Gossip: Rooney, Dembele, Cook, Carvalho

Matt Stead

ROONEY SET FOR CHINESE TAKEAWAY
The Sun have a tasty old WORLD EXCLUSIVE; Wayne Rooney is headed to China.

According to Phil Thomas, the Manchester United captain has been earmarked as ‘the face of China’s bid to become a football super-power’. They can find a prettier face, surely?

Basically, the Chinese Super League has just secured a mega TV deal, and they want a big name to front it all. Thomas adds that ‘there is no suggestion’ that Rooney will move, but ‘his advisors are considering all options’.

Rooney has three-and-a-half years left on a contract at United which is worth £300,000 per week. He is the captain of both club and country and, regardless of form, tends to play every week. Would he really fancy a move to a scary foreign place?

 

UNITED WANT DEMBELE
Not Mousa, but Moussa. Get French Football are reporting that Manchester United are interested in Fulham forward Dembele of the double ‘s’.

The French outlet claims United ‘have registered an interest’ with Dembele’s team concerning a possible transfer, with the Daily Express quickly picking up that line on these shores.

United want a deal done in January, but GFF claim a deal is far more likely to go through in the summer. Dembele’s contract expires in July, with Bayern Munich also interested. The French forward, 19, has scored eight goals in 16 games so far this season. He has also been dubbed the ‘next Anthony Martial’ by F365 and only F365 because he is a 19-year-old French striker. That’s how these things work, people.

 

EVERYBODY WANTS COOK
Lewis Cook is quite good, according to reports. As a result, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United are regularly linked with an interest in the Leeds midfielder. Well, according to the Daily Star ‘Premier League rivals’ have joined the aforementioned trio in the race to sign him.

That is, of course, the best way to sell Jeremy Cross’ EXCLUSIVE that Bournemouth and Stoke are apparently interested. Liverpool and Man Utd are kindly crowbarred into the title. Frankly, if Cook really is a ‘Championship sensation’, he’ll be aiming higher.

 

AND THE REST
Bayer Leverkusen’s Lars Bender, William Carvalho of Sporting Lisbon and Nice’s Nampalys Mendy are all on Arsenal’s shortlist to replace the injured Francis Coquelin…Tottenham are reportedly on the brink of signing Brazilian former AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato…Liverpool are expected to make a bid for Empoli striker Riccardo Saponara, 23, next summer…Liverpool and Tottenham will face competition from Paris Saint-Germain for Lille winger Sofiane Boufal in January…Arsenal striker Alex Iwobi is a loan target for Reading and Birmingham…The Gunners are ready to make a January offer for 22-year-old Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi, who has scored 27 goals in 48 games for the Serie A side…Liverpool are set to go head-to-head with Real Madrid for Lazio midfielder Lucas Biglia…Manchester United lead the race for Barcelona’s Marc Bartra as the defender considers his future at the Nou Camp.