Barcelona turn to William Saliba as Chelsea set to clinch Jules Kounde signing - Paper Round
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Updated 22/07/2022 at 07:27 GMT
With Chelsea closing in on Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, Barcelona are now looking at Arsenal's William Saliba as an alternative. Both Arsenal and Chelsea are now waiting to sell their unwanted players to raise funds – with the likes of Nicolas Pepe and Timo Werner mentioned – and Erik ten Hag has now decided to keep Anthony Martial and let him lead the line.
William Saliba
Image credit: Getty Images
Barcelona want Saliba if they fail to sign Kounde
Barcelona are keen on signing William Saliba from Arsenal, with the 21-year-old French defender demanding guarantees that he be a regular starter under Mikel Arteta. If those guarantees are not forthcoming then he would like to leave the club, and Xavi considers him an option if they fail to sign Jules Kounde, who The Sun reports, is set to join Chelsea.
Paper Round’s view: Kounde appears on course to link up with Chelsea from Sevilla with a transfer rumoured to be worth around £55 million. That would leave Barcelona in a bit of a dash for an alternative, and given Saliba has never quite settled in at Arsenal since his arrival, largely spending his days out on loan, it would be more than understandable if he was tempted by the chance of a move to Spain.
Arsenal focus on clearout
While there is no suggestion that Arsenal want to sell Saliba, The Mirror lists eight players who could be sold at the Emirates. If Mikel Arteta wants to spend to add more players to his squad, then Nicolas Pepe, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Hector Bellerin, Reiss Nelson, Folarin Balogun, Pablo Mari and Bernd Leno could all be used to raise funds.
Paper Round’s view: Pepe has been hugely underwhelming but there is little chance of recouping much of the rumoured £70m transfer fee for the winger. There are many players bought over the years who have failed to step up to deliver the required level of performance, so they will need to be encouraged to leave rather than linger in the hope of a recall from Arteta.
Martial to stay at United
Anthony Martial has cut a reinvigorated figure for Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United after spending the second half of last season on loan with Sevilla. The Daily Mail reports that the 26-year-old French striker will now be kept on by United and regardless of Cristiano Ronaldo’s eventual destination, will be the first-choice striker for the start of the campaign.
Paper Round’s view: There have never been any doubts about Martial’s talent for many observers and fans, but clearly he has underperformed over the years. Selling him would raise a fair bit of cash but with Ronaldo potentially still leaving the club it would be tough for United to identify two strikers in the remaining weeks who are suitable for their new approach.
Tuchel waiting for sales
The Telegraph claims that Chelsea’s summer transfer window plans are, like Arsenal, being held up by player sales. The paper lists the players that Thomas Tuchel would be willing to entertain offers for. Michy Batshuayi, Kenedy, Ross Barkley, Malang Sarr, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech are all players that the club would like to move on this window.
Paper Round’s view: Batshuayi has shown his ability in various loan spells, and Kepa, Werner and Ziyech are not wanting for talent. The other players on that list are far less impressive so it will be up to Chelsea to encourage clubs to take a risk on them given they will be on high wages and are no longer young enough to suggest they have huge potential.
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