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Hello and welcome to Sportskeeda's Daily Transfer Roundup. The transfer window is heading towards a crazy finish as Premier League teams ramp up their efforts to reinforce their ranks before the window closes for them next week. As a result, the transfer rumour mill has gone into overdrive.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top transfer news, rumours and updates that made headlines on 31 July 2019.
Manchester United and Juve agree Dybala-Lukaku swap deal, Dybala changes stance
In a sensational turn of events, Manchester United are now to pull off a stunning swap deal with Juventus which will see the Red Devils striker Romelu Lukaku heading to Turin and Dybala going the other way. The representatives of the player have reportedly arrived in London for further negotiations.
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It was reported earlier this week that Paulo Dybala wants to return to Turin after his vacation and hold a meeting with Maurizio Sarri and try to fight for a place in the team. However, Juve are lacking on the goalscoring front and are very keen on bringing Lukaku home.
Inter Milan had been frontrunners to sign Lukaku until Juventus entered the fray. Inter Milan's initial bid of £53.9 million fell well short of Manchester United's valuation of their striker. Paulo Dybala is valued at £91 million and is hence a player that could be swapped without much complications with Lukaku.
Dybala's reluctance to move on and find a new club evaporated after Juventus made it clear to him that they want to offload him. One of the things that the Argentine reportedly factored in whilst making the initial decision to stick around was that Manchester United will not be playing UEFA Champions League this season.
However, the fact that United have been scouring the market for a top quality attacking midfielders obviously means that Dybala could be a crucial player at Old Trafford. At Juve, there is no guarantee of first team football for the Argentina international. He also gets to link-up with former teammate and close friend Paul Pogba at Manchester United.
As it stands, it seems like it's only a matter of time before the deal is officially announced by both clubs.
Barcelona to make final move for Neymar
We have now reached the business end of the Neymar transfer saga. With Barcelona running short on funds and PSG reluctant to accept the players Barcelona are offering, the deal looks a fair distance away from happening despite none of the parties involved standing sternly against the move.
Barcelona are now ready to make one final push to reach an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain as they're convinced now that the time for dilly-dallying is over. Barcelona have been passive in their approach as they didn't want to worsen an already strained relationship with the Ligue 1 champions.
The clubs were reportedly in talks earlier this window but a move failed to materialize as PSG kept changing their stance. However, they're ready to negotiate now but it remains to be seen whether they'll outright reject Barcelona's cash+player offer or whether they'll accept it.
If Barcelona make an official bid, Neymar could play a huge role in what's going to happen over the next few weeks. The Brazilian is yet to publicly demand a move to Barcelona. If he does that, then Paris Saint-Germain will find themselves in a very tricky spot.
Pochettino says he should be titled 'head coach' due to lack of involvement in Spurs' transfer activities
#BackPoch is now a hashtag that's trending on Twitter. Pochettino took a dig at the Tottenham Hotspur board when asked about Spurs' transfer activity by saying that his title should be changed from 'manager' to 'head coach' as he has no involvement in transfer activities.
Speaking after Spurs' 1-0 win over Real Madrid, Pochettino said,
"I am not in charge, I know nothing about the situation of my players. I am only coaching them, trying to get the best from them.
"These types of things, what will happen, what will not happen, selling and buying of players, extending contracts, not extending contracts, I think it is not in my hands. It is in the club hands, and Daniel Levy. At the moment I am managing the team in the best way possible."
Poch was then asked if he would like to be involved in the transfer activities and he said,
"Maybe the club need to change my title description, because my job now is to coach the team. It is not a question for me, it is a question for the club. Maybe the club are going to change my title description.
"Of course I am the boss, deciding the strategy to play, training, mentality, philosophy in my area, but in another area, I think I am the coach the coach."
Barcelona agree fee with Zenit St. Petersburg for Malcom
Malcom couldn't live up to the expectations at Barcelona and is now all set to leave the club after the Catalans agreed a fee with Zenit St. Petersburg for the sale of the Brazilian. Barcelona have been trying to get Malcom off their books since the squad returned from their Japanese tour.
Malcom is all set to join the Russian club in a deal worth €40 million + €5 million in add-ons. Barcelona are desperate for some cash injection and Malcom's exit will go a long way towards funding their move for Real Betis' Junior Firpo.
Malcom joined Barcelona a year ago in a €41 million deal and is now set to depart without leaving his mark at the club. The winger couldn't cope with the high level of competition at Camp Nou for a spot in the starting XI and is all set to have his dream cut short.
Bayern Munich apologize to Manchester City over Sane comments
Bayern Munich have been trying to put together a deal for Manchester City winger Leroy Sane. However, their interest has now strained the relationship between both clubs after the Bayern Munich manager admitted in public that the club is looking to get a deal over the line for Leroy Sane and club president Uli Hoeness's controversial comments about City owner Sheikh Mansour.
He said,
“My friend Pep told me what happens when he wants a player that costs 100 million euros. He gathers some videos of this player and flies to see the Sheikh . Once there, there is an opulent meal during which he teaches the videos and the Sheikh transfers the money (necessary to complete the signing). The next day the Sheikh raises the gas [prices] a bit and has already recovered the money,”
Karl Heinz-Rummenigge wasn't pleased about any of this. He said,
“We have to respect those players who have contracts with other club. It's a FIFA regulation,”
“I have spoken with Pep (Guardiola, Manchester City coach) to apologize. I am aware that Sané has a contract with Manchester City, so I also want to apologize to the club. Next time I will step on the brake in time.”
