Man City sign Chilwell if he leaves Chelsea

The January transfer window may be closed across Europe, but teams are looking towards the summer and rumors abound. Transfer Talk brings you the latest in rumours, rumours, comings, goings and of course deals done!

TOP STORY: Man City ready to pounce if Chilwell leaves Chelsea

Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell could be part of a 12-player exodus from the Blues this summer and Manchester City are keen to be front of line for Chilwell should that happen, according to Athletic.

While Man City’s interest in the 26-year-old left-back was first expressed over a month ago, there are now real and genuine intentions from Man City boss Pep Guardiola, according to the report.

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Guardiola is looking for a left-back after being loaned out João Cancelo to Bayern Munich in a deal that could become permanent in the summer. Nathan Ake holds the position admirably in Cancelo’s absence, but it’s not his first or preferred position and Guardiola has been scouring the market for a suitable option this summer.

The other issue for Chelsea regarding their hopes of keeping Chilwell is that they are unlikely to qualify for the Champions League, which could see players leaving in hopes of European football elsewhere. Chelsea are currently 11 points adrift of fourth place and despite having a game against Tottenham Hotspur in bottom place in the Champions League, they may have too much ground to gain.

The Blues want players with just one year left on contract this summer, of which there are six, including mason mountain And Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Chilwell is one of seven players with two years left on their contract.

PAPER GOSSIP

– The on and off saga with Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid seem to be coming to a conclusion, with Los Blancos According to Marca, they seem to be cooling off their interest in the 24-year-old forward. Madrid hierarchy conclude that Mbappe’s general demeanor may not suit the club while they are also reluctant to do business with PSG. The Madrid side still see Mbappe as a top talent but are reportedly unwilling to risk group harmony or a protracted transfer scramble for him.

– Manchester United and Liverpool are among five Premier League clubs interested in signing the Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha, like the sun. Moreover, The Sun believe Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Chelsea are also interested in the Portuguese, who joined the Cottagers from Sporting Lisbon just last summer. Palhinha has made more tackles than any other midfielder in Europe’s top five leagues and has four years left on his contract, meaning his transfer fee is likely to be around £40million or more. Fulham boss Marco Silva signed the 27-year-old for £17million last year and is keen to keep him.

– Liverpool forward Roberto Firmin could be responsible for the domino effect standing in your way Joao Felixaccording to AS, a desire to make his loan to Chelsea permanent. They report that Firmino’s decision to wait until the end of the season to decide on his next move could hamper Felix’s move to Stamford Bridge – that’s because Firmino’s preferred choice seems to be Atletico Madrid, the club that brought Felix loaned to Chelsea. If Atletico Madrid can’t find a long-term replacement for Felix, they might want to recall him instead of bringing him to Chelsea permanently. However, Firmino has admitted that out of respect for his current club he would like to wait until the end of the current season to decide on his future.

– Barcelona are considering a nosedive for the Athletic Bilbao centre-back Inigo Martinez and striker of Athletico Paranaense Vitor Roque, according to sports. Martinez, whose contract expires this summer, is just as keen to move to Camp Nou as Barcelona are to have him, but a move could depend on Barca’s ability to resolve the ongoing salary problems. The same goes for the Catalan club’s interest in 18-year-old Roque. He has snubbed Arsenal and appears determined to join Barcelona this summer, despite interest from other clubs. Paranaense don’t intend to lower their transfer fees despite Barca’s salary cap issues, but they are ready to negotiate a way around it.

– Manchester United and Newcastle United are leading the race for the 19-year-old PSV Eindhoven star Xavi Simonsaccordingly Ekrem Konur. The youngster has already attracted interest from his old club Paris Saint-Germain, who he left on a free transfer last summer due to lack of playing minutes. However, Simons has scored 14 goals and added six assists following his move to Holland, a form that has not only caused his old employers to feel a tinge of regret that he has let go, but also that PSV are trying to make the extend the striker’s stay. PSG have an option on a permanent deal for €12m but ultimately the player has the last word and while he would appear happy in the Eredivisie, he could be tempted by a move to England.