Transfer rumors, news: Saudi league eyes Salah, Vinícius Jr. plus 50 more

The Saudi Pro League has big plans to sign Liverpool‘s Mohamed Salah and Real Madrid‘s Vinícius Júnior, while Liverpool see Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton as a great option but will face stiff competition. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

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TRENDING RUMORS

– The Saudi Pro League (SPL) wants to focus on signing Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior this summer, according to The Daily Telegraph. Meanwhile, TalkSPORT claims they have plans to bring in 50 “peak-age foreign players” and a host of older players as well. The report names Salah and Vinicius Jr. as well as Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski, and Manchester United midfielders Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro. Al Ittihad could be one club in particular that is set for a major revamp with star players N’Golo Kanté, Fabinho and Karim Benzema potentially leaving.

– Liverpool see Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton as an option for the summer transfer window if he becomes available, according to The Daily Mail. The 21-year-old could be the Eagles’ next big departure, after captain Marc Guéhi‘s £20 million move to Manchester City and the fact sources have told ESPN that star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta wants to leave. Even so, Liverpool will face competition from Real Madrid, Man United and a host of other top clubs for Wharton and will have to meet a valuation of around £80 million.

– Arsenal and Chelsea have held talks about a potential move for Atletico Madrid striker Julián Álvarez, according to TEAMtalk, with the 25-year-old growing increasingly frustrated by life at the Metropolitano Stadium. Alvarez’s preferred option would be to join Barcelona, and the Catalan club admire him, but their financial situation would complicate any potential deal. Paris Saint-Germain also like the Argentina international and are aware of his situation, while if Alvarez were to consider a move to the Premier League it would only be for a club based in London.

– Chelsea are considering a move to sign Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz on loan for the rest of the season, says The Athletic. Luiz, 27, is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest and, despite not being a regular starter at the City Ground, the Brazil international is viewed as a player who can add quality and depth to the Chelsea midfield. Luiz’s loan at Forest includes a conditional obligation to sign him permanently based on a set number of appearances and a €30 million option if that number isn’t hit.

– Following Manchester United’s announcement that Casemiro will leave Old Trafford when his contract expires this summer, The Daily Mail has reported that LA Galaxy is one of the clubs to have shown an interest in signing the midfielder. The 33-year-old reportedly has interest from the Saudi Pro League, Brazilian Serie A and MLS, but his preference is to remain in Europe, according to ESPN Brasil. Sources have also told ESPN that Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, Crystal Palace‘s Adam Wharton and Brighton & Hove Albion‘s Carlos Baleba are three of United’s options to replace him.

DONE DEALS

– Marseille have announced the signing of Feyenoord midfielder Quinten Timber.

EXPERT TAKE

ESPN’s Alex Kirkland and Gustavo Hofman look at recent Saudi interest in Vinícius Jr.

When the idea of Vinícius leaving Madrid was first raised as a serious possibility, his suitor wasn’t an English giant such as Manchester City or Chelsea, or a European superclub like PSG. It was the Saudi Pro League.

ESPN first reported in August 2024 that the Saudis had made an approach for Vinicius, and that the player’s camp were considering the proposal, rather than rejecting it out of hand. The figures being talked about were astronomical: an annual salary of up to €350 million. Madrid, who had just seen Vinícius be decisive in the 2024 Champions League final and viewed him as the Ballon d’Or elect, were not keen for him to leave, and pointed to his €1 billion release clause.

Later, in January 2025, ESPN reported that the Saudi interest remained, with a representative for the Saudi Public Investment Fund having contacted Vinícius’ camp a month earlier to maintain communication.However, by April, those early contacts had not been followed up. The Saudi lead in those talks, Saad Al Lazeez, was no longer with the SPL, and in the meantime, Madrid had initiated talks over a renewal.

Sources told ESPN that the Saudi option was not Vinícius’ preference, given the sporting considerations, and that a switch to the SPL was increasingly unlikely.

OTHER RUMORS

– Corinthians defender Iago Machado, 16, is being tracked by Arsenal. (Globo)

– A final decision regarding Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee is expected soon, with Roma among the clubs still wanting to sign the 24-year-old on loan. (Florian Plettenberg)

– Internazionale see Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario as the perfect replacement for Yann Sommer. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

– Fenerbahce have given the green light for Juventus to sign Youssef En-Nesyri on loan with an option to make the deal permanent. The package is worth €25 million plus bonuses and Juve are now in advanced talks with the striker. (Nicolo Schira)

– Juve haven’t given up on Jean-Philippe Mateta but have informed Crystal Palace that they won’t offer above €33 million for the striker. The proposal is a loan with an obligation to make the deal permanent if they qualify for the Champions League. (Nicolo Schira)

– PSV Eindhoven are reluctant to let winger Ivan Perisic join Internazionale, but the Nerazzurri‘s chances of completing a deal could improve if PSV don’t reach the Champions League playoffs. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

– Roma have made an offer to sign Al Shabab winger Yannick Carrasco on loan with an option to make the deal permanent. The 32-year-old would like to return to Europe but his wages could be an issue. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

– Bayer Leverkusen want to replace goalkeeper Mark Flekken, and the options being considered are Manchester City pair James Trafford and Stefan Ortega, plus Chelsea’s Filip Jorgensen. (Kicker)

– Crvena Zvezda midfielder Vasilije Kostov, 17, is being tracked by Arsenal in addition to receiving interest from Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. (Mirror)

– Barcelona have finalized a deal for 18-year-old Al Ahly striker Hamza Abdelkarim, with it being a loan with the option to sign him for up to €3m while that figure could rise to €5m due to performance-related bonuses. (Mundo Deportivo)

– Juventus view Sevilla full back Juanlu Sanchez as a back-up to Pierre Kalulu if the club are open to a loan with an option to make the deal permanent. (Sky Sports Italia)

– Toulouse have rejected Wolfsburg’s raised offer of €23 million to sign defender Charlie Cresswell as they want over €30 million. (Athletic)

– Roma, Nice and Marseille have asked for information about 18-year-old Chelsea full back Genesis Antwi. (TEAMtalk)

– Nottingham Forest have agreed a loan deal with Napoli for 6-foot-7 striker Lorenzo Lucca, which includes an option to make the deal permanent for around €40m. (Athletic)

– Cruzeiro winger Kaua Prates, 17, has reached an agreement in principle with Borussia Dortmund. (Nicolo Schira)