Sometimes it can be hard to take newspaper transfer gossip seriously, with many stories apparently inspired by little more than a mixture of intuition, blind guesswork and perhaps the occasional off-the-record whisper from a vested interest. However the source of Tuesday’s biggest and juiciest titbit has impeccable contacts and great football wisdom, and while it would be easy to dismiss any ordinary story linking Manchester City with a world record offer for Tottenham’s Dele Alli, it’s a little bit different when the story has come straight from the mouth of Xavi, the former Barcelona inspiration and one-time team-mate of Pep Guardiola.
“I speak with Pep, and I know he thinks it is important to sign English players,” the former midfield maestro said, as quoted by the Sun. “I am sure in the summer he will look across Europe for players to improve the squad, but I also expect him to look in the Premier League as well. At the moment the best English player there is and also one of the best in Europe is Dele Alli. We are looking at a very special player. Technically he is the sort of player that suits the style of football that Pep likes his teams to play. I am sure it is not going to be a player that Tottenham will want to let go, but we know Manchester City have big resources.”
City – as well as near-neighbours Manchester United and German giants Bayern Munich – are also interested in Tottenham’s Kyle Walker, who has decided to “reassess his Tottenham future at the end of the season” even though he only signed a new contract in September. United are even more interested in Valencia’s 20-year-old midfielder Carlos Soler, with the Star reporting this morning that the player’s buy-out clause is set at £25m, he has been scouted on multiple occasions and that “José Mourinho was first alerted to his potential by super agent Jorge Mendes”.
Arsenal will probably see the back of at least one ageing Frenchman this summer, with Sky reporting that Marseille are ready to pay a hefty £20m for 30-year-old Olivier Giroud, who has not been a regular starter this season. The Mail also report the rumour though they are far less optimistic about the deal going through: “Giroud has been discussed, as has team-mate Laurent Koscielny,” they write, “but the chances of either moving at this stage seem remote” particularly as “Arsenal have no desire to lose their defensive lynchpin”. It seems that Marseille’s shopping spree will not end at the Emirates though, as Sky say they “are also interested in Crystal Palace midfielder Yohan Cabaye” and the Mail add that they “may have more success with Palace’s Steve Mandanda, while they also like Moussa Sissoko at Tottenham and Edin Dzeko at Roma”.
Perhaps Koscielny might be more likely to leave should Arsenal’s mooted move for Southampton’s Virgil can Dijk come off. It probably won’t, though, warns the Telegraph, with Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City also interested and Chelsea the favourites to complete the deal, but still some kind of defensive reshuffle seems likely. “Arsenal are also hopeful of signing left-back Sead Kolasinac [from Schalke] when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season,” they report. “Question marks remain over how well Shkodran Mustafi has performed while Nacho Monreal may leave.” In other full-back news, Manchester City “have discussed a potential move for Paris St-Germain right-back Serge Aurier”, according to the Mail, who add that “City’s Pablo Zabaleta is expected to join West Ham, though they have also spoken to Bacary Sagna”.
Michael Keane’s most likely summer destination has changed, but just a little, with the Sun claiming that the Burnley defender, who had been most strongly linked with a move to Everton, will now be joining Liverpool instead, where he will be “made the mainstay of Jürgen Klopp’s defence next season”. And Bournemouth are preparing a double swoop on Chelsea’s substitutes’ bench, with goalkeeper Asmir Begovic joining former loanee Nathan Aké – both of whom they wanted to sign in January – on their summer shopping list.
