Transfer Talk: Chelsea close to £90m Havertz deal, may loan out Sarr

Published on: 31 August 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has made the transfer market uncertain -- and you can find out when the windows open and close here -- but here are the rumours floating around Europe's big leagues and beyond.

TOP STORY: Tottenham in talks with King

TalkSPORT believes Jose Mourinho is hoping to add more firepower to his attack at Tottenham by signing AFC Bournemouth striker Josh King.

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The north Londoners are looking for competition and back up for Harry Kane and despite having been linked with Callum Wilson in the past, Spurs are now turning their attentions to his Cherries strike partner King.

The Norwegian's agent is reported to have held talks with Spurs already. King has previously been linked with a move to Manchester United, but the Old Trafford side had a bid for £20m rejected in January and he stayed put, before Bournemouth were relegated at the end of the season.

King is currently training with the Norway national team and will have to quarantine when he returns to the U.K.

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08.31 BST: ICYMI - Lionel Messi has followed through on his threat and not turned up for the start of preseason as he continues to push for a move away from Barcelona.

The Barca players were due in for coronavirus tests on Sunday ahead of Monday's first training session since Ronald Koeman was appointed as coach. Messi was due at 10:15 a.m. CET but did not show up. Sources had told ESPN that Messi planned to skip Sunday's meeting.

Messi, 33, has been advised by his legal team that taking part in preseason for the 2020-21 campaign would compromise the claim that he was able leave for free at the end of 2019-20.

The Catalan club say the clause expired in June and any club that wants to sign Messi will have to pay his €700m release clause -- although reports in the local media now suggest that clause may not be active in the final year of his deal. His contract, signed in 2017, expires next summer.

Messi and Barca are now facing the possibility of a legal standoff over the clause as he continues to insist that he is free to quit the Camp Nou this summer.

08.00 BST: Manchester United have agreed on a fee with Ajax for midfielder Donny van de Beek, sources have told ESPN's Rob Dawson.

An agreement is in place for the 23-year-old to move to Old Trafford for around €45m.

United are set to discuss personal terms with Van de Beek before the Netherlands international undergoes a medical ahead of the transfer.

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Craig Burley outlines the importance of Man United bolstering their midfield with Donny van de Beek reportedly set to join.

PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd) Koulibaly close to City move

Despite being heavily linked with a move to PSG, La Gazzetta dello Sport believes Kalidou Koulibaly is close to signing for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

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The Senegal defender has been linked with every major European club in the last few transfer windows, but is reported to be keen to help facilitate a move to the Premier League.

The sticking point would appear to be the €70m transfer fee, which City believe to be too high.

Koulibaly is reportedly taking it upon himself to ask Napoli club officials to lower their price demands, though it is unclear whether they'll let him go at a reduced price.

Chelsea close in on Havertz

Bild are reporting that Chelsea are close to announcing the signing of Kai Havertz.

The German publication have stated that the attacking midfielder has been edging towards a move to west London for the last 48 hours, but that the moved has taken another step forward as a result of the 21-year-old not taking part in Bayer Leverkusen's performance tests over the weekend. And though he completed the club's coronavirus tests on Friday and Saturday, which he needed to do anyway in order to represent Germany, he could by revealed the Blues this week in a move believed to be in the region of £90m.

Havertz's Germany teammate Timo Werner has already moved to Stamford Bridge as Frank Lampard continues to rebuild his side this summer.

Werner has since been joined by Ben Chilwell from Leicester City, who cost £50m, while Thiago Silva from Paris Saint-Germain and French defender Malang Sarr arrived on free transfers.

Sarr could move to Leverkusen on loan in an effort to help Chelsea secure the signing of Havertz.

Tap-ins

- West Brom are close to signing Wigan and former Leicester City centre-back Cedric Kipre for £900k, who is reportedly turning down a move to Blackburn Rovers to play in the Premier League, according to the Daily Mail. Albion are also considering loan moves for Watford's Troy Deeney and Brighton & Hove Albion's Shane Duffy. Wigan, meanwhile, are desperate to raise funds after having been plunged into administration.

- Internazionale boss Antonio Conte is looking to celebrate his new extended deal as coach by landing N'Golo Kante from Chelsea, according to Football Italia. Conte is hoping to land the French World Cup winner for €55m as he looks to add experience to his Nerazzurri squad. Conte signed Kante while managing Chelsea from Leicester City in 2016 for €36m and now that Kante appears to have fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, he could be allowed to leave at the right price, particularly as the Blues look to continue their spending spree this week with the signing of Havertz.

Source: espn.co.uk

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