The interminable saga regarding the whereabouts next season of Alexis Sánchez has taken another twist on its meandering path with today’s Mirror “exclusive” that the Arsenal forward is prepared to stay another season before moving to Chelsea on a free transfer if he’s still unhappy with life at the Emirates next May. “Arsenal must show whether they are ready to make major changes at the Emirates, sign big players and overhaul the squad to make them genuine title contenders next season,” writes John Cross, a football writer who knows so much about Arsenal that if you peeped inside his head there’s a very good chance you’d see Ray Parlour, Theo Walcott and Paul Merson playing rondo.
With Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain having made no secret of their interest in the Chilean, Arsenal would rather sell him abroad than let him go to a direct rival if he decides not to ink the £250,000-per-week new deal he’s currently dithering over. Meanwhile in France, L’Equipe say that Marseille are preparing to spend the thick end of £100m on a job lot of French internationals currently based in north London. According to the French daily, they’ve lined up Arsenal duo Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny, as well as Tottenham flop Moussa Sissoko in their cross-hairs.
Leicester City fans will be pleased to hear that Wilfred Ndidi has dismissed reports he is considering a move to Manchester United, after somebody purporting to be an agent of his claimed the midfielder would be interested in going to Old Trafford if the price was right. “Please be informed this information is not true,” the Nigeria international wrote on Twitter. “I’m 200% with Leicester and I don’t know this person called Hakeem Bello.”
In other rumour-rubbishing news, Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata has been heavily linked with Chelsea, but was eager to stress that he hasn’t had his head turned by the manager of the Premier League leaders. “If Conte is continuing to call me then it will be my old mobile phone because nothing has come to me,” he said while basking in the elation of his first hat-trick for Real on Wednesday night. “He won’t have my new number. I feel good at Real Madrid and that is the important thing. I’m getting goals, I feel important and I have to keep it that way.” There has been a suggestion that Morata is frustrated with life as a fringe player at Real and will leave unless they sell Karim Benzema, who is ahead of him in the pecking order.
The agent of Napoli defender and one-time Chelsea target Kalidou Koulibaly has been discussing the future of his client on the Italian airwaves amid rumours of continued interest from Antonio Conte, who gave up his pursuit of the Senegal international last summer and signed a certain big-haired Brazilian instead. “Chelsea were interested but then they signed David Luiz and you also have John Terry and Gary Cahill at the club so there is a lot of competition there,” said Bruno Satin. “Whatever happens in the future will depend on the [Napoli] president [Aurelio De Laurentiis] and whether or not he decides to evaluate any offers that may come in.”
Like the rest of us, Antoine Griezmann is growing weary of constant speculation linking him with a move away from Atlético Madrid this summer and told reporters as much when they quizzed him about it again yesterday. “I’ve said it so many times, I’ve done a lot of front covers saying that I see myself here,” he declared. “I’ve already answered, I’m not going to do so again. I’m not fed up with it ... but I nearly am.” Many are expecting Manchester United to sign the France striker this summer, although he has previously hinted that intemperate climate of the North West might not suit him. Ivan Perisic has yet to offer an opinion on the weather in Manchester, but that hasn’t stopped Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport reporting that United are ready to offer Inter £51m for the Croatian winger.
And finally, Jordan Pickford is one of very few Sunderland players to have emerged with any credit this season and is apparently being monitored by Arsenal, Everton and Manchester City, who are all in the market for a reliable goalkeeper. A bidding war for the 23-year-old looks imminent once his team’s relegation to the Championship is confirmed.
