Hello and welcome to the Premier League transfer news and rumours of the day! Here are the top stories of the day surrounding the Premier League!
Sheringham on who Manchester United should sign
Former Manchester United forward Teddy Sheringham has advised the Red Devils to sign a center-back in the mould of Vincent Kompany or former Arsenal star Tony Adams.
The Old Trafford outfit have been wanting to sign a defender for a while now and this might be the summer they finally get one. And according to Sheringham, Harry Maguire is the one for the Theatre of Dreams.
“Central defence is a big area where they need to find a Vincent Kompany or Tony Adams-type player,” former United striker Sheringham told The Mirror.
“I think Harry Maguire is the one for me. He’s got great leadership qualities, and has a real calming influence.
The former Spurs star claimed that Maguire is similar to former Red Devils defender Rio Ferdinand in terms of ball-playing ability and defending. He also believes that the defender will be targeted by a lot of top clubs in the summer and that United should be one of them because of the fact that the Leicester star has a ‘British mentality’ – which, he thinks, is one of the biggest pillars to have a good British team.
“He’s very similar to Rio Ferdinand, in that he’s cool on the ball and defends very well. That would be a fine start from my point of view.
“Top players like Harry are going to have the choice of some big, big clubs around Europe this summer.”
“I really believe they should go back to the British mentality. The core of any good, British team, comes from British players, as I see it,” Sheringham added.
Ruben Neves on Liverpool links
Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves has spoken about reports linking him to Liverpool. After a great season with Wolves, Neves is on the radar of some top clubs and the Portuguese is proud that he is playing a part in furthering Portugal’s legacy.
He stated that right now, he is focused on international duty – and not worried about where his future lies – with Portugal as they face Switzerland in the next game of the UEFA Nations League semi-finals.
“It is obvious that it is a pride to be able to take the name of Portugal further, for that is the goal,” Neves said.
“But it is not the moment to think about the future, we have a competition to win. We are focused on the next game with Switzerland (the semi-final),” he added.
This could be interesting!
West Ham
West Ham are quite busy in the rumour mill today as they have been linked with one of La Liga’s most talented center-backs, Guillermo Maripan of Alaves. The Chilean was among the best players for his team, which is why he has garnered interest from other clubs.
According to reports, Manuel Pellegrini is looking to incorporate him at West Ham. The report claims that the Hammers have made a £10 million bid for the player but Alaves are unlikely to accept it.
Meanwhile, another report claims that Manuel Pellegrini wants to let go of Lucas Perez after a rather indifferent season in London. The forward was bought for £4 million but the Hammers are willing to sell him for as little as £2 million as they want to get him off the wage bill.
The player has been linked with a move to Newcastle United.
Pogba to take pay-cut?
The Real Madrid-Paul Pogba saga is set to be a long one. The Blancos have been touted to make a move for the player ever since Zinedine Zidane came back to Real Madrid.
However, the financial aspect of the deal has been a stumbling block for the Merengues, if reports are to be believed. The Galacticos don’t want to pay anything over €150 million for the midfielder.
They are reportedly willing to offer €120 million for him while also asking the Frenchman to pressurize United into selling him.
Another problem is his high wages with Manchester United which is something that the Merengues are not willing to match as it would disrupt their wage structure.
As a result, Zidane has asked Pogba to lower his wage demands and Pogba is willing to do it because he wants to play for Real Madrid.
Nicolas Pepe to Liverpool?
Lille forward Nicolas Pepe has had an excellent season in Ligue 1, which is why a plethora of clubs are interested in him – namely Liverpool and Manchester United. And according to Duncan Castles, the Merseyside outfit have been in contact with the forward.
Castles claimed that the Reds are discussing his interest to join and how much he would cost, while Lille are waiting for them to make a bid.
“From what I’ve been told, Liverpool have been in contact with Pepe’s agent to discuss a deal, his interest in coming and what is would cost to come. Lille are aware of this and are waiting for a bid.”
He also added that Manchester United are interested and have actually spoken to the French club, who would like the clubs to start a bidding war over the player, for whom they want €80 million.