Blues to splash £60m on Vardy, Teixeira
The winter window draws closer with each passing day, and the transfer rumour mill is starting to pick up steam. As always, Transfer Talk has the latest and greatest. See all the summer deals here.
TOP STORY: Chelsea looking for reinforcements
Jamie Vardy has reportedly been advised to stay at Premier League table toppers Leicester City by Roy Hodgson in order to assure his Euro 2016 spot — as if it’s even a decision any more — but the Foxes face a festive battle to keep hold of their star striker.
The Telegraph reports that Chelsea are interested in signing the £30 million-rated forward in the winter window, though the Premier League champions could face strong competition from Manchester City, who “have made a tentative check” on the 28-year-old.
Interim manager Guus Hiddink is expected to be backed with cash this winter by Roman Abramovich, with both the Star and the Express reporting that Chelsea have “agreed a verbal deal” with Shakhtar Donetsk to sign Alex Teixeira for £30m. The 25-year-old Brazilian has scored 22 goals in just 15 league games this season — which the Star cheekily points out is one more goal than the Blues in 17 Premier League games — and is set to sign a five-year deal despite the departure of Jose Mourinho.
Meanwhile, midfielder Charly Musonda is set for talks with Hiddink to see if he figures in his plans at Stamford Bridge, sources have told ESPN FC.
Wednesday’s Telegraph Sport: £30m Vardy in demand #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers #lcfc #mcfc #cfc pic.twitter.com/4mMMrnrLJl
– Nick Sutton (@suttonnick) December 22, 2015
Cole set for LA Galaxy
David Beckham was the first of England’s so-called “Golden Generation” to pitch up at the LA Galaxy, with Steven Gerrard taking on the mantle this year. But the former Liverpool captain could be about to be joined in the U.S. by another former Three Lions performer in Ashley Cole, with The Sun reporting that the left-back “is ready to make a fresh” start in MLS.
The paper suggests that Cole would be tempted by living stateside having just become a father, and would be relatively cheap for the Galaxy considering the 35-year-old has been released by Roma. Meanwhile, the MLS club announced on Tuesday that United States international Omar Gonzalez has joined Mexican club Pachuca for an undisclosed fee.
Ancelotti anxious over stars
Carlo Ancelotti has six months to prepare before taking over from Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich next summer, and one of his chief tasks between now and then will be in persuading the club’s top players to avoid following their current Catalan coach out of the Allianz Arena.
Robert Lewandowski has been repeatedly linked with Real Madrid following his scintillating Bundesliga form this season, though Spanish daily AS reports that “of the conditions [Ancelotti] stipulated before committing to Bayern for the next three years was that [they] would not sell the 27-year-old striker” — great work from the Italian coach if it’s true.
AS goes on to say that Bayern refused to include a buyout clause in Lewandowski’s contract when he signed on a free transfer from Borussia Dortmund in 2014, despite the Poland forward’s agent specifically requesting it. With Ancelotti also reportedly “anxious” to keep the like of Douglas Costa, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben, it seems the Bavarian giants hold all the aces if Madrid do come calling in the summer.
Liverpool find Gerrard successor
There’s no greater way to announce yourself to the Anfield faithful than by taking on the challenge of inheriting Steven Gerrard’s No. 8 shirt, but Marko Grujic is one confident 18-year-old.
The highly rated midfielder is set to become Jurgen Klopp’s first Liverpool signing at the end of the 2015-16 season for around £5m, according to Red Star sporting director Zvezdan Terzic. He told reporters: “We will, in the next three days, sign a contract with Liverpool. Marko Grujic will sign a five-year contract with Liverpool where he will have a ¬1.2m annual net income, which means that he will have ¬6m from Liverpool. He’ll get No. 8 on the back.”
With Liverpool reportedly beating the likes of Inter Milan, Chelsea and Manchester United to Grujic’s signature, Klopp may be quietly confident of those Gerrard comparisons. In more good news for Anfield fans, German outlet Bild reports that Joel Matip is set to sign a deal at Liverpool having rejected a contract extension with Schalke, with the 24-year-old defender’s current deal up next summer.
Mourinho saga rumbles on
Louis van Gaal is still clinging on to his Manchester United job, but for how long remains to be seen. Jose Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes has denied a deal has been struck for his client to replace the Dutch coach at Old Trafford, telling Globoesporte on Tuesday: “We don’t know what will happen in the future, but now there is no agreement. There isn’t an official proposal either, that’s not true.”
Despite Mendes’ comments, sources have told ESPN FC that Mourinho is keen on the job and that informal discussions have taken place between United representatives and Mourinho’s camp. The Sun reports that “executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward was locked in a meeting at the club’s London HQ” on Tuesday, with “time running out” for Van Gaal to convince the United hierarchy that he is the right man to turn around the club’s six-game winless streak.
Wayne Rooney has called a “crisis meeting” of the club’s players to help save their season, says the Mirror, though Transfer Talk doubts whether any United stars will have politely reminded the captain that his form hasn’t exactly been up to scratch for a while now.
Wednesday’s Sun back page: Deck the Gaals #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers #mufc pic.twitter.com/neI3mlDQEj
– Nick Sutton (@suttonnick) December 22, 2015
Tap-ins
– ‘Tis the season to start manufacturing exit plans … Wilfried Bony believes he should have started for Manchester City in their defeat at Premier League title rivals Arsenal on Monday, having scored three in the four games when Sergio Aguero was out with a heel injury.
“He [Aguero] is coming back from injury,” he told reporters. “He hasn’t played for a couple of weeks. I’m disappointed today that I didn’t start but I’m not the coach.” When asked if he would speak to Manuel Pellegrini about his situation, Bony replied: “That’s my feeling today.”
– Who would want to leave the best club in the world? Marc-Andre ter Stegen, it seems. According to Marca, Ter Stegen has “hit rock bottom” after missing out on playing for Barcelona in their victorious Club World Cup campaign — a “surprising decision” from Luis Enrique that has “angered” the goalkeeper, who misses out in La Liga to Claudio Bravo but usually picks up the slack in the Champions League.
– Gokhan Inler’s agent said last weekend that the Switzerland captain could be tempted to look for a move away from Leicester City in January to cement his Euro 2016 hopes, and there are reports that Aston Villa could be a potential destination.
– Sampdoria are interested in signing Giuseppe Rossi but only if Fiorentina cover the U.S.-born Italy international’s wages. Rossi, 28, is reportedly seeking a loan move in the second half of the season as he looks to rebuild his fitness after having missed the 2014-15 season with a knee injury.
– The Bournemouth Echo are getting awfully excited about the Cherries closing in on Argentine winger Juan Iturbe, saying that Eddie Howe’s team are “close to finalising a deal” for “the new Lionel Messi.”
Good luck on the south coast, Juan!
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