While the Premier League season is over and most top-flight players having forsaken the metaphorical beach for actual sand and surf at whatever this summer’s unimaginative holiday destination of choice for footballers happens to be, the Rumour Mill doesn’t get to relax. Speculation never stops, which means we can only dream of enjoying a carefully choreographed, grandiose and preposterously self-indulgent farewell as long as there’s speculation about the future of Demarai Gray to peddle. The Sunday Mirror reports that Liverpool, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur are all interested in signing the young Leicester City striker, but that it is Jürgen Klopp who is “closing in on a £12m deal” for the 20-year-old and is confident of getting his man once the transfer window opens in July.
Reports from Germany suggest Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal has been whispering sweet nothings in the ear of his Chilean international team-mate Alexis Sánchez, in the hope of persuading the Arsenal midfielder to sign for the Bavarian side. Having failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, Arsenal’s hopes of keeping their unsettled star player look increasingly slim.
Elsewhere, it’s being reported that the Gunners could lose reserve goalkeeper David Ospina, who may well be off to Turkish side Fenerbahçe. Despite having two years left on his contract, the Colombian is reported to be eager to leave the Emirates in order to get more first team and reports suggest Arsenal won’t fight to hard to keep him.
Middlesbrough central defender Ben Gibson is a man in demand and could find himself the subject of a bidding skirmish between Leicester City and West Brom. Chelsea and Liverpool have also been keeping tabs on Gibson, who says he feels he “belongs” and “feels comfortable” in the Premier League, but will take time out to ponder what to do next. The nephew of Boro chairman Steve, it has been suggested that Gibson might feel some sort of familial obligation to give his uncle another season’s service in an effort to help Middlesbrough bounce straight back up to the Premier League. Should he depart, a sizeable fee of £20m has been mentioned.
Manchester United remain eager to re-sign Michael Keane, who they sold to Burnley in January 2015. “The one thing we know is that we are in a strong position,” said Keane’s current manager Sean Dyche, who says the 24-year-old central defender will continue playing for him “if nothing happens that’s suitable for us”.
L’Equipe report that Lyon winger-turned-striker and long-term Arsenal target Alexandre Lacazette has agreed to sign for Atlético Madrid, who finished third in La Liga, behind Barcelona and Real Madrid. Following a campaign in which the 25-year-old scored no fewer than 37 goals in all competitions, the French sports daily says he has a verbal agreement to join Atlético.
After incurring the wrath of Sunderland’s travelling fans at Stamford Bridge by refusing to acknowledge their presence despite agreeing to help facilitate John Terry’s elaborate long goodbye, David Moyes remained in London to discuss his future at the Wearside club with owner, Ellis Short. Rumours persist that the Scot might leave the relegated club, despite his talk about planning ahead of next season being well under way.
