Bayern Munich &#8211; CaughtOffside

Man United target is ready to reject them as he favours a move to European giants

Liverpool ready to sell key player in order to fund a move for Anthony Gordon

Bayern Munich attacker is keen on Arsenal move in a major boost for Mikel Arteta

Arteta is keen to strengthen his team’s wide positions and adding more depth to his squad is something that he needs to focus on if he wants to topple the dominance of Man City in the Premier League.

Coman is an experienced player who has featured regularly for Bayern and the France national team.

His ability to play on both the flanks and offer pace in the wider positions could help the Gunners next season.

Kingsley Coman would add attacking firepower to Arsenal

Arteta currently has Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard as his top options for the wide positions. The arrival of Coman would add quality and depth to the team.

The winger has played for Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain before joining Bayern Munich.

His ability to create chances as well as finish them has earned him key roles in some of the top clubs in the world.

Having won trophies for all the clubs he has played for, the player can add a winning mentality to the Gunners from his past experience.

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Transfer news: ‘Here we go’ for Man Utd deals, two Chelsea signings imminent, Liverpool update & more

Fabrizio Romano — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 15:45:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive transfer news via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

‘Here we go’ x3 for Manchester United, plus update on midfielder search

Aaron Wan-Bissaka to West Ham is a ‘here we go’ and it’s a crucial story because, as I reported previously, Manchester United were waiting for Wan-Bissaka to leave in order to be able to bring in a new right-back and also a new centre-back.

Now it’s happening, with Wan-Bissaka joining West Ham in a permanent transfer, and it’s an important sale as United could have lost him on a free when his contract would have expired next summer. Inter were also interested in the 26-year-old, though it would have been in a year’s time as a free agent, not in a swap deal this summer. Still, Wan-Bissaka decided to accept the offer from West Ham for a five-year contract, and he’ll have his medical tests with the Hammers this morning.

So, everything is done for Wan-Bissaka to move from Man United to West Ham for £15m – this is the value of the deal, and West Ham are truly on fire at the moment with a big summer that has seen them appoint Julen Lopetegui as their new manager whilst also completing deals like Wan-Bissaka, and also Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman, Guido Rodriguez, Crysencio Summerville and others.

As I previously reported, United want to attack the market and now we can say that it’s ‘here we go’ for Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui to move to Old Trafford. The deal is done with Bayern, and we have to congratulate United because the deal has been completed as they wanted – the timing was longer than expected, but it was worth it for United.

It was not always easy negotiating with Bayern, who for months insisted on guaranteed money, not add-ons, but United always wanted to get the deals done with add-ons. Now we can say that De Ligt will be joining the Red Devils for €45m plus €5m in add-ons. Bayern sources say these add-ons will be quite easy to reach, but it’s still structured quite favourably for United, and for Mazraoui it’s also €15m plus €5m in add-ons.

Now both players will travel to join United and both are set to sign five-year deals. In the case of De Ligt, this agreement was actually reached with his agent Rafaela Pimenta back in June, so he’s been waiting and waiting for United and was never negotiating with any other club. Mazraoui has also been waiting patiently since July, with United at times considering other right-back options like Vanderson and Denzel Dumfries. Still, Mazraoui looks a good option as he knows Erik ten Hag well from their time at Ajax, and he can fill in at left-back as well as on the right-hand side.

So, this is the double deal between Bayern and United, and now Bayern are expected to sign one more centre-back. Jonathan Tah’s agent is still working on the deal for him to move to the Allianz Arena so let’s wait for developments there, but he’s expected to be the new centre-back for the Bavarian giants.

Matthijs De Ligt is on his way to Manchester United

United also remain busy in the search for a new midfielder – they spoke with the agents of Sander Berge and have considered other options, but their top target remains Manuel Ugarte. PSG will have to drop their price as United will not pay crazy money, otherwise they could also sell one player in that position, it could be Scott McTominay or Casemiro, we will see, but they will likely need a sale in order to finance the deal.

Still, United could also go for a cheaper midfielder, so Berge could be one to watch after contacts with his agent, while Sofyan Amrabat remains a player on their list even after they initially decided not to sign him permanently from Fiorentina after last season’s loan came to an end. Amrabat remains appreciated by Ten Hag, so there are some Plan B options behind Ugarte, but let’s wait and see what happens with PSG on that one.

