Cliff Notes – Transfer rumors news Liverpool eye Kubo as Salah replacement
- Manchester United are reportedly prioritising Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, with discussions already taking place regarding a potential £40 million transfer if Ipswich are relegated.
- Liverpool are considering Real Sociedad forward Takefusa Kubo as a potential replacement for Mohamed Salah, who may leave for the Saudi Pro League when his contract expires this summer.
Transfer rumors, news: Liverpool eye Kubo as Salah replacement
Manchester United are favorites to sign Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, while Liverpool will look to sign Real Sociedad forward Takefusa Kubo this summer if Mohamed Salah leaves. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors, and gossip from around the globe.
TOP STORIES
– Enzo Maresca coy on Jadon Sancho future at Chelsea
– Barcelona wrong to register Dani Olmo, Pau Víctor – LaLiga
– Amorim: I won’t get much time to fix Man United woes
– Tottenham’s Postecoglou: I hope Mauricio Pochettino returns
– Liverpool will look to sign Real Sociedad forward Takefusa Kubo this summer if Mohamed Salah leaves, says TEAMtalk. Kubo, 23, has seven goals and four assists this season and the Japan international has caught the eye with his performances, especially in Tuesday’s 5-4 Copa del Rey defeat to Real Madrid on aggregate. Salah, 32, has the world on tenterhooks over his future, but the Telegraph claims he is ready to join the Saudi Pro League once his contract expires in the summer.
– Manchester United are ready to step up their pursuit of Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, reports the Daily Mail. Discussions are reported to have been held by the Old Trafford hierarchy regarding an approach for the 22-year-old, who is also said to be on the radar of Liverpool, Chelsea, and Newcastle United. A clause in Delap’s contract at Portman Road allows clubs to sign him for £40 million if the Tractor Boys, currently 12 points from safety, are relegated from the Premier League this season.
– An agreement over a new contract is close to being reached between Liverpool and forward Mohamed Salah, reports Foot Mercato. It is said that the 32-year-old is now “very close” to penning a new two-year extension at Anfield following positive talks, with the Reds willing to meet his request over a salary. Negotiations with centre-back Virgil van Dijk are also believed to be in “full swing” as the Premier League club look to keep hold of two of their stars in the final two months of their contract, while there is less optimism regarding the future of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.
– A move for Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Cristian Romero is being considered by Atlético Madrid, according to AS. The 26-year-old is reported to be high up on the LaLiga side’s shortlist, and it is said that he is keen on the idea of a switch to Spain’s capital city. It is expected that Spurs will hold firm with no interest in parting ways with him, while he also has over two years remaining on his contract. Romero has made 14 Premier League appearances this season.
– Juventus are lining up an approach for Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. It is reported that discussions are ongoing between Bianconeri hierarchy over plans to land the 24-year-old Italy international, with the belief that an offer worth €70m could be required to persuade the Magpies to part ways with him. Tonali is seen as the Serie A club’s top priority in the next transfer window, and they are also open to including midfielder Douglas Luiz, 26, as part of a player exchange deal.
CONFIRMED TRANSFERS
– Sunderland winger Tommy Watson, 18, will sign a four-year contract with Brighton on July 1 in a deal worth around £11m.
– Iranian side Sepahan have signed 34-year-old striker Wissam Ben Yedder on a free transfer. Ben Yedder received a suspended sentence of two years in prison in November after sexually assaulting a woman and had been without a club since leaving Monaco in July 2024.
EXPERT TAKE
ESPN’s Sam Tighe explores why clubs want Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap.
The step from the Championship up to the Premier League has seemingly proven too much for much of Ipswich Town’s squad, but Liam Delap has taken to this level with ease.
Despite playing for a team that has understandably struggled to furnish him with consistent chances — his 2.32 shots per 90 minutes ranks 39th in the division — he’s made the most of what he’s been given, scoring 10 goals and overperforming his xG by 1.8.
That he can do a lot with a little in front of goal is probably a good signal for Manchester United, whose lack of creativity or rhythm regularly leaves the forwards short of service. For context, Joshua Zirkzee (1.8 shots per 90 mins) and Rasmus Højlund (1.26 shots per 90 mins) make do with even less.
There’s also a bruising physicality to Delap — an ability to trample over defenders and nudge them off centre — that has led to him playing an important part in how Ipswich move the ball forward. From this perspective, his style looks a bit like that of Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyökeres, whose style Rúben Amorim knows extremely well.
At 22, Delap is the right age profile for a United team clearly rebuilding, but when a guy playing for a relegation candidate is linked to a team which aspires to play possession-dominant football, you must ask if he can make the tactical transition required.
OTHER RUMORS
Why loan signings Rashford and Asensio has worked out for Villa
Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens discuss the success of Aston Villa’s loan signings Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio this season.
– Two Premier League clubs are interested in Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze. Both Manchester United and Tottenham are reported to be keen on the 26-year-old and it is believed that an offer worth £60m would be required to land him. (TEAMtalk)
– Liverpool, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest are looking to sign Royale Union Saint-Gilloise forward Mohamed Amoura, who is on loan at VfL Wolfsburg, and could make a move at around €35m. (L’Equipe)
– Manchester City have spent £30.6m … on legal fees to fight the 115 charges brought by the Premier League for allegedly breaching financial rules. (Sun)
– City could lose midfielder Bernardo Silva, 30, this summer as he has wanted to leave the club for some time. (Football Insider)
– Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, 22, is on Newcastle’s radar ahead of the summer. (Sky Sports)
– The Carabao Cup winners are also planning a move to sign Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott, who has found game time hard to come by. (TEAMtalk)
– Roma defender Evan Ndicka has Arsenal, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest on his trail and his transfer would cost around €40m. (Caught Offside)
– Crystal Palace could let striker Jean-Philippe Mateta leave for Man United, then look to replace him with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike. (TEAMtalk)
– Lille winger Edon Zhegrova won’t sign a new contract, so Barcelona are interested in doing a €30m deal this summer. (Sport)
– Saudi side Al Hilal are reluctant to let coach Jorge Jesus leave before his contract expires after this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup. But he is considered one of the top candidates to take over Brazil’s national team. (Record)
– Arsenal have made Real Sociedad midfielder Martín Zubimendi their No. 1 priority. (Fabrizio Romano)
– Barcelona and Bayern Munich have cooled their interest in Lille striker Jonathan David. (Sport)
– Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher is on the radar of Leeds United, with the Championship club keen to reinforce their options between the posts if they secure promotion to the Premier League next season. (TEAMtalk)
– Scouts from Barcelona are watching Independiente del Valle and Ecuador youth international Justin Lerma at the Under-17 South American Championship. (Sport)
– A loan deal is close to being completed by San Diego FC for FC Nordsjaelland forward Milan Iloski. The 25-year-old previously enjoyed a spell with Orange County in the USL Championship. (Tom Bogert)
– Everton are considering a £30m move for Liverpool winger Ben Doak, who has been a standout performer while on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship this season. (Football Insider)
– Manchester United are monitoring the situation of Bournemouth winger Justin Kluivert as a potential reinforcement in the summer. (Ekrem Konur)
– Arsenal remain keen on the signature of Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha. (Football Insider)
– Multiple Premier League clubs, including Liverpool, Arsenal, and Nottingham Forest, are tracking Wolfsburg forward Mohamed Amoura, who has impressed while on loan in the Bundesliga from Union Saint-Gilloise. (L’Equipe)
– AC Milan are keen on Torino midfielder Samuele Ricci, but there is currently a €10m distance in valuation, with his club looking for €40m before agreeing to part ways with him. (Calciomercato)
