Tottenham Hotspur are hoping to complete a transfer for Chelsea‘s Mohamed Salah during the summer window, but the Blues would rather avoid selling to a direct Premier League rival, according to the latest rumours.

As reported by the London Evening Standard‘s Tom Collomosse, the Egypt international is likely to leave Stamford Bridge during the summer, and while Fiorentina are interested in turning his loan deal into a permanent move, Spurs will also be in the mix:

Tottenham are interested in bringing Mohamed Salah to White Hart Lane, though Chelsea would prefer to sell him abroad rather than strengthen a Premier League club and local rival.

Salah helped Basel knock Spurs out of the Europa League in 2013 and he did the same with Fiorentina earlier this year to eliminate Mauricio Pochettino’s men in the last 32.

[…] Fiorentina are keen to renew the agreement but Salah is thought to be looking at his options – and Inter boss Roberto Mancini would like his club to explore the situation.

The 23-year-old joined Fiorentina during the January transfer window after spending most of 2015 sitting on Chelsea’s bench, and he enjoyed an impressive start to his Serie A career, scoring almost at will in the first couple of weeks.

While he cooled down after that, he remained one of La Viola’s top performers, and he continued to impress with the national team. Salah could be a popular name during the summer transfer window, and following the sacking of manager Vincenzo Montella, he no longer wants to play for La Viola, per La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t FourFourTwo‘s Adam Digby):

Inter Milan are also interested, per Collomosse, and the Nerazzurri would make for an interesting fit as they continue their rebuild.

His days with Chelsea appear all but over, to the point Bleacher Report’s Andy Brassell didn’t even discuss the winger when he looked at which players the Blues should keep or sell during the summer:

Fans will argue he wasn’t given enough opportunities to prove himself with the Blues, but with so much competition for playing time out on the wing or right behind the striker, Salah simply couldn’t do enough to break into the starting XI.

It’s unlikely that would change in 2015-16, with the likes of Juan Cuadrado eager to impress.

A permanent move away from the club seems the only solution, and thanks to his fine form with Fiorentina and the national team, Salah’s value is high enough for the Blues to turn a nice profit on their initial investment.

Juventus Once Again Linked With Oscar

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegro recently admitted he loved what Chelsea midfielder Oscar brings to the table, per Metro‘s Sean Kearns, and those comments are once again fuelling speculation the Bianconero could launch a bid for the Brazil international.

As reported by Kearns, Allegri was asked whether he liked Oscar and said: “Very much. He is one of those players who can make a difference in Europe. I like Oscar. But I also like Isco, Javier Pastore, Angel Di Maria, Toni Kroos – all the best players from the Champions League.”

It’s important to note Allegri never brought up the subject himself―he simply replied to a reporter’s question.

The Bianconeri have a stacked midfield, with the likes of Paul Pogba, Arturo Vidal, Claudio Marchisio and Andrea Pirlo shining in the Champions League and Sami Khedira yet to join. Roberto Pereyra looked impressive on loan and is expected to move to Turin on a permanent basis, and youngster Stefano Sturaro also joined an excellent season for the Old Lady.

None of those players can play as a classic No. 10, however, and Allegri’s system has always relied heavily on such a creative force in midfield. ESPN FC’s Mina Rzouki believes Juventus need someone like Oscar and Isco to take the next step in Europe:

Oscar is a popular figure in Chelsea, however, and while inconsistency has plagued him at times, the Brazil international is still a young player growing as a footballer.

Manager Jose Mourinho might be tempted to sell the midfielder, but given his past contributions and obvious potential, the transfer fee would be high. And while Juventus don’t have to worry about their finances after winning four consecutive Serie A titles and making this year’s Champions League final, they’ve been relatively prudent with their transfer investments recently.

Some kind of swap involving Paul Pogba―their interest in the player is well-documented―would be a possibility, but keeping the France international in Turin beyond the summer is Juventus’ top priority, and unless Pogba himself demands a transfer, he’s unlikely to leave.

It’s hard to see how the finances would work out in any deal for Oscar, as the Bianconeri are unlikely to offer more than £30 million, and the Blues won’t settle for less.

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is “watching every move” in the Raheem Sterling scenario, and “will enter the bidding,” according to John Richardson of the Express.

Richardson also believes Real Madrid boss Rafa Benitez is “interested” in the wantaway Liverpool player but that Manchester City “remain the favourites” despite having a bid of an initial £25 million turned down. Interestingly, the Sun on Sunday (h/t Charles Perrin of the Express) suggests a sale needs to be made this summer if Liverpool are to receive anything like the £50 million they want for him.

