Is Rooney off to China in £100m deal?

The winter window might have shut, but the rumour mill rolls on. As always, Transfer Talk has its finger on the pulse when it comes to the latest rumours and gossip. See the latest deals here.

TOP STORY: Rooney subject to £100m Chinese deal

According to the Mirror, Wayne Rooney is at the centre of an incredible £100 million deal to lure him from Manchester United to China this summer. The Red Devils have reportedly received a £27m bid from an unnamed Chinese Super League club, believed to be Shanghai Shenhua, to take Rooney from England at the end of the season. The club is prepared to offer him £500,000 a week for a three-year deal to see off another Chinese club ready to enter the battle for the forward.

Friday’s Daily Mirror back page:
Exclusive – £100m Roo bid#tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers #mufc pic.twitter.com/I1677pcR3j

Nick Sutton (@suttonnick) February 18, 2016

With two years left on Rooney’s contract and after 12 years of service, it would be a remarkable deal for United if they were to recoup the fee they paid Everton for the England captain as a teenager. The Chinese club reportedly want to make Rooney the face of the Super League and are prepared to pay him £75m over the course of his contract to make that happen.

A huge factor for Rooney in making a decision on his future is whether to uproot wife Coleen and his three young sons from their native northwest for a new life in China. The forward has been reluctant to make that move in the past, rejecting the advances of Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, but the sums of money being talked about for a player who is only set to decline could be too good to turn down.

Paper Round

City to offload Toure for Xhaka

Manchester City are offering a huge deal worth £39m for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka, according to German outlet Bild. Incoming manager Pep Guardiola is expected to overhaul the City squad, and will have a huge transfer kitty at his disposal in a bid to retool the side and replace some of the older players.

The 23-year-old star, who joined Gladbach from Basel in 2012, has become a star in the Bundesliga, impressing with his passing range as well as his ability to shoot from long range. The Swiss international is one of the most highly rated young midfielders in Europe and his value is bound to shoot up during Euro 2016, where he will be a key player for Switzerland, and City will no doubt want to seal a deal before he has a chance to impress in France.

The player most likely to make way for Xhaka is Yaya Toure, whose agent has confirmed as much upon the finalisation of Guardiola’s arrival. The Ivorian has no shortage of suitors, either.

MLS sides New York Red Bulls and New York City have both registered their interest in Toure, reports the Star, as has a third and unidentified club from North America’s first division. The Star goes on to report that the midfielder could opt for a £450,000-a-week payday in the Chinese Super League, but would favour “the lifestyle of America”.

United ready to negotiate for Nainggolan

Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan is reportedly on the radar of Manchester United, and the club could make a move for the Belgian, especially if Jose Mourinho takes over at Old Trafford. The Sun suggest the £25m-rated playmaker is part of the £300m transfer package that Mourinho will inherit should he replace Louis van Gaal this summer. The 27-year-old, signed from Cagliari in 2013, has been one of the Italian side’s most consistent performers and is highly regarded across Europe.

Strong in the tackle and tidy with the ball, Nainggolan would bring some much needed energy and industry to a midfield that has been far too static this season. With the futures of Michael Carrick and Marouane Fellaini still up in the air, the midfielder would be one of many arrivals in Manchester as they look to rebuild after what has been a disappointing couple of seasons.

Chelsea fly out for Conte talks

Chelsea officials have travelled to Rome to hold talks with Italy boss Antonio Conte over becoming their new manager, according to the Mirror. It has been alleged that the Blues’ board have held secret meetings to determine the details of the Italian’s contract, should he be tempted by a move to Stamford Bridge.

But Chelsea are not believed to have made a decision on who they want their next boss to be, with Conte and Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone leading the race. Roman Abramovich was thought to be keen on Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri, but that interest appears to have cooled.

Tap-Ins

– Leicester have been warned by CSKA Moscow that they face a fresh fight to land £23m striker Ahmed Musa this summer, reports the Mirror. Claudio Ranieri failed with three separate bids in January for the Nigerian international as he tried to boost his Foxes’ shock push for the Premier League title.

– The Sun reports that 14 Premier League clubs flocked to Brussels to watch Youri Tielemans in action for Anderlecht against Olympiakos in the Europa League. Arsenal, Chelsea, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham among others were all present at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium to watch the highly rated teenager with hopes of bringing him to England’s top flight.

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