Two new signings close for Chelsea, but “impossible” for this Blues star to stay

Samu Omorodion is in London and ready to sign his seven-year deal with Chelsea, while Pedro Neto is also close to completing the formalities of his move as the Blues plan to unveil him in front of their fans at Stamford Bridge today.

Still, we also know that there are a few Chelsea players now out of the project – Romelu Lukaku, who has a three-year deal in place with Napoli, but also Kepa Arrizabalaga who is still dreaming of Real Madrid.

As well as that, Armando Broja is no longer training with the first-team, and it’s the same with Trevoh Chalobah. Both players are on the market, with Chalobah’s asking price at around £30m. It’s also important to say that David Datro Fofana is another player who could leave Chelsea on a permanent transfer, or on loan with an obligation.

Lukaku will not stay at Chelsea. Impossible. I keep saying it’s Napoli for Lukaku, regardless of the Osimhen story. Conte wants him, he wants to work with Conte, a three-year deal is ready and Napoli can accelerate soon. I don’t see any other option. Nothing is happening with Osimhen this week, there are no updates, but it’s not that strongly linked to Lukaku, and in any case the plan remains for the Nigerian striker to leave Napoli. Chelsea are still waiting, but for Osimhen we have to be patient because he is still not accepting a loan move, which is the only option at the moment for Chelsea, and also because Osimhen will not reduce his salary.

So, the conditions of the deal will have to change, or else other things could happen with the Osimhen story in the final few weeks of this summer’s transfer market.

There has been speculation about other potential Chelsea exits as well, with Carney Chukwuemeka linked with Barcelona. Still, my understanding is that there is nothing concrete so far. Chelsea have not received any bid for Chukwuemeka and the situation is currently quiet. Then in the next days we will see… but at the moment there has been no offer made to Chelsea from Barca.

Chelsea have also not received proposals from Juventus for Raheem Sterling so far, and Sterling has received no contact from Italy yet, despite rumours. What I’m told is that Juventus are working on the Nico Gonzalez deal with Fiorentina as their priority for the new winger.

Three Liverpool transfer updates

Liverpool are still working to convince Martin Zubimendi to join the club and are waiting for his final decision. Just a reminder that other clubs such as Arsenal have also been interested in the Real Sociedad midfielder in recent times but were unable to persuade him to move, though there were no negotiations from the Gunners for him this summer.

Elsewhere with Liverpool, Fabio Carvalho is closing in on completing his move to Brentford. It’s a permanent deal worth £20m plus add-ons. However, there is no news at all on Virgil van Dijk, despite some stories at various points this summer.

It’s currently very quiet as Liverpool are counting on Van Dijk and there are no significant updates so far. In my opinion, he should stay and continue as he’s a key player for Liverpool and new manager Arne Slot will need him and the quality and experience he brings.

More Stories / Latest News

Man United target is ready to reject them as he favours a move to European giants

Liverpool ready to sell key player in order to fund a move for Anthony Gordon

Bayern Munich attacker is keen on Arsenal move in a major boost for Mikel Arteta

In other news…

Jadon Sancho – There’s still no major update on Jadon Sancho’s future, but he remains one of the cases of this market. PSG have been making contact with Sancho’s agents, but there’s no bid yet, and he’s back in the Man United squad so let’s see what they will decide to do.

Marc Guehi – Newcastle are still there, yes. It’s not over yet. They want to try again but Crystal Palace insist on £65m fee. There are currently no other clubs involved, but Newcastle have not completed the deal yet so it’s one to follow in the next days.

Vladimir Coufal – There has been talk of West Ham sales, and it is the case that Coufal could leave and also some players upfront, but for now I can guarantee that focus remains on completing signings. The Wan-Bissaka deal is being sealed, then West Ham will discuss outgoings in the final three weeks, with nothing imminent yet.

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Harry Kane gives verdict on new Spurs signing Dominic Solanke

CJ — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 14:03:01 +0000

Tottenham record goalscorer Harry Kane has backed Dominic Solanke to be a hit for his former club.

The 26-year-old striker completed a £55m move to Spurs on Saturday following a 2023/24 season in which he netted 21 times across all competitions for Bournemouth — including 19 strikes in the Premier League to finish behind only Alexander Isak (21), Cole Palmer (22) and Erling Haaland (27) in the Golden Boot race.

