Paper Talk: Double Chelsea deal takes big step closer to completion; Arsenal midfield target pleads for move Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is closing in on two major new signings, while an Arsenal midfield target is desperate to join the club, according to Tuesday’s transfer gossip. LAMPARD CLOSING IN ON TOP TARGETS Chelsea have received a massive boost in their pursuit of Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana and Fiorentina forward Federico Chiesa. Frank Lampard is said to be ready to revamp his squad this summer, with Onana and Chiesa two of the names at the top of his transfer wishlist, and it would appear that both players will be on the move. Onana, who joined Ajax from Barcelona in 2015, has also been linked with a return to Camp Nou, as well as Tottenham, and Ajax boss Erik ten Hag as admitted the 24-year-old Cameroon international is available at the ‘right price’ – although the club has yet to receive a ‘concrete offer’. Lampard is reported to be in the hunt for a new No.1, despite making up with first-choice stopper Kepa after dropping the Spaniard earlier in the season, and Onana fits the bill perfectly. Chiesa meanwhile, who has been linked with moves to Inter Milan, Juventus and Manchester United, and Fiorentina owner Rocco Commisso admitted there is interest across Europe for the 22-year-old Italy international. “We had a meeting before Christmas if I’m not mistaken,” he told Radio Bruno Toscana, as cited by the Evening Standard. “If he wants to go then I’m sorry, but we’d accommodate him, providing the offer is fair. We must also see what he’s worth. “[His price] may have dropped since last year. It must suit everyone, although there’s a chance that he’ll stay. “I haven’t offered Federico anything. There hasn’t been a proposal, it’s fake news. The important thing is that a player wants to stay. “Many players have understood that Fiorentina are aiming high. I don’t want to put anything in Chiesa’s mouth, he’s a very good lad. “We have a very good relationship and I want to keep him. I want to do the right thing for Fiorentina and, if he wants to go, we’ll accommodate him.” “There’s Juventus, but there are also other teams in Europe.” A new striker certainly fits a need for the Blues, with Lampard wanting quality competition for Tammy Abraham, while Michy Batshuayi is expected to move on this summer. AND MORE GOSSIP Neymar is reportedly willing to take a 50 per cent pay cut to force through a transfer from Paris-Saint Germain back to Barcelona this summer (Daily Mirror) Arsenal head of football Raul Sanllehi told staff on a conference call last week that budgets would be tight for the summer and it would be highly unlikely for any major deals at the Emirates (Daily Mirror) Jurgen Klopp says his Liverpool players are “eager as five-year olds” training in their gardens ahead of the potential Premier League resumption (Daily Mirror) Cristiano Ronaldo has left Madeira to return to Italy with his family after nearly two months on his native island (Daily Mirror) Norwich boss Daniel Farke has insisted the Premier League cannot return if it risks a single life (Daily Mirror) Arsenal have been dealt another blow in their pursuit of transfer target Nabil Fekir as the Real Betis star is only interested in leaving the club if an offer is tabled by Real Madrid or Barcelona (Daily Express) Newcastle will have to pay Tottenham £12.5m if they want to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as manager this month due to a clause in his contract, but the Argentine will be able to sign for free in June (Daily Mail) Kevin De Bruyne is set to open contract negotiations with Manchester City once the protracted season has been completed (Daily Mail) Wembley is back on the agenda as a potential venue to complete the Premier League season (The Sun) Tottenham face a further £10m cash blow as NFL chiefs have cancelled this year’s four “London Games” (The Sun) Manchester United face a dilemma on whether to let Dean Henderson stay at top-four rivals Sheffield United – and potentially help deny them a £60m-plus Champions League slot (The Sun) Manchester United have agreed to sign Joe Hugill from Sunderland but the £200k transfer is being held up as the teenager is banned from travelling for a medical due to lockdown restrictions (The Sun) Aston Villa are poised to get the green light to recall England goalkeeper Tom Heaton for their fight against the drop (The Sun) David Moyes has revealed he’d ask for Billy Gilmour in exchange for Declan Rice if Chelsea come knocking for his star man this summer (The Sun) Aaron Ramsey admits he ditched Arsenal for Juventus to escape his “comfort zone” after 11 years without winning the title (The Sun) Agents of Premier League players expect some clubs to launch campaigns to discourage them from returning under the terms of Project Restart (Daily Telegraph) Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey has made it clear he would like to move to Arsenal and is hoping a deal can be struck between the clubs (Daily Telegraph) Arsenal would be the Premier League club most financially affected by playing next season behind closed doors, according to research which reveals potential losses across the division of £878.2m (Daily Telegraph) Agents fees are set to push towards a record-breaking £300m for Premier League transfers for last season, but the coronavirus pandemic is expected to halt clubs paying extravagant commission, while in the lower leagues there are fears middle-men will go out of business (Daily Telegraph) Premier League clubs are at odds over whether or not supporters can be prevented from congregating or breaking coronavirus social distancing guidelines as part of the proposal to restart football at neutral grounds (Daily Telegraph) Liverpool have told Timo Werner’s representatives they need more time to decide on whether to make a formal offer for the Germany international as they wait to see what impact coronavirus will have on the next transfer window (The Guardian) Serie A side Lazio are set to pounce for Ianis Hagi if Rangers don’t take up their option on the loan star (Daily Record) Plans to hold a historic summit of all top-flight clubs to effectively end the season were dramatically put on hold – in case the Scottish government makes the decision for them on Tuesday (Daily Record) Peter Lovenkrands has emerged as a serious contender for the St Johnstone job (Daily Record) Leigh Griffiths revealed he wants to stay at Celtic for the rest of his career (Scottish Sun) Dave Cormack says crisis-torn clubs must “get our cake and eat it” by finding a way to cash in on closed-doors games (Scottish Sun) The post Paper Talk: Double Chelsea deal takes big step closer to completion; Arsenal midfield target pleads for move appeared first on teamtalk.com.

