Gossip: Man United’s £50m Rose, City’s £20m Sanchez, Lemar

Matt Stead

KISS FROM A ROSE
You will surely have already seen The Sun’s back page by now. Neil Custis and Paul Jiggins team up as a tour de force of transfer bullsh*t to bring you the latest from Manchester United and Tottenham. The former are preparing a £50million bid for the latter’s left-back.

And that’s Danny Rose, not Ben Davies. The claim is that United have acted after Rose was left off of Tottenham’s 2018 calendar – ‘sparking fears his days at the club are numbered’.

Ashley Young, Daley Blind and Matteo Darmian have deputised in that position for Jose Mourinho, who has a chronic left-back problem. Luke Shaw is not close to contention, and so Rose is being lined up. The England international ‘appeared in last year’s calendar but he does not feature in the new one at all, despite being Spurs’ longest-serving star and rated as one of the Premier League’s best defenders.’

The 12 available slots on Tottenham’s 2018 calendar are taken up by Lloris, Kane, Alli, Eriksen, Dembele, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Dier, Trippier, Son, Wanyama and Winks, who are all presumably not for sale. But Rose? ‘There is no place for Rose on the front cover or on any of the individual month pages.’

So he’s pretty much off. Shame.

 

DIRTY SANCHEZ
Arsene Wenger made the mistake of honestly answering a question at his press conference on Thursday. Asked whether Alexis Sanchez (or Mesut Ozil) could be sold in January, he did not rule it out. Everything was a possibility, he said.

The Daily Mirror have seen an opportunity and pounced on it. According to John Cross, Manchester City will make a £20m bid for Sanchez in January instead of waiting until the summer to get him for free.

To be honest, the rest of the story is the usual bluster. It really does strike as Cross hearing Wenger say he could sell Sanchez in January, putting two and two together and coming up with £20m. Sorted.

 

LEMAR IS BACK
Just to make it really feel like last summer, the Daily Mirror are back again with news from Thomas Lemar. Arsenal and Liverpool are ready to ‘battle’ over him again.

Lemar almost moved to the Premier League in August but Monaco refused to sell yet another one of their precious talents. That has done little to deter Arsenal or Liverpool, as ‘both sides retain a long-standing interest’.

The story contains quotes from an interview with Monaco owner Vadim Vasilyev, in which he accepts that Lemar is likely to be the subject of interest in the next few transfer windows. Well alright.


AND THE REST
Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill is among the early favourites to replace Gordon Strachan as Scotland manager… Former Everton, Manchester United and Sunderland boss David Moyes would be willing to speak to Scotland about becoming their new manager… Chelsea scouts will check on Red Star Belgrade’s Ghana striker Richmond Boakye, 24, during next week’s Europa League tie against Arsenal… Manchester City can afford Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, but the 30-year-old does not want to leave, according to his Argentina team-mate Sergio Aguero… Messi could be in line for an £80m signing-on bonus if he agrees a new deal with Barcelona… Chelsea will consider sending Belgium Under-21 midfielder Charly Musonda, 20, on loan in January… Paris St-Germain midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak, 27, could make his loan switch to West Brom permanent… Leicester City could move for former Manchester City and Arsenal full-back Bacary Sagna, 34 who is a free agent… Sunderland will consider selling Ivory Coast defender Lamine Kone, 28, midfielder Jack Rodwell, 26, and Gabon midfielder Didier Ndong, 23, if Ellis Short has not sold the Championship club before the winter transfer window opens… Bristol City boss Lee Johnson wants to sign a new midfielder in January… Ipswich Town will confirm the £90,000 signing of Waterford striker Aaron Drinan 19, in the January transfer window.