Transfer Gossip: Newcastle stunned as Man Utd burst into race for prime Eddie Howe target; Chelsea star urges Blues to sign world-renowned forward
Harvey Barnes chases Kieran Tierney during Leicester vs Arsenal
Newcastle United could miss out on one of their main targets after Manchester United surprisingly joined the hunt for him, a Chelsea star has publicly expressed his desire to unite with a high-quality attacker at Stamford Bridge, while Wednesday’s Transfer Gossip reveals Bournemouth have beaten Everton to the capture of a Ligue 1 ace.
NEWCASTLE, MAN UTD AND WEST HAM TO BATTLE FOR STAR
Newcastle and West Ham will now have to fend off Erik ten Hag’s Man Utd if they want to land Harvey Barnes from Leicester City, according to a report.
Barnes is likely to follow James Maddison out of the King Power following Leicester’s relegation to the Championship last term. Maddison, of course, has already joined Tottenham in a £40million deal.
Barnes emerged as an early target for West Ham after they agreed to sell Declan Rice to Arsenal in a huge £105m transfer. Those funds would easily allow West Ham to meet Leicester’s asking price for the wide man. Leicester have previously demanded as much as £60m, but Barnes could now leave for less than Maddison due to the Foxes being in the second tier.
On July 6, it emerged that Newcastle had breezed past West Ham to put themselves at the front of the queue for Barnes. And Eddie Howe – who has decided on the 25-year-old as his main winger target – was given a boost on Sunday as Football Insider revealed Barnes to be ‘keen’ on a Newcastle move.
Newcastle are resultantly planning a cut-price £25m bid to try and tempt Leicester into a sale. But the signing is not complete yet and this has allowed Man Utd to get involved.
As per the Daily Mail, Man Utd ‘like’ Barnes as well and this could see them enter the bidding for him.
A new goalkeeper and striker remain the priorities for Ten Hag, but if he has enough money left in the bank, then he will demand Man Utd go after Barnes as well.
Barnes, who has won one cap for the England national team, could arrive at Old Trafford to replace current winger Jadon Sancho. CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs recently confirmed that Tottenham had ‘enquired’ about signing Sancho. He has also been linked with Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa.
Barnes to Man Utd rumour comes after brilliant season
While it would come as a bit of surprise if Man Utd signed Barnes, it makes sense that they have become interested in him this summer. After all, his confidence will be sky high following a great season in which he netted 13 goals in 34 Premier League appearances.
And Leicester know Barnes does not want to be competing in the Championship at this stage of his career, which is why they may have to accept a reduced offer for him.
It must be noted that, up to this point, Newcastle have done the most groundwork in the chase for Barnes and can therefore be considered frontrunners. However, Man Utd are lurking and may soon emerge as a big threat for the Magpies.
ENZO FERNANDEZ GIVES CHELSEA NEW OBJECTIVE
Chelsea’s record signing, £107m midfielder Enzo Fernandez, has revealed his desire to link up with Argentina team-mate Paulo Dybala in west London.
Fernandez and Dybala became World Cup winners in December last year when Argentina beat France in an enthralling final in Qatar. And reports have recently talked up the possibility of Dybala reuniting with Fernandez at Chelsea.
On July 5, it emerged that Mauricio Pochettino had put the 29-year-old on his Chelsea shortlist. Dybala would be a great replacement for Kai Havertz, who has gone to Arsenal in a £65m deal.
Italian source Sport Mediaset then labelled Chelsea’s interest in Dybala as ‘genuine’. The Blues believe he could be a bargain signing as he has a release clause in his Roma deal which is worth just €12m (£10.2m).
But Man Utd and Tottenham soon emerged as rivals for the great-value capture.
Fernandez has now attempted to help Chelsea win the race for Dybala by publicly speaking about a potential move. During an interview with ESPN Argentina (via Fabrizio Romano), he said: “I’ve sent [a] text message to Paulo Dybala telling him to come to Chelsea.
“I hope he comes and joins us. Let’s see what happens.”
If Chelsea are to sign Dybala, then Pochettino will have to convince him on the project and the club will have to draw up a serious wage offer. This is because Dybala has repeatedly signalled his desire to remain at Roma. And the Serie A outfit have qualified for next season’s Europa League, whereas Chelsea will not be competing in any European competition next term.
If Chelsea miss out on Dybala this year, then they could go after him again in summer 2024. His Roma deal runs until 2025, so if he reveals he does not want to extend it then Chelsea will still be able to get him for a low fee.
And this would also give Pochettino a season to get Chelsea back into Europe, something Dybala demands of every club that now becomes interested in him.
EVERTON MISS OUT AS BOURNEMOUTH REACH ‘DONE DEAL’
Bournemouth have reached a full agreement to snare Lyon midfielder Romain Faivre on a permanent deal, according to a trusted source.
Faivre is a former France U21 international who can play in a variety of positions, including out wide on either flank or in central midfield.
After the 24-year-old impressed while on loan at Lorient last season, Everton, Crystal Palace and Fulham all began chasing him.
But those three Premier League teams have missed out. Writing on Twitter, Fabrizio Romano has revealed Faivre will sign for Bournemouth next.
He describes it as a ‘done deal’ as Bournemouth have agreed to pay Lyon a total package of €15m (£12.7m) with no add-ons included.
Faivre will undergo his Bournemouth medical on Wednesday (today) before being announced as the Cherries’ second summer arrival. They have already completed a permanent deal for loanee Hamed Traore.
Faivre will not play in a Bournemouth shirt next season though as he will spend the campaign picking up more experience with Lorient. Bournemouth chiefs hope he will then be ready for a top Premier League season in 2024-25.
Romano adds that Bournemouth scouts were ‘very impressed’ by Faivre, which is why the south coast outfit made the move. Plus, they managed to agree on his second Lorient loan thanks to an ‘excellent relationship’ with the French side.
