Yesterday saw some big moves, with Kieran Trippier completing his switch to Atletico Madrid, Sebastien Haller signing for West Ham and Steve Bruce being appointed as Newcastle’s new manager. But what has happened in the world of football today? Find out Thursday’s biggest stories with your one-stop shop for football news…
After his performances both for Ajax and the Netherlands during the last campaign, it was always going to be difficult for the Eredivisie outfit to keep hold of Matthijs De Ligt this summer – especially with the names who were linked to him, which included Manchester United and Barcelona. However, it is Juventus who have clinched the 19-year-old. The Old Lady have paid £67.5m for the centre-back, who has signed a five-year contract with the club. It is another big name capture for the Serie A side, who have already added Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot to their ranks.
France U21 midfielder Christopher Nkunku had previously been in talks with Arsenal, but he will not be moving to the Emirates this summer. That is because he has joined RB Leipzig on a five-year contract from Ligue 1’s Paris-Saint Germain. The deal is reportedly worth £14m. The 21-year-old made 29 appearances for Thomas Tuchel’s team last season, but with the competition for a place in the starting line-up being so fierce at the Parc des Princes, the switch looks like a wise decision from the youngster.
There have been persistent rumours about Harry Maguire’s potential switch to Manchester United, and the latest news is that the Leicester City defender would be “honoured” to play for the Red Devils and would like to emulate United legend Rio Ferdinand. The England international is growing increasingly frustrated by the Foxes’ stance, with the King Power Stadium outfit not wanting to sell. It had previously been reported that the two clubs had agreed a fee for the 26-year-old, but there has been little news on that front since.
Daniel Sturridge is currently without a club having left Liverpool at the start of the month, and he now won’t be able to play until August 1st. That is because he has been banned until the end of July for breaching the sport’s betting rules. The 29-year-old was found guilty by an FA commission on two charges. Firstly, that he had told his brother Leon to bet on a possible move to Sevilla, and that he had given him inside information. Another nine charges were dismissed. The former Chelsea and Manchester City striker will also have to pay a £75,000 fine.
With just one year left on his contract, Tottenham fans would have been forgiven for fearing the potential exit of Jan Vertonghen this summer. However, the Belgium international himself has poured cold water on and speculation of a move away this summer. “I love being here. I feel great with the manager, he’s been supporting me and making me a better player,” said the former Ajax man. “I’ve got everything I want. It’s the best club to play for at the moment”. However, he did not confirm or deny that he would sign a new contract, explaining, “I’ve got a year left, I will have to see what happens.”
It’s clearly a busy time to work for Atletico Madrid. Los Rojiblancos already completed the signing of Kieran Trippier yesterday, and now they have announced the capture of Mario Hermoso. The defender joins from fellow La Liga outfit Espanyol. The 24-year-old has signed a five-year deal with the Wanda Metropolitano outfit after two seasons with his former club. Hermoso is the 10th player to join Diego Simeone’s side this summer.
Tottenham have already broken their transfer record once this summer with the signing of Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon, and it seems they may be about to do it again. It is being reported that Spurs are about to step up their attempts to sign Giovani Lo Celso. The Argentina international is rated at £70m by current club Real Betis. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder scored nine goals for the Seville-based club last season and provided seven assists.
Chelsea’s two-window transfer ban is stopping them from bringing any new players in, but it isn’t preventing anybody leaving the club. The biggest loss this summer has of course been Eden Hazard, who joined Real Madrid, and now another Blue has departed. The Stamford Bridge outfit have confirmed that Daishawn Redan has joined Hertha Berlin on a long-term contract. “I’m happy that the transfer to Hertha BSC has now gone through. I can’t wait to get underway,” said the 18-year-old of the switch to Hertha’s official website.
Kieran Tierney has been subject of intense interest from Arsenal this summer, with Celtic having rejected a bid of £25m last week. The Gunners were believed to be making another offer for the 22-year-old, but Bhoys manager Neil Lennon has confirmed that the Scottish Premier League champions have received no further approach from last season’s Europa League finalists. There is still time for Unai Emery and co to make their move, of course, but their transfer budget will make them unwilling to spend too much.
Salomon Rondon impressed in the Premier League last season as he scored 11 goals for Newcastle. He is clearly a popular figure with Rafa Benitez, who was the Toon’s manager last season and joined Chinese Super League club Dalian Yifang earlier this month. And the former Liverpool boss will soon make the Venezuela international one of his first signings at his new team. It is being reported (Sky Sports Transfer Blog, 18/07, 16.15) that the West Brom striker has completed a medical in China. As such, a move should be soon completed.