Let the mind games begin! Barcelona play Manchester United in the Champions League next month and the Spanish champions are already trying to get the psychological upper hand. How else to explain the whispers about Marcus Rashford heading to the Nou Camp for £100m this summer?
Fair play to Barça for forward thinking, too. There’s a chance they could face Liverpool in the semi-finals as well, so that explains the story about them going after one of Jürgen Klopp’s stars. Can’t be too careful.
Anything to get ahead. Klopp will be a gibbering wreck when he reads the one about Alberto Moreno to Barcelona in his morning paper.
Busy times at Barça, then. They also want Ajax’s Matthijs de Ligt and are ready to offload Ivan Rakitic. The Croatian midfielder is a target for Internazionale and United, who are also tracking William Saliba, an 18-year-old defender at St Étienne.
Arsenal and Juventus are both trying to lure Álex Grimaldo away from Benfica. The left-back won’t come cheap, which is probably why Arsenal are thinking about getting Mesut Özil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan off the wage bill.
Özil can come and write Mills if he likes.
West Ham and Tottenham are both trying to sign Torino’s Soualiho Meïté for £17m. Athletics bowl or actual football stadium? Tough one!
PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord want Arsenal’s Dan Crowley and Everton like the look of Lille’s Portuguese forward Rafael Leão. Newcastle are interested in Hoffenheim’s Joelinton. But the striker will cost £40m, so that’s that then.
