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Hello and welcome to the Premier League transfer news and rumours of the day! Here are the top stories of the day surrounding the Premiership!
Koulibaly update
Manchester United have been linked with Kalidou Koulibaly for a while now and it seems as though the stories of the Red Devils making an attempt to sign him might not be true after all.
This comes from journalist Ciro Venerato as he claims that the rumours of the Napoli man joining Manchester United are “bull****” while also adding that the Red Devils are speaking to Mino Raiola regarding the signature of Kostas Manolas.
“Kalidou Koulibaly at United for 150 million is bull****,” he told CalcioNapoli 24.
“In fact, they are talking to [Mino] Raiola for [AS Roma’s Kostas] Manolas who has a €36m termination clause.”
He then went on to state that while both Barcelona and Real Madrid are looking to sign a central defender, they don’t want to spend so much on the Senegalese. Napoli, meanwhile, are only willing to sell the player if any club puts forth an offer of over €140 million.
“Barcelona and Real Madrid are looking for a central defender, but neither club has the will to invest that money for Koulibaly.
“Napoli is serious, it starts to negotiate at 140 million, at 100 it does not sell him. Napoli does not need to sell the player.
“If Napoli really have to give away Koulibaly, they will ask for a monstrous figure.”
Venerato concluded by stating that he is an idol for the Neapolitans and that no club would spend that much money on him.
“Koulibaly remains in Naples, he is the idol of the fans and is happy with Ancelotti.
“In a year the clause will go off but Napoli is safe: in a year I doubt that someone will sign him for those figures (€150m).”
United should sell Pogba
Former Manchester United midfielder Jesper Olsen has claimed that the Old Trafford outfit should sell Paul Pogba if he wishes to leave. Olsen claimed that back in the days of Sir Alex Ferguson, a player was sold if he wished to leave.
Olsen thinks that the Frenchman doesn’t want to stay at the Theatre of Dreams and that is why the Red Devils should sell him and continue without his presence in the team.
However, Olsen also thinks that it would be good to see him stay due to his importance to the team.
"I think in the old days Ferguson was the same," Olsen said to Omnisport.
"If you don't want to play for the club then don't stay! And I think that's the case too with Pogba.
"Of course you would continue without him but it would be great to see him stay as well, because he is an important part of the team."
Emery wants Arsenal’s Van Dijk
Arsenal manager Unai Emery wants a star player to be signed and transform the club as Virgil Van Dijk did at Liverpool. Emery stated that he has a lot of respect for the work that the club have done in the past in terms of signing and developing players in the academy.
He added that he wants to improve his current batch of players and believes that Arsenal could improve by making signings in the summer window.
“In the past the club have done great work in watching players, finding and signing young players and developing our players in the academy.
“I have big respect for our work, for our players in the academy. I want to develop the players here - giving them progress to achieve something at a big club like we are.
“We can also achieve [buy] some players who are in other teams, who can come here and give us this performance - like Van Dijk with Liverpool."
Ndombele wanted by the Premier League
Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele seems to have a lot of suitors. He is having a great season in France and there seems to be no dearth of interest in him. According to reports, a plethora of Premier League teams are circling around the midfielder.
For starters, Chelsea have spoken to the player and want him to stay another season at Lyon before they sign him in the summer of 2020 as the Blues have a transfer ban for the next two windows.
Meanwhile, Liverpool and Manchester United have also contacted him. The former might only make a move if they sell one of their midfielders and the latter may have problems signing him because Ndombele wants to play in the Champions League and will only leave Lyon if he feels like it is a step-up in his career.
He is valued at €80 million but it could increase depending on the situation of Pogba.
