Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
After a bumper return yesterday, my sack full of transfer gossip has not got any lighter and with the weekend just around the corner it is time to rejoice with another breakfast sized serving of rumour debunking. Here goes…
Gossip in standard font, my thoughts are in bold
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has said he cannot guarantee that Wales winger Gareth Bale, 28 – who is a target of Manchester United – will stay at the Bernabeu this summer. (Mirror) I guess a lot of this will hinge on whether or not Kylian Mbappe does end up at The Bernabeu
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is planning a £50m swoop for two England midfielders – Everton’s Ross Barkley, 23, and Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 23. (S*n) Not sure how he plans to get both players for £50m considering the asking price that Everton have put on Barkley.
Liverpool are ready to make one last-ditch attempt to sign RB Leipzig’s Guinea midfielder Naby Keita, with a bid in excess of £70m likely for the 22-year-old. (Mirror) Heard an interesting theory that the player will only sign once Liverpool confirm their place in the Champions League group stages
Liverpool remain unmoved in their stance that Brazil forward Philippe Coutinho, 25, is not for sale amid interest from Barcelona. (ESPN) If Neymar does move to PSG then we will have to brace ourselves for the domino effect of transfers with Coutinho surely in line to then move on
Inter Milan boss Luciano Spalletti says he wants Croatia winger Ivan Perisic, 28 – a target for Manchester United – to stay at the club, but that he “can’t say for sure” what will happen. (ESPN) I am so bored of this piece of transfer gossip
Juventus have turned their attention to Paris St-Germain’s France international Blaise Matuidi, 30, as they look to sign a defensive midfielder, further clearing Manchester United’s path for Chelsea’s Serbia midfielder Nemanja Matic, 28. (Independent) The only question is whether or not Chelsea and Manchester United will do business together
AC Milan chairman Marco Fassone has revealed the club have spoken to the agent of Chelsea’s Spain striker Diego Costa, 28. (Sky Sports) A move that would be more beneficial to Costa as he would not be sitting on the sidelines for the first half of the season, like he would at Atletico Madrid
France striker Karim Benzema, 29, is expected to re-sign with Real Madrid for the upcoming season, regardless of whether the club sign Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe, 18. (Marca) Benzema is the teacher’s pet in the eyes of Florentino Perez, there is no way he moves this summer
Argentina forward Paulo Dybala, 23 – a target for Manchester United and Barcelona – has no plans to leave Juventus this summer. (Talksport) Disappointing in the Champions League Final, he will have a point to prove with the Old Lady this season
Lucas Perez’s agent has travelled to London to negotiate the 28-year-old Spanish striker’s return to Deportivo La Coruna. (AS) Do we now mark Lucas Perez in the category called “transfer flop”
