Barcelona Track Micky van de Ven as Spurs Stand Firm
The summer market has not even hit full stride, yet the game’s heavyweights are already jostling for position. At the centre of it all: a quick Dutch defender in north London, a rehabilitated forward in Marseille, and a Real Madrid hierarchy wrestling with the limits of even their own spending power.
Barcelona are among several clubs tracking Micky van de Ven’s situation at Tottenham, according to Sky Sports. The centre-half has opened talks over a new deal with Spurs, who want to lock him down with only two years left on his contract. Nothing is agreed. Not yet.
Tottenham’s stance is clear. Roberto De Zerbi has called the 25-year-old one of the best central defenders in the Premier League, and Spurs are behaving like a club that believes it. They want him to be the anchor of a rebuilt spine, not the next big sale.
Greenwood on the move again?
Across the Channel, Mason Greenwood’s future is back under the microscope. L’Equipe report that Arsenal and Tottenham are both interested in the Marseille forward, who left Manchester United for Ligue 1 in 2024 and rebuilt his career in France.
Marseille, though, are under pressure. Financial Fair Play looms, and players will have to go. From July 1, Greenwood’s contract includes a release clause of around £52m, a figure notably below his reported valuation of about £69m. For English clubs seeking a ready-made attacker in his mid‑20s, that gap will not go unnoticed.
Calafiori too rich even for Madrid
Riccardo Calafiori’s rise has drawn admiring glances from across Europe, Real Madrid included, after his Premier League-winning season with Arsenal. But admiration has its limits.
Andrea Berta’s £86m valuation is a serious barrier. With Madrid already spending £52m on Marc Cucurella and lodging a £78m bid for Ruben Dias, dropping another huge fee on Calafiori looks unlikely. Even at the Bernabéu, there comes a point where the numbers bite.
United weigh Shaw pay cut
Manchester United, meanwhile, are looking inward. The club are prepared to offer Luke Shaw a new deal, but on reduced terms compared to his current salary. The 30-year-old has been an important figure this season, yet his contract expires next summer.
Shaw arrived at Old Trafford in 2014 from Southampton and last extended his deal in 2023. United now face a familiar dilemma: reward a long-serving player at his peak or reshape the wage bill for the next cycle.
Maguire’s Rice comparison for Anderson
Elliot Anderson’s stock continues to rise. Valued at £130m and fresh from starring alongside Declan Rice in England’s World Cup win over Croatia, the midfielder has drawn a striking endorsement from Harry Maguire.
United had already pulled out of the race to sign Anderson, citing the financial demands. Maguire, though, has placed him in elite company. Speaking about his return to the England squad after a year out, he admitted Anderson surprised him even more in training than expected, describing him as having “absolutely everything” and comparing aspects of his profile to Rice.
Maguire highlighted Anderson’s comfort on the ball, his ability to drive forward, his eye for goal, and his versatility across the 6, 8 and 10 roles. For a player already commanding a huge valuation, that kind of praise only adds fuel.
Arsenal eye Bartishvili – and still dream of Kvaratskhelia
Arsenal’s scouting network continues to stretch into emerging markets. Georgia Under-21 international Andria Bartishvili is the latest name on their radar. The 17-year-old has already drawn comparisons with compatriot and two-time Champions League winner Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Bartishvili’s contract expires at the end of this year, and BBC Sport report that Arsenal are keen to offer a pre-contract. The irony is obvious: the Gunners have also been linked with Kvaratskhelia himself, but the winger does not appear close to leaving PSG.
Madrid’s midfield crush on Enzo, hunt for another centre-back
Real Madrid are not finished. ESPN report that Enzo Fernandez remains a major target, with the club still keen on prising him away from Chelsea after admiring him since his World Cup triumph with Argentina while at Benfica.
Enzo sits at the top of their midfield agenda, but the defensive rebuild remains active. Madrid have already brought in Ibrahima Konaté and Marc Cucurella and still want another central defender. For a side that has already lifted the Champions League again, the appetite for reinforcement is relentless.
Olmo’s warning: Yamal is coming for Cucurella
Inside the Spanish camp, the next chapter of El Clásico is already being teased. Dani Olmo, now a Barcelona man, has warned his Spain team-mate Cucurella that Lamine Yamal will be hunting him down when Barça meet Real Madrid.
Olmo admitted that Cucurella’s move from Chelsea to Madrid surprised many, saying the defender kept the switch quiet. Now, he says, his friend will “have to suffer in the league” – and specifically against Yamal. The duel on Spain duty will soon turn into a rivalry in the biggest club fixture of them all.
Liverpool return for Thuram
Liverpool have circled back to a familiar name. Corriere dello Sport claim Khephren Thuram is back on the Reds’ shortlist as they look to add more legs and power to midfield.
Juventus, wrestling with their own financial realities, are ready to cash in on certain assets, and Thuram could be allowed to leave for between £35m and £39m. Al-Ahli from the Saudi Pro League have also been linked, but the Frenchman is understood not to be keen on a Middle East move at this stage. That stance keeps the door wide open for a Premier League bid.
Spurs muscle in on De Cat race
Tottenham are not just fighting to keep Van de Ven; they are also pushing hard to secure the next wave. Anderlecht’s 17-year-old midfielder Nathan de Cat is already on Manchester United’s radar, yet TeamTalk report that Spurs have stepped into the race.
Under De Zerbi, the club are building from the core outwards. Andrew Robertson and Marco Senesi have arrived as free agents, while a £52m deal for Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke has strengthened the back line. De Cat would be another piece in a rapidly toughening spine.
Everton face Barry decision as Leipzig lurk
Thierno Barry’s first season at Everton was uneven at first glance but quietly promising. The striker needed time under David Moyes, yet still produced eight goals in 38 Premier League games as his confidence grew.
That return has not gone unnoticed. The Times report that RB Leipzig are interested, though no formal offer has been made. According to the Liverpool Echo, Everton would weigh up any serious bid carefully. For a club constantly walking a financial tightrope, a sizeable offer could be hard to ignore.
Arsenal move for Barcola
Arsenal’s ambitions do not stop with prospects. The Independent report that the club are preparing a major move for France World Cup star Bradley Barcola. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder scored his first World Cup goal in Les Bleus’ 3-1 win over Senegal and arrives off the back of another Champions League-winning campaign with Paris Saint-Germain.
Arsenal are said to be working through the “necessary details” before lodging an official bid. For a side already stacked with technical attackers, Barcola would be a statement that Mikel Arteta wants even more incision and depth in the final third.
United turn to Baturina’s versatility
Manchester United’s midfield rebuild could take a fresh turn towards Serie A. Sky Sport in Italy report that Croatia midfielder Martin Baturina has emerged as a target after an eye-catching equaliser against England at the World Cup.
The Como playmaker, formerly of Dinamo Zagreb, delivered six goals and three assists in 29 league appearances in his first season under Cesc Fabregas. His role was anything but fixed. Baturina operated as a false nine, a left winger, an attacking midfielder and a deeper playmaker, giving Fabregas a tactical Swiss army knife.
United want exactly that kind of flexibility in a department that has looked stale and predictable for too long. Whether they can move quickly enough in a market moving at full tilt is another question entirely.
