Transfer News

Neil Lennon expects Odsonne Edouard to be in demand in the near future, believing Celtic's star striker is good enough to also thrive in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League. 

Hoops boss Lennon made the statement when asked about Edouard's future, per Andy Burke of BBC Scotland:

"He could play in the Premier League and Champions League, no question, with the form he is in. At 22, he has it all in front of him. I just hope he keeps getting better and better with us. I don't know (if we can keep him). We have had no enquiries for him but I am sure somewhere down the line for someone of that quality there will be."

Lennon's confidence about Edouard's ability to make the grade in England's top flight comes at a time when Premier League heavyweights are being told to sign the Frenchman.

Former Celtic players, including Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas, have said Edouard would be a hit if he moves on, per Uche Amako of the Daily Express: "Odsonne Edouard is good enough to go and play at a Chelsea or a Manchester United."

Nicholas, who played for the Hoops during two spells between 1979 and 1995, compared Edouard's rise to that of Moussa Dembele. The latter moved to Glasgow from Fulham in 2016 and parlayed a pair of excellent campaigns into a transfer to Lyon in 2018.

Dembele has been linked to Chelsea and Manchester United, per L'Equipe (h/t Robbie Copeland of the Daily Record). The French publication has noted how the Blues are in pole position, with Celtic entitled to 10 percent of any transfer fee.

Is Odsonne Edouard as good as Moussa Dembele? 🤔

Take a look at this ➡️ https://t.co/4TydYIu9H2 pic.twitter.com/5J6KDXLbAc

— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) February 6, 2020

A potential windfall on Dembele could tempt Celtic to cash in on another young and gifted French attacker. Edouard was on loan with the Hoops during the 2017/18 season and secured a permanent switch from Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the campaign.

The 22-year-old has exceeded his countryman with superb production in front of goal. Edouard has helped himself to 23 goals in all competitions, putting together a consistent run during the early stages of this calendar year:

Odsonne Édouard since the winter break:

⭕ vs Partick Thistle
⚽ vs Kilmarnock
⚽⚽ vs Ross County
⭕ vs St. Johnstone
⚽⚽🅰️ vs Hamilton Academical
⚽⚽ vs Motherwell

A goal contribution every 58 minutes. pic.twitter.com/kAGonku34a

— SCOUTED (@scoutedftbl) February 5, 2020

Those performances are boosting Edouard's standing and value on the market. Aside from Nicholas, another former Celtic striker, Chris Sutton, compared Edouard to club legend Henrik Larsson during an appearance on BT Sport (h/t Aidan Scott of The Scottish Sun).

Sutton also said Edouard could fetch a fee of £40 million, per the Daily Record's Craig Swan. Meanwhile, Nathan Salt of MailOnline named Edouard as a potential summer replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Alexandre Lacazette, should either leave Arsenal, while also noting how Leicester City are keen on Celtic's main man.

Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers briefly worked with Edouard at Celtic Park and likely understands how far he could go.

Edouard's career ascent could also see him became a regular for France's senior side. He would offer more pace than Olivier Giroud and greater versatility than Wissam Ben Yedder.

Is Celtic's Odsonne Edouard good enough to play for France?

Celtic 2019-20
👕 37
⚽ 23

France U21
👕 6
⚽ 11 pic.twitter.com/ZODiqX3CdN

— GOAL (@goal) February 7, 2020

Giroud is being overlooked at Chelsea, despite the Blues' lack of consistency at the position. Tammy Abraham has promise, but Michy Batshuayi appears to be on borrowed time.

As for United, the Red Devils know they need help up top to offer more support to Marcus Rashford. The club secured a six-month loan for Odion Ighalo during the winter window, but Edouard would represent the future.

There is no denying Edouard's natural talent, and his speed, strength and ability to play anywhere up top will keep him firmly on the radar of clubs inside the Premier League and beyond.

Juventus will have to shell out a transfer fee of at least €70 million (£59 million) if they want to re-sign Riccardo Orsolini, according to Bologna sporting director Walter Sabatini. 

