Gossip: Ceballos, Embolo, Anderson, Mahrez…

Matt Stead

Arsenal to battle with Liverpool for a Real Betis midfielder and to rival Spurs for Breel Embolo, Man United want Felipe Anderson, and Barcelona chase Riyad Mahrez.

 

ARSENAL AND LIVERPOOL WANT CEBALLOS
With the Premier League’s biggest clubs thoroughly enjoying their full pockets, we may see more and more following the Manchester United route and buying players far ahead of their peak but beyond academy age. Whereas once clubs pay have recruited players from abroad at 16 or 23, now 18, 19 or 20 might be the perfect age.

On that note, the Daily Mirror report that Arsenal and Liverpool are keeping tabs on Dani Ceballos, the Real Betis midfielder who won the Under-19 European Championships with Spain in the summer.

Ceballos only has a year left on his contract, with the midfielder currently having a £7.5m buyout clause. Both clubs are reportedly hoping to sign him on the cheap in January, with Betis not wanting to lose him for nothing.

 

ARSENAL RIVAL SPURS FOR STRIKER
The Gunners aren’t done there. According to Daily Express, whose source is Calciomercato (a sickening combination), Arsenal are ready to challenge Juventus and Wolfsburg for Spurs target Breel Embolo. The striker is incredibly highly-rated, just 18 and plays for FC Basel in Switzerland. That’s where Calciomercato’s claims come from, too, as their report is “according to the Swiss press”. A lovely far-reaching term.

Anyway, Embolo has scored 13 times in 38 league games in Switzerland, and also played in the Champions League last season. The Swiss international is reportedly valued at around £10million.

 

UNITED CHASE FELIPE ANDERSON
Your first dose of bulls**t now, with papers reporting that Manchester United will target Lazio midfielder Felipe Anderson in January.

Now Anderson may well move to United (the last Brazilian Anderson worked out well after all), but you’ll forgive us for not taking the word of tuttomercatoweb.com. That’s on the basis that they peddled transfer nonsense for most of the summer.

Pleased to report that I don’t have the dreadful Stockholm Syndrome with the transfer window that I feared. Half-suspected I’d be waking up shouting “Fichajes.net” and sweating profusely.

 

BARCELONA WANT MAHREZ
Erm… what? It looks like Barcelona might have reacted to the fantasy football market by fancying the purchase of Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez.

Talksport use quotes from Mundo Deportivo in Spain, in which the newspaper claims that Barcelona have thrown their name into the ring for Mahrez, who has scored four goals in four league appearances this season.

Let’s just say you’ll be able to knock us down with a feather if Mahrez goes to Barcelona. Because it’s not going to happen.

 

AND THE REST
Moussa Sissoko has risked angering Newcastle fans by claiming Crystal Palace are a bigger club…Switzerland midfielder Gokhan Inler has warned tonight’s England opponents that his team will not be lying down and treat the Wembley match like a friendly…Tony Pulis has told striker Saido Berahino he should knuckle down at West Brom and earn respect among his team-mates and stop “rocking the boat”…Clubs now pay more out in wages than transfer fees, according to a “staggering” FIFA report…Manchester United’s 19-year-old striker James Wilson has had over 20 clubs making enquiries about his availability for a loan move…Iker Casillas has branded Manchester United “ungrateful” for their treatment of his fellow Spain goalkeeper Victor Valdes.