Barcelona Pursue Spurs' Van de Ven Amid Transfer Tug-of-War
The new European season has not yet begun, but the transfer market already feels like a series of tug-of-wars across the continent. At Tottenham, one of the most important ropes has Micky van de Ven at the end of it.
Sky Sports report that Barcelona are among a cluster of elite clubs tracking the Dutch centre-half’s situation in north London. Van de Ven has held talks with Spurs over extending a contract that has just two years left to run. No agreement yet, no panic either – but the clock is ticking.
Tottenham are determined not to lose him. At 25, quick, aggressive and comfortable on the ball, he fits perfectly with Roberto De Zerbi’s high-line, front-foot football. The Italian has already called him one of the best central defenders in the Premier League. Praise like that usually comes with a price tag – and a queue of suitors.
Greenwood on the market again
Across the Channel, Mason Greenwood’s future is back under the microscope. L’Equipe report that Arsenal and Tottenham are both exploring the possibility of a move for the forward, who left Manchester United for Marseille in 2024.
Marseille’s problem is simple: Financial Fair Play. They need sales. Greenwood, 24, is one of their most valuable assets. From 1 July, a release clause of around £52m will be activated in his contract, a figure notably lower than his current valuation of about £69m. For English clubs searching for a wide forward entering his prime, that gap will not go unnoticed.
Calafiori too rich for Real?
Real Madrid, never shy of a big defensive signing, have been heavily linked with Riccardo Calafiori after his Premier League-winning season with Arsenal. Yet the numbers are starting to stack up.
Andrea Berta’s valuation of the Italian stands at around £86m. That comes after Madrid have already spent £52m on Marc Cucurella and lodged a £78m bid for Ruben Dias. Three major defensive cheques in one window? Even at the Bernabéu, that feels excessive. For now, Calafiori looks more like a long-term admiration than an imminent arrival.
United’s Shaw call and Maguire’s Rice comparison
At Old Trafford, Manchester United are preparing a delicate conversation with Luke Shaw. The club are understood to be ready to offer the 30-year-old full-back a new contract, but on reduced terms compared to his current deal, which expires next summer.
Shaw joined United in 2014 from Southampton and last renewed in 2023. After a season in which he has again shown his value, the club must balance sentiment, performance and wage structure in one negotiation.
Another United defender has been making waves off the pitch. Harry Maguire has placed Elliot Anderson in elite company, insisting the £130m-rated midfielder belongs in the same conversation as Declan Rice. Anderson and Rice starred together in England’s World Cup win over Croatia, and Maguire has been struck by the Newcastle man’s all-round game.
“He’s got absolutely everything,” Maguire said, highlighting Anderson’s ability on the ball, his driving runs and his eye for goal, even while operating as a number six. The United centre-back believes Anderson can play as a 6, 8 or 10 – the kind of versatility that inflates both reputation and price.
United, though, had already stepped away from a move for Anderson, citing the huge financial package required. Maguire’s praise will do nothing to cool the market around him.
Arsenal eye the next Georgian gem
Arsenal’s scouting department has turned its gaze to Georgia again. The club have been tipped to move for Andria Bartishvili, the Georgia Under-21 international already drawing comparisons with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Bartishvili is just 17 and out of contract at the end of the year. BBC Sport claim Arsenal want to tie him down on a pre-contract agreement, trying to move early in a market that often waits too long on teenage talent. The irony is not lost: Arsenal have also been linked with Kvaratskhelia himself, but the winger is settled at PSG and not expected to move.
Real Madrid’s midfield and defensive rebuild
Real Madrid’s recruitment drive is not limited to full-backs and potential centre-backs. According to ESPN, they remain keen on Enzo Fernandez, still captivated by the Argentine’s performances at the World Cup with Argentina and his development since Benfica.
Fernandez, now at Chelsea, sits at the top of Madrid’s midfield agenda. At the same time, the Spanish champions continue to look for another central defender even after signing Ibrahima Konate and Cucurella. One more centre-back remains high on their wishlist, a clear signal that they intend to refresh the spine of their side for the next cycle.
Olmo’s warning for Cucurella: Yamal awaits
The Cucurella transfer has already created ripples in Spain. Dani Olmo, his Spain team-mate but Barcelona player, admitted the defender’s switch from Chelsea to Real Madrid caught many by surprise.
“We didn’t expect it. He kept it inside,” Olmo said at a World Cup press conference, adding that while he is happy for his friend, the move comes with a warning label. El Clásico awaits, and so does Lamine Yamal. Olmo joked that Cucurella will “have to suffer” against the teenage sensation. Yamal, he added, will be relishing the duel.
Liverpool return for Thuram
In England, Liverpool have gone back to a familiar name. Reports from Italy, via Corriere dello Sport, claim Khephren Thuram is back on the Reds’ shortlist.
Juventus are open to selling players to balance their accounts, and Thuram may be available for between £35m and £39m. That kind of fee, for a 23-year-old midfielder with size, energy and upside, fits neatly into Liverpool’s usual profile. He has interest from Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League, but the Frenchman is understood to be cool on a Middle East move at this stage of his career.
Spurs and United chase teenage talent
Tottenham’s recruitment under De Zerbi is not just about the here and now. The club are pushing to sign Anderlecht’s 17-year-old midfielder Nathan de Cat, a player already on Manchester United’s radar.
TeamTalk report that Spurs have stepped into the race, adding another young central option as they strengthen the core of their side. They have already completed free transfers for Andrew Robertson and Marco Senesi and sealed a £52m move for Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke. The message is clear: De Zerbi wants depth and competition through the middle of the pitch.
Everton weigh up Barry interest
Further north, Everton face a decision on Thierno Barry. The striker’s first season under David Moyes was uneven at times, but he grew into the campaign and finished with eight goals in 38 Premier League appearances – a respectable return for a debut year in a struggling side.
That progress has attracted RB Leipzig, according to the Times. No bid has landed yet, but the Liverpool Echo report that Everton’s hierarchy will consider any serious offer carefully. Cashing in now would bring funds; keeping him could secure a long-term No 9.
Arsenal line up Barcola move
Arsenal’s ambitions this summer stretch beyond youth projects. The Independent report that the Gunners are preparing a major bid for Bradley Barcola, fresh from scoring his first World Cup goal for France in their 3-1 win over Senegal.
Barcola arrives at this tournament off the back of another Champions League-winning season with Paris Saint-Germain. At 23, he offers end product and versatility across the attacking midfield line. Arsenal are said to be checking the “necessary details” before making a formal move, but their interest is concrete. After years of incremental growth under Mikel Arteta, this is the sort of signing that screams intent.
United track Baturina’s versatility
Manchester United’s midfield rebuild does not stop at big names. Sky Sport in Italy report that Croatia international Martin Baturina has emerged as a target after an eye-catching equaliser against England.
The Como midfielder, formerly of Dinamo Zagreb, produced six goals and three assists in 29 Serie A games in his first season under Cesc Fabregas. More importantly, he did it while playing almost everywhere: false nine, left wing, attacking midfield, deep-lying playmaker. That “Swiss army knife” profile appeals to a United side that has often lacked flexibility and imagination in the middle of the pitch.
From Van de Ven’s contract stand-off to Barcola’s price tag, from Greenwood’s clause to Baturina’s audition, Europe’s heavyweights are already drawing their lines. The only question now is who blinks first.
