Chelsea consider swap deal with Villa, Man Utd's three-striker shortlist

Duran-Gallagher swap?

Aston Villa want £40m for Jhon Duran and could consider selling the striker to Chelsea as part of a swap deal for midfielder Conor Gallagher, the Guardian reports. Chelsea are seeking £50m for the England international, whose contract expires next year, and Villa boss Unai Emery is said to be keen on the player.

Duran, meanwhile, is not part of Emery’s plans, although it may be a difficult deal to negotiate.

The Guardian adds: “Villa have held informal talks with Chelsea over a move for the 24-year-old. But sources close to Villa believe Gallagher is unlikely to agree to being part of a swap deal.

“That would not stop Chelsea, who have a good relationship with Villa, from pursuing Durán. Chelsea want more competition for Nicolas Jackson, who was often the only fit striker this past season, and their top target was believed to be Benjamin Sesko, who is poised to snub interest from Premier League sides and commit to another year at RB Leipzig.

“Sesko’s decision will not cause too much disruption at Chelsea, who have shortlisted several strikers. They are open to signing a forward already playing in the Premier League and have held informal discussions over Durán, who has been frustrated to play second fiddle to Ollie Watkins.”

Man Utd’s three-man striker shortlist

Manchester United’s top three striker targets this summer are Ivan Toney, Jonathan David and Joshua Zirkzee, according to ESPN. United are short in the striker department with Anthony Martial leaving, and they are hopeful of finding strong competition for Rasmus Hojlund.

ESPN adds: “Zirkzee enjoyed a good season with Bologna, scoring 12 goals in 37 games. The 23-year-old, who spent time at Bayern Munich earlier in his career, has a £34 million ($43.2m) release clause in his contract.

“Toney and David are of particular interest because they are about to enter the final year of their contracts at Brentford and Lille, respectively.

“Sources have told ESPN that Brentford will demand more than £50m for Toney, who is part of England’s squad at Euro 2024.”

Six Liverpool signings ruled out

Liverpool are not in the market for six players they have been linked with this summer, the Liverpool Echo reports. The local paper lists Ollie Watkins, Florian Wirtz, Ederson, Yankuba Minteh, Goncalo Inacio and Alan Varela as players the club will not be pursuing.

New Liverpool boss Arne Slot will be working under Michael Edwards, Julian Ward and Richard Hughes when it comes to shaping the club both on and off the field, with recruitment set to play a big part in this initial stage post-Jurgen Klopp.

On two players Liverpool won’t sign, the Echo writes: “Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins is one such instance. The forward enjoyed his best season for the Midlanders scoring 27 goals in 53 appearances and spearheading their march to a Champions League place. And while Liverpool are said to have been interested previously, at 28 and with a price tag that would surely go well beyond £70m, then it’s no wonder that the club aren’t currently pursuing a deal for the Englishman.

“Florian Wirtz shares a lot of similarities with Watkins, scoring 18 goals and notching 20 assists for Bayer Leverkusen as they went unbeaten on their way to a Bundesliga title under Xabi Alonso. But with an asking price mooted to be upwards of £100m and playing in a position for which Liverpool aren’t currently in the market, he’s not a target for the club as things stand.”

Luiz to Juventus close

Juventus could offer both Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling Jr to Aston Villa as they look to get a deal over the line for midfielder Douglas Luiz, the Daily Mail reports. Villa want £50m for the player and are eager to get the deal dune before the end of June, but Juve are hoping to include players as part of their offer.

The Mail writes: “Mail Sport previously revealed that the Villans were open to selling the Brazilian midfielder, among others, in a bid to stay within the Premier League spending limits.

“The cut-off point for the accounting period for the 2023-24 season is June 30, meaning Luiz could be allowed to leave before the end of the month.

“The 26-year-old has two years left on his current deal in the West Midlands with Juventus leading the race to acquire his signature.”