Welcome back to Football Transfer News, brought to you by Last Word On Football. Today’s issue focusses on a Burnley double swoop, the latest on Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s future.
FTN: Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Joe Hart and Ben Gibson
Double Swoop for Burnley
After securing Europa League qualification in the week, Burnley are looking to bolster their squad. Sean Dyche’s side have agreed a £15 million fee for Middlesborough defender Ben Gibson. The 25-year-old made 47 appearances last season and was ever-present during Boro’s 2016/17 Premier League campaign. Leicester City had been keen on Gibson, but Burnley are now clear favourites to land him.
Dyche is also interested in bringing in goalkeeper Joe Hart. The shot-stopper has spent the last two seasons out on loan, most recently with West Ham. After nearly 350 appearances for Manchester City, Hart is not in Pep Guardiola’s plans and is keen on a permanent move. He is expected to complete a medical this weekend.
Kovacic to England?
Mateo Kovacic has struggled for game time since joining Real Madrid in 2015. After only making 21 league appearances last season, the Croatian is ready to move on.
Both Chelsea and Manchester United want Kovacic, with Madrid likely to command a fee of £54 million. However, Kovacic is rumoured to have no interest in playing under Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho. This means that Chelsea’s main competition will likely be from AC Milan, who are also keen on the central midfielder.
Loftus-Cheek Seeking Move
Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek starred last season whilst on loan at Crystal Palace. However, with Chelsea bringing in Jorginho and going after first Aleksandr Golovin and now Kovacic, it appears he is surplus to requirements.
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri revealed this week that he wants to spend time working with Loftus-Cheek before making a decision about his future. However, Loftus-Cheek is keen for first-team football this season. A permanent move seems unlikely, but a loan could materialise before the window closes. Palace boss Roy Hodgson wants to bring the midfielder back to Selhurst Park but faces competition from Everton.
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