Gossip: Real Madrid (and China) will target Tottenham stars

Daniel Storey

REAL MADRID TO EMBARK ON MASSIVE SUMMER SPEND
It’s unusual that we visit Sports Illustrated for our transfer gossip, but that’s exactly where we’re starting today. Their man Grant Wahl has an in-depth story about Real Madrid’s intended summer transfer activity.

He reports that a high-ranking Real Madrid official has revealed that the club could spend €600m this summer to reinvigorate a squad that has slumped in La Liga.

As part of that, Wahl also says that Real will make a world-record move of €300m for Harry Kane, which is an absolutely ludicrous amount of money. Surely that would also be enough for Daniel Levy to consider selling?

Just to rub salt in a wound that they cut themselves, Real are also apparently intending to poach Mauricio Pochettino this summer. Oh, Tottenham fans will love this.

 

MAN UNITED AND ARSENAL WANT ZIVKOVIC
We thought that this was from the Daily Mirror, but they have actually sourced it from TransferMarketWeb. You may be seeing more of this one later.

The claim is that Arsenal and Manchester United are targeting Benfica winger Andrija Zivkovic, but it’s fair to say that they are keeping their options open. The clubs mentioned in the story as hoping to sign him: Arsenal, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla, Juventus, Milan, Sampdoria, Torino.

The first report comes from O Jogo in Portugal, who only say that those clubs had scouts watching Zivkovic. That’s very different to the Mirror’s line of ‘ready to rival Arsenal for his signature’.

 

DEMBELE HAS CHINA OFFER
Any offer to double your wages has to be considered, but you do wonder why Mousa Dembele would do anything other than laugh about reported interest from China. He’s paid a perfectly decent wage at Tottenham, is part of something potentially pretty special and has just starred in a Champions League knockout game against Juventus.

The Sun report that Beijing Sinobo Guoan want to sign Dembele and give him £160,000 a week, but if he really wanted to leave Tottenham he would be able to attract an elite club in Europe who wouldn’t give him much less than that. Add in the fact that Tottenham aren’t going to sell him this month – of course they sodding aren’t – and you have a story that is going nowhere.

 

AND THE REST
Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland says he that has not asked to leave the club… Real Madrid are confident of signing Paris St-Germain striker Neymar… Ajax teenager Justin Kluivert says he would consider a move to the Premier League… Roma want goalkeeper Alisson to sign a new deal which includes a release fee clause of £85m.