La Liga Leaks: Bale trouble, Neymar to sign new deal & Real bid for Juve striker

As we move into Wednesday the transfer speculation has died down a little bit but you sense we’re riding the calm before the storm as everyone would ideally like to get business done before the Euros start. Of course, that’s easier said than done – especially when you factor in there’s an Olympics and a Copa America tournament to contend with as well. Here’s what they’re saying in Spain.

One of the main stories doing the rounds this morning is Carlo Ancelotti’s comments on Gareth Bale in his new book. He was called to a meeting with club president Florentino Perez, who had spoken with Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett, after the player told him he wanted a more central role in the side. “Florentino asked me what I was going to do and I told him: ‘Nothing, because I can’t change the system at this moment in the season’.” Ancelotti was bemused the player hadn’t gone to him directly. “I believe I’m more qualified than his agent or the president to know how to best use him.”

A story from Italy has also caused a stir over here as a reported ‘MEGA OFFER’ from Real Madrid for a Juventus striker has been rejected – but it wasn’t for Alvaro Morata. No, instead the offer was for his teammate Paulo Dybala. The player himself is quoted as saying: “(Juventus president) Marotta doesn’t want to sell me and I want to stay.” The same might not be the case for Morata, who has a fixed buyback clause that it appears Real Madrid will take up this summer ahead of a potential transfer ban.

Also in Italy they’re convinced Arsenal are pushing hard to sign Morata and that the Gooners are willing to part with up to €65m in order to get the move done. Real Madrid have a €30m buyback clause, as mentioned earlier, that they plan to activate but it remains to be seen if they could then be tempted to sell him on for a big profit in order to fund a move for another striker, say like Robert Lewandowski.

Catalan radio reported late last night that Neymar Jr has reached an agreement ‘in principle’ on a contract extension with Barcelona until 2021. The announcement could happen in the next coming days as a way to ease the fans’ fear of losing one of the team’s key players - Manchester United and PSG have been linked with €150m+ moves for the Brazilian starlet. It won’t be officially signed off until after the Olympic Games however.

How can they do that when the club’s finances are in such a bad state? Well, it seems the answer could actually be Nike. The American company are reportedly set to confirm a new record €100m-per-season deal with Barcelona which is slightly more than the €96m-per-season deal Manchester United signed with Adidas back in 2014.

Speculation continues to surround the future of James Rodriguez for next season but it appears, if French outlet Le10 Sport are correct, that Real Madrid have already identified a potential replacement: Dimitri Payet. The Frenchman signed a new deal at West Ham earlier this season but would he turn down the chance to play in the Champions League for Real Madrid?

Barcelona’s pursuit of Las Palmas’ defender Mauricio Lemos isn’t going as planned. Negotiations have become tense and Canarias7 are saying that Las Palmas would veto any future bid from the Catalan club. The issue seems to be with the money offered up front. Barcelona want a lot of the €30m release clause to be on future performance related bonuses whereas Las Palmas, naturally, want a higher initial fee with less bonuses. Everton are also interested and could steal a march on the La Liga champs if they bid in the excess of €10m.

Valencia continue to be stuck in limbo until a decision is taken on who their new manager will be. The current man in the job, Pako Ayestaran, appears to have dropped out of the race but could be kept on as part of the staff. Peter Lim and the rest of the management team are in Singapore where they are joined by various players – including the unlucky Paco Alcacer, according to Plaza Deportiva.

Portuguese playmaker Miguel Veloso, available on a free transfer after his contract expired with Dynamo Kiev, has been offered a three-year deal by Sevilla. This story was originally reported in Italy but also makes Estadio Deportivo. It would make sense as it ticks the box in terms of a typical Sevilla deal, and more so with Michael Krohn-Dehli ruled out for most – if not all – of next season.