Friday's Transfer Bulletin: Football rumours, gossip as Sean Dyche is linked with Crystal Palace


The latest news, rumours and market moves as the summer transfer window swings open and the managerial merry-go-round picks up pace.

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1815: Sky sources suggest that Swindon are closing in on Teddy Sheringham while Kenny Jackett has been appointed as boss of Portsmouth.

You can check out the stories so far here and here.

1745: Sky Bet have suspended betting on the next Swindon boss with Teddy Sheringham backed at short odds for the position. 

Meanwhile, AC Milan have been backed in to 8/13 to sign Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, with Chelsea (5/1) and Manchester United (8/1) on the drift.

1600: Look away Burnley fans, it is the start of the news that you must fear most, Sean Dyche potentially leaving this summer.

Various media sources are suggesting he is interested in the Crystal Palace vacancy, presumably prompting the gamble which has season a Selhurst Park swap cut from 6/4 to 4/5.

The 45-year-old's stock is high after leading the Clarets to promotion and then comfortably keeping them in the Premier League, despite having the league’s least expensively constructed squad.

He would  presumably have greater funds to work with in charge of the Eagles but higher expectations and less stability, with their next appointment being a 10th since the turn of the decade.

However, prized asset Wilfried Zaha has committed his future to the club, while there’s little to suggest the Clarets are set for a summer of spending.

Indeed, Burnley are 11/8 third favourites for relegation, with only Premier League debutants Huddersfield and Brighton shorter odds for the drop, while Palace are 9/2 to go down.

In other developments, Sky Bet have pulled their market on Manchester City signing Benjamin Mendy, with the Monaco left-back just 1/12 to join. A fee of around £40m has been suggested.

Betting has also been suspended on the next Portsmouth manager with Kenny Jackett just 1/20 for the post.

1415: One of those transfer days about what won't happen.

Napoli forward Dries Mertens has signed a new contract and that looks set to end interest from Chelsea.

He told Sky Sports News HQ: "Yes there was interest [from Chelsea], and from other clubs also, but in my head there was never an intention to change clubs.

"This season was really good. I am going to try and be even better next year.

"Yes there is a buyout clause. But I'm happy at Napoli and I want to stay. I really like Italy. I am good there and they treat me good." 

1345: Monaco are fighting to keep a number of their star players this summer but at least they know that Radamel Falcao will still be with the club next season.

The former Chelsea and Manchester United loanee has signed a three-year contract extension after returning to form in Ligue 1 this term.

"I am pleased to continue my adventure at AS Monaco," Falcao said. 

"After this unbelievable season in which I got back to my best, all I wanted was to keep this great story going.

"I'm convinced that this project will be just as exciting next season as we aim for the best." 

1240: The latest transfer rumours coming out of Old Trafford add to contrasting pictures being painted in terms of the two Manchester clubs.

It’s obviously very early day, with the transfer window still not open, but it’s looking like a potentially frustrating summer for United, whereas City have flown out of the blocks in their pursuit of targets.

United are reportedly now turning their attentions to Real Madrid defender Rafael Varane, who looks an ambitious target, after their interest in Antoine Griezmann ‘cooled’.

Sky Bet give them a 7/2 chance of landing the former of the two Frenchman, while the odds on the latter have drifted out to 11/4 from as short as 1/10.

They are also odds-against to prize Eric Dier away from Tottenham, 8/1 to sign Alvaro Morata, 3/1 for Andrea Belotti, 11/8 to sign Danny Rose and 6/5 to bring in James Rodriguez.

One player they are odds-on to land is Ivan Perisic, but the Croatian is also reportedly of interest to champions Chelsea, who head for the betting for Romelu Lukaku, reportedly another United target.

Most concerning for United is that three-time fans’ Player of the Year David de Gea remains odds-on to join Real Madrid this summer.

From the 67 transfer betting markets they are in, the only two other players who are odds-on to arrive at Old Trafford are defenders Michael Keane and Victor Lindelof – hardly the summer revolution fans had hoped of after their sixth-place finish.

In contrast, their noisy neighbours have already agreed a few for goalkeeper  Ederson, unveiled Bernardo Silva and are well odds-on to land Benjamin Mendy and Kyle Walker. 

Meanwhile, Newcastle have been backed into 2/5 favourites to land Tammy Abraham from Chelsea, with a loan deal looking the most likely prospect.

1115: Get ready for plenty of Sky Sources during the summer, they understand Manchester United are interested in signing the Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane.

Don't think there will be anything soon on that deal with the Champions League final still to be played.

1050: Punters are seemingly convinced by the aforemention suggestions, with assistant manager Pep Clotet backed into 6/5 favourite for the Leeds job as Aitor Karanka drifts to 15/8 with Sky Bet.

1010: They say the bookies are rarely wrong, with manager markets often offering clarity in the guessing game of management vacancies, but the Leeds boss betting is being challenged this morning.

Yorkshire Evening Post’s Lee Sobot insists that Aitor Karanka is not being considered in his 'exclusive', despite the Spaniard being considered odds-on favourite across the board since Garry Monk’s departure.

Sobot claims that the links are little more than lazy maths, with the appointment of Middlesbrough’s former head of recruitment Victor Orta as the new director of football at Elland Road equating to an unsubstantiated pursuit of Karanka.

The Spaniard brought Orta to the Riverside following his appointment, but Sobot says that there’s little to indicate that the favour will be repaid.

That leaves us with the option to back an odds-against chance for the next Leeds manager, with assistant boss Pep Clotet and Leicester legend Claudio Ranieri 7/2 second favourites. All other options are 14/1 or longer. 

Unfortunately, Sobot’s insight stops short of telling us who is in the running, but he also dismisses Simon Grayson and Michael Laudrup from contention.

One piece of confirmation coming out of Leeds is that Hadi Sacko has made his loan move from Sporting permanent with a three-year deal.

What we can take from that deal is that whoever does take charge at Elland Road is unlikely to control transfers, likely to be the source of Monk’s frustration.

0915: Roma have rejected a £28million bid from Liverpool for Mohamed Salah, Sky in Italy understand. 

The former Chelsea midfielder netted 15 goals in Serie A last season. Plenty of competition at Anfield for forward places though, could Philippe Coutinho be linked with a move away?

0810: Antoine Griezmann was the main man in the Transfer Bulletin yesterday.

The Atletico Madrid forward appears to be going nowhere, tweeting (translated from Spanish to English: "Now more than ever #Atleti #All together." 

Have a read of the full story.

0730: Welcome to the opening of Friday's Transfer Bulletin.

Paper Talk is already out so get the latest rumours and this story contains all of this summer's transfer speculation.

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