Gossip: Mangala for Spurs, Hart pay-cut, £25m Fabinho

SPURS IN MOVE FOR MANGALA?
We honestly think this is nonsense but crucially, it’s new nonsense so we are excited. According to ESPN, Tottenham are considering a move for unwanted Manchester City player Eliaquim Mangala (not even on the bench this season) because Mauricio Pochettino is a ‘big fan’. This seems highly unlikely, especially as the story suggests that Kevin Wimmer could be a casualty of the deal. Wimmer has recently signed a new five-year contract while Mangala’s wages would make him a very expensive gamble for a settled side that has proved itself hard to beat with Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen as their first-choice pairing and Wimmer in reserve.

Also in that story: ‘The club are in talks with Crystal Palace about a £15 million move for Wilfried Zaha and are still working on a deal for Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, the Marseille winger.’

Clinton N’Jie, Ryan Mason and Nacer Chadli are thought to be available for transfer, while reports earlier this week suggested Son could return to Germany.

 

HART HAPPY TO TAKE PAY CUT FOR LIVERPOOL?
Well, we did suggest that on Thursday when somebody got carried away and said that he was being ‘imprisoned’ by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. According to The Sun’s Neil Custis, who has been on a one-man mission to increase sympathy for the England goalkeeper all week, Hart is ‘willing to take a huge pay cut to tempt Liverpool to bid for him’. Unfortunately, there is little indication that Liverpool are remotely interested in Hart, even when Simon Mignolet is letting every shot he faces go past him.

 

FABINHO TO COST COOL £25M
Manchester United have been told it will set them back at least £25m if they want to sign 22-year-old right-back Fabinho. That’s a massive profit on the £5m he cost them last summer from Rio Ave FC. Fabinho has actually started this season in defensive midfield for Monaco, and has scored twice in Champions League qualifying as well as netting in Monaco’s opening Ligue Un game against Guingamp.

 

AND THE REST
Southampton are poised to break their transfer record by paying £21.2m for Lille’s Morocco forward Sofiane Boufal…West Ham have agreed a £24m fee with Juventus for Simone Zaza, and the 25-year-old Italy forward is in talks with the Premier League club…Watford have agreed an £8.5m deal to sign Gent’s Sven Kums…West Brom will improve their offer for Jay Rodriguez…Manchester United goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is wanted by Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City.