Transfer Gossip: Man Utd chase perfect Sancho ‘upgrade’ after shock Tottenham interest emerges; Chelsea target has ‘played last game’ for Euro giants

Manchester United have begun pursuing a top winger who can usurp Jadon Sancho in Erik ten Hag’s squad, Chelsea have been handed a huge boost in their hunt to land a Champions League finalist, while Tuesday’s Transfer Gossip includes an agent revealing a Fulham target will secure a move this summer.

MAJOR MAN UTD TRANSFER LINK APPEARS
Amid rumours Jadon Sancho might leave Old Trafford this summer, Man Utd have reportedly identified a Bundesliga star wanted by Newcastle United as a perfect replacement.

Sancho has not had the desired impact at Man Utd since joining from Borussia Dortmund for £73million in July 2021. So far, he has registered 12 goals and six assists in 79 appearances, a huge decrease on his impressive numbers at Dortmund.

The winger has shown some signs of improvement under Ten Hag and has done well to combat both injury and mental health problems this campaign. However, his record of just seven goals in 43 matches this term is not what Man Utd would consider good value for money.

The Red Devils have been tipped to sell Sancho this summer, and he could surprisingly head to another Premier League club. On Sunday, the Daily Star claimed Tottenham ‘are considering a £50m swoop’ for the England attacker. Although, Man Utd are looking for £60m, which means some negotiations need to be done.

The Daily Mail have now provided an update on Man Utd’s transfer plans. They reveal that club chiefs are looking at Bayer Leverkusen ace Moussa Diaby as a potential ‘upgrade’ on Sancho.

Diaby has long been linked with Newcastle. But on May 23, Sky Sport Germany revealed how Man Utd could ruin Newcastle’s plans with a move of their own. And that has now been backed up by the Mail.

The report admits that a winger is not a priority for Man Utd this summer, given the fact they already have Marcus Rashford and Antony available there. However, a few factors could force Ten Hag into improving his wide options in addition to going after a new striker, midfielder and centre-half.

First of all, Man Utd are concerned about Sancho’s form, which they expected would have improved by now. Secondly, Rashford’s current backup options, which includes Alejandro Garnacho and other youngsters like Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellistri, are inexperienced.

Red Devils want more reliable winger
Man Utd have seen how squad depth has made their rivals Manchester City so strong and could therefore bring in Diaby to bolster their attack. Leverkusen would ideally like to keep Diaby but know he has done enough to earn a transfer, resulting in them setting his price tag at £65m.

Man Utd supporters will be encouraged by the Frenchman’s impressive numbers. He has managed at least 10 goals and 10 assists in each of the last three seasons.

Diaby also has good European pedigree, having scored goals in both the Champions League and Europa League with Leverkusen.

It is now up to Ten Hag to decide where his priorities lie. If he feels an electric new winger is needed alongside a new centre-forward, then a bid could be made for Diaby amid the club’s other pursuit of Harry Kane.

But if Ten Hag feels like he needs to put most of his transfer budget towards Kane, then Diaby may be saved for a future transfer window. What is clear is that Diaby has the talent to become a big hit at Man Utd, with Sancho’s days numbered.

CHELSEA-LINKED STAR READY TO MOVE ON
There has been a big update on Chelsea’s attempts to sign goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter, with a journalist claiming the 27-year-old has appeared in his ‘last game’ for the Italian giants.

Onana was one of Inter’s standout performers on their journey to a first Champions League final in 13 years. He kept eight clean sheets in 13 games, though he couldn’t keep Manchester City out as Rodri scored the winner for Pep Guardiola’s side to break Inter hearts.

Onana will now turn his attention to a potential transfer. His top performances in Italy have resulted in him becoming a prime target for Chelsea. Mauricio Pochettino is very keen for the Blues to sign him as a replacement for unreliable options Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy.

Last week, it emerged Onana had reached an ‘agreement in principle’ with Chelsea over personal terms. But he then publicly played down an Inter exit by revealing he is ‘happy’ where he is.

Italian reports have now provided a double update on the shot-stopper’s potential transfer. Journalist Gian Luca Rossi has spoken with Onana’s communication manager Jordi Pascual and has therefore been able to provide an inside track on the discussions.

“Let’s get ready, because we met Jordi Pascual who made us understand that within a week they bring a Chelsea offer of 60 million, I didn’t understand whether it was pounds or euros. If that is true, I can say that this [the UCL final] was Onana’s last game,” Rossi said (via Calciomercato.it).

It seems like Onana’s move to Stamford Bridge this summer is inevitable, it is just now a case of how much money Chelsea will have to spend.

Fellow Italian source Calciomercato.com name Chelsea as being in ‘pole position’ for Onana. He has previously been linked with Man Utd and Tottenham, but now it is Pochettino’s side leading the charge.

It is stated that Chelsea will have no trouble matching Inter’s valuation of the Cameroonian outright. But they also have the option of including one or two players in the deal, should this prove attractive to Inter.

The Nerazzurri are interested in both Romelu Lukaku and Kalidou Koulibaly. This sets up the possibility of Onana heading to Chelsea in a player-plus-cash deal involving those two stars.

FULHAM DELIGHT WITH OBJECTIVE CONFIRMED AS MOVING ON
Fulham will have a good chance at signing Brazilian defender Igor from Fiorentina after his representative confirmed a transfer will happen this summer.

Last month, a report named Leicester City and Fulham as being interested in Igor, who mainly plays at centre-back but can also operate as a left-back if required.

But with Leicester being relegated to the Championship, Igor will not want to head to the King Power. And this puts Fulham in a great position to snap him up.

In an interview with Fiorentina website Viola News, Igor’s agent Marcelo Mascagni said: “I spoke to Fiorentina about Igor’s future and the intention is to leave in the summer. The Viola club is also in agreement. We haven’t received any official offers yet, but we’re looking around.”

It has been claimed Fiorentina have set their asking price at between €13m-15m (£11-13m). Such a fee would represent a boost to Fiorentina’s transfer kitty but would easily be within Fulham’s reach, such is the powerful nature of the Premier League at the moment.

The Cottagers targeting Igor makes sense. Tim Ream is now in the twilight years of his career as he is 35, while Tosin Adarabioyo has been linked with a transfer on a few occasions due to his solid displays for the Craven Cottage outfit.