"Full agreement completed" - Fabrizio Romano confirms reported Manchester United and Chelsea target is set to join Marseille
Reported Manchester United and Chelsea target Jonathan Clauss is set to complete a move to Olympique de Marseille, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The French right-back has been linked with the Red Devils and the Blues in the past week, but the Italian transfer expert has called those claims "wide off the mark." RC Lens have apparently accepted a fee of €8m with a medical lined up today, July 19.
The bid was submitted earlier this month and the player is now set to join the Ligue 1 giants after a breakthrough season in France. Clauss racked up five goals and 11 assists in 37 games during the last campaign.
This display not only won him his first international cap for France, but also the admiration of some of Europe's top clubs.
While links to Manchester United have now been rubbished by Romano, Nizaar Kinsella of Goal claimed last month that Chelsea were interested in the 29-year-old defender.
🤝 #OM 
Jonathan Clauss will undergo medical tests as new OM player in the morning. Full agreement completed after the opening bid made 10 days ago, Lens have accepted €8m fee. ⚪️🔵🤝 #OM
Manchester United links, wide of mark - he's joining OM. https://t.co/3w4os5vvZN
It is easy to see why the former Arminia Bielefeld right-back was linked with Manchester United. Erik ten Hag has a dearth of quality options down that side, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot arguably not the cream of the crop in Europe.
For Chelsea, any potential move would have hardly made sense unless Clauss was ready to become a back-up to Reece James. At 29, the Frenchman's career is peaking late and he would understandably want to make the most of his prime years.
With a spot on Les Bleus' plane to Qatar still up for grabs, Clauss would want to make France's 26-men shortlist for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Regular playing time at the club level is of utmost importance in that regard.
At OM, he is likely to battle Spanish full-back Pol Lirola for starts down the right-hand side of their defense.
Manchester United and Chelsea handed Endrick update as Palmeiras place €40m price tag
Both Manchester United and Chelsea have been linked with a move for 15-year-old Palmeiras striker Endrick by The Sun. Now, it is said that a bid of around €40m could be enough to land the highly-rated teenage striker.
@endrickiiQuinta feira (21) é aniversário dele... 👀 @endrickii
https://t.co/2NvoWqoAnt
Speaking in a video on YouTube (h/t SportWitness), journalist Jorge Nicola claimed that Palmeiras have taken a decision on Endrick's future. The striker will soon turn 16, and the Brazilian club are willing to accept a bid of around €40m for a player they believe is 'super valued' right now.
The fee being quoted above is close to the player's current release clause. Paying such a large amount in transfer fees for a player that hasn't even made his senior debut for Palmeiras could be seen as risky.
But if the youngster continues to develop on the same curve, he could prove to be a smart buy down the line. However, it remains to be seen if both teams will spend such an amount on a player that will not immediately strengthen their first-team set-up.