Gossip: Griezmann, Belotti, Depay, Badstuber

GRIEZMANN ON POGBA WAGES?
That’s the claim from The Sun, who described the offer made to Antoine Griezmann as ‘the same Galactico contract as Paul Pogba’, which means a basic £220,000 a week and identical bonuses to his French teammate. If true, they really do mean business.

The Sun claim that Manchester United have ’employed a top agent’ to talk to Griezmann’s people and have already made their offer ahead of a potential summer move. Now for the small matter of a) agreeing a price with Atletico Madrid, b) hoping no other club makes an offer and c) having their ‘Galactico contract’ accepted by Griezmann.

All of which is presumably difficult before Manchester United secure a Champions League place for next season.

 

BELOTTI FOR ARSENAL?
It’s what we have all been waiting for – The Sun Online’s gossip-mongers Daniel Cutts and Emanuele Giulianelli to team up on a transfer story. The result is a claim that ‘ARSENAL boss Arsene Wenger is keeping tabs on Torino star Andrea Belotti – but has been put off by his £50m price tag’.

They quote a ‘source’ in Italy as saying: “Arsenal have an option for Belotti from Torino, and he is available for 60m Euros. That is to get him now before any other teams come in for him, but Arsenal will not pay that amount just yet.

“They will wait to see what happens with him this season, and think about moving for him again in the summer.”

Riiiiiight.

 

MAN UNITED WANT £20M FOR DEPAY
It’s a price tag that has already put off Nice, while Everton are also said to be reluctant to pay £20m for a player who would undoubtedly be a gamble, but the Daily Telegraph claims that Manchester United are adamant that they want to recoup most of their £25m outlay on Memphis Depay as well as getting his £90,000-a-week wages off the payroll.

The Daily Mail do suggest that United could eventually soften and allow a loan later in the January window, as they claim that Jose Mourinho’s side will not do any incoming business until the summer. Which is not what The Sun Online say – they are suggesting a £32.5m move for Kostas Manolas. We call bullsh*t.

 

BADSTUBER FOR CITY
This is what happens when Pep Guardiola tells a press conference that “if we need something it’s at the back”; the Manchester Evening News decide that the Spaniard probably means Holger Badstuber, available on loan from Bayern Munich.

What Guardiola was actually doing was denying any interest in Sevilla midfielder Steven N’Zonzi, which is odd because Daniel Cutts of The Sun Online told us just a couple of days ago that City were absolutely definitely going to make a bid for the former Stoke man this January.

 

 

AND THE REST
West Ham have added Celtic striker Moussa Dembele to their transfer shortlist…Chelsea are still in talks with Atalanta over the possible signing of Franck Kessie…Striker Odion Ighalo is set to leave Watford, with the Hornets hoping to cash in on fresh interest from Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua…Liverpool are set to sell 23-year-old defender Tiago Ilori to Reading for £3.75m…Aston Villa have been told they must pay at least £10m to sign Jordan Rhodes from Middlesbrough.