played for him at both Everton and Manchester United. Fellaini is set to leave Old Trafford on a free transfer this summer but may opt to head overseas rather than stay in the Premier League. Doubts over Moyes’s future at West Ham could also undermine the move. (Daily Mirror)
Jan Oblak: Atletico Madrid to Liverpool
The 25-year-old keeper has admitted that his future at the Spanish club is uncertain. Atletico are currently second in La Liga and in the last four of the Europa League, and Oblak is under contract until 2021. But he’s attracting interest from a host of clubs, including Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain. (Daily Mail)
Paul Pogba: I’m fine with Mourinho
The French midfielder has tried to dampen speculation over his Manchester United future by insisting that he has “no problem” with manager Jose Mourinho. Pogba told French media that he was focused on ending the season on a high. “Right now, I am at Manchester United and I am honestly only thinking about the present. Transfers are not in my head... You know, if I listened to everyone, I would be everywhere.” (Sky Sports)
Arsene Wenger: Arsenal to PSG?
The outgoing Arsenal boss will have “no shortage of offers” when he leaves the Emirates at the end of the season according to former Gunners vice-chairman David Dein. “He is going to be 69 in October and he is extraordinarily fit. He has a very active mind and great knowledge of the game,” he said. “Over the last few years I know for a fact that he has been approached by some of the biggest clubs in the world – I think Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, the England national team wanted him at one stage.” (Sky Sports)
Premier League news and talking points
Mo Salah named PFA Player of the Year
With 41 goals under his belt so far this season, it came as no surprise that Liverpool star Mo Salah was named the PFA Player of the Year on Sunday night... unless you are Pep Guardiola. Before the announcement, the Man City manager backed Kevin de Bruyne for the title. “If he doesn’t win, congratulations to the guy who wins,” he said. “From my point of view ... there was no player better than him.”
Mark Ogden of ESPN admitted he was torn between the two players. “I voted for Salah, despite De Bruyne playing a huge role in City’s Premier League title success this season,” he writes. “The Belgian was also instrumental in his club’s Carabao Cup victory.
“My vote could easily have gone to De Bruyne, but it is all about timing and, with both he and Salah enjoying a fine first half of the season, the Liverpool winger’s form surge in recent weeks proved to be the decisive factor.
“Liverpool, it is safe to assume, would not be in the top four or challenging for a place in the Champions League without Salah’s 41 goals in all competitions.”
Man City celebrate title in style
De Bruyne may have missed out at the PFA awards, but he scored a magnificent goal as Man City celebrated winning the Premier League with a 5-0 demolition of Swansea on Sunday.
Guardiola’s side continue to break new ground, says The Times. They have become the first Premier League side to attempt 1,000 passes in a match since the 2003-4 season.
“They attempted 1,015 in total. Precisely 942 found their target. For Swansea, it must have felt like torture. For 90 minutes, they chased shadows, just as many other teams have done at the Etihad Stadium this season,” says the paper.
More milestones will be reached before the end of the season. “City have already set a record for the most consecutive Premier League wins (18), and won the title in record-equalling time. With four games to play, more records will surely follow. Guardiola’s men are five points shy of Chelsea’s record Premier League points total of 95, which they set under Jose Mourinho 13 years ago. If City score six more, they will beat Chelsea’s tally of 103 goals in the 2009-10 season.”
Premier League weekend results:
Sat:West Bromwich Albion 2 Liverpool 2Watford 0 Crystal Palace 0
Sun:Arsenal 4 West Ham United 1Stoke City 1 Burnley 1Manchester City 5 Swansea City 0
Fixtures:Everton vs Newcastle United 8pm