Gossip: Ronaldo, Bale, Lanzini, Mane

Matt Stead

RONALDO, BALE, BLAH BLAH BLAH
We don’t hear enough about Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale and their respective futures, do we? Well the gossip likes to think of itself as a public service, so let’s right those wrongs.

Real Madrid lost 4-0 to Barcelona at the weekend. They don’t like Barcelona over there, and that result is seen as rather embarrassing; it has left many people involved with the club in a state of anger. Predictably, blame has been attributed for such a demoralising defeat, and not least to Ronaldo and Bale.

The Sun claim that Manchester United ‘are on red alert’ with regards to their respective pursuits of the duo, with their futures ‘up in the air’ after being barraged by critics after the loss. Antony Kastrinakis believes United have more chance of signing Bale, with Ronaldo PSG-bound.

Over to the Daily Telegraph, who add that Ronaldo was reportedly overheard telling team-mates in the dressing room of manager Rafael Benitez: “Either he goes, or I go.”

That, ladies and gentlemen, is an ultimatum. A reported and unconfirmed ultimatum, but an ultimatum nonetheless.

 

LANZINI ‘HONOURED’ BY LIVERPOOL INTEREST
Manuel Lanzini has been rather good since joining West Ham on loan from Al Jazira in the summer. Despite arriving to little (or no) fanfare, the Argentinean has scored four goals and made one assist in 11 Premier League games.

Such form has led to reported interest from Liverpool, and Lanzini himself is delighted, saying: “It’s an absolute honour that a team like Liverpool has put an eye on me.”

There is, of course, a ‘but’. Lanzini adds: “I heard the president say that the club wants me to stay. I am fine here.”

Club co-chairman David Gold did indeed insist that West Ham want to keep the 22-year-old, saying the club have an “unbreakable option” to sign him after the initial season-long loan.

Nothing to see here.

 

CHELSEA JOIN MANE CHASE
In their aim to be linked with every single fast forward in world football, Manchester United have held a long-standing interest in Southampton’s Sadio Mane. They now face competition from Chelsea, according to the Daily Mirror.

The Blues have scored just 17 goals in 13 Premier League games so far this season – fewer than eight sides – and have reportedly identified Mane as a potential remedy for that. Although obviously talented, Mane himself has only scored three goals in 13 games, so he would hardly be a short-term fix.

 

AND THE REST
Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle United, Atletico Madrid and Valencia are among the clubs interested in Marseille striker Michy Batshuayi…Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard is set for talks on a new contract that could see him double his wages to £50,000 a week.