Gossip: Blues, Utd want £120m teen; Moura, Gray
CHELSEA AND UNITED WANT £120M KEEPER
Oh, Mino Raiola. It feels like it’s been a while, old friend. The budget version of Jorge Mendes is revving up the January transfer window motor, and he is in fine form.
Speaking to Sport Mediaset in Italy, Raiola has been discussing AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. If you weren’t aware, Donnarumma is rather good. At only 16 (he was born in 1999, for crying out loud), he has already become first-choice goalkeeper at the San Siro, making five appearances and conceding just three goals.
“I’d compare him to a [piece by Italian artist Amadeo] Modigliani,” Raiola said. “He’s worth €170 million.”
Donnarumma has predictably already been likened to his namesake Buffon, but with just five career appearances under his belt, his agent says he is already a £120million talent. That is bound to end well.
Manchester United and Chelsea are understood to have followed the 16-year-old closely, and will be more than happy to pay such a ridiculous fee.
UNITED BACK IN FOR MOURA
Manchester United almost signed Lucas Moura in 2012, before French side Paris Saint-Germain swooped in and bagged the Brazilian. According to reports in France, United could resurrect a deal.
That is basically the crux of what L’Equipe are reporting, too. They say United could be interested because they have been before. The 23-year-old hs started 10 of PSG’s 14 Ligue 1 games so far this season – The Metro say he has become a supersub akin to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, despite him coming on as a substitute twice – and has scored three goals, with one assist.
A sexy foreign outlet said it, so the British press are allowed to report on it. PSG signed Moura for just over £31million three years ago; they will surely want a return and more on that price.
CHELSEA TARGET TEIXEIRA
Chelsea are struggling, so what should they do? Sign another Brazilian attacking midfielder, obviously.
Diego Costa’s role at the club has come in for increasing scrutiny, with the Spanish striker struggling for goals after an excellent debut season last campaign. Teixeira is no striker, but is impressing at Shakhtar Donetsk.
The 25-year-old has been discussing his future, with the following quotes from The Sun:
“From what I have seen and what my manager said, Chelsea, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain have made proposals. But Chelsea and Juventus are deeper in negotiations. They are all big clubs. Wherever I go, I’ll be happy.”
The Daily Express go one further, claiming an EXCLUSIVE on Chelsea offering £30million for Teixeira. We can’t help but think it wouldn’t actually solve the problem(s).
GRAY WANTED BY PREM SIDES
Time for a Football365 sweepstake: Who will be the first to dub Andre Gray the ‘next Jamie Vardy/Dele Alli’?
Gray started his career at Shrewsbury but struggled to break through, with a number of non-league loans leading him to Hinckley Town. He impressed sufficiently to join Conference side Luton, from where he took the leap up to the Championship with first Brentford and now Burnley. The 24-year-old is now impressing enough with the Clarets to earn Premier League suitors.
According to the Daily Mirror, Aston Villa, Everton and West Ham are interested in the striker, whose valuation is rated at around £15million. Burnley signed him for £9m in the summer, and he has scored nine goals in 12 games since.
The hitch here is that Gray has already played for Brentford – where he scored two goals in two before his move in August – and Burnley this season, meaning he cannot play for a third club before the end of the campaign. That could well rule out Villa. Why would Gray want to join a Championship-bound side?
AND THE REST
Leicester City will demand at least £30m for scoring sensation Jamie Vardy, if Chelsea or Manchester United make a January approach…Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi has ended speculation linking him with a move to Arsenal and Liverpool in January…Barcelona are convinced Real Madrid are on the verge of being hit with the same double transfer-window ban on signing new players that they have endured for the last year…Manchester City defender Martin Demichelis is wanted by both Rosario Central in his native Argentina and New York City FC in January…Mauricio Pochettino has told Chelsea to prepare themselves for disappointment in their pursuit of Harry Kane, telling Mourinho that his striker will reject any of their advances…Reported Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona target Paul Pogba will not be leaving Juventus in the January transfer window.