Orsolini, 23, signed for Juve from Italian second-tier side Ascoli in 2017 but never made a first-team appearance for the Old Lady.

Instead, he spent six months on loan at Atalanta before another 18-month loan at Bologna, a move which became permanent last June.

The winger has thrived with the Rossoblu, most recently netting the opener for Bologna in their 3-2 victory at Roma on Friday:

🤦‍♂ A moment to forget for Chris Smalling!

⚽ The Roma defender decided to leave Barrow's cross, and Orsolini swept it home to give Bologna the lead pic.twitter.com/DxkDWrYWpD

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) February 7, 2020

Since the beginning of 18/19 season:

✅Federico Chiesa: 4630 minutes, 9 goals, 8 assists, directly involved in a goal every 272 minutes

✅Riccardo Orsolini: 3640 minutes, 14 goals, 9 assists, directly involved in a goal every 158 minutes

Orsolini is so underrated. pic.twitter.com/fJAOC2FwRt

— Football Talent Scout - Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) February 5, 2020

As a result, talk has surfaced that Juve could be interested in re-signing him and may have a €25 million (£21 million) buyback clause, but Sabatini has now said nothing of the sort was negotiated, per ETV (h/t Goal's Dejan Kalinic):

"In the negotiation process, we talked to Juventus about a possible buyback option, but it was never written down, so it remained only verbal.

"At the moment, it is unthinkable that he could be sold for the figures that have been mentioned in the media. We would discuss it with Juventus to ensure that everyone was happy with the situation. We are a strong club and, if the player were to leave, we would require compensation. In any case, we're not thinking about his departure at the moment and he is not on the market.

"I give Orsolini a value of not less than €70 million. I repeat that he will not leave. He is followed by the national team like so many others, and I think good news is coming to Coverciano [Italy's headquarters]. I hope he can go to the European Championship, but [Italy coach Roberto] Mancini doesn't need my advice."

Orsolini was handed his senior Italy debut in November when he scored a goal and provided an assist in a 9-1 drubbing of Armenia after coming on as a half-time substitute.

That was Italy's last international fixture of 2019, and Orsolini will hope to be in the running for their first game of 2020, a friendly against England at Wembley Stadium on March 27.

Italy have four friendlies organised—the others are against Germany, San Marino and Czech Republic—before their opening group-stage game of UEFA Euro 2020 against Turkey in Rome on June 12.

If Orsolini can break into Roberto Mancini's squad and impress on the international stage, Juve are unlikely to be the only club interested in him come the summer.

As a left-footed player who prefers to play on the right flank, he is an archetypal modern wide player who can contribute both goals and assists.

Orsolini also has huge potential for improvement, so it is no surprise Sabatini is making it clear he will not be allowed to leave for cheap. 

Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has talked up a move for Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Jan Vertonghen in the summer transfer window.

Ten Hag told Ziggo Sport (h/t Joe Krishnan at the Evening Standard) that the Eredivisie side could look to bring 32-year-old Vertonghen back to Amsterdam:

"Jan has a history at Ajax. Of course we are following his situation very closely, but you also have to look at the position in which someone plays. If that comes together, the availability and the position in which he plays, then he is an option. There is no question of any age limit here. If someone is good enough, it doesn't matter how old he is."

Vertonghen came through the youth academy at Ajax and won two league and cup titles with the club before moving to Spurs in 2012.

The centre-back's future at the club is uncertain as he is out of contract in the summer and would be available as a free agent.

His emotional reaction to being substituted early in Tottenham's FA Cup win over Southampton on Wednesday prompted fresh speculation his time at the club may be coming to an end:

#thfc Uncharacteristic reaction by Vertonghen to being replaced – walked around the pitch very slowly & looks absolutely gutted on the bench. Does he sense his time is nearly up?

— Dan Kilpatrick (@Dan_KP) February 5, 2020

Jan Vertonghen almost crying on the touchline is a heartbreaking scene.

He's been one of the best defenders in the Premier League over the last few years. He, like everyone else, knows that his time is up. Will go down as a Tottenham legend regardless.

