Napoli defender Kim Min-jae, right, has been linked with a move to Manchester United but Bayern Munich are now favourites for his signature. AP
Napoli defender Kim Min-jae, right, has been linked with a move to Manchester United but Bayern Munich are now favourites for his signature. AP
Napoli defender Kim Min-jae, right, has been linked with a move to Manchester United but Bayern Munich are now favourites for his signature. AP
Napoli defender Kim Min-jae, right, has been linked with a move to Manchester United but Bayern Munich are now favourites for his signature. AP

Arsenal agree terms with Kai Havertz, Bayern close on Kim Min-jae deal


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Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Kai Havertz and hope to complete a deal following the international break, writes Fabrizio Romano. The Chelsea forward is reportedly keen on the move, with Romano suggesting that the Gunners will submit a fresh bid for the German international after having their first offer rejected. Havertz endured a frustrating season with the Blues, scoring nine goals in 47 appearances, and the club are open to selling in order to fund summer signings.

Kim Min-jae and Bayern Munich are close to finalising an agreement that will see the Napoli defender sign a five year deal, reports Fabrizio Romano. The Bavarian club will wait until July 1 to activate the South Korean’s €50 million release clause, with the defender preparing to sign for the Bundesliga champions, unless a bigger offer emerges elsewhere. Min-jae has also been linked with Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United, though the Red Devils look to have missed out on the 26-year-old.

Kalidou Koulibaly has agreed the major terms of his contract with Al Hilal, and has given the Saudi Ministry of Sports the greenlight to the move, reports journalist Rudy Galetti. The Senegal international struggled for consistent minutes at Chelsea last season, starting just 20 games, which has left the 31-year-old eager to depart Stamford Bridge this summer. Galetti suggests that Al Hilal are confident of securing a deal, but they will likely have to dig deep into their pockets to fund the transfer, with Koulibaly under contract until 2026.

Liverpool and Newcastle are reported to be in the market to sign Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram, right. AFP
Liverpool and Newcastle are reported to be in the market to sign Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram, right. AFP

Newcastle United are looking to join rivals Liverpool in the pursuit of Khephren Thuram, report Football Insider. The Magpies hold an interest in Inter Millan midfielder Nicolo Barella, but the report reveals that Newcastle will look to Thuram as an alternative, following little progress over a potential deal for Barella. While Inter are looking for £70 million to part ways with the midfielder, it is believed that £35 million could suffice for Thuram, who has impressed for Nice, netting two goals and eight assists across all competitions last season.

Liverpool are monitoring the situation of Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze, according to journalist Ekrem Konur. The 24-year-old enjoyed a promising season with the Eagles, netting ten goals, alongside four assists in the Premier League, and made his England debut as a substitute in their 4-0 win over Malta on Friday. The Merseysiders are admirers of the attacking-midfielder but Eze is under contract at Selhurst Park until 2025, and the south London outfit are under no financial pressure to sell.

Gleison Bremer is attracting the attention of Manchester United and Chelsea, however, Juventus will demand a huge fee, according to Calciomercato. The centre-back joined the Turin giants last summer, and endured a positive first season with the club, however, the report reveals that Juventus will listen to offers for the 26-year-old, if they receive a bid in excess of €60 million. Manchester United are believed to be in the market for a centre-back, after Bayern Munich hijacked their approach for Kim Min-jae, however, €60 millon could prove too high for the Red Devils, while Chelsea are unlikely to be dragged into overspending, as the Blues look to cut costs this summer.

Chelsea are keen to offload Romelu Lukaku to Saudi Arabia, report Calciomercato. The report reveals that alongside the Belgian forward, Chelsea hope Kalidou Koulibaly, Hakim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy can be sold this summer, however, the sale of Lukaku to Saudi Arabia looks unlikely. The 30-year-old spent last season on loan at Inter Milan, and the report suggests that Lukaku would be willing to turn down offers from Saudi Arabia, in order to return to Inter on a permanent basis.

The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km

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Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

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Price: Dh1,050,000

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Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?

The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.

Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.

“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.

The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.

The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.

Bloomberg

Updated: June 19, 2023, 9:30 AM