You expect us to believe Real want Dele Alli?

Sarah Winterburn

DELE ALLI TO REAL MADRID?
Before today we might have suggested that the Daily Mirror’s Midlands correspondent James Nursey would know little about the transfer plans of Real Madrid, but how wrong we would be…apparently he knows that Real Madrid ‘are considering a stunning summer swoop for Tottenham and England midfielder Dele Alli’.

And then we read these three sentences:

‘News of Real’s interest will put Spurs under pressure to table fresh terms once again to try to keep the player happy.’

‘MirrorSport understands Alli would find it extremely hard to turn down a huge move to Spain.’

‘The Spanish club pay massive salaries.’

…and we go back to thinking that the Daily Mirror’s Midlands correspondent still knows little about the transfer plans of Real Madrid, but he does know that Dele Alli’s agents want rather more than the £60,000 a week he is currently being paid by Tottenham.

 

‘WENGER LINES UP PJANIC’
‘ARSENE WENGER has called Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic, to ask him if he would like to join Arsenal,’ claims The Sun Online. Yes, just like that. He called him and said ‘do you fancy it?’ and Pjanic obviously said ‘yes of course, Mr Wenger, when can I come?’. The answer to that question, of course, is ‘probably never as this is quite likely to be utter nonsense’.

Apparently Arsenal’s plan is to offer £28m for a player who joined Juventus for £25m in the summer, because of course major European clubs are in the habit of selling successful signings after just a few months for just a few extra quid in the middle of a season.

 

MAN UNITED TURN DOWN SCHNEIDERLIN BID
It seems a tad churlish to demand £24m for a player who cannot even make your bench, but that is exactly the trick Manchester United are trying to pull off with Morgan Schneiderlin, with Everton told that £19m is not enough for the French midfielder.

Clearly, clubs are going to know that Everton have money to spend in January and are going to try and eke every penny out of the Toffees. Poor Morgan just wants to work with Ronald Koeman again. And who can blame him? He’s one of the top ten Premier League managers of 2016.

 

AND THE REST
Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke will reject the chance to move to China this month…Chelsea’s 29-year-old Nigeria midfielder John Mikel Obi, who is yet to play this season, has agreed a deal in principle to join Valencia, but the Spanish club also want West Ham’s Italy striker Simone Zaza…Arsenal could sell Mathieu Debuchy this month…Crystal Palace have made a bid of £7m for Norwich’s Republic of Ireland left-back Robbie Brady…Newcastle have been warned they will need to pay £15m for Brentford striker Scott Hogan.