It was another busy day in English football yesterday, as we saw updates on Kieran Tierney and Jan Vertonghen, as well as news on Daniel Sturridge’s ban which will see him unable to partake in footballing activities until August 1st. But what big stories has today thrown up? It’s time to find out…
We had expected it to happen for a while, but it has finally been confirmed. West Bromwich Albion have officially announced that Venezuela striker Salomon Rondon has joined Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang for an undisclosed fee. The 29-year-old striker scored 28 goals in 120 appearances for the Baggies since joining in 2015 and spent last season on loan at Newcastle United, where he played under Rafa Benitez. The former Liverpool man will be his new manager in China.
When Tottenham joined the race for Saint-Etienne’s William Saliba, it looked as though the 18-year-old could snub Arsenal and join Mauricio Pochettino’s side. However, the Gunners finally seem to have got their man. It is being reported that an agreement has been reached between the Emirates outfit and the defender’s current club. Saliba will return on loan to Les Verts next season before joining up with his new team for the 2020/21 campaign.
Winning the Champions League with Tottenham last season would have been a huge achievement for Mauricio Pochettino that would have been hard to top. So much so, that the former Argentina player has said that he may have resigned as manager of the North London outfit had they beaten Liverpool in the final. The 47-year-old explained, “If the result had been different, maybe you can think it is a moment to step out of the club and give it a possibility for a real new chapter with a new coaching staff.”
Wolves already have a squad that is full of talent, but they are not looking to rest on their laurels ahead of their second season in the Premier League. It is being reported that the Molineux outfit are in talks with AC Milan to sign Patrick Cutrone. The Serie A team have recently been banned from playing in the Europa League next season due to a breach of FFP regulations which means that they need to sell to balance the books, and Nuno Espirito Santo’s side believe that a deal can be struck for the Italy international.
Bayern Munich have been targeting Manchester City’s Leroy Sané for a large part of the transfer window, but there does not seem to be much concrete information on a potential transfer as of yet. And now, Citizens manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that there have been no talks with the Bundesliga champions in regards to a potential deal for the Germany international. He added, “For a long time they talk about their interest but Leroy is our player and hopefully he can stay next season and next season and next season.”
Sheffield United have so far added four new faces to their squad as they prepare for their first Premier League campaign in 12 years. And they are now on the verge of adding a fifth. It is being reported (Sky Sports’ Transfer Blog, 19/07, 11.26) that Lys Mousset has completed a medical ahead of his move from Bournemouth to Bramall Lane. The Blades have agreed a fee with the Cherries for the 23-year-old forward.
Slaven Bilic had brought in just Filip Krovinovic during his reign as West Brom manager. But now, he can add a second name to his list of new arrivals. The Baggies have confirmed the signing of Kenneth Zohore from Cardiff City, who moves to the Hawthorns for an undisclosed fee. The 25-year-old has put pen to paper on a four-year contract with the Midlands outfit and will wear the number nine shirt for his new club.
Whilst it is important not to put too much emphasis on pre-season results, it is never good to lose a game of football. As such, Frank Lampard will undoubtedly be disappointed to have suffered his first defeat as Chelsea manager. The Blues were beaten 1-0 on Friday by Kawasaki Frontale in their third preparation game. Leandro Damiao scored the only goal in a clash that saw new boy Christian Pulisic make his first appearance for his new side since signing from Borussia Dortmund in January.
Romelu Lukaku has been heavily linked with a move to Inter Milan this summer, but there has been nothing confirmed as of yet. Antonio Conte has refused to deny that he is interested in the 26-year-old, however. When asked about the Belgium international, the former Italy manager said, ““Lukaku is a United player and this is the reality. You know very well that I like this player, but also in the past when I was Chelsea’s coach and I tried to bring him to Chelsea”. It remains to be seen whether Conte can get his man.
With so many players to assess ahead of the new season, Frank Lampard has some important decisions to make before the transfer window closes on August 8th. It appears that he has already made a call on one player, though. The former Derby County boss has confirmed that he wants centre-back Kurt Zouma to stay at Stamford Bridge this summer and believes that he will benefit the Blues’ squad in the next campaign.