Euro Paper Talk: Ratcliffe ‘in talks’ with teenage sensation as Man Utd hurtle towards €110m double deal; Eddie Howe sack talk sees Newcastle target LaLiga boss
Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra and Lille defender Leny Yoro are Man Utd targets
Manchester United want to replace Raphael Varane and Casemiro with a €110m-rated pair, Tottenham have suffered a major double transfer blow, while claims Eddie Howe will be sacked has seen Newcastle linked with a top LaLiga coach.
RATCLIFFE OPENS TALKS OVER €70M MAN UTD DEAL FOR LENY YORO
Manchester United are pushing forward with plans to sign Leny Yoro from Lille after reports in France claimed talks over his move were gathering serious pace.
The club’s new minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe will be given the final say on all the Red Devils’ transfer business – and the British billionaire is determined to leave no stone unturned in an effort to restore his beloved Manchester United to greatness.
As a result, a number of the club’s underperforming stars are reportedly set to be axed as Ratcliffe gets tough with Erik ten Hag’s squad.
Ratcliffe wants to bring in a much younger core of players, having criticised the club behind the scenes for overspending on ageing stars such as Casemiro and Raphael Varane.
And with the former Real Madrid pair among those big names ont the chopping block, Ratcliffe has reportedly stepped up talks with Lille over a deal for Yoro.
The 18-year-old has rapidly emerged as the best young defender in Ligue 1, having become a regular in Les Dogues’ side this season, where has made 21 appearances, scoring three goals.
The teenager central defender stands at 6ft 3in and has drawn favourable comparisons with Arsenal’s brilliant defender William Saliba for his ball-playing ability, tackling and reading of the game.
Per Le10 Sport, Lille have tried to scare off his suitors PSG and United by slapping a huge €90m (£77.6m) fee on his head.
And while the asking price has scared Paris Saint-Germain away, Ratcliffe is reportedly stepping up his pursuit and in the belief an offer worth €70m (£60.3m) will be enough to seal the deal.
While a January deal looks a tall order, United could well look to strike an agreement now that sees the move go through at the end of the season instead and it’s claimed Ratcliffe has now ‘formalised discussions’ and is looking to ‘speed up’ the defender’s signature as soon as possible.
Man Utd want Javi Guerra to replace Casemiro
The arrival of Yoro will clear Varane to depart Old Trafford with his departure likely to be given the green light, possibly even as soon as this month.
Meanwhile, Ratcliffe is also stepping up his plans to replace Casemiro after identifying Valencia’s Javi Guerra as his long-term successor.
The 20-year-old is regarded as one of LaLiga’s hottest prospects, having debuted for Los Che back in April 2023.
His progress saw the midfielder rewarded with a new deal, tying him to the Mestalla until summer 2027.
And while that arrangement contains a mammoth €100m release clause, United reportedly have a confidence that a deal can be done for significantly less.
To that end, Valencia need to balance their books and coach Ruben Baraja is well aware his side are vulnerable to the sale of their top stars. Now, according to reports in Spain, a deal worth up to €40m (£34.5m) could be enough to convince them to sell.
Like Yoro, that deal is slotted to go through in the summer rather than in the current January window.
But the €110m (£94.8m) double raid will give Ratcliffe two of the game’s elite young stars, with the saving made against Varane and Casemiro’s combined £540,000 a week wages helping finance both deals.
DON’T MISS ~ Ten Hag sack: Ratcliffe sounds out top Man Utd successor as British billionaire considers instant change
DOUBLE TRANSFER BLOW FOR TOTTENHAM
Nice have set a new €60m (£51.7m) asking price on Jean-Clair Todibo amid links to Manchester United and Tottenham. The French defender’s former club, Barcelona, would be due 20% – some €12m (£10.3m) of any sale. (Mundo Deportivo)
Spurs have suffered a further blow after Radu Dragusin’s agent revealed the Romania defender does not want to leave Genoa in January, amid interest from Ange Postecoglou’s side. (Sky Italia)
Manchester City, Arsenal and Bayern Munich could launch a summer 2024 move for Barcelona midfielder Pedri amid claims the Spanish giants are open to his sale amid fears over his injury record. (various)
Bayern Munich are abandoning their chase for Raphael Varane and are now actively exploring a deal to sign AC Milan’s former Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori. (Sky Deutschland)
Jadon Sancho can expect to finalise his move to Borussia Dortmund in the next few days – with the Bundesliga side set to pay just €3.5m (£3m) to sign him on loan for the remainder of the season. (Sky Deutschland)
Ligue 1 side Lyon are stepping up their hunt to sign Said Benrahma from West Ham and are readying a firm approach for the Algerian winger, who is also wanted by Wolves and Fulham. (Foot Mercato)
Gabriel Moscardo’s €20m move from Corinthians to PSG is on hold after medical tests revealed the 18-year-old has a foot injury. (Globo Esporte)
West Ham defender Thilo Kehrer is set to leave the London Stadium and sign for Monaco on loan with an option to make a permanent €11m (£9.5m) move in the summer. (Fabrizio Romano)
ARSENAL TO RAISE LIVERPOOL BID FOR GONCALO INACIO
Arsenal are standing by to better Liverpool’s opening €30m (£26m) offer for Goncalo Inacio by offering €40m (£34.4m) for the Sporting Lisbon defender. The capital club are preparing for his sale having agreed the signing of Rafael Pontelo. (Jornal de Noticias)
Kylian Mbappe insists he’s yet to reach a decision on his PSG future yet but could yet sign an extension despite strong interest in his services from both Liverpool and Real Madrid. (L’Equipe)
Wolves have made an offer to sign young attacking midfielder Noha Lemina – brother of current star Mario – from French giants Paris Saint-Germain. (various)
AC Milan are cooling their plans to sign Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran after seeing Luka Jovic go on a hot scoring streak of late. (Sky Italia)
Club Brugge winger or wing-back Tajon Buchanan has arrived in Milan to undergo a medical with Inter. The Nerazzurri are paying an initial €7m with €3m in add-ons for the Canadian star. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
Barcelona plan to have new Brazilian striker Vitor Roque registered in their squad and eligible to make his debut for their first game of 2024 – the clash with Las Palmas in LaLiga on Thursday evening. (Sport)
Roma sporting director Tiago Pinto will leave the capital club next month – five months before his deal expires – with former AC Milan director Frederic Massara among the favourites to replace the Portuguese. (Corriere dello Sport)
EDDIE HOWE SACK: NEWCASTLE EYE GIRONA COACH AS NEXT BOSS
Girona manager Michel Sanchez has emerged as a potential replacement for Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe amid claims their Saudi Arabian owners are considering sacking the 46-year-old Englishman following a run of eight defeats in nine games. (Marca)
Girona coach Michel is being linked with a move to Newcastle as a replacement for Eddie Howe
Wolves, Crystal Palace and Leeds are ready to make offers for Fenerbahce’s €10m-rated right-back Bright Osayi-Samuel. (Star Gazetesi)
Manchester City plan to send Claudio Echeverri on loan to sister club Girona over the 2024/25 season once they finalise the teenager’s signing from River Plate. (Sport)
Lecce are stepping up their negotiations with Feyenoord over a deal to sign Dutch international winger Javairo Dilrosun. (Sky Italia)
Borussia Dortmund are confident of winning the race to sign Ian Maatsen from Chelsea with a loan deal with an obligation to make permanent in the summer close to going through. (various)
Real Madrid are ready to rival Valencia and Villarreal for the signing of third-tier winger Jeremy de Leon of Castellon. (Marca)
Roma are pushing to beat Frosinone to the signing of Juventus defender Dean Huijsen. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
