Gossip: Sanchez, Perisic, Bakayoko, Iheanacho

Daniel Storey

ARSENAL PRICING SANCHEZ OUT OF MOVE
It always seemed the most likely way of ensuring that Alexis Sanchez would stay at the club for the final year of his contract. Set the price so stupidly high that no club will come in for him, and certainly not Manchester City.

According to the Independent, Arsenal will ask for £90m to sell Sanchez. Surely if they get an offer of £60m then it makes to sell? The possible alternative – if you can’t persuade him to sign a new contract – is that Sanchez is grumpy for the entirety of next season and then leaves a year later meaning Arsenal get nothing for him. Is Thomas Lemar and £15m a decent swap for Sanchez with one year left on his contract?

Anyway, Arsene Wenger has reiterated that he won’t be selling Sanchez. So there.

 

MANCHESTER UNITED WILL GET PERISIC
Sticking with the Independent, and Miguel Delaney reports that Manchester United’s move for Ivan Perisic should get done. That’s despite a slight difference in the fee offered and expected by Inter.

Delaney writes that Perisic has already agreed personal terms before the fee has been agreed, but sources close to the deal say it is likely to be completed in the next few days for a fee of between £45m and £50m. It does seem an awful lot of money for a 28-year-old with no elite club experience.

Inter have completed the signing of Borja Valero from Fiorentina, which would surely allow Perisic’s departure to be accelerated.

 

CONFLICTING INFORMATION ON BAKAYOKO
Now then, there really is conflicting information here. On the one hand you have Jim White of Sky Sports saying this:

And Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph saying this:

And then on the other hand you have the Daily Mail saying this:

‘Manchester United have stunned Chelsea again by threatening to turn their pursuit of Tiemoue Bakayoko into a tug of war. Having hijacked a deal for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, United have told Monaco they are prepared to pay more than £40million for the 22-year-old midfielder.

‘Chelsea have been invited by the French champions to improve their offer of £37m which has not been formally accepted despite the deal having been on the brink of completion for weeks.’

Clear as mud.

 

AND THE REST
Leeds hope to sign Italian-born striker Caleb Ekuban… Manchester United goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is heading back to Aston Villa on loan… Arsenal are confident of tying down Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to a new deal… Paris Saint-Germain will learn in the next 24 hours if they have succeeded in hijacking Manchester City’s move for Dani Alves… Leicester hope to wrap up the signing of Kelechi Iheanacho this week… West Ham are set to move for Marco Arnautovic after the Austrian winger stunned Stoke with a transfer request… Manchester City flop Wilfried Bony is wanted by Marseille… West Ham flop Sofiane Feghouli is set for a £4.5m Galatasaray switch… Everton and Chelsea are in for Christian Benteke, but Crystal Palace are determined to keep their star striker.