Chelsea are set to let go a host of players this summer, including USMNT star Christian Pulisic, while other clubs are busy making plans for the future. The Sportzshala Insider’s Notebook has the latest version.
Jump to: Manchester United could sign Sabitzer permanently | Atlético targeting Thuram in the summer | Ansu Fati is back in full form
Pulisic involved in summer departure from Chelsea
Sources have told Sportzshala that Christian Pulisic will lead a summer purge at Chelsea as the Blues continue a radical overhaul of their squad.
Since Todd Boly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover of the club last May, Chelsea have signed 16 permanent contracts and signed two more players (Denis Zakaria and Joao Felix) for a total of over €600m, including in January Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez has signed a UK record €121m. Recruiting has resulted in a bloated squad that the Blues will look to cut at the earliest opportunity, with Pulisic one of several players expected to be available.
The US international was poised to leave Stamford Bridge in January – Manchester United and Newcastle United were among the clubs in talks – but a knee injury ended any chance of a move. Prior to the injury, Pulisic played 16 times in the Premier League but was included in the starting XI in only six games.
Pulisic’s current contract expires in June 2024 and there are currently no plans to offer an extension. Chelsea are expected to listen to offers for the 24-year-old and agree that they will face significant losses due to the €64m paid to Borussia Dortmund for the winger in 2019.
Hakim Ziyech is also likely to leave after a loan deadline at Paris Saint-Germain collapsed due to paperwork issues, while striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang faces a bleak future at the club after being expelled from Chelsea in the Champions League.
MLS LAFC are reportedly looking into a move for the 33-year-old, who could also attract summer interest from Spanish La Liga clubs following his successful spell at Barcelona last year.
Sources told Sportzshala that Mateo Kovacic, Kalidou Koulibaly and Callum Hudson-Odoi could also be available while they cut their losses on €115m striker Romelu Lukaku (who is currently on loan at Inter Milan), and there is uncertainty about N. “Golo Kante and Mason Mount as Chelsea are trying to get the pair to sign new contracts.
Head coach Graham Potter acknowledged that he has a daunting task ahead of him to ensure that every member of such a large team is fully employed in the coming weeks, especially since many of them already know that their future is likely to be somewhere else. — James Ollie.
Sabitzer could stay at Manchester United after loan
Sources have told Sportzshala that Manchester United are open to signing midfielder Marcel Sabitzer on a permanent basis this summer if he performs during his loan spell at Old Trafford.
Sabitzer joined United from Bayern Munich before the end of the season in a January deal that does not include a commitment or option to make the move permanent. Under the terms of the deal, Sabitzer will return to Bayern in the summer, but United have told the Austrian international that he still has a chance of securing a long-term deal.
Manager Erik ten Hag hopes the possibility of a permanent move to Old Trafford will serve as a boost for both Sabitzer and striker Wout Weghorst, who was loaned from Burnley in the January window, until the end of the season. .
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Sabitzer’s contract with Bayern runs until 2025, but he is expected to leave for good in the summer. The 28-year-old has fallen out of the pecking order at the Allianz Arena and Bayern are set to further bolster their midfield into the summer window with a free signing of Konrad Laimer from RB Leipzig. — Rob Dawson.
In the summer, Atlético set their sights on free agent Thuram
Borussia Mönchengladbach striker Markus Thuram is still on the transfer list for the summer but fears they will miss him due to competition from Premier League clubs and Bayern Munich, sources told Sportzshala.
Thuram, 25, became a free agent four months later and was linked with Atlético during the January transfer window when the club was looking for a striker to fill in the gaps left by the departures of Joao Felix and Matheus Cunha. However, Gladbach did not negotiate Thuram’s departure and instead Atlético signed Memphis Depay from Barcelona for €4 million.
Sources said Atlético plans to make a new move for Thuram in June when his contract expires, but are working on alternatives in case the French international ends up at another club.
Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias is one such option, although the 30-year-old’s contract expires in 2026, so the move could be complicated by Real Betis’ demand for a hefty transfer fee to allow him to leave.
Atlético are looking to move Felix permanently after his Chelsea loan ends on June 30, with Memphis arriving in January to complete the attack alongside Alvaro Morata and Angel Correa. Memphis decided to join Atlético after talking to former Barcelona teammate Antoine Griezmann, and the striker may have also played a key role in convincing his international teammate Thuram. — Rhodri Faez.
Barcelona midfielder Ansu Fati has returned to full fitness.
Barcelona’s internal fitness test results prove Ansu Fati is back in full shape, sources have confirmed to Sportzshala, but the winger will have to fight to prove himself and reclaim his place in the first XI.
Ansu, 20, burst onto the scene at the age of 16 in 2019, but his progress has been hampered by a series of lengthy injuries in recent years. He returned at the end of last season, but coach Javi Hernandez kept a close eye on his performance and he came off the bench 13 times in his 20 La Liga appearances this campaign.
A series of tests showed that Ansu is as fast, steady and in shape as he has ever been, however sources insist that he has again managed to avoid injury 100% this season, having made a total of 31 matches – 22 of them. who were off the bench – as he approaches a possible crossroads in his career.
Barça president Joan Laporta revealed on Thursday that he is aware of interest from other players including Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. deposited,” Laporta said.
Meanwhile, Xavi has urged patience over transfer reports but the lack of regular football could test Ansu’s resolve as he falls behind Robert Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele and Rafinha in the Camp Nou pecking order and the recent move to four midfielders is not in his favor. .
In his 31 appearances this season, he has scored six goals, although he hasn’t scored in La Liga since October and has a 10-game streak. However, he scored three goals in January, twice in the Copa del Rey and once in the Spanish Super Cup. — Sam Marsden and Moses Llorence.
Source: www.espn.com
