Aubameyang, Kante top Wenger's wish list
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: Arsenal set for £115m summer revamp
It’s going to be a very big summer at Arsenal whatever ends up happening in the title race, according to the Telegraph.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, whose side wobbled again with defeat at Manchester United on Sunday, wants to oversee a £115 million reshaping of his squad at the Emirates, the paper reports.
As revamps go, that’s a pretty big one. So what is it going to involve?
First things first, says the Telegraph: There will huge new contracts for Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, who will remain at the heart of the team.
But they will be joined by some new faces, and Wenger has £75m available to spend on that part of the plan, according to the report, with Leicester duo Ben Chilwell and N’Golo Kante on his list.
Other players for whom bids could be made include Southampton’s Victor Wanyama, a long-mooted target, Sporting Lisbon defensive midfielder William Carvalho and in-form Watford striker Odion Ighalo. Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also remains a possibility.
And there will, inevitably, be departures — and the Telegraph tips Kieran Gibbs, Mathieu Debuchy, Mathieu Flamini, Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky to head elsewhere come summer.
Tuesday’s Telegraph Sport:
Wenger plans £115 shake-up#tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers #afc pic.twitter.com/L2a19ZqwXR– Nick Sutton (@suttonnick) 29 February 2016
Benteke on his way as Klopp rings changes?
He didn’t make if off the bench in Liverpool’s Capital One Cup final defeat to Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday, and now it seems Christian Benteke will be on his way once the window opens.
Benteke, a big-money signing from Aston Villa last summer, has struggled to make a big impression to match — and with manager Jurgen Klopp keen to make changes to his squad, the Sun reports that the Belgium international is going to be a high-profile departure.
It says around six Anfield arrivals are expected, with about the same number of players heading out.
And it claims that although he would rather “scrap for his future at Anfield,” the fact that Benteke has dropped down the pecking order means “it is a battle he has little hope of winning.”
Meanwhile, the Sun reckons Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet, at fault for Manchester City’s goal at Wembley, “is far from secure despite a new five-year contract.”
Who might Klopp’s incomers be? Well, the paper reckons his old favourite Mario Gotze and Leicester defender Chilwell (yes, another link for him) could be two of them.
Reason for a Pjanic at the Bridge
Antonio Conte has not yet been confirmed as the new Chelsea manager, but he has already recommended the players he wants to sign when that happens, according to the Times.
It reports that target No. 1 is Roma’s Bosnia international midfielder Miralem Pjanic, who was close to moving to Stamford Bridge during Carlo Ancelotti’s time at the helm — only to end up going to Rome.
Conte, it says, sees Pjanic as a key man for his dead ball skills and goalscoring ability, while he has previously been reported to have an interest in bringing Radja Nainggolan, a box-to-box style of midfielder, from the same club.
Rashford to be rewarded for whirlwind start
Two games, four goals, and no desire from Manchester United to delay in offering a new contract to striking sensation Marcus Rashford.
The Daily Mail says United are ready to offer the 18-year-old, whose goals have seen off FC Midtjylland and Arsenal in the space of four days, a new £15,000-a-week deal.
The Old Trafford powers that be were preparing to begin contract talks, but the scale of the impact made by Rashford means they are ready to speed up the process, the paper reports.
He is currently on a £1,500-a-week deal, which he signed on his 17th birthday and which runs out in the summer of 2017.
But things aren’t quite so certain for midfielder Michael Carrick, who the Mail says is still waiting to find out whether he will be staying at Old Trafford beyond the end of this season.
Tuesday’s Daily Mail back page:
Cash for Rash #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/nYGi3L2Etx– Nick Sutton (@suttonnick) 29 February 2016
Becks’ pep talk helped Kaka choose MLS
David Beckham’s powers of persuasion helped Kaka decide on his move to MLS, the Sun has reported.
Kaka, who switched to Orlando City from AC Milan, said he had asked Beckham for his thoughts on playing in the States before committing himself to a move.
The Sun quotes the Brazilian as saying: “I spoke to some of the big players that had played here before, like Beckham, and my question for him was: ‘What is the big difference you’ve found when you made the move to the MLS?’
“He said it was the level of the game because we are used to playing the best of the best. When you play Champions League, the level of the game is so high. He told me that was the most difficult thing when you move.”
Tap-ins
– Manchester United could make a summer move for Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi, according to a report in Spain.
Mustafi, who spent three years at Everton without making a first-team appearance, has been a key figure for ex-United star Gary Neville’s La Liga side, and Deportivo Valenciano claims United are considering whether to add him to their ranks.
– Stoke are set to reward goalkeeper Jack Butland for an excellent season so far by offering him what the Mirror describes as “a double-your-money new five-year contract.”
It reports that the Potters have begun negotiations with the 22-year-old England man, who still has three years remaining on his current contract, about a deal that could net him more than £50,000 a week.
– Ever Banega has denied that he is joining Inter Milan after a comment appeared on what was believed to be his Facebook page, claiming he had heard about an offer from Inter.
But the Sevilla man wrote on Twitter that he wanted to “clarify that what is being circulated in the Press about my Facebook comments is totally false” and said the page was a fake.
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