LIVE: United on alert over 'disappointed' Bale
The winter window opened on Jan. 2, and, as always, Transfer Talk has its finger on the pulse when it comes to all the latest rumours and gossip. See all the latest deals here.
TOP STORY: Man United on alert over ‘intensely disappointed’ Bale
Another manager bites the dust at Real Madrid, and another round of speculation about the future of the club’s star players begins.
The Times reports that Gareth Bale is considering his future at the Bernabeu after the sacking of Rafa Benitez and his replacement by Zinedine Zidane. The report states that the Wales captain is “intensely disappointed” by developments after having formed a good working relationship with Benitez.
And that is likely to trigger big interest at Old Trafford, where talk of a potential mega-money deal for Bale has never really gone away.
Tuesday’s Times back page: Bale may quit after Madrid sack Benítez #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/7vCuPHCblv
– Nick Sutton (@suttonnick) January 4, 2016
But the Times writes that Real president Florentino Perez does not want to sell the world’s most expensive player, and warns that if he were ever to do so, the price would start at around … £150 million.
LIVE BLOG
07.30 GMT: Schalke have ruled out selling reported Manchester City target Leroy Sane during the January transfer window. Full story.
New striker? Arsene might give it a Troy
When you talk about Watford these days, the conversation inevitably centres on two players — Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo, the seamless strike partners who have propelled the Hornets into the top half of the table.
Managers, too, have been sitting up and taking notice, and the Star reports that Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger is one of them. Wenger, according to the Star, wants to bring the bustling Deeney to the Emirates to beef up his club’s challenge for the Premier League crown.
Tuesday’s Daily Star back page: Troy the boy for Wenger #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/EJwF1bhgSS
– Nick Sutton (@suttonnick) January 4, 2016
The paper writes that Wenger “is in the market for a hit man, knowing the addition of a ready-made striker could be key to the club winning their first title for 12 years.”
Carroll linked with return to his roots
West Ham striker Andy Carroll may have made himself the toast of West Ham fans after scoring the goal that sealed a weekend victory over Liverpool, but the Mirror doesn’t think that means he will be sticking around in East London this winter.
The Mirror says the striker could be set for a sentimental return to Newcastle — but that might not be where he ends up if their fellow strugglers and North East neighbours Sunderland have anything to do with it.
Tuesday’s Daily Mirror back page: Wor over Carroll #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers #WHUFC pic.twitter.com/Vu5WRJF75y
– Nick Sutton (@suttonnick) January 4, 2016
West Ham “are willing to offload” Carroll, who cost them £15 million from Liverpool, because boss Slaven Bilic needs to sell if he wants to bring reinforcements to Upton Park.
Both Newcastle and Sunderland, in the Premier League relegation zone, are willing to pay around £18 million for the striker, who cost Liverpool a mighty £35 million when he joined them from the Magpies in the frenetic 2011 winter window. Could he become a January star of the show again?
City slicker Gundogan?
It wasn’t all that long ago that Ilkay Gundogan was being strongly linked with a move to Liverpool — that Jurgen Klopp/Borussia Dortmund link was too much to resist — but now it seems the Germany international midfielder could be heading elsewhere in the Premier League.
The Manchester Evening News suggests Gundogan could be going to Manchester City, but only if Pep Guardiola takes over from Manuel Pellegrini in the summer.
It cites reports in Spain that say Gundogan, 25, would be a key target if former Bayern Munich and Barcelona boss Guardiola makes the Etihad Stadium his next port of call.
Miami nice for Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham: glamour, glamour, glamour. And the Sun suggests the two ex-Manchester United stars could team up at Beckham’s forthcoming MLS franchise in Miami.
The paper reports that Ronaldo’s love of Miami life, coupled with Beckham’s keenness to bring in a big name or two to get things off to an even higher profile start than they might otherwise, could clinch the deal.
The Sun states that Beckham is “in place to offer the option of a two-year MLS career to his old teammate,” and quotes Portuguese daily Correio da Manha’s reporting that “a source close to” Ronaldo had said Miami was the Real Madrid man’s favourite city.
Tap-ins
– Ronaldinho for the Premier League? It could happen, says the Sun, which reports that “more than one” English club has asked about the possibility of bringing in the 35-year-old.
But it’s not only English clubs that are keen, according to the player’s brother and agent Roberto, who has said he still “loves to win.” But if you’re after a clue as to which clubs are keen, there are no clues; Roberto’s cards are staying close to his chest.
– Brazilian reporter Jorge Nicola of Yahoo Esportes reports that Corinthians striker Alexandre Pato is poised to move to Chinese second-division club Tianjin Songjiang after an offer was accepted.
Pato, who has spent two years on loan with Corinthians rival Sao Paulo, has a year remaining on his contract, and the club are keen to offload the one-time AC Milan man.
– Sheffield Wednesday have made an offer for Brentford’s Republic of Ireland attacker Alan Judge, and the Bees have rejected it, Sky Sports reports.
It says the Wednesday offer did not come close to Brentford’s valuation of a player who has been outstanding for them since arriving from Blackburn.
– France Football says Ligue 1 Nantes could make a move for Newcastle winger Gabriel Obertan, who is out of contract in the summer.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.
