Gossip: Dier for £60m, Wilshere for £6m

Daniel Storey

REINA HAPPY TO BE THE NEW STUART TAYLOR
Pepe Reina is 34, but he might as well be 44 if he moves to Manchester City this summer. The former Liverpool goalkeeper was first choice for Napoli last season, starting 37 league games and playing all eight of their Champions League matches, so why would he give that up to become a No. 3?

You can understand why Pep Guardiola quite likes the idea. The Guardian report that Reina would only cost £2.5m, and City would get themselves a goalkeeper with Premier League experience who would probably never play but be perfectly competent should he have to.

Perhaps this means that Claudio Bravo will be sold and Reina will be second choice behind Ederson, but even so – surely Reina wants to play football?

 

MAN UNITED TO MAKE FINAL DIER OFFER?
Jose Mourinho needs a defensive midfielder to give Paul Pogba the licence to roam, and it is becoming increasingly obvious that Eric Dier is his preferred option. Manchester United have had reported interest rejected by Tottenham, with the player fancying the move, but United will not give up there.

In the Daily Mirror, James Nursey writes that United could make a final offer of £60m for Dier. Given that Tottenham recently insisted that they will reject all bids for Dier, they’re probably going to say thanks but no thanks.

In fairness, Nursey’s story actually says that United ‘are considering’ making a final offer, which doesn’t mean a great deal. They might just go after a different player, like Nemanja Matic.

 

WILSHERE OFF TO SAMPDORIA, OR PALACE?
It doesn’t say an awful lot for Jack Wilshere’s reputation that both he and Ross Barkley have a year left on their contracts, and while the latter is being touted for £30m or £40m moves to elite Premier League clubs, the former isn’t.

The latest claims on Wilshere are that Sampdoria have offered a fee of £6m plus £1.5m in add ons, which is pretty bloody bleak. Lewis Grabban moved for £6m.

An alternative is offered up by The Sun in an exclusive from Justin Allen. He writes that Crystal Palace are planning making a loan move for Wilshere for the 2017/18 season, but that it depends on the midfielder signing a new contract at Arsenal. That hardly looks on the cards right now. It doesn’t say much that Palace are not linked with a permanent move, and neither are any other Premier League clubs.

AND THE REST
Crystal Palace have offered about £16m for Arsenal defender Calum Chambers… Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs is one of West Brom’s top targets… Crystal Palace are on the verge of signing Ajax defender Jairo Riedewald… Newcastle United have had their bid for 22-year-old Norwich midfielder Jacob Murphy accepted… Riyad Mahrez is ready to take a pay cut to join Roma