Manchester City and Chelsea Gear Up for Major Summer Transfers
As the summer transfer window approaches, the football world is abuzz with speculation and anticipation. Clubs are strategizing their moves, and fans are eagerly waiting to see how their favorite teams will shape up for the next season. Among the top stories, Manchester City and Chelsea are making headlines with their potential transfer targets and plans for a squad overhaul.
Manchester City, under the astute management of Pep Guardiola, is reportedly keeping a close eye on Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan. The Dutch midfielder has caught the attention of the Premier League giants as they prepare for a significant summer rebuild. Meanwhile, Chelsea is ready to make moves involving Mykhailo Mudryk and Christopher Nkunku, signaling a busy transfer period for the Blues.
For those who love to keep up with the latest transfer news, rumors, and gossip from around the globe, this is the time to stay tuned. The Transfers homepage is your go-to source for all the updates, including done deals and Men’s January grades.
Top Stories in the Transfer Market
- Victor Osimhen is eyeing a move to the Premier League or Juventus
- Real Betis CEO is ‘cautiously optimistic’ about signing Antony
- Inter Miami holds Kevin De Bruyne’s discovery rights
Trending Rumors
Manchester City is reportedly preparing a €60m offer to sign AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, according to Calciomercato. Despite Reijnders having a contract with the Rossoneri until 2030, the financial aspect could tempt the Serie A giants, and the player himself is reportedly keen on a Premier League move. City’s interest in Reijnders follows recent links to Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz. Additionally, Lyon’s Rayan Cherki is seen as a more affordable alternative to Wirtz, as reported by Football Transfers.
On the other hand, Chelsea is looking to offload both Mykhailo Mudryk and Christopher Nkunku this summer, according to The Sun. Mudryk, who has been provisionally suspended after failing a drugs test, has struggled to find form since his €70m move in 2023. Nkunku, meanwhile, is attracting interest from Manchester United and PSG, but Chelsea may find it challenging to recoup the €60m they spent on the French forward from RB Leipzig.
Bayern Munich has reportedly moved ahead of Real Madrid and Liverpool in the race to sign Bournemouth’s breakout star, Dean Huijsen, according to TEAMtalk. The 19-year-old center-back has been a standout performer in the Premier League this season, and Bayern’s head coach, Vincent Kompany, is keen to secure his signature. Bournemouth is seeking a fee of at least £50m, having signed Huijsen from Juventus for £12m last summer.
In other news, Tottenham Hotspur is reportedly plotting a move for AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori, as reported by TEAMtalk. With injuries to key defenders exposing a lack of depth in Ange Postecoglou’s defense, Tomori could be a crucial addition to the squad.
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is back in the spotlight after his doping ban was reduced from four years to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Pogba, now 32, is free to play again and has received “offers from all over,” as he told GQ. He is prioritizing a return to one of Europe’s major leagues.
Expert Take
ESPN’s resident scout Tor-Kristian Karlsen looks at why Man City could make a move for Tijjani Reijnders.
Reijnders arrived at Milan for a fee of €20.5m in the summer of 2023 and though the initial idea may have been to deploy him as a defensive midfielder, he has blossomed as something akin to a traditional box-to-box No. 8. Indeed, he has made a significant attacking impact this season, scoring 12 goals in all competitions.
In addition to his mobility, smart off-the-ball movement and dribbling, Reijnders excels at picking out passes from deep — often filtering the ball through two defensive lines to find a teammate (1.6 key passes per 90 is high for a No. 8). His goal-scoring antics also suggest that he times his attacking runs to perfection and he is often found slotting the ball into the net from just inside the penalty area with a one-touch finish. Though he is also able to shoot from distance, too.
Another interesting aspect of Reijnders’ game is his speed, which is unusual for a central midfielder. Not only does he accelerate quickly, his size and easy running style allow him to break free of his markers and evade pressure unlike many others.
With licence to move forward this season, his defensive output has dropped, so to get the most out of his attacking potential, he is best suited playing alongside a more defensive-minded central midfielder.
Other Rumors
Despite the upcoming arrival of Estevao from Palmeiras this summer, Chelsea is looking for another winger and has Jamie Gittens (Borussia Dortmund), Nico Williams (Athletic Club), and Mathys Tel (Bayern, on loan at Tottenham) on their radar, according to the Irish Sun.
Manchester City could make an €80m move for Barcelona winger Raphinha, who has 27 goals and 20 assists from 44 matches this season, as reported by El Nacional.
Manchester United wants at least €15m from clubs interested in signing 33-year-old midfielder Casemiro, who signed from Real Madrid for €70m in 2022, according to Ekrem Konur.
Tottenham could make a triple swoop on Wolves as they look to land midfield pair Joao Gomes and Andre, as well as left-back Rayan Ait Nouri, in the summer, according to TBR.
Atlético Madrid has made an inquiry about signing Espanyol winger Javi Puado, with the 25-year-old’s contract coming to an end this summer. Espanyol is trying to renew Puado’s contract, while Sevilla is also interested in signing him, as reported by Relevo.
Atlético is also interested in making Clément Lenglet’s loan from Barcelona permanent, but the two clubs are struggling to agree on how much the center-back’s transfer is worth. Los Colchoneros want the 29-year-old for almost nothing, while Barça is demanding €10m, according to Sport.
The impressive performances of Union Berlin center-back Diogo Leite have resulted in growing interest from other Bundesliga clubs, plus those from Spain and Italy, but Union wants to renew the 26-year-old’s contract with his deal set to expire in 2026, as reported by Rudy Galetti.
Juventus is looking at signing Pierre Kalulu from Milan for around €14m, after moving on from previous target David Hancko of Feyenoord, according to TuttoJuve.
Originally Written by: Danny Lewis
