Welcome to today's transfer update. There haven't been many confirmed deals, but there is certainly an abundance of high-level rumors to discuss.
Raheem Sterling Could Become Boehly's First Signing
Chelsea could be on the verge of completing one of the best transfers of the window. Sterling wants to leave the Ethihad, as he searches for a guaranteed starting position, in the coming months before the World Cup. Although Sterling has always been an important part of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City machine, the "Pep Roulette" means that he has never been able to secure a starting position, especially over recent months.
Sterling has never had less than 20 goals+assists over his 7 seasons at the Ethihad, and there is no doubt that this impressive trend will continue if he were to join the Blues. The deal is suggested to be around $43m, which many consider a steal for a player who is still just 27 and has scored 162 goals in his career for Liverpool and Manchester City.
It is a bit of a surprise that City would be willing to let a player of his quality go to a major rival, but with Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez on the way, City clearly needs to offload some forward players.
Arsenal Continue to Push for Gabriel Jesus
As mentioned, Manchester City have 2 high profile attacking players on the way in, and much like Sterling, Jesus could be on the way out to a Premier League rival. Arsenal has been well established as being interested in Jesus, but now it appears as if they have stepped up that interest.
Jesus has at times been the odd man out at City. The club has frequently been maligned for the lack of a striker, which many believe has cost them in big moments, but there is no doubt that City managed to work around that hole in their team, securing another Premier League title this season. Jesus is a striker but has rarely been given a consistent opportunity in the team since Aguero's departure to Barcelona. He has appeared on the RW for City and has impressed there, but it is clear that his goal is to become the main number nine for a high-profile club, as we enter a World Cup season.
Tottenham is also rumored to be interested in the player, but with Eddie Nketiah signing his new contract yesterday, Arsenal will look to solidify the ST position, especially after Lacazette's departure.
Dortmund Looks to Sign Haller
Borussia Dortmund may be about to sign their Haaland replacement. Ajax's Haller has attracted a lot of attention this season, after scoring 11 goals in 8 UCL games. Although lacking the same pace and level of finishing that Haaland brings, hence his move to Manchester City, Haller has the physical qualities to become the focal point of a Dortmund team that is in desperate need of a strong core.
The German club has submitted a $34m + add-ons offer for Haller, and it is expected that a deal will be struck in the coming days. Haller will join German wonderkid Karim Adeyemi at Dortmund, as the club prepares for life without Haaland. Dortmund is also expected to sell Axel Witsel to Athletico Madrid.
Other Rumours and Deals
The Jurrien Timber deal is "dead in the water" per multiple accounts that Netherlands manager Louis Van Gaal has made it clear to Timber that if he is unable to start for Manchester United, it is unlikely that he will start at the World Cup in Qatar. May believe that Van Gaal has some sort of grudge against United after he was sacked after winning an FA Cup in 2016. We will have a piece in the coming days, running through United's main targets, and determining who we think would be best for the club.
Inter Milan is still in talks for the return of Romelu Lukaku. Chelsea is demanding a higher loan fee, but the deal is still on. Lukaku's return to Chelsea has been a total failure, with countless incidents plaguing his time at the club.
Inter is also reportedly on the verge of signing Roma's Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Andre Onana from Ajax. Onana will likely replace the aging Handanovic, whilst Mkhitaryan is a player who can fill in all over the attack.
Zinchenko is another player likely leaving City this summer, with Everton and Arsenal reportedly the two clubs in for him. The Ukrainian has always been the backup to Cancelo and City's other fullbacks, so a move elsewhere makes sense for all involved.
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