Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Javier Pastore has had a quiet season by his own lofty standards, scoring twice in the 21 appearances he’s been restricted to, having fallen out of favour with Laurent Blanc. While the future of PSG’s manager is uncertain following his team’s meek exit from the Champions League, reports from France suggest the Argentinian playmaker has been making noises about taking his silky skills elsewhere. Chelsea are reported to be in the box seat in the scramble to secure his services. A £30m signing from Palermo in 2011, it will take a similar amount to prise Pastore away from Parc des Princes and while Chelsea representatives have already held talks with the 26-year-old’s representatives, Manchester City may yet attempt to hijack any deal.
PSG’s Brazilian defender Marquinhos may also be headed for the Parc des Princes door marked “Do One”, with French TV station TF1 reporting that he features prominently on Pep Guardiola’s shopping list as the Bayern Munich manager prepares to embark on his new reign at Manchester City. Valued at around €40m, Marquinhos has also been getting the glad eye from Manchester United and Barcelona, while Chelsea probably retain their interest in him despite having their overtures towards the 22-year-old firmly rebuffed last year.
Juventus central defender Leonardo Bonucci is understood to be the incoming Chelsea manager Antonio Conte’s ideal replacement for John Terry, but the defender refused to be drawn following his side’s 4-0 win over Palermo on Sunday, in which his midfield team-mate Claudio Marchisio was stretchered off with a cruciate injury that will rule him out of Euro 2016. “I have a contract until 2020 with Juventus, the club said I am not for sale,” he said. “Obviously the compliments from abroad are pleasing, but there’s nothing in it.”
German newspaper Bild say Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City have agreed a deal worth around £30m that will result in box-to-box German midfielder and Rumour Mill regular Ilkay Gundogan looking for accommodation in Cheshire’s well appointed and leafy footballer belt. The Sun reports that City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain and Pep Guardiola have already met with the player, who will sign a five-year deal that will be announced in a month or two.
The Sun also reports that Manchester United have been to Portugal to scout Sporting Lisbon winger João Maria and midfielder William Carvalho, while the ongoing saga about who will actually be in charge at Old Trafford rumbles on and on and on. While the opposition of Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton to the appointment of José Mourinho has been well documented, reports over the weekend suggest the Portuguese is 100% confident of getting the gig on the back of a “gentleman’s agreement” he has had in place with United for several months. Fabled for the trust he puts in up-and-coming youngsters, Mourinho’s first signing for United will be Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 34.
In other news from the managerial merry-go-round, Sunday’s papers suggested freshly relegated Aston Villa are believed to be hitching their skirts and gyrating lasciviously in the hope of attracting the attention of David Moyes and have offered the Scot a big transfer budget in the hope of luring him to Villa Park. Moyes is reported to be “weighing up his options”, a phrase that, loosely translated, would suggest he is “biding his time in the hope of getting a better offer”.
