Zlatan is back! The Rumour Mill isn’t 100% sure that he ever really went away, contractually, spiritually or otherwise. But having won the League Cup for Manchester United, plus finally landing a European trophy, sort of, he fancies more of the same next season. And so he’ll be signing a new deal with the Old Trafford giants once his leg is healed.
United also want the Monaco midfielder Fabinho, though Atlético Madrid have thrown their hat in that particular ring, too, with a note stuffed in the band setting out details of a loan back while their transfer ban remains in place. Atlético are also still in the hunt for Diego Costa, and plan to park him at Besiktas until things cool off.
Arsenal are not giving up on Kylian Mbappé, despite Monaco now demanding £130m for the 18-year-old striker. Real Madrid should have got the deal done when the price was just £110m. A lesson there for us all. Real will raise a few quid for that effort by selling their right-back Danilo to Chelsea for £28m.
More Manchester United! They’re very close to deals for Internazionale winger Ivan Perisic and Tottenham midfielder Eric Dier. You may have already read about these moves on this very site, in which case click here and here and let the warm, comforting sense of deja vu wash over you.
The Álvaro Morata thing might be back on as well, though Chelsea will have something to say about that, especially in the wake of the grand Lukaku snub. Only one problem for Antonio Conte there: Real Madrid want Eden Hazard as part of any deal.
Ross Barkley’s nose has already been put squarely out of joint by the arrival at Everton of Wayne Rooney and Davy Klaassen. Now he’s been left out of some pre-season tour or other, alerting both Tottenham and Arsenal to his plight.
Everton meanwhile are in the hunt for Ajax defender Jaïro Riedewald, Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke, and one-time Liverpool target Gylfi Sigurdsson. The Rumour Mill can’t shake the suspicion that they’re now just doing stuff to tease their neighbours, who would currently struggle to close a deal for a pint of milk, a box of fags and the paper at the local Co-op.
Speaking of which, Lucas Leiva has been rumoured to be leaving Liverpool since about 2008, and yet here he is in 2017, having clocked up 346 appearances, more than Alex Raisbeck, Terry McDermott, Kevin Keegan, Michael Owen or Bob Paisley ever managed. But everything ends, and he’ll be away to Lazio soon enough. A shame: one more season and he’d have been leapfrogging Mark Lawrenson, Graeme Souness, Alan Kennedy and Robbie Fowler on that all-time list.
Marseille want to take Moussa Sissoko off Tottenham’s hands. Newcastle United are interested in Norwich winger Jacob Murphy. And West Ham fancy Stoke’s Marko Arnautovic, while their interest in Joe Hart won’t go away, so we’re duty bound to keep putting it in here. A star-studded Mill, from tip to toe. More tomorrow!
