Gossip: Zlatan, Morata, Griezmann, Bellerin, Keane

Sarah Winterburn

MANCHESTER UNITED STRIKER TALK
Jose Mourinho has made a £13m contract offer to Zlatan and he turned it down, according to The Sun. They claim that Mourinho wanted to trigger the extra year of the Swede’s contract but he ‘does not believe it would be right to accept that kind gesture while he will not be playing’. It sounds awfully like a story designed to make them both look brilliant.

Meanwhile, Spanish outlet Cadena Ser are claiming that Mourinho has personally made a call to Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata to ask him to join United as Zlatan’s replacement. But they are keen to point out that Morata has other options.

And to complete the set, German newspaper Bild claim that Bayern Munich have joined Manchester United in being interested in Antoine Griezmann. Given the choice, you would expect him to head to Germany, if he heads anywhere at all.

 

BARCA PUT OFF BELLERIN
That’s the news coming out of Spain, with Marca claiming that Barcelona are reluctant to meet Arsenal’s £34m asking price for their second-choice wing-back. Which is understandable. Although he remains their top target for the troublesome right-back slot, they report that Monaco’s Djibril Sidibe and Joao Cancelo of Valencia are alternatives who would be cheaper.

 

EVERYBODY WANTS KEANE
Well, Manchester United, Tottenham, Liverpool and Everton, according to the Daily Telegraph, who are predicting a ‘bidding war’. We do so love a ‘bidding war’.

The price is likely to be around £30m, but United’s 25% sell-on fee clause means that they would get him cheaper. The Telegraph claim that ‘Mourinho wants a strong English core at Old Trafford and, in addition to Keane, he is also pursuing Eric Dier at Spurs to complement the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard’.

Poor Ronald Koeman. He thought he was going to get a clear run at Keane this summer but he may now have several options of Champions League football.

 

AND THE REST
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is targeting Chelsea midfielder Willian…Manchester United appear to be planning for life after David de Gea with the representatives of Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak having flown into the city…Liverpool midfielder Kevin Stewart could become one of the first summer signings of Premier League newcomers Brighton & Hove Albion…Hull City officials have travelled to Fenerbahce in a bid to sign 28-year-old defender Simon Kjaer.