Solanke will, of course, be seen by many as the long-awaited Kane replacement for Spurs, who sold England’s record goalscorer to Bayern Munich last summer.

Kane returned to his old stomping ground to play the final 10 minutes of Bayern’s 3-2 win over Tottenham in the Visit Malta Cup friendly competition.

Solanke wasn’t fit to feature in the match but was present at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, being unveiled to supporters ahead of kick-off. That also gave him the chance to bump into Kane and receive some encouragement from the Spurs legend.

Dominic Solanke of Tottenham Hotspur applauds the crowd ahead of the pre-season friendly match between Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 10, 2024 in London, England.

“It should be great. Dom is a great player,” Kane said of one-time England international Solanke after Saturday’s match (via Sky Sports).

“He plays with high intensity, high speed. For sure he’ll get chances in this team with the way Ange plays.

“I think it’s a really good signing. I saw him in the dressing room and I wished him all the best and of course, I hope he has a great season.”

With their friendly schedule complete, Spurs will now prepare in training for their Premier League opener away at Leicester City a week on Monday.

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Man United schedule two medicals for tomorrow as transfer targets say goodbyes to teammates

Mark Brus — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 13:33:15 +0000

Manchester United have reportedly got Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui set to arrive for medicals tomorrow as their transfers edge closer to completion.

According to Florian Plettenberg on X, formerly Twitter, the two Bayern Munich players have already said their goodbyes to their teammates at the Allianz Arena.

See below for the latest details from Plettenberg, whose latest update shows just how advanced these deals are, with Man Utd fans surely now able to look forward to an official announcement on these two new arrivals very soon…

?? Understand that Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazroaui have already said their goodbyes to the team of FC Bayern ??

If everything goes well, the medical checks for both are scheduled to take place on Monday. #MUFC

Both players will sign a contract until 2029 + 1. Bayern… pic.twitter.com/URysjTkyVy

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) August 11, 2024

United fans will surely be delighted with this double transfer raid on Bayern for two proven defenders who can add quality and experience to Erik ten Hag’s first-team.

They are also two players Ten Hag knows well as he managed them both at Ajax, and it will be intriguing to see if he can get them back to their best at Old Trafford after neither quite showed their best form at Bayern.

More Stories / Latest News

Man United target is ready to reject them as he favours a move to European giants

Liverpool ready to sell key player in order to fund a move for Anthony Gordon

Bayern Munich attacker is keen on Arsenal move in a major boost for Mikel Arteta

MUFC had one of their worst seasons in a long time last term, so it’s vital that they get this summer’s transfer window right, especially with Leny Yoro already picking up an injury since his move from Lille.

That’s the kind of luck the Red Devils could really do without right now, but De Ligt and Mazraoui will give Ten Hag a lot more depth in defence, which has been a problem position for the club for some time now.

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Fabrizio Romano hints at when Man United could announce €70m duo

Darren Looney — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 06:16:06 +0000

Man United are closing in on the signings of Bayern Munich duo Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui as Erik ten Hag is keen to reunite with his former players.

The Dutch coach worked with the pair at Ajax and with Bayern open to selling the two players, the Man United boss has been keen all summer to bring them to Old Trafford to strengthen his backline.

The Premier League club have agreed a fee for De Ligt worth an initial €45m plus €5m in add-ons, while a guaranteed €15m plus €5m in add-ons has been settled on for Mazraoui.

Both defenders have signed five-year deals at Man United plus an option of an extra season and are expected to undergo their medical tests on Monday, while also completing all the formal steps.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Monday is going to be “Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui day” at Old Trafford and it could be when both players are officially announced as new members of Ten Hag’s squad.

Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt is close to joining Man United

Is Erik ten Hag recreating another Ajax at Man United?

It is hard to gauge whether De Ligt and Mazraoui will be a success at Man United but it is never a good sign when a club as big as Bayern Munich are willing to let the players go pretty easily.

Ten Hag seems eager to work with players he trusts and is looking to add the duo to the former Ajax stars already at Old Trafford. Andre Onana joined the Manchester club last summer, while Lisandro Martinez and Antony followed their Dutch coach to Manchester in 2022.

