Chelsea hog the headlines in this roundup of all the transfer news that’s fit to print and – presumably – more that isn’t. The sound of the jungle drums emanating from Stamford Bridge suggest Atlético Madrid are in talks to bring Álvaro Morata back to the club where he began his career as a whey-faced 13-year-old, before moving on to Getafe and Real Madrid. Unwanted by Chelsea just two largely underwhelming seasons after his record £70m arrival, the 26-year-old could be on his way back to the Spanish capital despite recent rumours suggesting he was more likely to be off to Barcelona or Sevilla.
Eden Hazard has long been expected to make his way to the same city at some point or other, having made no secret of his desire to join Madrid. Chelsea have now named their fee for the Belgian playmaker, whipped out their price-gun and covered him in adhesive tags reading “£100m”. In other news pertaining to Maurizio Sarri’s side, David Luiz is enjoying a new lease of life after being shunted to the margins by Antonio Conte last season. Despite the club’s policy of not offering players over 30 years of age anything longer than a one-year deal, this Chelsea pensioner and his “people” appear confident they can sort something mutually agreeable out with his employers before his contract expires this summer.
Harry Kane fears he could be out injured for a month, a treatment-room hiatus that may prompt Tottenham to bring in a loan signing from Barcelona. While a certain 21-year-old Brazilian is capable of lining up on either flank, Mauricio Pochettino will probably want to play Malcom in the middle. If Spurs are to bring the unsettled striker in on loan, they may have to fend off interest from Chelsea.
The Mill had never heard of Club Brugge winger Arnaut Groeneveld 30 seconds ago and was therefore surprised to learn he has multiple admirers in Liverpool, Tottenham, Everton and Milan. Nigerian-born but with two caps for the Netherlands to his name already, our extensive research reveals, the 21-year-old midfielder’s club have already rejected a £9m offer from the Rossoneri.
A free agent since leaving Olympiakos in December, Yaya Touré could be off to Celtic to play out his dotage after coyly using an appearance on Monday Night Football to put himself in the shop window. “Celtic is a great team, but let me speak to Brendan and we will see,” said the 35-year-old, whose brother Kolo is on Celtic’s backroom team and may be able to pull some strings.
While Yaya has been using media appearances to tout their availability, Sam Allardyce appeared on Talksport’s breakfast show to say he doesn’t think the recently vacated Huddersfield Town job is one he’ll be offered. With his side adrift at the bottom of the Premier League, David Wagner left the club by that rare kind of mutual consent that was actually mutual and many presumed Big Sam would be parachuted in to try the Terriers. It seems unlikely, as the firefighter seems to have ruled himself out, as it seems unlikely a club progressive enough to appoint Wagner in the first place would pursue a man with his particular skill-set.