— Kaustubh Pandey (@Kaus_Pandey17) February 5, 2020

Vertonghen's agent, Tom De Mul, told Het Laatste Nieuws (h/t Tommaso Fiore at Sky Sports) that there is a "lot of interest" in the defender but that he is "not ruling out" agreeing a new contract at Spurs.

The Belgium international is a reliable presence at the back for Jose Mourinho's side and has made 22 appearances for the club in all competitions in 2019-20, but he will turn 33 in April, which may deter Spurs from offering fresh terms.

Indeed Vertonghen could be deemed surplus to requirements if Spurs decide to bring in another defender when the transfer window reopens.

The club are interested in Bournemouth's Nathan Ake, who may be sold if the Cherries are relegated, according to The Athletic (h/t Adam Powers at the Daily Express).

A return to Ajax may appeal to Vertonghen as he heads towards the end of his career. The defender already knows the club well and would add experience to Ten Hag's youthful team, which is top of the Eredivisie table.

Alaves striker Lucas Perez has welcomed rumoured interest from Barcelona and suggested he'll consider the transfer as long as the club truly wants him and "it's a chance to earn money."

Barcelona failed to sign a striker during the January transfer window despite links with numerous alleged targets, and it's been suggested journeyman Perez could arrive on emergency terms.

When asked about the possibility of a move to the Camp Nou, he told El Partidazo de la COPE (h/t Sport): "I'm not saying anything. You've just told me that. I don't know anything about it and I'm only thinking about Alaves. Now if an opportunity arises, the club is interested and it's a chance to earn money..."

It's also mentioned that Perez said his buyout clause was less than €25 million (£21.2 million), the figure Javier Lekuona of AS wrote any suitor would have to pay to land his signature.

The Blaugrana could reportedly be granted clearance to sign an attacker after winger Ousmane Dembele suffered a serious setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury and underwent surgery on Tuesday.

Sport reported Getafe forward Angel Rodriguez is another attack on Barca's radar for an emergency deal. A signing would be permitted as long as their target plays in Spain (or is a free agent) and Dembele is ruled out for at least five months.

Former Arsenal frontman Perez, 31, has enjoyed his most prolific season in four years after joining Alaves in May 2019, scoring nine times in 22 appearances across all competitions this season. 

He scored in seven straight La Liga matches between September and November, having returned to Spain on permanent terms following disappointing spells with the Gunners and West Ham United.

Quique Setien's attack all of a sudden looks bare following the recurrence of Dembele's injury and the long-term absence of Luis Suarez, who will be out until May following surgery on his right knee last month.

To complicate matters, Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens of ESPN FC reported Lionel Messi is playing through injury pain in order to help his side through their recent rut in form.

Perez's most recent contribution for Alaves was a 46th-minute breakthrough after he came off the bench in Friday's 2-1 win over Eibar, via Premier Sports (UK viewers only).  

Barcelona return to La Liga action at Real Betis on Sunday, and they might hope to have a forward solution in place for their trip to Napoli in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 matchup on February 25.

Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi will reportedly remain at the Camp Nou despite his recent fall out with sporting director Eric Abidal, who has said he hopes the forward signs a new contract at the club.

Speculation emerged that Messi could leave Barca following a public spat with Abidal, but Sky Sports' Lyall Thomas cited sources close to the player who said he intends to stay at least until his deal expires in 2021.

It's understood the 32-year-old is also open to the idea of extending terms at the Camp Nou, though he'd like to do so on a "rolling year-by-year basis."

Agence France-Presse's Tom Allnutt provided a screenshot of Messi's barbed reply via Instagram to a recent interview Abidal gave to Sport's Lluis Miguelsanz. The director appeared to suggest the players were partly to blame for Ernesto Valverde's sacking in January.

Messi took umbrage with those comments and encouraged former team-mate Abidal to specify which players he was referring to: "If you don't, you're tarnishing everyone and feeding things that are said that aren’t true."

Thomas also wrote that Messi felt compelled to defend himself and the team, "while also wanting to highlight that he does not call the shots at the club."