Failure to do so could see Sterling’s valuation drop to £20 million next summer, noted in Perrin’s report. Sterling enters the final year of his contract in July 2016, per Transfermarkt, so it stands to reason that he would automatically be a cheaper purchase for any prospective buyers. This is without factoring in form; if he struggles during the 2015-16 season, he’ll knock significant cash from his potential fee.

As such, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is likely in two minds. The Northern Irishman has repeatedly stated that Sterling isn’t for sale, reported by James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo. However, cashing in would allow the boss to significantly improve his squad. Anywhere near £50 million could land Liverpool a star player who is far more established then Sterling or a couple of other top-quality purchases.

Keeping Sterling against his will and forcing him to perform could be disastrous for the club. It’s the kind of situation that helps nobody involved—prolonging the inevitable is likely to frustrate Sterling, Rodgers and the club’s fans. How are supporters going to react knowing he doesn’t want to sign a new contract?

Holding onto Sterling would be a financial risk, but the more damaging aspects could arrive in the form of a toxic atmosphere. At this point, Rodgers would be wish to cash in, move on and let someone else deal with the player.

He could spend some of the money on Inter Milan‘s Mateo Kovacic, a player who has allegedly agreed a £16.4 million deal to join the Anfield club, according to Tutto Mercato Web (h/t George Bellshaw of Metro).

The Croatian is a well-rounded midfielder who could play multiple positions for Rodgers. However, Tuttosport (h/t Marc Williams of the Daily Star) reports comments from the player that suggest he is still a long way from moving:

“For now I’m still happy in Italy, but we’ll see about the future,” said Kovacic. “There’s no need for us to talk, I recently renewed my contract. I’m not expecting any further notifications, but of course you never know with the transfer market.”

WhoScored.com recently looked at other options for Liverpool:

Kovacic is the type of signing who could make up for the loss of Sterling—exciting, young and eager to improve—but there’s no doubt the Merseyside club has a huge decision to make in the coming weeks. That is unless any side bids £50 million for Sterling. In which case, he should be shipped off immediately.

B/R UK’s Sam Tighe believes other changes should also be made:

Sterling put in a good performance during England’s 3-2 win over Slovenia on Sunday, but he’s far from justifying anything near his reported £50 million valuation. Even at £10 million less, he’d be extremely expensive.

Rodgers will know he faces a dilemma regardless—he’ll either have a disgruntled player to handle or a Sterling-shaped gap to fill—so it doesn’t help Liverpool to prolong the situation. Arsenal and Madrid’s interest may help drive up the 20-year-old’s price, and in turn, help the club transition away from this ongoing saga.

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Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly told Real Madrid he is set to continue his career at the club following the appointment of new manager Rafa Benitez, all but bringing an end to rumours of a potential transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.

The star forward never seemed likely to leave the Spanish capital, and per the Daily Mail‘s Rob Draper, reported issues with club president Florentino Perez won’t push Ronaldo out of the door:

Cristiano Ronaldo has told Real Madrid that he wants to stay at the club next season following the appointment of new manager Rafa Benitez.

Benitez has spoken to most key players since his appointment two weeks ago and Ronaldo, who scored a hat-trick for Portugal against Armenia on Saturday night, has reiterated his commitment to the new manager despite interest from Paris Saint-Germain and past tensions with Real President Florentino Perez.

As shared by BBC Sport, the Sunday Telegraph previously claimed the Portugal international could be on his way to France, as PSG were anxious to add him to their ranks:

Such a transfer never looked likely. Not only do the French giants have financial fair play to worry about, Les Parisiens simply don’t have the stature of Los Blancos. Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world, and he belongs at a club of Real’s caliber. PSG are a great club, but they sit a level below the 10-time European champions.

The 30-year-old finished his 2014-15 campaign with a fantastic performance for his country against Armenia, scoring a hat-trick to lead Portugal to a 3-2 win. Football writer Barney Ronay thought the star forward moved more freely than he does for Real, something Benitez undoubtedly spotted as well:

Under former manager Carlo Ancelotti, Ronaldo was a massive success, but Benitez has always relied heavily on his creative players up front and should be aiming to get the most out of Ronaldo.

Benitez loves his wingers, but according to AS (h/t Real Football Family), the former Napoli manager plans to move Ronaldo to the centre of the pitch and use him as a striker:

While Ronaldo has the sheer quality and body type to be successful as a striker―or anywhere else on the pitch for that matter―he has always been at his best as a wide man, cutting inside from the left wing and using his speed to run past defenders.

