The Mill can only imagine what lies in store over the next 34 days. Awaking to the news that Paul Pogba is likely to join Manchester United by the weekend, the natural response was one of relief: does this ... really ... mean it’s ... all over? The second was one of exhilaration: given the common knowledge that this deal is going to stretch right out until 31 August and keep us all in 7am starts, how exactly are they going to write the next bit? What twists lie in store? Who will gatecrash the wedding?
Not Chelsea, much as Antonio Conte might welcome a reunion with his old charge. They have their eyes set on that most old-fashioned of accessories, a defender, and are making good their interest in the Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly with a £38m bid. Which, in current money, would buy you 84.4% of John Stones.
Arsenal transfer news! Centre-back dilemma solved! David Ospina gamely deputised in defence for part of yesterday’s training session, according to various Twitter murmurs, which makes it all the more surprising that another specialist goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, has been allowed to depart for a second season on loan with Roma. This one has a £13.4m transfer dangling at the end of it, mind you – which might offset any fee the Gunners pay for an actual defender in the form of Valencia’s Shkodran Mustafi. That may set off a domino effect including Eliaquim Mangala’s loan move to the La Liga side, made possible by the Stones shenanigans above.
The days are certainly long gone since Robin van Persie was banging them in at the Emirates before leaving for Old Trafford with all the best will in the world behind him. Could the Dutchman be returning to these shores, though? Rangers have become favourites to snare the 32-year-old after he was left out of Fenerbahce’s Champions League squad, although Stoke are also in the running – which would doubtless enhance his popularity in north London.
There is always more. Barcelona are, just for the heck of it, keen to sign Newcastle’s Ayoze Pérez, presumably in response to Lionel Messi’s new haircut. In further Spaniard-related news, Swansea are desperate to take the striker Fernando Llorente from Sevilla, right under the noses of Real Sociedad. They also still have the hots for Leonardo Ulloa and West Ham’s Enner Valencia.
Southampton are in the market too, and quite like the look of Anderlecht midfielder Samuel Bastien. He’s young and Belgian; at least one of those attributes is still firmly in fashion. Very much démodé, though, is Mario Balotelli – who hopes that Besiktas will end what can only, if you are involved in creating football headlines at least, be described as his “Liverpool nightmare”. He’d better not go too quickly or quietly, as it seems we might need a new soap opera to sustain us over the next few weeks.
