Real Madrid are set to prioritise a move for Manchester City striker Erling Haaland if Vinícius Júnior leaves the club amid interest from the Saudi Pro League, while they could also make an approach for Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konaté if he doesn’t sign a new contract next season. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors, and gossip from around the globe.

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TRENDING RUMORS

– Clubs in the Saudi Pro League believe a move for Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior is still possible this summer, reports Sky Sports Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg. Negotiations over a deal for the 24-year-old are said to have been ongoing between senior officials in Saudi Arabia and, with Los Blancos aware of interest, they are reportedly eyeing Manchester City striker Erling Haaland as a replacement, in a transfer that would see forward Kylian Mbappé move to the left-flank from his current central role. Haaland signed a record-breaking 9½-year contract with Manchester City in February, although it is unknown if the deal includes a get-out clause if the Premier League giants are found guilty of 115 charges for financial breaches.

– Real Madrid remain keen on acquiring a centre-back in the summer, according to Marca. The LaLiga club are reported to be prioritising improving their defence, and it is said that they could look to take advantage of contract situations, with Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté, 25, on their radar as a potential option if he doesn’t sign a new deal at Anfield next season. Los Blancos have also previously been linked with 24-year-old Arsenal star William Saliba.

– Crystal Palace are interested in on-loan Aston Villa striker Marcus Rashford, reports The Sun. The Eagles are reported to be keeping tabs on the 27-year-old, and they are expected to explore a move for him if he doesn’t sign permanently at Villa Park from Manchester United in the summer. Rashford has also been linked with Paris Saint-Germain, while it is said that a potential return to featuring for the Red Devils has “not been ruled out.”

– Liverpool forward Luis Díaz is being targeted by Saudi club Al Nassr, where he would link up with Cristiano Ronaldo, talkSPORT reports. Díaz’s 11 goals and five assists in the Premier League this season already represent his best campaign for the club since signing from Porto in January 2022, and have helped his team to move within touching distance of the title. The 28-year-old has a little over two years remaining on his contract, meaning that Liverpool could command a significant transfer fee for the Colombia international should they decide to let him go.

– AFC Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen‘s entourage say he “wants to return to Spain soon” with Real Madrid tracking his progress alongside a number of big Premier League clubs, Marca reports. The Spain international, who turned 20 on Monday, has a £50 million release clause in his contract at Bournemouth.

EXPERT TAKE

ESPN’s Alex Kirkland considers the possibility of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland replacing Vinícius Júnior at Real Madrid:

Vinícius Júnior leaving Real Madrid for Saudi Arabia has been one of the most high-profile transfer sagas of the last 12 months. Take a Ballon d’Or runner-up, playing for one of the world’s top clubs, and add one of the sport’s biggest stories — the growing power of the Saudi Pro League — and you’ve got the perfect transfer cocktail. So why not throw another superstar, Erling Haaland into the mix?

ESPN reported last week that a move for Vinícius is “increasingly unlikely.” There’s been no contact between the Brazil international’s camp and the Saudis since December, and the Pro League’s lead in those talks, then vice-chairman Saad Al Lazeez, has since moved on. In the meantime, talks between Vinícius and Madrid over a new contract have tentatively begun, with each party making an initial proposal in what’s likely to be a drawn-out, protracted negotiation that stretches into the summer.

But they’re a long way from closing a deal — ESPN has reported that Vinícius is in “no hurry” with his current contract running until 2027 — and that means there’s still room for another, unexpected twist in the saga. The 24-year-old’s indifferent form for much of this season hasn’t helped his case for a bumper new deal, and there’s no doubt that the forward has been superseded by Kylian Mbappé as the team’s leading star in the eyes of many, both inside and outside the club.

Where does Haaland fit into all this? Well, he’s a player who has been monitored by Madrid for a long time. They were one of the clubs visited by his father and agent in 2021, before opting to join City. ESPN reported in 2022 that Madrid were open to the possibility of bringing both Mbappé and Haaland to the Bernabéu. And there’s some logic to the idea of Vinícius departing, switching Mbappé to the left, and bringing in a more orthodox centre-forward to play through the middle.

But Haaland’s long-term contract at City would pose a problem, as would the player’s wage demands. And if Madrid have struggled to find balance to a team containing Mbappé, Vinícius, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo Goes this season, would swapping Vinícius for Haaland help much? Or would it only exacerbate their problems? Vinícius’ work-rate on the left has been scrutinised, and found wanting, this season, as the side have struggled defensively. Playing Mbappé on the wing wouldn’t be an upgrade.

Madrid president Florentino Pérez might dream about the idea of uniting Mbappé and Haaland, but there are significant obstacles to making it happen. And good luck to the coach — whether it’s Carlo Ancelotti or his successor — who would have to make it all work.

OTHER RUMORS

– Talks over a new contract between Arsenal and winger Bukayo Saka, with the Gunners closing in on a five-year deal that will secure the 23-year-old at the Emirates Stadium until the summer of 2030. (Nicolò Schira)

– Galatasaray insist they want to keep Victor Osimhen, who has scored 29 goals in 33 games during his season-long loan from Napoli, beyond this summer. (AS)

– Theo Hernández is set to enter the final year of his contract at AC Milan in the summer but wants to remain at the club and sign a new deal despite interest from the Saudi Pro League, (Calciomercato)

– Arsenal have no plans to sign Raheem Sterling on a permanent deal when his season-long loan from Chelsea ends this summer. (Football Insider)

– Genoa coach Patrick Vieira has denied reports that he has held talks with Roma to become their next manager, with Claudio Ranieri having already announced his intention to step down at the end of the season. (Sky Sports Italia)

– Joaquín Caparrós has returned to guide Sevilla for a fourth time to replace Javier García Pimienta, who was sacked following Friday’s 1-0 defeat at Valencia, Sevilla’s fourth straight league loss.(Sevilla FC)