More Stories / Latest News

Man United target is ready to reject them as he favours a move to European giants

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This doesn’t seem like a good way of doing business and it has shown already with the signing of Antony blowing up in the Man United coach’s face.

However, there is a lot of potential for the double signing to go positively and Ten Hag seems certain that the two players are needed at the Premier League giants.

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VIDEO: Emotional Harry Kane refuses to lift trophy against Tottenham

Charlie Patrick — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 21:31:40 +0000

Harry Kane ended his trophy drought at Bayern Munich as they beat Tottenham on Saturday to win the Visit Malta Cup.

Kane came off the bench as Bayern won 3-2 on his first return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following his departure last summer.

Dejan Kulusevski scored both of Spurs’ goal, including the opener the in the first minute whilst Dayot Upamecano, Serge Gnabry and Thomas Muller were all on target for the German giants.

However, when the time came to lift the trophy a clearly emotional Kane refused to lift it out of respect to his former club despite being urged to by one of his team-mates.

Before the game Kane along with ex-Spurs defender Eric Dier was presented with a special gift by Ledley King to commemorate his time at the club.

More Stories / Latest News

Man United target is ready to reject them as he favours a move to European giants

Liverpool ready to sell key player in order to fund a move for Anthony Gordon

Bayern Munich attacker is keen on Arsenal move in a major boost for Mikel Arteta

Despite not winning any trophies in his debut season at Bayern the England international had a brilliant season on an individual level, scoring 44 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions.

Kane will be hoping next season he can get his hands on major silverware as Bayern look to win the Champions League and wrestle the Bundesliga title away from Bayer Leverkusen.

Watch Kane refuse to lift trophy

Harry Kane, who was captain of Bayern Munich, refused to lift the pre-season trophy against his former club Tottenham today ?? pic.twitter.com/I7uiGW0FRq

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 10, 2024

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Man City eyeing up a move for Frenchman who earns €20m in wages

Saikat Chatterjee — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 13:17:24 +0000

Manchester City are interested in the services of Bayern Munich star Kingsley Coman.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are always on the lookout for opportunities to further bolster their squad. While they already have a lot of quality in the final third of the pitch, according to a report from Bild, City are now considering making a move for the services of Kingsley Coman.

The French international has been an integral part of their first team since joining them back in 2015 from Juventus. It was an initial two-year-long loan spell that became permanent in the summer of 2017. Over the years, he has featured in 294 matches for the German giants and has contributed towards 129 goals (63 goals, 66 assists).

While Coman has played a big part in all the success they have had in recent seasons, he has slowly gone down the pecking order. Injuries have forced him to miss a significant amount of games in recent seasons and while he still has three years left on his deal, Bayern are looking to get him off their books following the arrival of Michael Olise.

The German club are open to a permanent switch as well as a loan move. Due to his lofty €20 million a year salary demands, Bayern are looking for a club that is willing to pay a significant part of his wages and Manchester City are one of the clubs linked with the 28-year-old.

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Bayern Munich attacker is keen on Arsenal move in a major boost for Mikel Arteta

Kingsley Coman of Bayern – (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Where will Kingsley Coman ends up?

Coman has already turned down the opportunity to join Fenerbahce. While Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are considering luring him away from Bayern, Manchester City could now look to enter the race for his services.

Pep Guardiola is a big admirer of the former Juventus winger and he is considering signing the French winger on a season-long loan. Since they can surely afford to pay a significant part of his wages, City have a strong chance of securing his signing. However, things are still in the early stages and there is nothing concrete to suggest that he will be playing for the Premier League giants next season.

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Brighton boss confirms interest in 78-time international star, hints at negotiation advantage

CJ — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 12:10:19 +0000

Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler has confirmed the club’s interest in veteran German defender Mats Hummels and believes they may have the edge in negotiations.

The 35-year-old was one of the stars for Borussia Dortmund last season as they reached the Champions League final.

However, the veteran was unable to stop Dortmund from succumbing to a 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid at Wembley, with second-half goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Jr settling the tie.

Hummels — a 78-time Germany international and 2014 World Cup winner — left Dortmund at the end of the season upon the expiry of his contract.

Naturally given his quality and experience, Hummels is in high demand as a free agent and AC Milan were the first major European side to be linked with his signature earlier in the summer.

