Transfer news: Manchester United 'eye £70m bid' for Bernardo Silva, Arsenal reject Juventus interest in Alexis Sanchez
A round-up of the biggest transfer news on Thursday 19 January
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Your support makes all the difference.Manchester United are looking to make more than one major transfer this summer with reports claiming that a £70m offer for Monaco midfielder Bernardo Silva is currently being weighed up by the board at Old Trafford.
The 22-year-old has impressed this season with Monaco currently top of the Ligue 1 table in a three-way fight for the title with second-placed Nice and defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.
According to The Sun, United will consider making a £70m offer for Portugal midfielder Silva, with the Lisbon-born international already making 10 appearances for his country – although he missed out on Euro 2016 through injury.
The Independent revealed on Tuesday night that United are already planning a summer swoop for Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann, with talks between the Premier League club and the player’s representatives already at a stage where a verbal agreement has been made on his wages.
West Ham’s busy month looks set to continue, despite previous talks with Marseille collapsing in their attempt to re-sign Dimitri Payet. The Ligue 1 side saw two bids rejected by West Ham, the second of which came in at just over £20m, but the Hammers are holding out for a fee closer to their £35m valuation of the France international.
Payet is currently refusing to play for the first-team and has been banished from the squad by manager Slaven Bilic, but Sky Sports report that Marseille will lodge a third offer by the end of this week in the hope of persuading the Premier League side to sell the 29-year-old.
That’s not the only news involving West Ham doing the rounds on Thursday, as The Guardian reports that Michail Antonio is in line to be rewarded for his impressive form with a new five-and-a-half year contract worth £70,000-a-week.
Bilic revealed on Thursday in his pre-match press conference that any talks to extend Antonio’s deal will be dealt with by the club, but insisted that the 26-year-old deserves to be rewarded for maintaining his rich vein of form from last season.
With West Ham struggling to replicate their form of 2015/16, Antonio has proven to be a shining light, and he contributed three assists in last weekend’s 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace. Chelsea’s reported interest in Antonio is said to have triggered the talks that will see Antonio double his £35,000-a-week wages.
Arsenal have tied captain Per Mertesacker down for another year after Arsene Wenger confirmed this morning that the club has activated an extension clause in his contract, but the Gunners are yet to open talks with Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kieran Gibbs over new deals, according to the Evening Standard.
With Arsenal’s attentions tied up on trying to extend both Alexis Sanchez’s and Mesut Özil’s contracts, the club appear to have put the English trio on the backburner, despite all three set to see their current deals expire in 18 months’ time.
Wilshere’s future appears to be the most uncertain, given the England international is currently out on loan with Bournemouth, while Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gibbs have struggled for opportunities this season as they play second fiddle to Alex Iwobi and Nacho Monreal respectively.
Arsenal are also reported to have turned down an enquiry from Italian champion Juventus over Sanchez, with the north Londoners insistent that they will not sell the Chile international while contract negotiations continue.
The Mirror claims that Juventus expressed interest in Arsenal’s top goalscorer this season, but the club rejected any talks and the player himself has come out this week to confirm his happiness in London.
Finally, Arsenal right-back Carl Jenkinson looks to be on his way out of the club, but his destination no longer appears to be Crystal Palace after a disagreement in personal terms scuppered the deal. Arsenal had accepted an offer from the Eagles for the England right-back, but The Mirror claims the deal has fallen through after more than a week of negotiations.
However, it’s added that Jenkinson is still prepared to leave Arsenal this month in an effort to secure first-team football.
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