Gossip: Bayern sniffing around Alexis Sanchez?

Daniel Storey

BAYERN WANT ALEXIS SANCHEZ
It was only a matter of time before the rumours started filtering through about interest in Arsenal’s best players. This has, ultimately, been another season of stagnation. The Daily Mirror respond to that with the claim that Bayern Munich quite fancy getting their hands on Alexis Sanchez. Don’t we all.

Apparently Bayern have made ‘discreet’ enquiries about Sanchez’s availability, but not discreet enough to avoid the Mirror getting wind of it. We’re also told that their interest has not yet become ‘formal’. Very much like the idea of a club having to wear top hat and tails to submit a bid.

Put it this way, if Arsenal sell Sanchez then there will be a bloody riot at the Emirates.

 

CHELSEA AFTER MKHITARYAN AND BONUCCI
Sticking with the Daily Mirror, and their claims that Chelsea are interested in Borussia Dortmund midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan and are also hopeful of a deal for Leonardo Bonucci.

The Blues hope to tempt the 27-year-old Armenian, a former Liverpool target, to Stamford Bridge despite no Champions League football next season. Mkhitaryan has scored 18 goals this season in all competitions and is set for another campaign in European football’s No1 club tournament if he stays at Dortmund.

Meanwhile, the Blues have been given a boost in their pursuit of Juventus defender Bonucci after he refused to commit his future to the newly-crowned Italian champions. Juve have so far insisted the 28-year-old is not for sale. But, asked whether he would be moving on, Bonucci refused to commit his future to the club.

He said: “I haven’t said anything yet. The question hasn’t been asked, so I can’t say either yes or no.” It’s not exactly outrageous flirting.

 

ARSENAL WANT CHELSEA’S SOLANKE?
Talk of a player coming in to Arsenal now, and it’s a strange one. On Tuesday reports suggested that Chelsea kid Dominic Solanke wanted £50,000 a week as part of his new Chelsea contract. By Wednesday, Arsenal want to sign him.

Whether or not the wage demand stories are true, Solanke is reportedly concerned about Chelsea’s propensity to give him the requisite experience in their first team, which is probably fair enough. The Sun claim that Arsenal have spotted the uncertainty, and are trying to pinch Solanke before he signs a new deal.

 

HECTOR’S HOUSE TO BE NEAR ANFIELD?
We have actual quotes now, and they come from the agent of Cologne left-back Jonas Hector, who has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool this summer. Jurgen Klopp looks set on strengthening Liverpool’s defence by signing the best of the Bundesliga rest. It might well work.

“Koln reacted with the transfer of Filip Mladenovic to a possible sale of Jonas,” Hector’s agent Rainer Derber said. “We must talk to interested clubs in consultation with Koln but this will not happen before the end of the Bundesliga. He will not only benefit from a transfer, but so will Koln.” Reckon Derber might care more about the former than the latter.

 

AND THE REST
Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, 26, wants to leave Arsenal and move to Roma in the summer after a successful loan spell…Jorge Sampaoli is claiming he met with Roman Abramovich about becoming Chelsea boss before they appointed Antonio Conte…Tottenham are set to battle it out with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona for Lyon defender Samuel Umtiti…Aston Villa are set for a second round of talks with Nigel Pearson as the crisis club continues its search for their next manager…Middlesbrough have joined Aston Villa and West Brom in expressing an interest in Gent’s Belgium international striker Laurent Depoitre, 27…Porto manager Julen Lopetegui and Borussia Monchengladbach boss Andre Schubert could be candidates for the Swansea manager’s job in the summer.