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is closing in on two major new signings, while an Arsenal midfield target is desperate to join the club, according to Tuesday’s transfer gossip.

 

LAMPARD CLOSING IN ON TOP TARGETS 

Chelsea have received a massive boost in their pursuit of Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana and Fiorentina forward Federico Chiesa.

Frank Lampard is said to be ready to revamp his squad this summer, with Onana and Chiesa two of the names at the top of his transfer wishlist, and it would appear that both players will be on the move.

Onana, who joined Ajax from Barcelona in 2015, has also been linked with a return to Camp Nou, as well as Tottenham, and Ajax boss Erik ten Hag as admitted the 24-year-old Cameroon international is available at the ‘right price’ – although the club has yet to receive a ‘concrete offer’.

Lampard is reported to be in the hunt for a new No.1, despite making up with first-choice stopper Kepa after dropping the Spaniard earlier in the season, and Onana fits the bill perfectly.

Chiesa meanwhile, who has been linked with moves to Inter Milan, Juventus and Manchester United, and Fiorentina owner Rocco Commisso admitted there is interest across Europe for the 22-year-old Italy international.

“We had a meeting before Christmas if I’m not mistaken,” he told Radio Bruno Toscana, as cited by the Evening Standard.

“If he wants to go then I’m sorry, but we’d accommodate him, providing the offer is fair. We must also see what he’s worth.

“[His price] may have dropped since last year. It must suit everyone, although there’s a chance that he’ll stay.

“I haven’t offered Federico anything. There hasn’t been a proposal, it’s fake news. The important thing is that a player wants to stay.

 

 

“Many players have understood that Fiorentina are aiming high. I don’t want to put anything in Chiesa’s mouth, he’s a very good lad.

“We have a very good relationship and I want to keep him. I want to do the right thing for Fiorentina and, if he wants to go, we’ll accommodate him.”

“There’s Juventus, but there are also other teams in Europe.”

A new striker certainly fits a need for the Blues, with Lampard wanting quality competition for Tammy Abraham, while Michy Batshuayi is expected to move on this summer.

