All the top stories and transfer rumours from wednesday’s newspapers…
Barcelona have agreed a deal to sign Raphinha from Leeds
The Catalan club will pay the Premier League side £55 million ($77 million) upfront, with another £10 million likely to come in the form of a rider.
Rafinha is expected to undergo a medical and sign his Barcelona contract, which will run until 2027, on Wednesday as he prepares to make the move to La Liga.
He had also been courted by Chelsea prior to this but ultimately opted to leave the Premier League after two years in England.
Manchester United 4-0 Liverpool
Manchester United have made a good start to their pre-season preparations. Eric ten Hague’s side dominated the friendly against Liverpool in Bangkok on Tuesday, with goals from Jadon Sancho, Fred, Anthony Martial and Facundo Pelisteri.
Sancho opened the scoring for his side just 13 minutes into the game, capitalising on a poor clearance to get past Alisson. Fred doubled his side’s lead with a great shot after 30 minutes, while Martial made it 3-0 just three minutes later.
The game started with Liverpool having five teenagers until the 61st minute before introducing big names Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk or summer signing Darwin Nunez, and they left themselves too much to do, with United’s brilliant fourth goal from Facundo Pelisteri putting the stamp on an encouraging victory.
Ten Hague’s tenure may still be in its infancy, a performance almost certainly aided by Jürgen Klopp’s team selection, but there are plenty of positives for United and with a solid squad, a rebuilt dressing room and the addition of new players, there is reason to be optimistic.
DAILY MIRROR
Raheem Sterling is on a plane to join his new Chelsea teammates as Thomas Tuchel steps up his bid for Kalidou Koulibaly.
Mourinho admitted he was “a little frustrated” by Roma’s lack of activity in the summer transfer window.
Kalidou Koulibaly has accepted Chelsea as next club（daily mirror）
Romano has revealed that Chelsea are close to completing a deal for Koulibaly and have negotiated personal terms with the player, who will earn €10 million a year after tax and will be signed until June 2027.
Negotiations for the deal will be completed in the coming days and Chelsea are working hard to negotiate with Napoli to complete the deal for €38 million plus add-ons.
Romagnoli has joined Lazio
Lazio have officially announced that former AC Milan player Romagnoli has joined the club on a free agent deal for five years.
As previously reported, Romagnoli will receive an annual salary of €3.4 million, including bonuses, upon joining Lazio.
The 27-year-old Romagnoli, who was promoted to Roma’s first team in 2012, joined AC Milan in August 2015 for a €25 million transfer fee and has played 247 games for Milan, contributing 10 goals and six assists.
This off-season, Romagnoli left Milan at the end of his contract and eventually chose to join Lazio.
DAILY EXPRESS
Lucas Pakhtar is yet to hold any talks with Arsenal but would be open to a switch to the Premier League.
Newcastle United have reportedly included Spaniard striker Raul de Tomas in their shortlist of strikers.
DAILY TELEGRAPH
A number of players are facing being forced into coronavirus quarantine as they arrive at this year’s World Cup after refusing to be vaccinated against the disease.
Steve Cooper is close to making his seventh summer signing at Nottingham Forest, capturing Huddersfield midfielder Lewis O’Brien for £10 million.
THE TIMES
New Rangers signing Rabbi Matondo has revealed Aaron Ramsey and Jermain Defoe were among the big names who sold him on moving to Ibrox
THE SUN
Chelsea star Jorginho has expressed doubts about his future despite expressing his love for the club.
Antonio Conte has hinted that Tottenham are prepared to continue spending as they battle on four fronts this season.
Reports suggest that Manchester United’s wantaway star Cristiano Ronaldo was offered to Paris Saint-Germain, but they turned him down.
Both Arsenal and Manchester United are reportedly interested in a move for Kyle Walker-Peters.
Wayne Rooney has taken up the role as DC United manager
D.C. United have hired Wayne Rooney as the club’s new manager, with the club confirming that the England icon is heading to MLS as the next stop on his coaching journey. Rooney had previously played for D.C. United in 2018 and 2019 before leaving the club to join Derby County.
The former Manchester United star initially played for Derby County as a player before taking over as manager and almost kept the club in the Championship despite the near impossible challenge posed by financial problems.
Bernardeschi has accepted TorontoFC’s offer
According to transfer expert Di Marzio, Bernardeschi, who is out of contract with Juventus, has decided to accept an offer from USL side Toronto FC.
Bernardeschi, 28, whose original contract with Juve expired on June 30, played 36 official matches for the Zebrette last season, scoring two goals and assisting five times.
Now reports from Di Marzio claim that Bernardeschi will be a new signing for Toronto FC, with the Italian international no longer having any doubts about a move to the USL, having decided to accept an offer from the Canadian club.
Bernardeschi will thus become the third Italian star to join Toronto FC this summer, after Insigne and Criscito, and will also play against former Juve teammate Giorgio Chiellini (LAFC) in the USL this season.
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