More recently, West Ham United were revealed as another potential suitor for Hummels, who is a five-time Bundesliga champion with Dortmund and Bayern Munich combined.

Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund applauds the fans, whilst wearing his runners up medal, after Real Madrid defeat Borussia Dortmund during the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 Final match between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid CF at Wembley Stadium on June 01, 2024

Brighton to sign Hummels?

West Ham recently completed the signing of French defender Jean-Clair Todibo on loan from Nice, making a swoop for Hummels more unlikely.

Brighton are the latest club heavily linked with his signature and German manager Fabian Hürzeler was asked recently about the club’s interest.

Hürzeler has given a very honest outline of the Seagulls’ stance and even hinted that he may have the edge in negotiations because of his personal relationship with Hummels and his family.

“We have mutual respect and had good conversations, and at the end of the day, the player has to decide whether he can commit to the club 100%,” said Hürzeler (via Get Football News Germany).

“I have a connection with the Hummels family for quite some time, which started back during my time at Bayern Munich. So the foundation is always there when I deal with the Hummels family.”

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Top journalist provides positive transfer update which will delight Man United fans

Charlie Patrick — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 19:30:35 +0000

Manchester United should complete the signings of Bayern Munich duo Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt this month according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.

After a quiet start to the window United have completed the signings of Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee and are working on a number of other deals.

The Red Devils are in conversations over a possible move for Burnley midfielder Sander Berge, whilst they are also pursuing another centre back.

De Ligt and Mazraoui should join United this month

Centre back has become more of a pressing issue after Yoro was ruled out for around three months through injury and United are still working to get a deal done for De Ligt.

United have also agreed personal terms with Morocco international Mazraoui, but before they can sign the right back they reportedly need to offload Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who only has one year remaining on his deal and is attracting interest from West Ham.

Things currently seem to be at a bit of an impasse, but Plettenberg has reported that if everything goes to plan the pair should join United this month.

He took to X.com and said:

“Clear tendency at this stage: Noussair #Mazraoui AND Matthijs #DeLigt will join Manchester United in August!

“If all goes to plan, a double transfer will be completed. Positive and ongoing negotiations between the clubs are underway. ManUtd and Erik ten Hag are pushing for both players. Bayern willing to sell. No deals are done yet, but progress is being made.#MUFC”

??? Clear tendency at this stage: Noussair #Mazraoui AND Matthijs #DeLigt will join Manchester United in August!

If all goes to plan, a double transfer will be completed. Positive and ongoing negotiations between the clubs are underway.

ManUtd and Erik ten Hag are pushing… pic.twitter.com/mc4gOztjrw

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) August 9, 2024

Ten Hag knows De Ligt well having managed the Dutch international during his time at Ajax, and despite seemingly being around for a while he’s still only 24 years of age and has plenty to offer.

Mazraoui is slightly older at 26 but brings plenty of experience with him and would provide Diogo Dalot with some competition at right back and add more depth to that area of the pitch.

More Stories / Latest News

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United were decimated by defensive injuries last season and adding another two bodies to the squad in that area will certainly be of benefit to them as they look to tighten up defensively and climb the table having finished eighth last season.

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Contact made: Barcelona considering surprise move for top Bayern Munich star

Darren Looney — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 20:47:18 +0000

Barcelona would like to add a new wide player to their squad this summer and it is being reported that the Catalan club have made contact with the representatives of Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman.

The 28-year-old is a player Hansi Flick knows very well having worked with the French talent in Munich and the German coach will have strong feelings towards the player as he scored the winning goal in the 2020 Champions League final as Bayern defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1-0.

The Bavarian club won the treble that season and Coman contributed with eight goals and seven assists across 38 games in all competitions.

Overall, Flick managed Coman in 63 games and the winger would produce 13 goals and eight assists while working under the German coach.

The former Bayern boss is now considering reuniting with the Frenchman as Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg reports that contact has been made between the winger and Barcelona over the past few days. The La Liga giants have been told that a loan deal is possible, which will be music to the Catalan outfit’s ears given their financial issues.

However, nothing is concrete or serious yet as Barca are still hopeful of signing Athletic Club’s Nico Williams before the summer transfer window shuts.

Barcelona have shown an interest in Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman

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