Confidence is a preference for the habitual voyeur of what is known as parklife, it says here. And confident is how Manchester City are feeling about having finally agreed a deal to sign Kevin De Bruyne from Wolfsburg for an initial €74m (£54m), it says here. Your super soaraway Guardian reported on Wednesday night that “sources close to the Bundesliga club have confirmed that a breakthrough was reached” and that the deal should go through once a small army of men in suits carrying briefcases have haggled over the Ts and Cs, while the player sticks his tongue out for City’s doctors, says “AHHHHHHH!” and endures that hardship where you run on a treadmill while wearing what looks like a Top Gun fighter pilot’s breathing apparatus. City will pay De Bruyne the thick end of £300,000 per week and are expected to confirm that they have secured his services in the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile at Oakwell, where John Stones was playing in Everton’s 5-3 win against his former club Barnsley, Roberto Martínez told reporters that the first order of business at Goodison Park this morning will be the flat rejection of the transfer request the young central defender submitted to the club on Wednesday. “We’ve got great ambition for John and it has clearly got to the point now where, in football as in life, money can’t buy everything,” said the Everton manager, as Chelsea mulled over the size of their next bid for the man they see as John Terry’s long-term successor. While Martínez is correct in so far as money can’t buy things such as good manners, class, integrity, love, respect, humility and the feeling of relief that comes from hearing you’ve passed your driving test at the fifth attempt, Chelsea remain confident that if you offer enough of the stuff, it can get you a rangey 21-year-old stopper from South Yorkshire and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba. Who’s right? Only time will tell.
Mikel John Obi could be off to ply his trade in the Turkish Super Lig, where Besiktas have decided to turn their gaze on the Chelsea midfielder now that Liverpool have decided to hang on to Lucas Leiva. A Stamford Bridge stalwart for nearly 10 years, Mikel’s first team opportunities at Stamford Bridge are expected to be limited this season. Goalkeeping’s Víctor Valdés is also off to Turkey’s oldest football team, having agreed personal terms after his unhappy spell at Manchester United.
Another man heading for the Old Trafford exit is Jonny Evans, who is available to anyone who wants him for £12m. West Brom and Everton have both been linked with the Northern Ireland international, while Sunderland are also believed to have expressed interest in adding him to their collection of ageing, past-their-pomp former Manchester United central defenders.
The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson has put his ear to the ground and heard mutterings that Sunderland also want to bring Napoli midfielder Jonathan de Guzmán in for a €1.5m loan fee, with a view to making the deal permanent next summer. The club’s sporting director, Lee Congerton, will have to beat off competition from Bournemouth and Marseille if he is to lure the former Swansea City player to Wearside. The Rennes striker Ola Toivonen is also wanted at the Stadium of Light, where he could renew his working relationship with Dick Advocaat, who previously managed him at PSV Eindhoven. The dashing Swedish international could travel to Sunderland for a medical before the week is out.
The Mail reckon Tottenham Hotspur could abandon their attempts to sign Saido Berahino following West Brom’s rejection of their £21m offer for the young striker. The Baggies want £25m and are refusing to blink first. Spurs are also being linked with Bayer Leverkusen’s South Korea international Son Heung-min, who can play in a variety of roles across midfield as well as up front and has previously been linked with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. £22m is the asking price for Son, who sat out Leverkusen’s 3-0 win over Lazio in last night’s Champions League qualifier. Southampton midfielder Victor Wanyama may also be White Hart Lane-bound, having been omitted from his club’s travelling party to Denmark for the second leg of their Europa League tie against Midtjylland on Thursday evening.
Norwich City are understood to have suspended their striker Lewis Grabban after he got the hump and refused to sit on the subs’ bench for their Capital One Cup win over Rotherham on Tuesday night. In other Norwich news, the club want to bring the central defender Kalidou Koulibaly in from Napoli and have had a bid of £10m for England Under-21s striker Benik Afobe rejected by Wolverhampton Wanderers.
And finally, the Aston Villa striker Aleksandar Tonev could be off on loan to newly promoted Serie A side Frosinone, while Juventus will not, as previously reported, be sending the striker Simone Zaza on loan to West Ham. That’s your lot for the time being, but stay tuned to our transfer blog throughout the day for plenty more of this kind of thing.
