Gossip: Arsenal to pay £51m for Morata?

Daniel Storey

ARSENAL MAKE BID FOR MORATA
We’re starting in Italy today, with the claim that Arsenal have made a £51m bid for Alvaro Morata.

Morata scored 11 goals for Juventus this season, but Real Madrid have a buy-back option that they are likely to exercise before selling him on immediately. Arsenal are pushing their way to the front of a potentially lengthy queue.

Corriere dello Sport reckon that Arsene Wenger has made Morata his top striker target, and who are we to disagree with them?

 

LIVERPOOL WANT BRAHIMI
Liverpool have made an approach for Yacine Brahimi, according to reports in Portugal. O Jogo say that they are one of three sides to have contacted Porto about the possibility of signing the winger. The other two clubs are Wolfsburg and Milan.

Brahimi has been rumoured with a move for at least a year, and is finally set to get that big break in Italy, Spain or England. He has a release clause of €60million, which is sky high.

He can run fast, he can dribble well, he can cross well. Which means he’s better than Jesus Navas on two counts.

 

LUKAKU TO LEAVE BEFORE THE EUROS
We’ll cut to the chase on this one: Papa Rom Rom says that his son is leaving Everton. We’re not that surprised he fancies Champions League football, to be honest.

“I hope and believe that Mino (Raiola, agent of Lukaku) is fair, and that he is acting in the best interest of the player,” Roger Lukaku said to Belgian publication Humo.

“Romelu will decide his future, but agents have the last word most of the time. I hope & I think Mino Raiola is a honest man.

“Now, with Romelu it will be quickly arranged. Whether the transfer has been sorted? Almost. I think it will be in place before the European Championship.

“He won’t go to Italy, because they keep it closed at the back, too difficult for an attacker.

“What is certain, to continue to make progress, he needs to change clubs, but we are mainly engaged in making the right choice.”

 

REAL INTERESTED IN PAYET
Staying with West Ham and Real Madrid are looking to sign West Ham and France midfielder Dimitri Payet, 29, according to reports in France.

Payet’s form has been rewarded with a call-up to the France squad for this summer’s tournament and Real scouts will be present at all of the host nation’s games to keep an eye on the 29-year-old.

Real are planning to offload James Rodriguez this summer and view Payet as the ideal candidate to replace the Colombian. Payet signed a new contract with West Ham this year as the club tried to play down any rumours linking him with a move away from east London.

But the lure of playing in the Champions League for Real could persuade Payet to force through a move if the Spanish giants firm up their interest with a bid in July.

 

 

AND THE REST
Arsenal are on the hunt for a left-back and have watched Kieran Tierney of Celtic and Leicester’s Ben Chilwell closely but have yet to make any formal offers…Crotone, recently promoted to Serie A, will face a huge job to convince manager Ivan Juric to stick around following interest from Leeds United… Liverpool and Italy forward Mario Balotelli, 25, who is currently on loan at AC Milan, is wanted by Spanish side Espanyol…Liverpool winger Samed Yesil is on the verge of joining Turkish club Trabzonspor, after spending a season on loan at FC Luzern…Former Borussia Monchengladbach coach Lucien Favre is in the hunt for the Everton job after holding talks with Goodison officials but Saints boss Ronald Koeman and Dutchman Frank de Boer still top the shortlist…Watford have held talks with former Inter Milan boss Walter Mazzarri and the club could appoint their new head coach by the end of this week Incoming Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola wants to hijack neighbours United’s move for Schalke sensation Leroy Sane…Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri is keen on signing Ajax striker Arkadiusz Milik…Swansea have Junior Hoilett top of their wanted list this summer with the 25-year-old winger’s contract expiring at QPR.