The latest transfer news focused on Erling Haaland to Chelsea and Nicolo Barella to Liverpool.
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Now that the big summer tournaments are over, plenty of moves are starting to gather momentum and there are plenty of conflicting reports out there.
Take Erling Haaland, 20, for example. Many reports state that Chelsea have had a bid for Haaland rejected, while others say that isn’t the case and Borussia Dortmund don’t want to sell.
Ready to talk about transfers for the rest of the summer? Yep. Us too.
Here’s a look at two big deals which are being mentioned.
Chelsea chasing Dortmund star
Multiple reports, including from our partners in Germany at Sky, state that Chelsea have offered either of Tammy Abraham or Callum Hudson-Odoi plus cash to sign Haaland this summer. That bid was turned down, per the report.
However, the BBC state that Dortmund have yet to receive any official bid and do not want to sell Haaland this summer unless somebody offers close to $200 million.
With Haaland’s release clause in his contract set for $95 million next summer, it appears that Chelsea are desperate to jump ahead of the queue of clubs who could afford the $95 million price tag next summer.
Dortmund have already sold Jadon Sancho to Manchester United this summer and it does seem unlikely they will move on Haaland too.
But they could double their money if they sell him this summer, right? True. But that would also risk not finishing in the top four of the Bundesliga (only a late rally allowed them to do that last season) and that financial hit for not qualifying for the Champions League would be huge.
Chelsea and Thomas Tuchel want a clinical finisher and it is really the only thing they are missing in their incredibly talented and well-balanced squad.
Let’s see how much Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is willing to spend to sign Haaland this summer. For both Chelsea and for Haaland, a move to west London seems like a very good fit.
Liverpool eye Italian midfield sensation
A report from Italian publication La Repubblica states that Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool want to sign Italy and Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella.
Barella, 24, had a breakout EURO 2020 for Italy after playing a key role in Inter winning the Italian title last season.
Per the report, a bid of $80 million will allow Inter to part with Barella and given their current financial problems, perhaps a bid way below that would be accepted. That said, Barella is one of the key players for Inter and it seems extremely unlikely he will be sold this summer.
Klopp needs a replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum in midfield after he left for Paris Saint-Germain this summer. Other options Alex Oxalde-Chamberlain and Naby Keita have both struggled with injuries, so Klopp needs to make sure he’s well-stocked in that area.
Liverpool have spent big on key players in recent seasons (Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and most recently Ibrahima Konate) and Barella would slot into that bracket. He is perfect for Klopp’s preferred 4-3-3 system as he does so much defensive work and is also extremely gifted on the ball.
Alongside Marco Verratti and Jorginho, they dominated games for Italy during their EURO 2020 glory this summer and this would be a great buy for Klopp, if the finances can be worked out.
