Matteo Moretto Transfer Column: Samu Omorodion, Alexander Sorloth, Vitor Roque and Jules Kounde
Matteo Moretto gives Football España exclusive information on the latest business dominating the newspapers in Spain, as revealed in Daily Briefing by Fabrizio Romano.
AC Milan and Tottenham Hotspur will again discuss the transfer of Emerson Royal next week. There is a desire on both sides to close the negotiation, so that bodes well for the move going forward. As for the fee, Spurs have asked for 20 million euros, and they will be close to getting that, the final sum should be slightly less than that.
A sign of being close is that the Brazilian defender has already planned his life in Milan for next season. The deal is in the process of closing, Emerson already has a complete agreement with Milan on personal terms for a long-term contract.
After Atletico Madrid's initial interest this summer in Alexander Sorloth, Rome they are now in permanent contact with the Villarreal striker's agent to reach an agreement on personal terms.
The most complicated part of this will be the negotiation with the Spanish club, because Villarreal does not want to change the amount of the clause, which has been reported by other outlets at 38 million euros. Roma intend to try to reduce the fee from that release clause, but new contacts are expected between the two clubs in the coming days, and we will see if Roma manage to do so.
At the moment, I am not aware that Arsenal have Barcelona and France defender Jules Kounde in mind for a transfer this summer. Arsenal are currently focused on Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori, and are willing to complete a deal for him for around €50m, so Kounde is not a name that is realistically being considered for the Gunners at the moment.
As for Barcelona and potential moves in defence, Uruguayan defender Ronaldo Araujo is one to watch. He only picked up an injury in the Copa America that kept him out for some time, though Araujo's situation has yet to be resolved, and Barcelona will have to think about what to do with him, with or without contract renewal. The club has been in talks with his agents since the beginning of the year, but they have yet to reach an agreement.
Despite his agent Andre Cury saying he would leave for a permanent deal or play, the option of him going out on loan is not off the table. Depending on how the next few weeks go – Barcelona return to pre-season training next week – there are still interested teams waiting to see what happens, and they could have the chance to take Roque. However, the president of Barcelona, Joan Laporta, has blocked any decision for the moment, he will refer to Flick's verdict on the matter before any movement.
That being said, we have to tell it like it is – Chelsea are certainly still on the lookout about his situation, as he is a player that the Chelsea board and their new manager Enzo Maresca absolutely love. We will have to wait and see if there is anything new.
Matteo Moretto will be back with more transfer news in the coming days, providing exclusive information on the biggest stories in Spain and Italy.