At the age of 30, Ronaldo has developed his playing style, and it seems like a risky decision to ask him to change that. Ronaldo is too talented a player not to build your system around, and in all likelihood, Benitez will continue playing him in a wider role, giving him the freedom to roam.

That leaves Karim Benzema as the logical choice to play the striker position unless the club goes after a new No. 9.

Mauro Icardi Reportedly Eyed

According to AS‘ Javier G. Matallanas, that striker could be Inter Milan‘s Mauro Icardi, who is next in the line of Real’s targets if a move for Manchester City‘s Sergio Aguero fails to materialise:

The Argentinian was last season’s joint-top scorer in Serie A with 22 goals and recently committed his future to the Nerazzurri, per Football Italia:

Inter are looking to build their team around the 22-year-old, and with a new contract under his belt, it seems unlikely he would consider leaving Milan during the summer.

The Nerazzurri have been in a downward spiral in recent years, however, and were hit with financial fair play sanctions earlier this year, reported by Sky Sports. If Los Blancos were truly keen to land the young forward, they could present his club with the kind of offer they simply couldn’t refuse, given their current situation.

Icardi is a favourite of Benitez, per Matallanas, and he has earned his stripes in Serie A. Like Benzema, he has a powerful build and reads the game very well, using his positioning and awareness to find the open spaces inside the box and finish chances.

He’s opportunistic in front of goal and rarely misses when he has space, and while he lacks the height of players such as Alvaro Morata and Fernando Llorente, he’s more than capable in the air. Icardi also isn’t a bad passer of the ball, although he falls well short of Benzema in that department.

Icardi likely wouldn’t start over Benzema, who has proved himself to be a world-class striker during his time with Los Blancos, but as a young backup and rotational player, the Inter man has a lot of value. He’s young and still has plenty of time to develop, and Real don’t currently have a backup for Benzema who brings the same kind of scoring touch as the Frenchman.

Convincing Inter to sell wouldn’t be easy, but for the right price, the Nerazzurri will be tempted to cash in and balance their books.

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Barcelona look set to sell two of their fringe players, with Chelsea on the brink of signing Alex Song and Martin Montoya keen on a move to Inter Milan.

Former Arsenal midfielder Song has spent the season on loan at West Ham, returning to London after his failed spell at the Camp Nou, and it now seems that Chelsea will extend the player’s stay in the capital.

David Wright of the Express says Song has “impressed” manager Jose Mourinho with his performances over the past 12 months, and the Blues coach is said to be willing to pay £6 million to add the player to his Premier League-winning squad.

Wright says Liverpool and Arsenal have also expressed interest in the Cameroon international—but Chelsea’s status as champions would surely give them the edge in any pursuit.

The 27-year-old was in top form for most of the season as the Hammers occupied the top half of the table, with Song featuring 28 times for the east London outfit, per Squawka.

And Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph says Song may yet remain at Upton Park, with the player said to be happy with new managerial appointment Slaven Bilic:

For a player of Song’s ability and age, and considering he still has two years on his current deal, per Wright, the £6 million price represents a bargain for prospective clubs.

However, it is clear that Song is surplus to requirements at the Catalan superclub, and the EPL is the obvious destination for the midfielder, who spent six seasons playing for the Gunners.

Alves Renewal Prompts Montoya Exit

Despite strong interest from a host of English clubs, it seems that Martin Montoya has his heart set on a move to the San Siro to join Inter Milan.

Izzy Horsefield of the Express says the defender will snub Arsenal and Liverpool in favour of a transfer to the Serie A giants.

Horsefield quotes the player’s agent, Juan de Dios Carrasco, speaking to FCInterNews about his client’s hopes and ambitions for the coming season:

Next week we will have a meeting with Barcelona and hear what they have to say. Obviously, Martin would like to play more consistently. Before saying one way or the other, I want to first talk to the club, but as I repeat he wants to be a starting player. We’ll know much more on the situation next week. Inter would certainly be a welcome destination, especially if he’d be used as a regular starter. We are talking about a great club.

The continued selection of Alves, who appeared to be on his way out of the club before renewing his deal, has stifled Montoya’s progress at the Camp Nou.

Montoya started only seven games in La Liga and the Champions League during the recent campaign, per WhoScored.com, and with Alves remaining, his starting opportunities will remain limited. 

Both Song and Montoya are strong squad-playing individuals but are also too good to sit on the bench for extended periods. Barcelona’s strength and depth is at an optimum at the moment, and both players will be successes at other clubs.

Song is a credible defensive talent and the perfect holding midfielder in the right team. However, a transfer to Chelsea would cause him similar issues—with time on the bench guaranteed behind the likes of Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas.

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