Swap deals are exciting. Inter’s Bobby Carlos and Real Madrid’s Ivan Zamarano moved in opposite directions in 1996, Milan and Juventus decided Gonzalo Higuaín and Leonardo Bonucci were worth the same last summer and we all know which of Chelsea and Arsenal did the better out of the Ashley Cole-William Gallas trade. After his maverick Alexis Sánchez-Henrikh Mkhitaryan swap, Manchester United’s Ed Woodward has another proposition on his hands: Anthony Martial for Inter’s Ivan Perisic (if he doesn’t fancy splurging £30m on the Croatian). Pros: Perisic has a better left foot. Cons: Martial has probably been United’s best player in recent weeks, is seven years younger and gets on really well with Paul Pogba. Stranger things have happened.
Mill fave Alex Sandro has used the classic international break interview smokescreen to stoke up whispers he could leave Juventus for England. “I think, one day, who knows what will happen?” the Brazilian flirted. “I have a desire to play in the Premier League but right now I am very happy where I am at, the club I am at [Juventus], the league I am playing in.” Alex! You big tease!
Lorenzo Pellegrini’s agent, meanwhile, has poured freezing cold water on a move from Roma to Manchester United. The midfielder has a £26m release clause in his contract but “Pellegrini is only thinking about improving with and for Roma”. He added: “I’m sorry that rumours [about Manchester United] have spread about financial aspects relating to him and his team-mates, but it doesn’t matter for Lorenzo. He doesn’t live for meetings, especially financial ones,” Giampiero Pocetta told Corriere dello Sport, an apparent blow to accountants everywhere.
Liverpool fans: rejoice! Any fears that you might lose Mo Salah or Sadio Mané to Barcelona look like they can be shelved for another three years after reports in Spain that the Reds inserted a clause into the Philippe Coutinho deal that prevents the Catalan side from signing any Liverpool player until 2021. Then again, Real Madrid do not care about that clause, so feel free to fret.
Here are three things you probably didn’t know about Salomón Rondón. His first name is actually José, his father is a chemistry professor and fresh from scoring a game-winning double against Bournemouth last time out, Newcastle want to turn his loan move into a permanent one in January, despite those goals being his only league goals in a black and white shirt to date. West Brom, his parent club, want £16.5m.
Obligatory Chelsea loan update: Callum Hudson-Odoi is one of the most talented young English players around and is still about 15,846,261 years from cementing a first-team place at Stamford Bridge, so looks set to leave on a temporary basis in January – Burnley and Southampton lead the race. Milan are also speaking to the Blues about extending Tiémoué Bakayoko’s loan move to the summer while Ruben Loftus-Cheek is apparently tempted to wear the blue of Schalke come the new year – the Bundesliga club are competing with Crystal Palace for yet another loan deal.
