Transfer Gossip: £50m bid to be accepted as Liverpool get greenlight to sign Prem ace; Aston Villa, Leeds target books medical
Liverpool have been given the greenlight to complete a £50m transfer for a proven Premier League midfielder, while an Aston Villa and Leeds Utd target will undergo a medical and Arsenal are chasing a French right-back – all in Sunday’s Transfer Gossip.
LIVERPOOL CAN SECURE MIDFIELD SIGNING NO.2
Jurgen Klopp can follow up his anticipated move for Alexis Mac Allister with another midfield signing from within the Premier League after receiving the greenlight to complete a £50m coup, per a report.
Midfield is where the action will come in the transfer market at Anfield this summer. With Arthur Melo, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all leaving, an overhaul is required.
Brighton’s Mac Allister looks set to be the first of many new faces through the door. According to Football Insider, classy Wolves star, Ruben Neves, could be the second.
Indeed, FI report Liverpool are showing ‘strong interest’ in the Portugal international who is out of contract in the summer of 2024.
Neves has ‘made up his mind to quit’ playing for Wolves this summer and as such, the club must cash in while they can or run the risk of losing their most valuable asset for nothing 12 months later.
Liverpool have ‘asked to be kept informed’ of any developments on Neves’ future. He’s a known target for Barcelona, though they’re likely to try and wait a year so they can sign Neves as a free agent.
Liverpool can therefore jump the queue and pluck the 26-year-old next month. If they do, it’s claimed Wolves will accept a sale if their valuation of £50m is met.
Neves would represent a proven Premier League option having been the veteran of five EPL campaigns at Molineux.
His technical ability would help Klopp’s side control the tempo in matches and Neves has also shown an eye for spectacular goals. Indeed, many of his 21 top flight strikes have come from outside the area.
FI add the 39-cap Portugal international has already said his goodbyes at Molineux and fully expects to depart this summer.
Liverpool reportedly enquired into a move in January, though Wolves refused to sell mid-season while in a relegation scrap.
However, if the Reds stump up the full £50m valuation, it now appears they’ll receive a different answer.
MEDICAL BOOKED FOR LEEDS UTD, ASTON VILLA TARGET
A potent central midfielder wanted by both Leeds Utd and Aston Villa will undergo a medical after choosing his next club, per a trusted source.
Fabrizio Romano previously confirmed Toulouse star, Branco van den Boomen, will leave the Ligue 1 side as a free agent this summer.
The 27-year-old Dutchman has bagged six goals and an eye-catching 13 assists across all competitions for Toulouse this season. However, that impressive campaign is set to be his last with Toulouse.
Romano claimed a laundry list of clubs that included Leeds Utd and Aston Villa were spying a move. Others in the mix from further afield included Marseille, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord, Galatasaray, Sevilla and Wolfsburg.
Now, Romano has revealed which of those sides are set to win the race, tweeting it’s Ajax where Van den Boomen will soon undergo a medical.
The trusted transfer guru tweeted a medical in Amsterdam has been booked in for next week (week commencing Monday, May 29).
Van den Boomen reportedly “picked Ajax project over 4-5 [other] proposals”. While not naming names, there’s a decent chance the Dutchman received an offer to join Villa or Leeds.
Alas, it’s a return to his native Netherlands that is now on the cards for Van den Boomen.
ARSENAL PUSHING FOR FRENCH DEFENDER
Elsewhere, Arsenal are in the mix for £20m-rated Galatasaray right-back, Sacha Boey, and the player is ‘open’ to the move, per a report.
A lack of adequate defensive depth cost Arsenal dearly down the stretch. Rob Holding was tasked with deputising for the injured William Saliba and try as he might, did not make the grade.
Ben White could ordinarily have reverted to centre-half, though was required to continue at right-back due to Takehiro Tomiyasu’s knee injury.
Now, the Telegraph state that in lieu of Tomiyasu potentially being ruled out for the start of next season too, a new defensive addition is wanted.
Galatasaray’s 22-year-old Sacha Boey is the player in their sights and the Turkish giant will demand £20m before giving the greenlight.
From the player’s perspective it’s claimed the right-back ‘is understood to be open to the idea of moving to England’.
Another, more high profile option on Arsenal’s radar is Joao Cancelo of Man City. However, it’s believed City will be reluctant to sell such a proven player to the team who ran them the closest in the league this season.
