Gossip: Mendy, Moura, Walker, Keita, Terry

Ian Watson

FULL-BACKS NEXT ON PEP’S AGENDA
Pep Guardiola isn’t messing about…

Less than a week since the end of the season, the Man City boss has already released four first-team regulars and completed the £43million signing of Monaco playmaker Bernardo Silva.

Three of the five players already to have left the Etihad Stadium are full-backs – Bacary Sagna, Pablo Zabaleta and Gael Clichy – so Guardiola is keen to reinforce that area of his squad as soon as possible.

City are set to raid Monaco again, this time for Benjamin Mendy, according to The Independent, which also claims Kyle Walker is the player Guardiola wants as his right-back.

Walker has had his head turned by City’s interest and, more specifically, their willingness to double his £70,000-a-week wage. City, say The Independent, “have for some time been aware of, and are comfortable with, the fee Tottenham would need to complete the deal,” so a transfer could be wrapped up quickly.

 

UNITED STILL SWEET ON LUCAS MOURA
The Gossip hasn’t featured a Lucas Moura-to-Manchester United line for a while and we were starting to get worried. But, thankfully, Sport Witness brings us news of a renewed link between the Red Devils and the Brazil winger.

Despite being custard pie-d back in 2012 when Moura opted to join Paris Saint-Germain from Sao Paulo, United have retained their interest in the 24-year-old ever since. Indeed, the Sport Witness exclusive claims the Europa League winners have made contact with PSG to sound them out over a deal this summer that would finally take Moura to Old Trafford.

Moura has contributed 19 goals and 11 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions for PSG this season and is said to be ‘evaluating his options’.

 

AND THE REST
Arsene Wenger is set to sign a new two-year Arsenal deal regardless of the FA Cup final result…Antonio Conte is set for a new £40m contract at Chelsea as the champions get set to back the Italian in the transfer market…Liverpool are ready to break their club transfer record to land £50m-rated RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita…Marco Silva is in advanced talks with Watford but Crystal Palace are still determined to land the ex-Hull boss…Craig Shakespeare is still in limbo over his Leicester future as the Foxes visit the Monaco Grand Prix for an end-of-season trip…Arsene Wenger has dropped an FA Cup bombshell by picking David Ospina to play at Wembley ahead of No 1 Petr Cech…Pep Guardiola is at war with old club Barcelona for lining up three of their best young teenagers in Pablo Moreno, Nico Gonzalez and Ansu Fati…Manchester United were suckered into paying their world record £86m for Paul Pogba because Juventus had no buyout clause, according to their director…Wigan are naming Portsmouth boss Paul Cook as their new manager in an emotional return to the club.

Bournemouth are not interested in signing John Terry following his departure from Chelsea, but would like Nathan Ake…Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann has dismissed reports he has already agreed to leave this summer but stopped short of committing his future to the club…Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has told Borussia Dortmund he wants to leave the club this summer, with a queue of clubs interested in signing the Bundesliga’s top scorer, according to reports…Gary Cahill admits he was close to joining Arsenal before fate intervened and got him hooked on trophies at Chelsea…The Brazil national team manager Tite has suggested that Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho would be an “ideal player” for Barcelona, should the playmaker ever make a move to Catalonia…Claudio Ranieri could be set for a shock return to management with Leeds…Deportivo La Coruna president Tino Fernandez has confirmed the La Liga side are in talks to re-sign Lucas Perez.