Gossip: Arsenal linked with another central midfielder

Daniel Storey

ARSENAL LINKED WITH ANOTHER CENTRAL MIDFIELDER
Arsene Wenger is reportedly peeved with Granit Xhaka after his second straight red card of the season, so it’s no surprise that Tuesday brings a transfer story along the same lines. The Daily Mirror pass on the message from Portuguese newspaper A Bola’s report that Arsenal want to sign Porto midfielder Danilo for £34.5m.

Few things to note:

1) The report actually only says that Arsenal had scouts at a recent Porto game.
2) The report actually only says that £34.5m is Danilo’s release fee, not that Arsenal are willing to pay it.
3) The news story is from Sunday.

 

SUNDERLAND PREPARING FOR LIFE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
There were some bemused glances when David Moyes ranted last week about the standard of player Sunderland could hope to attract. This is hardly a motivational speech:

“I’d be kidding you on if I said the players we’re hoping to bring in this month are going to make a big difference because, first of all, we probably couldn’t get that level of player and, secondly, we probably wouldn’t have the finances to do that. To suggest that a player we might bring in would be making a big difference would not be correct.”

Yet it turns out Moyes was simply preparing Sunderland supporters for the impending bad news. The Daily Mirror report that Joleon Lescott is closing in on a move to the club. Sheesh.

That’s the same Lescott who is currently injured after having his contract at AEK Athens mutually terminated after a disagreement over his treatment. That’s the same Lescott who was arguably Aston Villa’s worst player during a miserable relegation season. That’s the same Lescott who described Villa’s relegation as a “weight off the shoulders” of players. This will work out well.

 

LINDELOF NOW LINKED WITH SUMMER MOVE
Remember Victor Lindelof? The defender that Manchester United were definitely going to sign in the January transfer window? Well he’s now Victor Lindelof, the defender that Manchester United might sign in the summer transfer window.

In the Mirror, John Cross writes that Chelsea will look to go up against United to sign Lindelof in the summer, while the rest of us suspect that the Swede has just got an agent who is very keen to talk up his client’s prospects.

Lindelof has regularly been linked with a £38m move. It just seems an awful lot of money.

 

AND THE REST
Juventus star and former Barcelona defender Dani Alves is a target for three Chinese Super League clubs…Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce has won the race for Barnsley’s £3m right-back James Bree…Southampton have made a fresh enquiry for Napoli striker Manolo Gabbiadini…Aston Villa are set to complete the signing of Conor Hourihane…Newcastle have reportedly asked Dynamo Zagreb about Ante Coric and Filip Benkovic as part of a transfer push that could see the Magpies spend £35m before deadline day…West Ham are poised to make an improved offer for Robert Snodgrass and still hope to sign the Hull City winger before the transfer window shuts, as they look to boost their odds of reaching the Europa League.