Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Transfer Rumours: Paul Pogba to Al-Ittihad, Nat Phillips to Leeds, Callum Doyle to Leicester

sportsmole.co.uk, 12 July 2023, 09:42
Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba is the latest high-profile name being targeted by clubs in Saudi Arabia, according to a report.

The 30-year-old returned to the Serie A club on a free transfer from Manchester United last summer, but troublesome knee and muscle injuries forced him to miss the majority of last season, featuring just 10 times in all competitions.

Pogba still has three years remaining on his Juve contract, but Sky Sports Italia claims that the Frenchman could leave the club this summer after receiving a three-year contract offer from Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad worth €100m (£85.6m).

The report details how Pogba visited the sports facilities of Al-Ittihad during a recent trip to Saudi Arabia before returning to Turin on Monday.

Al-Ittihad have already signed two of Pogba's French compatriots this summer in the form of Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante on free transfers, while they have also forked out £25m to sign Portuguese winger Jota from Celtic.

Over in England, Championship club Leeds United are interested in signing Liverpool defender Nat Phillips, according to a report.

The 26-year-old made just four first-team appearances for the Reds in all competitions last season and he is deemed surplus to requirements under manager Jurgen Klopp.

According to The Sun, Leeds are looking to recruit Phillips on loan this summer, but Liverpool would prefer a sale.

The Whites, now managed by Daniel Farke, are in the market for defensive reinforcements after allowing centre-backs Diego Llorente and Robin Koch to join Roma and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively on loan.

Phillips has previously experienced two spells away from Liverpool on loan, spending the 2019-20 season in Germany with Stuttgart before joining Bournemouth in January 2022.

Staying in the Championship, Leicester City are reportedly closing in on the loan signing of Manchester City defender Callum Doyle.

The 19-year-old, who is yet to make his senior debut for the Citizens, enjoyed a successful season-long spell with Coventry City last season, making 44 league appearances including a start in the Championship playoff final defeat to Luton Town.

The Daily Mail reports that Leicester are set to complete the signing of Doyle on a temporary basis, but there will be no option to buy included in the deal as Man City still rate the teenager highly.

Newly-appointed Foxes head coach Enzo Maresca is familiar with a plethora of Man City players in the first team and academy having previously served as Pep Guardiola's assistant at the Etihad Stadium.

Doyle, an England Under-20 international, is set to become Leicester's third signing of the summer after Conor Coady and Harry Winks, who have moved to the King Power Stadium on permanent deals from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.

Meanwhile, Manchester United left-back Alex Telles has ruled out a summer transfer to Portuguese giants Benfica.

The 30-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Europa League winners Sevilla, is expected to depart Old Trafford on a permanent basis this summer having fallen behind Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia in the pecking order.

Telles has been linked with a number of European teams including Benfica, but he has insisted that a summer move to the Primeira Liga champions is not on the cards as it would damage the "legacy" he built with former club Porto, where he spent four years between 2016 and 2020 before joining Man United.

Speaking on the Denilson Show, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News, Telles said: "I have an opinion about this. Going back to that subject I told you about leaving a legacy at the club.

"When you play for a club and leave a legacy, leave a good image, fought so hard to play and leave a good image... I, Alex, would not play for the rival, for example. Because, for example, I made history at Porto, everyone likes me there. There's no way to play for Benfica, you know?"

Before temporarily joining Sevilla last year, Telles made 50 appearances for Man United in all competitions, scoring once and providing eight assists.

Top News

25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur defender Sergio Reguilon is allegedly hoping to agree to the mutual termination of his contract. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ruben Amorim will look to claim his first win as Manchester United head coach when his side welcome Bodo/Glimt to Old Traffordfor Thursday's Europa League contest. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been accused of 'thinking about himself' by fellow club legend Jamie Carragher. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk On matchday five of the Champions League, Dinamo Zagreb will welcome inconsistent Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund to Stadion Maksimir on Wednesday. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Jamie Carragher has revealed he's been left 'very disappointed' by Mohamed Salah after he delivered a huge Liverpool contract update. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has revealed he played over an hour with a broken ankle against Manchester City. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Austrian champions Sturm Graz are set to welcome Spanish side Girona to Worthersee Stadion on Wednesday in their fifth Champions League fixture of the season. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Curtis Jones currently tops an important midfield metric thanks to an impressive season with Liverpool thus far. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Millwall will look to extend their eight-game unbeaten run when they travel to Fratton Park for Wednesday's Championship clash with Portsmouth. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk No doubt one of the most eagerly-awaited battles of the 2024-25 Champions League, six-time winners Liverpool and 15-time champions Real Madrid collide in Wednesday's mouthwatering Anfield showdown. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona will be aiming to return to winning ways when they host Brest in the Champions League on Tuesday night. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bayern Munich will welcome Paris Saint-Germain to Allianz Arena in the Champions League on Tuesday night. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk At risk of a scarcely believable sixth straight loss in all competitions, a wounded Manchester City take on Feyenoord in the Champions League league phase on Tuesday. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fresh from a first Premier League victory in weeks, Arsenal's next Champions League quest on Tuesday night sees them visit a Sporting Lisbon side who have won a staggering 14 home games on the spin. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven welcome Shakhtar Donetsk to the Philips Stadion on matchday five of the Champions League this wednesday. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Strong starters Monaco welcome an in-form Benfica side to the Stade Louis II on matchday five of the Champions League on Wednesday night. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly included defender Kieran Tierney in their travelling squad for Tuesday night's Champions League clash at Sporting Lisbon. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Luka Modric has named a star-studded six-a-side team of footballing legends but there's no room for Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City's Champions League encounter with Feyenoord at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday is "a must-win for many reasons", Citizens expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has told Sports Mole. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have received a double injury boost ahead of Tuesday night's Champions League clash with Feyenoord at the Etihad. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Resuming their debut Champions League campaign, Aston Villa will tackle Serie A giants Juventus on Wednesday evening, when Unai Emery must make a couple of big selection calls. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Istanbul Basaksehir and Petrocub Hincesti are winless in this season's Conference League heading into Wednesday's matchday four encounter at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reeling after a run of five consecutive defeats, an unprecedented run of poor form under manager Pep Guardiola, who watched his team suffer a heavy 4-0 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League last weekend. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reeling after a run of five consecutive defeats, an unprecedented run of poor form under manager Pep Guardiola, who watched his team suffer a heavy 4-0 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League last weekend. 25 November 2024 talksport.com A non-league side have been able to see the funny side after their pitch was left underwater by Storm Bert. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal are reportedly prepared to reject any offers for William Saliba, who is attracting interest from Real Madrid. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Premier League clubs are not renowned for their patience when firing managers, and we've just had our second sacking of 2024/25. 25 November 2024 talksport.com Liverpool have the chance to go 11 points clear of Premier League champions Manchester City when the two sides meet this weekend. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City are reportedly involved in the race for the services of Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, with Chelsea keen on the player. 25 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Turkish giants Besiktas are reportedly interested in signing Fulham winger Adama Traore in the January transfer window.