After all that huffing and puffing, appealing and small print-raking, Chelsea’s return to the transfer arena after their ban was all a bit of a damp squib, but they remain active in the gossip market … the only market that counts. Now the window has slammed shut (can’t anyone ever close it gently and quietly?) all sorts of rumours are flying. For a start, Frank Lampard wants a goalkeeping upgrade on Kepa Arrizabalaga, who arrived amid much fanfare for a whopping £71.6m 18 months ago but has struggled this season. And the man he has in mind is Burnley’s Nick Pope. But he’ll face a battle with club high-ups over that one.
Up front, the Daily Star is putting two and two together and making five in suggesting that Timo Werner could be on his way to the Bridge in the summer. “I am open for everything,” he told the German newspaper Kicker. “I was over in America for a holiday recently and English football was on all of the time. That’s an exclamation mark for the Premier League. But there are also big, famous clubs and it would certainly be fun playing there.” So, done deal then. Liverpool and Manchester United, also keen, will have something to say about that.
Back on the subject of the out of form, United’s Jesse Lingard is a target for Atlético Madrid and Roma, Atléti having already jolted another Russia 2018 star out of their post-World Cup slumber in Kieran Trippier. ESPN says Lingard is also beginning to feel the strain from abuse aimed at him, particularly from social media charmers, and is thought to be eyeing a fresh start elsewhere. United’s January window was a bit of a pantomime at times, as they struggled to land last-minute targets. And now we learn that among them was Brighton’s 36-year-old warhorse Glenn Murray, before Ole Gunnar Solskjær settled on Odion Ighalo. Murray has instead agreed a contract extension at the Amex to the summer of 2021.
In fact, The Mill is awash with so-now-you-tell-us reports of deals that almost went through last month but didn’t. Islam Slimani nearly moved from Leicester to Internazionale, Arsenal and Everton failed in their efforts to lure the Brazilian defender Gabriel from Lille. Fernando Llorente was offered to Barcelona by Napoli. That kind of thing.
But this is all so much today’s fish and chip wrappers, especially when you can throw two huge names such as Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappé together and suggest a hook-up. Mundo Deportivo reports that the Spanish league leaders are ready to make a bid for the France forward, citing Saturday’s touchline contretemps between Mbappé and his Paris Saint-Germain manager, Thomas Tuchel, as a further pointer to a likely departure. Mbappé’s current deal with the French champions expires in 2021.
Finally, down in League One, Ivan Toney has been sizzling hot for Peterborough, banging in 21 goals for Posh this season, and Bournemouth have noticed, to the extent that they’re reportedly prepared to stuff £13m into the London Road coffers in return for the forward’s services.