Abidal, 40, has since told Mundo Deportivo (h/t AS) it's "never easy" negotiating a contract as vast as Messi's but that he hopes to see the Argentinian remain in Catalonia.

"The question is for him, hopefully he continues. Leo said that Barca is everything for him, that he wants to stay here, from there, there will be conditions. We are talking about the best player in the world and having a renewal with player of this kind is never easy," he said.

Manchester City have been linked with Messi when his Barcelona ties have been tested in the past, but Pep Guardiola has played down any chance of a reunion with his former charge.

When asked about the recent clash of personalities at his former club, Guardiola told reporters: "He's a player from Barcelona. He will stay there [at Barca], that's my wish."

Quique Setien took over from Valverde and has lost two of his six games in charge of the team, including a Copa del Rey quarter-final exit following Thursday's 1-0 defeat to Athletic Bilbao. They lost just one of their last 13 games under Valverde.

The Blaugrana are three points below La Liga leaders Real Madrid and enduring a miniature crisis by their standards, but it appears Messi remains settled 19 years after arriving at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona have lost each of their last two away games but hope to end the rut when they travel to Setien's former club Real Betis on Sunday.

Former Inter Milan and Chile star Ivan Zamorano believes Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal will join the Nerazzurri in the summer, and he hopes compatriot Alexis Sanchez will stay in the Italian fashion capital as well. 

The Chilean told Radio Cooperativa (h/t Football Italia) he has "privileged information" regarding Vidal's switch to Inter:

"The most important thing is that Alexis enjoy his football, because when he was finding form, he got injured. He didn't play much at Manchester and that meant he arrived not fully fit.

"I would like Sanchez to remain in Milan, especially as in June he'll get the chance to play alongside another Chilean, who will very probably come to the club.

"Let's just say I am optimistic we'll see two Chileans at Inter next season and I have some privileged information on that score. We all know what Vidal means for Antonio Conte and I am sure in June the club will intensify its efforts to sign him from Barcelona. Inter fans would be very happy to have Arturo."

The former Juventus man was strongly linked with the Nerazzurri in the January transfer window, and according to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Football Italia), the Catalans even accused him of trying to force a transfer by bringing a lawsuit against his current club.

A move never materialised, and Vidal has remained a regular part of the rotation at the Camp Nou, seeing playing time in five matches in January.

The 32-year-old played some of the best football of his career under Antonio Conte at Juventus. The Italian is now the coach at Inter, explaining why both parties were reportedly interested in a reunion. The Nerazzurri were desperate for midseason reinforcements to help their first Serie A title push in years.

Inter invested heavily in the summer as well, signing Romelu Lukaku and taking a chance on team-mate and United flop Sanchez. The winger returned to Italy on loan, but injuries have sidelined him for large stretches of the 2019-20 season.

His only Serie A goal came in the 3-1 win over Sampdoria, where he also saw his first red card of the season:

Sanchez's poor form so far makes it unlikely Inter will try to sign him on a permanent deal once the loan expires. Per the Guardian's Fabrizio Romano and Marcus Christenson, there was no option included in the deal.

Zamorano spent half a decade at Inter, winning the UEFA Cup in 1998. He finished his career back in Chile with Colo-Colo and also had stints in Spain with Real Madrid and Sevilla.

Bayern Munich President Herbert Hainer has denied rumours the Bundesliga giants could try to land Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo, saying the 35-year-old is too old to be a target. 

Hainer made the comment in an interview with TZ (h/t Football Italia): "Lots of names appear in the papers, and that is entirely understandable, but he is too old for us."

Ronaldo turned 35 on Wednesday, and the Bianconeri commemorated his birthday with a video of some of his highlights:

He remains one of the world's most dangerous forwards and is in the midst of his best scoring spell in Italy.

His 19 Serie A goals so far this season rank him second in the league behind Lazio Roma's Ciro Immobile. He has almost four times as many goals as Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala, who are both second on the team with five each.

