Gossip: Dier, Walker, Rose, Butland, Alves, Sissoko

Daniel Storey

TOTTENHAM TRIO ALL WANT TO LEAVE
We’re starting with The Sun, and their attempt to pour cold p*ss on the piping hot chips that Tottenham fans are enjoying. An exclusive from chief sports writer Dave Kidd states that Kyle Walker, Danny Rose and Eric Dier all want to leave Tottenham for Manchester.

Taking each case on its merit, and you can see why the players might want to leave. It is no secret that Walker has had his head turned by Manchester City, while Pep Guardiola is also reported to want Rose. Whether or not his latest injury setback affects things remains to be seen.

Dier is a little more complicated, but Kidd writes that he has also had his head turned by the talk that Manchester United wish to pay £40m for his services.

It’s tough for Spurs. Getting fees of £130m for those three players actually seems like a very good deal, but only if you replace them intelligently. Plus, if they are sold, there will be an inescapable sense that a group is being broken up.

 

TWO MORE WEIRD SPURS-RELATED CLAIMS
The first came out on Wednesday afternoon, with Duncan Castles taking time out from fluffing Jose Mourinho to bring an exclusive that Tottenham would like to sign Dani Alves and have approached him. That’s all very well, but why would Juventus let him go? He’s under contract, has been exceptional this season and hardly shows signs of slowing down. It would surely take a decent fee to make it worth their while?

The second claim is that Paulinho is close to joining Bayern Munich. Yes, that Paulinho. The midfielder has been impressing at Guangzhou Evergrande, and reports in Brazil say the 28-year-old could be on his way to Bayern. I won’t believe it until I see it.

 

EVERYONE WANTS JACK BUTLAND
Tough for Stoke, isn’t it? Mark Hughes will have been desperate to get goalkeeper Jack Butland fit, but as soon as Butland starts playing again every elite Premier League club is rumoured to be considering making a bid. Don’t get comfortable on that bench, Lee Grant.

In the Daily Star, chief sports writer Jeremy Cross writes that Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City are all keen on Butland, which just sounds a bit weird. Surely Butland is going to want a club where he is going to be first choice?

For his part, Butland has waved away the rumours: “I see it as a really positive thing. It is nice to be recognised, I must be doing something right. But I also have to remember I have been out for a year now and I just need to get back to doing what I love doing – and the rest will take care of itself.”

He’s still off, isn’t he?

 

CAN WE BE FRIENDS WITH MOUSSA SISSOKO’S AGENT?
Now look here, Don Balon. We’ve had enough of your rot for one day.

‘He was one of the most outstanding players in the last Eurocopa,’ the dodgy Google translation of their story begins. ‘So much, that several great of Europe went without hesitate to try to close his signing. Among them, of course, Real Madrid of a Zinedine Zidane who tried several times to close his arrival to the Madrid club. He was, and he is, convinced that his contribution to the team would be absolutely decisive. That it would give greater solidity to the center of the field of the white set.

‘Milan has been seriously considering its incorporation. From their closest environment, however, they have decided to offer it to Barca. They know very well that the club azulgrana needs to reinforce its center of the field and they want to take advantage of this circumstance.’

They’re talking about Moussa Sissoko. Moussa f**king Sissoko.

 

AND THE REST
Swansea boss Paul Clement is ready to make a move to bring John Terry to the club… Chelsea are desperately trying to persuade PSG midfielder Marco Verratti to join… Jermain Defoe is being offered an £18m contract by Bournemouth… Mauro Icardi has pledged his allegiance to Inter Milan… Everton have targeted Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gylfi Sigurdsson as possible replacements for Ross Barkley… Derby are braced for bids to buy their top scorer Tom Ince… Wilfried Zaha has told Crystal Palace he is willing to sign a five-year deal worth £110,000 a week… Celtic are being linked with a summer move for Manchester City midfielder Fabian Delph.