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Barcelona and Atletico Madrid to battle for Juventus midfielder Angel Di Maria - Paper Round
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Updated 20/02/2023 at 07:14 GMT
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid both hope to sign Angel Di Maria before he signs a new deal at Juventus, while both West Ham and Crystal Palace have joined the race to sign Alex Scott from Bristol City. Elsewhere, there have been no bids disclosed from Saudi Arabia for Manchester United, while Arsenal are considering the sale of their Scottish left-back Kieran Tierney.
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Di Maria still in demand
Juventus want to keep Angel Di Maria at their club and extend his contract into the next year, but they face competition from two La Liga clubs. Both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are interested in the former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, who has plenty of experience.
He would be available for a free in the summer, and his age would not stop top clubs coming in for him.
“The ex-Man Utd star, 35, is out of contract at Juventus in the summer,” the Sun reports.
“Juventus want to extend Di Maria's contract.
“But Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are also hot on the heels of the midfielder, and would like to add him to their squad.
“Di Maria has enjoyed a storied career in European football.”
More clubs join race for Alex Scott
Teenage Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott continues to attract interest from the Premier League, with both West Ham and Crystal Palace hoping to bring the player to London this summer.
Scott can play in several positions in midfield and his rated at £20 million by his current club, but that could be a sticking point for any transfer, with neither team wishing to go that far.
“West Ham and Crystal Palace are interested in signing Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott.” the Mail reports.
“The 19-year-old is a rising star in English football and has impressed with his performances for the Championship outfit this season.
“Scott was linked with [a] move away to the Premier League from Bristol City during the January transfer window but a transfer failed to materialise.
“Bristol City are keen to receive £20million for Scott but neither club are likely to meet that valuation.”
No Saudi bids for United
The Express declares that there have been no bids from Saudi Arabia for Manchester United, with only a Qatari bid coming from the Middle East, as well as one from British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe.
“The last week has been an important milestone in the potential takeover with the Raine Group, who are overseeing the sale, making last Friday their 'soft deadline' for initial bids. So far only bids from Al Thani and Ratcliffe have been confirmed with other parties yet to go public if they have made an offer,” the paper states.
“No bids have come in from Saudi Arabia. The nation's public investment fund (PIF) already owns Newcastle United and the potential conflict of interests was deemed to be unpalatable.”
Arteta could let Tierney move on
Kieran Tierney is struggling to displace Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back at Arsenal, and despite his decent form, he is now on the sidelines of the squad, meaning that the 25-year-old Scottish international - loved by former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson - could leave the London club in the summer, the Mirror writes.
“Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has made no secret of his admiration for Kieran Tierney, but the Arsenal defender could be in line for a summer exit after a difficult season in north London,” the report notes.
“Scotland defender Tierney was one of Unai Emery's final signings as Arsenal manager, joining in a £25million move from Celtic in 2019. The 25-year-old has racked up more than 100 appearances in Gunners colours, but his opportunities have been limited since the summer arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko.
“Tierney was linked with a move away last summer, with Manchester City among those reportedly in the mix. A run of games outside the starting line-up has seen rumours gather pace once more, and Mikel Arteta could find himself letting the former Bhoys star move on.”
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