Gossip: Ramsey to Real, Sturridge a ‘shock target’

Matt Stead

RAMSEY TREAT
The Sun have worked out an excellent way to get ‘Arsenal transfer news’ and ‘Gareth Bale’ into the same headline and URL. Good on them. We’re happy for you, guys.

‘Arsenal transfer news: Aaron Ramsey wanted by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale reunion in shock £25million move,’ reads the headline, with the story a Phil Cadden exclusive.

It’s precisely what it sounds like. Real Madrid want Aaron Ramsey. Real Madrid will bid £25million for Aaron Ramsey. Aaron Ramsey will be ‘reunited’ with Gareth Bale.

‘But FIFA imposed a transfer ban on Real Madrid which will last until January 2018,’ you say? Well, Cadden has the answer. The Spanish side are appealing that very ban with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and are confident of winning. So confident that they have drawn up a list of targets.

Atop that list of targets is Ramsey. Why? Because Zinedine Zidane and his cronies view the Welshman as ‘an extremely versatile player who can play centrally or all across the field behind a lone striker’. So there.

 

STURRIDGE SHOCK
Ramsey will cost £25m, but Daniel Sturridge is surely delighted to learn that he is valued at £500k more. Again, we go to The Sun for an update on the Liverpool striker’s future. Because The Sun are obviously the place to go for Liverpool news. Obviously.

Sturridge ‘has emerged as a shock target’ for AC Milan, reads the report. He is struggling with not being first-choice striker at Anfield, and is ready to up and leave.

How do The Sun have all this information? ‘Italian media outlet Calciomercatoweb claims…’

Off we go to Italian media outlet Calciomercatoweb then. There we find a story dated November 16 – just the two days old – that does indeed say AC Milan want the forward. They even have the news exclusively, and add that Jurgen Klopp is happy for the deal to go through ‘as early as the next session of negotiations’.

 

BLUES WANT KONDOGBIA
To Stamford Bridge now, as Chelsea want a midfielder. But why sign just a midfielder when you can sign a midfielder who can play centre-half and left-back, too?

‘Chelsea ponder Geoffrey Kondogbia transfer swoop with versatile France star frustrated at lack of Inter Milan action,’ is the punchy headline from the Daily Mirror. Kondogbia is ‘unhappy’ at ‘not playing regularly’ for the Serie A side, and wants out.

The 23-year-old has played just five league games for Italy’s ninth-placed side, so Chelsea could swoop in to rescue him. No fee is mentioned, unfortunately.

As for the claim that the Frenchman ‘can play at centre-half and left-back’, we’re entirely unsure. Our European knowledge is hardly watertight, but this website suggests it is central midfield or nothing for Geoff.

 

AND THE REST
Former Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard has ruled out becoming the next manager of MK Dons after the League One side made contact with the player’s representatives…Inter Milan will make a £50m move for Paris St-Germain’s Argentina winger Angel di Maria, 28, if a bid for Real Madrid’s 25-year-old Colombia international James Rodriguez fails…Everton manager Ronald Koeman is interested in signing out-of-favour Manchester United winger Memphis Depay, 22, having tried to recruit the Netherlands international when in charge of Southampton…Alex Grimaldo could be on his way out of Benfica in January, with Pep Guardiola interested in bringing the former Spain under-21 international left-back to Manchester City…Chelsea are considering whether to accept January loan offers for midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, with the 20-year-old having only played three times under manager Antonio Conte this season…West Ham are in contact with Chelsea about a move for Loftus-Cheek…Napoli are reportedly eyeing a shock move for Chelsea star Kurt Zouma.