Ronaldo has found the net in nine straight Serie A outings, an incredible run dating back to the 2-2 draw against Sassuolo on December 1st:

Cristiano Ronaldo keeps going… scoring in his ninth straight Serie A game to bring up his half-century for Juventus.

👕 50 goals
⚽️ 70 games#UCL pic.twitter.com/48rhswAubD

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 2, 2020

While every major contender in the UEFA Champions League could likely use his services, a transfer seems virtually impossible. Juventus would not sanction the sale of such a key player unless the offer is substantial, and teams aren't going to invest an enormous sum in a player of his age―even if Ronaldo has yet to show any signs of slowing down.

Bayern are not lacking for firepower from the striker position thanks to the presence of Robert Lewandowski, arguably the most dependable player in front of goal in Europe right now.

He has netted 22 goals in the Bundesliga already and has been a reliable scorer for the club for years:

Robert Lewandowski has scored his 150th goal for Bayern Munich in Bundesliga.

He's done so in 179 appearances. 😱 pic.twitter.com/OTa8uT6oRc

— Squawka (@Squawka) February 1, 2020

Bayern have won their last eight matches in all competitions, surging to the top of the Bundesliga standings. They'll face Chelsea in the Champions League knockout stages and will likely be significant favourites in that tie.

Juventus lead Serie A and are paired with Lyon in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said he wants Lionel Messi to remain at Barcelona amid rumours linking him with the Sky Blues.

According to The Independent's Mark Critchley, City officials—among them director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano, formerly of Barcelona—are keeping an eye on Messi's situation at the Camp Nou following his public row with Barca sporting director Eric Abidal.

However, per Goal's Chris Burton, Guardiola said: "He's a player for Barcelona. He will stay there. That is my wish. I'm not going to talk about players for another club. I think he's going to finish his career there. It's my wish."

Guardiola spent four years as Barca boss earlier in Messi's career. Together, they won three La Liga titles, two UEFA Champions Leagues and two Copas del Rey, among other honours.

The coach remains an enormous admirer of the Argentinian talisman:

Lionel Messi is the best to ever play the game.

Pep Guardiola doesn't want to hear anything else.

🐐 pic.twitter.com/Cq7qG1jLYO

— GOAL (@goal) January 12, 2020

After the row with Abidal, Barcelona will be concerned that Messi has not yet put pen to paper on a new contract, with his existing deal set to expire next year. What's more, according to the Guardian's Sid Lowe, he also "has a clause in his contract which enables him to unilaterally walk away for free" at the end of this season.

Messi will turn 33 in June, but he's still the best player in the world. In 25 matches this season, he has returned 19 goals and 12 assists for Barca.

Given his experience of working under Guardiola, City would perhaps be the most natural fit for him away from the Camp Nou. The Sky Blues are one of the only teams that could afford to pay his wages too, which would potentially be even higher if he joined on a free transfer.

The Athletic's Sam Lee has said Messi won't be moving to the Etihad Stadium, though:

IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN but if City only signed Messi this summer and nobody else, would that be enough? Would his presence alone spark the others into raising their game, and would his on-pitch contributions transform performances? Just for debate cos IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN

— Sam Lee (@SamLee) February 6, 2020

Tom Allnutt of AFP also cast doubt on it given Messi discussed ending his career at the Camp Nou relatively recently:

Messi said in October he was pretty clear now he wants to retire in Barca because of the club but also his family and not wanting to break his children's friendships as happened to him when he left Argentina. For all that's happened, him going still feels q a remote possibility.

— Tom Allnutt (@TomAllnutt_) February 6, 2020

He has spent his entire career with the Catalan giants, so prising him from Barcelona would not be easy—even for City.

Newell's Old Boys, his boyhood club in Argentina, would likely be among his top destinations if he did decide to play elsewhere before hanging up his boots.

Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana is reportedly attracting interest from Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and West Ham United. 

According to Chris Bascombe of the Telegraph, the quartet are eyeing the England international ahead of his contract expiring this summer, at which point he'll be available on a free transfer.

As of January, Lallana is able to talk to clubs overseas but he cannot do so with other English teams, so it's said formal talks with the interested parties are yet to be held.

