Today’s gossip is still on the beach
It seems the possibility of winning the Ballon d’Or is not the only thing the England captain Harry Kane has been talking about recently. Well, his representatives at least. It is thought the Bayern Munich striker’s team have been in talks with the Saudi Pro League’s Al-Hilal with Kane reportedly open to a future move.
However, it’s also understood the 33-year-old wants to remain at the German club with discussions beginning on his new contract in Munich. The Bundesliga transfer window closes on 31 August so if a move east were to happen it would have to be done quickly.
Al-Hilal are not in the market for only one England star though, they are bidding for two. Ollie Watkins is reported to have agreed personal terms with the club, though the Saudi club have not yet officially logged a transfer bid with the 30-year-old’s current club, Aston Villa. Reports differ as to whether Al-Hilal want to bring in only one striker or more, with some claiming the club have turned to Watkins after a deal with Kane did not come to fruition. But who knows? Maybe Watkins and Kane will fight for the starting shirt.
One player who won’t be starting for Manchester United in the upcoming season is Gavi who has turned down the chance to join the Premier League club. The Spain World Cup winner wants to remain at Barcelona.
United fans may be growing frustrated with the lack of star signings this window but concerns are not just about insufficient numbers of players coming through the doors; the Reds are also being raided. Napoli are said to be interested in the forward Joshua Zirkzee. The Netherlands player was largely competing from the bench last season for Michael Carrick’s side.
Napoli seem to have their fingers in any number of pies as they have also reached out to Chelsea about Nicolas Jackson as well as enquiring about Gabriel Jesus at Arsenal. If they were to sign Jesus though they would have to sell one of the forwards in their squad before welcoming the Brazilian star.
Staying in Serie A, Milan have rejected a bid from Coventry for Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The newly promoted Premier League club wanted to bring the 30-year-old midfielder back to the top flight for the first time since 2023 when he played for Chelsea but an £8.5m offer was turned down by the Italian side.
Circling back to the Premier League, Manchester City have lost one of their key players in Rodri, who signed for Barcelona on Tuesday, which has left Enzo Maresca scouring his transfer options in midfield. Among the names on the new manager’s list is Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton. The price tag for the England international is unclear, which could affect the move given City have already spent £116m on Elliot Anderson in this window.
Finally, Jack Grealish may have been spotted at Cardiff’s 1-1 draw against Wrexham in the Championship on Monday, which sparked rumours of a move to Wales for the 30-year-old but it seems more likely that the England international will remain in the Premier League. That assumption comes after news that Everton’s chief executive, Angus Kinnear, has interest in bringing the star back to Hill Dickinson Stadium after a loan deal last season. But Grealish could also remain at his current club, Manchester City.
