Transfer rumors, news: Man United eye River Plate star Mastantuono

Manchester United are closing in on Matheus Cunha, while the Red Devils will battle Manchester City for FC Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors and gossip from around the globe.

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TRENDING RUMORS

- Manchester United are getting closer to reaching an agreement with Wolves forward Matheus Cunha, as reported by the Daily Mail, with Newcastle United having provided the main competition for the 25-year-old. The Red Devils still need to trigger Cunha's £62.5m release clause but are hopeful of having terms in place by next month, with the Brazilian being swayed by the prospect of playing a key role in Ruben Amorim's squad revamp.

- FC Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa is Man United's preferred target as they look to replace André Onana, reports Portuguese outlet Correio da Manha. Several Premier League clubs are interested in the 25-year-old, including Manchester City. United sent scouts to watch the goalkeeper in action against Famalicão on Friday. City are reported to be ready to pay €58m for Costa, who has a €75m release clause in a contract which runs to 2027. Porto hope a transfer bidding war will push the price up, but want Costa to stay for this summer's Club World Cup.

- Arsenal want to move quickly to complete a deal for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyökeres and talks have opened, reports Football Insider. Gyökeres, who has scored 47 goals in 46 games this season, has now moved ahead of Benjamin Sesko and Victor Osimhen to be the Gunners' No. 1 target. The 26-year-old is expected to move on in the summer and is linked with several top European clubs. The former Coventry City man could be available for around £55m.

- Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap has emerged as an option for Arsenal as they aim to sign a striker, according to Football Transfers, with Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins also on their shortlist. Delap is seen as a player who could be a rotational option to be brought in alongside Sporting CP's Viktor Gyökeres.

- Franco Mastantuono, 17, has emerged as a transfer target for Man United, according to The Sun. The River Plate midfielder, who would be eligible to move to England once he turns 18 in August, has a release clause worth £38m. The Argentina under-20 international, who has been compared in style to Man City's Phil Foden, is also being watched by Atlético Madrid, Barcelona and Internazionale.

EXPERT TAKE

Dale Johnson takes a look at Matheus Cunha with sources telling ESPN that Manchester United are exploring the possibility of triggering his Wolves release clause.

Matheus Cunha was something of an enigma when arriving at Wolves two years ago.

The Brazil international was signed from Atlético Madrid on loan, with an obligation to make the move permanent after certain clauses were met for a fee which could rise to £35m.

It's fair to say Cunha didn't exactly suggest he would be value for money when he was on loan, scoring only two goals and providing zero assists in 17 Premier League appearances.

He then started last season slowly, but over the last 16 months has been one of the most productive players in the Premier League, scoring 23 goals and setting up another nine. He's already netted 13 times in this campaign, one more than his tally for 2023-24.

So on those numbers alone, it's easy to see why the bigger clubs have begun to sit up and take notice, and why Wolves sealed a contract extension in January. But the release clause of just £62.5m means Wolves merely secured a set fee for the summer.

And he's become more clinical, too. The 12 goals in the last campaign came from an xG of 9.55, while this season he has 14 goals from an xG of just 7.32. His minutes per goal is down from 204.4 to 161.0.

However, his discipline must be a concern. After escaping with just a two-match ban for snatching the glasses off the face of a member of the Ipswich staff in December, he was then banned for four games after losing his cool when sent off at the end of the FA Cup defeat at Bournemouth last month.

OTHER RUMORS

- Chelsea's obligation to sign Jadon Sancho from Manchester United for £25m has been triggered, because the Blues cannot finish lower than 15th in the Premier League. However, Chelsea could yet pay a £5m penalty fee to remove the clause and send the player back to Old Trafford. (The Athletic)

- Feyenoord's €40m-rated David Hancko is being tracked by several clubs ahead of a potential summer transfer. Juventus are interested but face competition for the 27-year-old centre-back from Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Everton. (TMW)

- Paris Saint-Germain will look to agree a new contract with 19-year-old attacker Désiré Doué amid interest from Manchester City. (Sky Sport Switzerland)

- Internazionale have made Marseille winger Luis Henrique a priority for the summer transfer window and have already reached a verbal agreement with the 23-year-old (Foot Mercato)

- Tottenham Hotspur could make a move for Chelsea defender Renato Veiga, and the 21-year-old might be available for £30m. The Portugal international, who is on loan at Juventus for the second half of this season, joined Chelsea from FC Basel for £12m last summer, meaning the club could bank a quick profit for the accounts. (Football Insider)

- Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are both interested in Lazio defender Mario Gila. The 24-year-old could be available for a fee of €40m-45m. (CaughtOffside)

- France under-20 international Mathis Amougou, 19, is being lined up to join Strasbourg on loan from Chelsea when Andrey Santos returns to Stamford Bridge in the summer. (L'Équipe)

- Strasbourg captain Habib Diarra will leave the club in the summer, with the 21-year-old midfielder being watched by Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton. (L'Équipe)

- Strasbourg could also swap Chelsea goalkeeper loanees, with Filip Jörgensen or Mike Penders moving to France when Djordje Petrovic heads back to London. (L'Équipe)

- Another Strasbourg player is attracting Premier League interest. Dutch forward Emanuel Emegha, 22, is wanted by Newcastle United. (L'Équipe)

- Barcelona are preparing a fresh move to sign Bernardo Silva from Manchester City this summer. The 30-year-old has been linked with a switch to Camp Nou for several windows, but there are still doubts that the Catalan club could make it work financially. (GiveMeSport)

- Werder Bremen are monitoring Julian Brandt and the attacking midfielder's Borussia Dortmund contract expiring in 2026. A move to Bremen is still deemed to be unlikely as Brandt would have to accept a significant pay cut, but he has previously shared his desire to join them. (Sky Sports Deutschland)

- Borussia Dortmund have already made contact with the representatives of Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Robin Koch. The 28-year-old's contract includes a clause that could see him leave in the summer for €18m-€20m, although Dortmund's chances of signing the Germany international will be reduced if they fail to qualify for the Champions League. (Sky Sports Deutschland)

- AC Milan and Napoli are both watching Bologna winger Riccardo Orsolini. I Rossoblu see the 28-year-old as a key player for the club, and they have already turned down an offer of €18m plus Noah Okafor on loan, which was made during the January transfer window. (Nicolo Schira)

- Manchester United wing-back Harry Amass is likely to attract a lot of interest for a loan move for next season. The 18-year-old, who has made seven first-team appearances this season, is likely to play in the Championship. (GiveMeSport)

- Jamie Vardy is considering a move to MLS when his Leicester City contract expires in the summer. (The Sun)