The 31-year-old signed for the Reds in 2014, when they were managed by Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers. He was a regular in his first three seasons at Anfield, during which time he made 125 appearances, contributing 21 goals and 19 assists.

However, hamstring injuries kept him out for much of the 2017-18 campaign. He lost his place as the Reds were truly hitting their stride under manager Jurgen Klopp, and since then he has been a squad player often restricted to cameos off the bench.

Since the start of the 2017-18 season he has returned just one goal and three assists in 50 appearances, but he has still contributed while on the pitch.

Liverpool writer Joel Rabinowitz praised him for his performance off the bench in Liverpool's 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur in January:

Lallana's cameo. Exactly what you want, retaining possession under pressure to take the sting out of the game when it was getting too open. Making such an important impact this season whenever he's on the pitch.

— Joel Rabinowitz (@joel_archie) January 11, 2020

So too did Leanne Prescott and Andy Heaton of the Anfield Wrap:

Lallana really good again yesterday. Passed progressively when the opportunity arose but otherwise recycled to take the sting out of the game. Some critical tackles, too. Continues to show his value to this side and exemplify the collective ethos underpinning this title charge.

— Leanne Prescott (@_lfcleanne) January 12, 2020

Quite the season Adam Lallana is quietly having, always been a great, intelligent manipulator of the ball but has shown maturity and leadership in challenging circumstances and strength on the ball that has probably surprised a few, including me.

— Andy Heaton (@Andrew_Heaton) January 14, 2020

He'll be 32 in May, but he could still make a shrewd low-risk addition for another Premier League side this summer.

Leicester are perhaps the leading candidate of those reportedly interested. Lallana's prior relationship with Rodgers likely gives them a step up, and they're also the most likely to be able to offer UEFA Champions League football.

The Foxes are third after 25 matches, eight points clear of fourth-place Chelsea and 12 ahead of fifth-place Spurs.

Arsenal are 10 points off the top four and West Ham are battling the drop as they sit 18th, one point from safety.

Vinicius Junior has rubbished rumours linking him with a move from Real Madrid to Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG sporting director Leonardo is said to be keen on bringing his fellow Brazilian to the Parc des Princes, per Sport (h/t MailOnline's Will Griffee).  

The 19-year-old only joined Real in 2018. He has been used sparingly by manager Zinedine Zidane in 2019-20, starting only six times in La Liga.

But Vinicius made it clear after Los Blancos' shock loss to Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey on Thursday that he will not be going anywhere, per Sacha Pisani of Goal:

"There's no choice; I want to stay at Madrid."

Vinicius was one of the few bright spots for Real in their disappointing 2018-19 season.

His consistently fine performances earned him a regular place in the starting XI early in 2019 under manager Santiago Solari:

Says a lot that Solari hasn't felt able to rest Vinicius. 18yo with no previous 1st team experience, has played a game every 3.5 days in 2019.

— Tom Allnutt (@TomAllnutt_) March 5, 2019

This season his workload has been lighter, likely in a bid to avoid putting too much strain on a player who is still young.

There is also more competition now in the Real side for Vinicius' preferred role on the left flank with Eden Hazard and Rodrygo in the squad.

Vinicius played the full 90 minutes in Thursday's clash with La Real at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Real lost 4-3 after going 3-0 down inside an hour.

It was their first defeat in any competition since losing to Mallorca in La Liga on October 19 and came the same night Barcelona were knocked out the Copa by Athletic Club Bilbao:

On the same day. pic.twitter.com/ViaGW0zJGt

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 6, 2020

Your Copa del Rey semi-finalists are:

Granada
Mirandes
Real Sociedad
Athletic Club

Just as we all suspected.

— Sam Tighe (@stighefootball) February 6, 2020

It is hardly a terminal result for Real's season given they are three points clear at the top of the league and into the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, where they will face Manchester City.

Per Pisani, Vinicius acknowledged it was a "hard" defeat to take, but he promised Real's fans the side "are going to fight until the end of the season in order to win La Liga and Champions League too."