Gossip: An awful lot going on at Arsenal…

Daniel Storey

CHELSEA WANT DOUBLE JUVENTUS SWOOP
Sad to say that this one comes from the Daily Express, but it is at least an exclusive. Does that even mean anything anymore?

No, it doesn’t. ‘Chelsea boss Antonio Conte plots £96m double swoop for Juventus duo Leonardo Bonucci and Alex Sandro,’ read the headline on Saturday afternoon on the Daily Mail’s website. ‘Chelsea Exclusive: Antonio Conte planning £105m double raid on former club Juventus,’ reads the headline on Neil Fissler’s Express story. You can’t just add £9m to the price and call it an exclusive, surely?

Anyway, you get the message. Reports suggest that Chelsea will sign Alex Sandro and Leonardo Bonucci from Juventus this summer. Having also lost Dani Alves, surely Juve would be uneasy about losing three of their five-man defence over the course of one summer?

Fissler believes that Chelsea will pay £55m for Sandro and £50m for Bonucci. At 30, that seems a little steep.

 

JOSE MOURINHO TURNS HIS FOCUS ON HARRY KANE
And that is something you can read about right here.

 

TALK OF BENITEZ WALKING OUT OF NEWCASTLE
Oh Newcastle, you silly buggers. Just as everything is ticking along merrily, along comes a mini-crisis to make everyone panic.

Both the Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday run the story that Rafael Benitez is getting sick of the lack of transfer activity so far this summer, having missed out on a number of transfer targets, and could walk away from the club.

That said, journalists in the area have issues responses saying that, while Benitez is disappointed, he is a long way from walking out. This is more likely a pointed message to Newcastle’s hierarchy to get moving.

 

PLENTY OF INS, OUTS AND STAYING PUTS AT ARSENAL
And we mean plenty. Strap in:

– The Sunday Mirror say that West Ham have made England international Theo Walcott a £25m target.

– The Sunday Mirror also say that Chris Willock is set to leave Arsenal for Benfica. He’s out of contract at the end of the month.

– The People say that Liverpool will pay £30m for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

– The Sun on Sunday report that Henry Onyekuru has been granted a work permit.

– The Mail on Sunday report that Arsene Wenger will go after Anthony Martial if he misses out on Kylian Mbappe.

– Finally, the Sunday Mirror say that Arsenal will go up against Tottenham for Charlton defender Ezri Konsa.

 

AND THE REST
Everton will unveil the £5.2m signing of Malaga striker Sandro Ramirez straight after the European U21 Championship… Midfielder Manuel Lanzini is set for a bumper new contract that would bring him in line with West Ham’s top earners… Kyle Walker expects to be a Manchester City player by the time Pep Guardiola’s stars head off on their US tour to America next month… Paul Clement is in with a shout of taking former Bayern Munich defender Holger Badstuber to Swansea.

Tottenham flop Vincent Janssen will be handed an escape route from north London by Borussia Monchengladbach… Jurgen Klopp has been told by Southampton that he will need to spend £70m if he wants to take Virgil van Dijk to Anfield… Watford boss Marco Silva is ready to pounce for Hull left-back Andy Robertson… Tottenham have enquired about £18m-rated Borussia Dortmund defender Matthias Ginter.