Rumour Has It: Juventus close to winning race for De Ligt
We round up the front and back pages across Europe as Sunday sees the transfer rumour mill crank into gear again.
Published : Jun 23, 2019 15:59 IST
The transfer saga that is Matthijs de Ligt could be coming to an end.
Linked with Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Manchester United and Juventus, the in-demand Ajax captain is reportedly set to pick Turin as his next destination.
With Juve's ageing defence, De Ligt is seen as the perfect signing.
TOP STORY – JUVE CLOSING IN ON DE LIGT
Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Manchester United or Juventus?
According to Tuttosport and Corriere dello Sport , Serie A champion Juve is increasingly likely to sign De Ligt.
After PSG was reportedly poised to sign the 19-year-old defender, Juve is now seen as the favourite to finalise a €70million deal with Ajax and a contract worth €12m per season.
ROUND-UP
- Manchester United is under pressure from Adidas to keep Paul Pogba , the Daily Mirror says. If the Red Devils do cash in on the reported Real Madrid and Juventus target, its kit manufacturers want him replaced with an equivalent star. According to The Sun, however, Pogba's United team-mates believe he should leave.
READ: Solskjaer wants to sell Pogba to raise funds
- Manchester City star Leroy Sane will snub a move to Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich , according to The Sun.
Sane shuts down questions about Bayern Munich speculation
- Sami Khedira is out at Juventus following Maurizio Sarri's arrival, according to Calciomercato. The Germany international was plagued by injuries last season as Juve clinched an eighth successive Scudetto.
- According to the Glasgow Evening Times , Celtic is resigned to losing star full-back Kieran Tierney after Arsenal reportedly had a bid rejected by the Scottish champions.
- Rafael Benitez will leave Newcastle United when his contract expires on June 30, according to the Daily Mail. The Spaniard, who is believed to be unhappy with the terms put forward by the club, reportedly has an offer from Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang , the home of Napoli great Marek Hamsik.
- Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen is considering a move to Manchester United or Juventus as a dream switch to Real Madrid fades, according to the Mirror.
- France Football reports Lille star Nicolas Pepe is Atletico Madrid's top transfer target. Inter has also reportedly improved its offer to almost €60m as it still tries to negotiate a deal with Manchester United for Romelu Lukaku .