Hello and welcome to Sportskeeda's daily transfer news and rumours roundup for 17th March 2017. Today’s papers in Europe feature a number of deals that could materialise sooner rather than later and as always we bring you the best stories summarised in our roundup.
With March ending in two weeks, there are just two months left for the window to reopen and clubs have been working behind the scenes to get their targets. Let’s head straight in.
Pep Guardiola plans mass summer clear-out
According to The Guardian, Pep Guardiola is planning a massive summer clear-out with the aim of restructuring his squad from top to bottom. The English paper reports that the Catalan manager wants to get rid of around 18 players from his current squad including Gael Clichy, Yaya Toure, Pablo Zabaleta, Jesus Navas, Willy Caballero, Bacary Sagna and Tosin Adarabioyo, who are all reaching the end of their contracts.
City's players out on loan namely – Joe Hart, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony and Jason Denayer – are also set to be axed, while the speculation surrounding the futures of Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany, Aleksandar Kolarov, Fernando, Fabian Delph and Kelechi Iheanacho still exists.
Also read: Reports: Pep Guardiola planning summer swoop for Real Madrid's Keylor Navas
Manchester City’s recent elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Monaco is presumably the catalyst for Guardiola’s drastic action and City are looking to rebuild from scratch. Be careful with that axe, Pep.
Lukaku update – Manchester United chief Ed Woodward meets with the Belgian's agent
Reports coming in from The Sun and The Express, suggest that Manchester United chief Ed Woodward met with Romelu Lukaku’s agent Mino Raiola. The super agent Raiola was spotted leaving the United hotel before their training session for their Europa League game against FC Rostov last night.
It’s no secret that Jose Mourinho is looking to add quality to his ailing Manchester United squad after being dumped out of the FA Cup by Chelsea last weekend. More specifically, United have come up short up-front with only the 36-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic firing for the Red Devils.
Mourinho is looking at a long-term replacement for Ibrahimovic and Lukaku seems to be the man he wants. However, Everton will be looking at nothing less than £65 million for the 23-year-old striker who is the joint top scorer in the Premier League.
Bellerin and Verratti or Cancelo and Thiago Alcantara it is for Barcelona
Goal reports that Barcelona have made Paris Saint-Germain’s Marco Verratti and Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin their number one targets this summer. Bellerin is their number one priority after the club failed to find a world-class long-term successor of Dani Alves following his departure to Juventus last summer.
Verratti, meanwhile, has been a long-term target with the player himself saying he was in favour of a move to Spain. However, he is wanted by big clubs in England, Italy and Germany as well, therefore, the Catalans have identified their former youth product Thiago Alcantara as an alternative to the PSG midfielder.
In the same vein, the Catalan giants are also monitoring Valencia's Joao Cancelo as an alternative to the Arsenal full-back, Bellerin.
Antonio Conte will get money to spend on four new signings
According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has told Antonio Conte that he will be given money to spend this summer on new recruits as the club plan on strengthening their squad ahead of their impending return to the Champions League next season.
Real Madrid’s Isco and Alvaro Morata, PSG’s Marco Verratti, Everton’s Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku, Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman, Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci, Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson and Napoli’s Koulibaly have all been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in the summer.
Manager merry-go-round
According to numerous sources, the rumours of Massimiliano Allegri joining Arsenal are gaining momentum and Juventus are now planning to hire AS Roma’s Luciano Spalletti should Mad Max Allegri leave for London. Barcelona, meanwhile, have ruled out hiring Sevilla’s Jorge Sampaoli as their new coach next season. Meanwhile, PSG are plotting a raid for Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino.
