Gossip: Messi (yawn), McCarthy, Tierney, Depay

Daniel Storey

WHAT’S THAT? MESSI TO MANCHESTER CITY? AGAIN?
It’s quite easy working in Manchester City’s PR department, isn’t it? No matter what disaster befalls the club, be it catastrophic defeat at Everton or every single member of the squad handing in their notice on the same day, there is an easy way out of the mess.

“Karen, it’s happened again,” PR Dave says to his colleague.

“Oh no, again?” Karen replies. “Why can’t they just win a few games and get back into the title race?”

“Dunno Karen, but ours is not to reason why. You know what we have to do.”

“Leak some guff about us signing Lionel Messi, you mean? But hasn’t the player repeatedly said that he won’t play for another European club?”

“Don’t worry about that. Everyone seems to deliberately forget that. It’s easy clicks, you see.”

 

MAN UNITED WANT CELTIC LEFT-BACK
Interesting news from Old Trafford now, with the Daily Mirror’s David McDonnell writing that Manchester United are hoping to sign Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney this month for a fee of £10m.

McDonnell writes that Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal are all interested in the defender, but it is United that are in pole position to sign him. He also says that United have watched Tierney over the last few months, but he hasn’t played a league game since October.

McDonnell’s conclusion is that United probably won’t sign Tierney in January, but will do so in the summer. Bad news for Luke Shaw.

 

SUNDERLAND TO SIGN JAMES MCCARTHY. ERM…
That’s the claim from the Daily Star, who say that Everton want £10m plus Lamine Kone for McCarthy. That’s lovely and everything, but the Star seem to have forgotten that David Moyes doesn’t have a pot to p*ss in during this transfer window.

“Managing Sunderland always had an appeal to me but, if I’d known about the financial situation, I’d have needed to look at it in a different way,” said Moyes in December. “I’d have had to have thought a lot more about taking the job. I didn’t see us having no money in January. I’m disappointed I won’t be able to do some work in January and build on what we’ve done so far.”

But yeah, £10m plus Kone (who is at the Africa Cup of Nations) for McCarthy. Sure, why not?

 

 

AND THE REST
Lyon have had an improved £13m bid for Memphis Depay rejected by Manchester United… Manchester United are among several clubs tracking Flamengo’s Vinicius Junior… Middlesbrough are on the verge of completing the signing of Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford… West Ham and Sunderland are interested in Leeds striker Chris Wood, but won’t pay £15m. You’d hope not… West Brom’s hopes of signing Manchester City midfielder Fabian Delph appear over… Swansea City want sign former Chelsea midfielder Gael Kakuta on loan… Watford are close to signing Fiorentina’s ex-Birmingham, West Ham and QPR striker Mauro Zarate on loan.