Gossip: Barca want Herrera, Griezmann to join Man United

Sarah Winterburn

VALVERDE QUIERE ANDER HERRERA
Now this transfer gossip column does not claim to be able to speak Spanish but we suspect that what the front page of SPORT is trying to tell us is that incoming Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has made Ander Herrera one of his transfer priorities this summer. And that was presumably before his excellence in the Europa League final.

They do add that Manchester United have no intention to sell Herrera and that he is contracted to the Old Trafford club until 2018. But what they are clearly hoping is that Herrera is so flattered that he does not sign the new deal likely to be on the table at the end of the season.

 

GRIEZMANN INCOMING TO MAN UNITED
Pretty much as soon as the final whistle confirmed that Manchester United will be in the Champions League next season came the claim that Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann will join his friend Paul Pogba in Manchester.

Jose Mourinho was asked directly about Griezmann in his press conference after the game and said: “I do not want to talk about Griezmann because that would be disrespectful to his club, Atletico. Just how I do not like others talking about by my players, I’m not going to talk about Antoine either.”

 

EVERTON PUT BARKLEY ON SALE
Everton have finally given up on persuading midfielder Ross Barkley to sign a new £100,000-a-week contract, according to the Daily Mirror. So with Tottenham and Manchester United both expressing an interest, Barkley is very much for sale.

The problem? Everton want £50m for Barkley, who is so very much not worth £50m even if his contract was not set to expire next summer. He is not in the same bracket at either Dele Alli or Christian Eriksen, so Spurs are unlikely to break their transfer record for a slight upgrade on Son-Heung Min.

 

AND THE REST
Newcastle United are hoping to sign 25-year-old Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho…Liverpool and Wales winger Harry Wilson is attracting interest from Celtic and Wolves…Premier League newcomers Brighton are monitoring Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy, who is on loan at Huddersfield from Manchester City…West Brom are interested in signing Manchester City’s Nigeria striker Kelechi Iheanacho.