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Kai Havertz is on the verge of a move to Stamford Bridge
Bayer Leverkusen are refusing to give Chelsea a “corona discount” on Kai Havertz and are sticking to their €100m (£90m) asking price.
Havertz wants to move to Chelsea but he has an agreement with Leverkusen which means they will only let him go if their valuation is met.
1:47 Kai Havertz will move to Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen following the conclusion of the German club’s Europa League campaign, according to Kaveh Solhekol
Leverkusen are well within their rights to ask for £90m for a player who is widely regarded as being one of the best young forwards in the game, but he has only two years left on his contract and his price will drop if they do not sell him this summer.
The Bundesliga club don’t believe they are overvaluing Havertz even though asking prices in the transfer market are dropping because of the financial hit clubs are taking due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Leverkusen chief executive Fernando Carro says they will let Havertz go for the right price because he has told them he wants a new challenge.
The challenge for Chelsea is to structure a deal in a way which will be acceptable for Leverkusen.
Havertz is still only 20 and he will be worth even more than the £90m asking price in the future if he continues on his present upward trajectory.
Issa Diop in demand
West Ham need to sell players this summer and they would be willing to listen to offers of £45m for Issa Diop.
He was reported to be valued at £75m when Manchester United were linked with him last summer. At least two Premier League clubs want to sign him in this window.
Diop is thought to earn less than half what some of his team-mates do and a fresh start at a new club would bring a big increase on his £50,000 a week wages.
Issa Diop (centre) of West Ham could depart the London Stadium this summer if the Hammers’ valuation is met
Chelsea deal for Chilwell getting closer
It is no secret that Chelsea manager Frank Lampard wants to sign a new left-back and his No 1 target is Leicester and England defender Ben Chilwell.
Leicester showed last summer they will not let their players leave for anything less than top dollar when Manchester United had to pay £80m for Harry Maguire.
Leicester are under no pressure to sell because Chilwell is under contract until 2024, but the situation could change if he asks to leave.
Ben Chilwell has been a long-term target of Frank Lampard
Chelsea can offer Chilwell Champions League football and if he moves he would automatically become Lampard’s first choice left-back at Stamford Bridge.
We are told to look out for developments this week. If a move for Chilwell cannot be agreed then another target, Ajax’s Nicolas Tagliafico, is available for less than half the price.
Lampard is not convinced by the left-backs he currently has in his squad and Emerson Palmieri is set to move to Inter Milan after they finish their Europa League campaign.
Dortmund waiting for realistic Sancho offer
Jadon Sancho came on as a second-half substitute on Sunday, scoring and setting up three goals in Borussia Dortmund’s 11-2 win against Austria Vienna.
As far as Dortmund are concerned he is staying for at least one more season, but Manchester United remain in talks with the player’s representatives with the blessing of Dortmund.
0:24 Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho says he is enjoying working with the younger players at the club.
United have still not made an official offer for Sancho.
If they make a realistic offer – close to Dortmund’s €120m (£108m) asking price – it is thought that Sancho would be willing to tell Dortmund that he wants to leave.
Upamecano will make Bayern Munich even stronger next summer
As far as Arsenal supporters are concerned, Dayot Upamecano is the one who got away.
He has agreed to sign a contract extension at RB Leipzig, ending the hopes of the clubs who wanted to sign him.
Upamecano has been in outstanding form at the heart of Leipzig’s defence as they have reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and he was so good against Atletico Madrid on Thursday that people have started claiming he’s even better than Virgil van Dijk.
Dayot Upamecanno completes an above-average number of passes, frequently directed upfield – while he also ranked second in the Bundesliga for possessions won in the defensive third last season
Arsenal are one of many clubs who have been watching him but he has now signed a contract extension at Leipzig until 2023, although that is unlikely to get in the way of a move to Bayern Munich next summer.
If he carries on developing the way he has been, he will be a big star for France at the Euros next summer.
Dayot Upamecano recently signed a new deal with RB Leipzig
Napoli convinced Manchester City want Koulibaly
Even casual observers will have noticed on Saturday that Manchester City could do with signing another central defender this summer.
Lyon scored three times to knock them out of the Champions League and new signing Nathan Ake won’t be able to sort out City’s problems at the back on his own.
Kalidou Koulibaly has been linked with a move to Manchester City this summer
Napoli are willing to sell Kalidou Koulibaly this summer but he is 29 – although that hasn’t stopped the Italian club’s president Aurelio De Laurentiis valuing him at €80m (£72m).
Ake and Koulibaly would be an interesting blend of youth and experience at the heart of City’s defence but it remains to be seen whether City would be willing to pay that kind of money for a player who will have little resale value at the end of his contract.
Our colleagues at Sky Italy have excellent contacts at Napoli and they are confident that City want Koulibaly despite his age and pricetag.
Meanwhile Pep Guardiola confirmed last week that Eric Garcia wants to leave the club. Barcelona want him back and he is keen to return although you couldn’t blame him for having second thoughts if he watched them being taken apart by Bayern Munich on Friday in Lisbon.
Because Zlatan is worth it
No one could ever accuse Zlatan Ibrahimovic of undervaluing himself, and his legendary confidence in his own abilities is still unshakeable even at the ripe old age of 38.
Zlatan impressed during a six-month spell back at AC Milan last season, so much so that he wants to stay and he has gone on holiday and left it to his agent Mino Raiola to sort out the details.
Zlatan will turn 39 two days before the window closes but he is still expected to be the best-paid player at Milan next season.
Billionaire boys club
Premier League club owners are not just shopping for players this summer. Crystal Palace minority owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer are one of the three bidders for the New York Mets baseball team.
The Mets are valued at close to $2bn (£1.5bn), and Harris and Blitzer are up against two rivals bids, including one from former baseball star Alex Rodriguez and his partner Jennifer Lopez.
According to the Financial Times, the Mets are a loveable underperforming team with devoted fans.
Amiens want €18m for French striker
Serhou Guirassy turned down a move to a Premier League club in January because he wanted to wait for the right offer to come along.
The 24-year-old forward will be sold this summer and his representatives are working hard to get him a move after Amiens were relegated when the season ended early in France in April.
Rennes want to sign him and they can offer him Champions League football. They are also owned by Francois Pinault, one of the richest men in France.
Guirassy is valued at €18m (£16m) and he has ambitions of playing in the Premier League.
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