Chelsea put whole squad up for sale, Haaland contract update: FootballTransfer recap

Robin Bairner

• 19 Apr 2023 23:11 BST
• 4 min read

Chelsea’s Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid was Tuesday’s headline news, yet the fallout from that defeat, which has consigned the Blues to a season of misery, is set to be felt for the months ahead.

If Chelsea’s exit from Europe has prompted fresh speculation over what comes next at Stamford Bridge, Manchester City’s progress to another semi-final in part thanks to Erling Haaland has led to questions over the Norway international’s future.

And Manchester United, too, have ambitions to become Europe’s leading force and are making definitive strides in the transfer window to ensure they are more competitive next season.

Here’s how an eventful day of transfer news has broken down.

Chelsea put whole squad up for sale

FootballTransfers has exclusively revealed that Chelsea will not rule out the sale of any of their first-team players in the summer as they try to undo the damage of a miserable season.

Haaland close to new Man City contract

Manchester City are closing in on a new contract for Erling Haaland, who saw a release clause in his current deal nullified when Pep Guardiola signed fresh terms with the club.

Haaland later scored in Man City’s 1-1 draw away against Bayern Munich but missed just a third penalty in his career. His record from the spot, though, remains impeccable.

De Gea close to Man Utd contract

According to Fabrizio Romano, David de Gea is close to securing a new contract with Man Utd. Only the details need to be finalised.

United have also been involved in “concrete” links with Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana, although this could be as a backup option or as a failsafe if the De Gea talks break down.

Messi one step closer to Barcelona?

With Lionel Messi increasingly linked with a return to Barcelona, PSG have reportedly picked their preferred option to replace the World Cup winner.

Barcelona feel confident Messi can command a brand value even greater than Nike's Air Jordan.

Zaha rejects Ronaldo chance to join Arsenal

Wilfried Zaha is set to turn down the chance to join Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr and will instead move to Arsenal in the summer on a free transfer.

Liverpool’s midfield preference revealed

Liverpool’s three leading targets to strengthen their midfield in the summer have been named by Fabrizio Romano.