 

AND MORE GOSSIP

Neymar is reportedly willing to take a 50 per cent pay cut to force through a transfer from Paris-Saint Germain back to Barcelona this summer (Daily Mirror)

Arsenal head of football Raul Sanllehi told staff on a conference call last week that budgets would be tight for the summer and it would be highly unlikely for any major deals at the Emirates (Daily Mirror)

Jurgen Klopp says his Liverpool players are “eager as five-year olds” training in their gardens ahead of the potential Premier League resumption (Daily Mirror)

Cristiano Ronaldo has left Madeira to return to Italy with his family after nearly two months on his native island (Daily Mirror)

Norwich boss Daniel Farke has insisted the Premier League cannot return if it risks a single life (Daily Mirror)

Arsenal have been dealt another blow in their pursuit of transfer target Nabil Fekir as the Real Betis star is only interested in leaving the club if an offer is tabled by Real Madrid or Barcelona (Daily Express)

Newcastle will have to pay Tottenham £12.5m if they want to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as manager this month due to a clause in his contract, but the Argentine will be able to sign for free in June (Daily Mail)

Kevin De Bruyne is set to open contract negotiations with Manchester City once the protracted season has been completed (Daily Mail)

Wembley is back on the agenda as a potential venue to complete the Premier League season (The Sun)

Tottenham face a further £10m cash blow as NFL chiefs have cancelled this year’s four “London Games” (The Sun)

Manchester United face a dilemma on whether to let Dean Henderson stay at top-four rivals Sheffield United – and potentially help deny them a £60m-plus Champions League slot (The Sun)

Manchester United have agreed to sign Joe Hugill from Sunderland but the £200k transfer is being held up as the teenager is banned from travelling for a medical due to lockdown restrictions (The Sun)

Aston Villa are poised to get the green light to recall England goalkeeper Tom Heaton for their fight against the drop (The Sun)

David Moyes has revealed he’d ask for Billy Gilmour in exchange for Declan Rice if Chelsea come knocking for his star man this summer (The Sun)

Aaron Ramsey admits he ditched Arsenal for Juventus to escape his “comfort zone” after 11 years without winning the title (The Sun)

Agents of Premier League players expect some clubs to launch campaigns to discourage them from returning under the terms of Project Restart (Daily Telegraph)

Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey has made it clear he would like to move to Arsenal and is hoping a deal can be struck between the clubs (Daily Telegraph)

Arsenal would be the Premier League club most financially affected by playing next season behind closed doors, according to research which reveals potential losses across the division of £878.2m (Daily Telegraph)

Agents fees are set to push towards a record-breaking £300m for Premier League transfers for last season, but the coronavirus pandemic is expected to halt clubs paying extravagant commission, while in the lower leagues there are fears middle-men will go out of business (Daily Telegraph)

Premier League clubs are at odds over whether or not supporters can be prevented from congregating or breaking coronavirus social distancing guidelines as part of the proposal to restart football at neutral grounds (Daily Telegraph)

Liverpool have told Timo Werner’s representatives they need more time to decide on whether to make a formal offer for the Germany international as they wait to see what impact coronavirus will have on the next transfer window (The Guardian)

Serie A side Lazio are set to pounce for Ianis Hagi if Rangers don’t take up their option on the loan star (Daily Record)

Plans to hold a historic summit of all top-flight clubs to effectively end the season were dramatically put on hold – in case the Scottish government makes the decision for them on Tuesday (Daily Record)

Peter Lovenkrands has emerged as a serious contender for the St Johnstone job (Daily Record)

Leigh Griffiths revealed he wants to stay at Celtic for the rest of his career (Scottish Sun)

Dave Cormack says crisis-torn clubs must “get our cake and eat it” by finding a way to cash in on closed-doors games (Scottish Sun)

 

The post Paper Talk: Double Chelsea deal takes big step closer to completion; Arsenal midfield target pleads for move appeared first on teamtalk.com.

Robert McCarthy