Gossip: United, Chelsea want Cavani; Morata to Reds

CAVANI TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE
Now this feels right. It seemed as though January would pass us by with not a single rumour linking Edinson Cavani with a Premier League move. While it doesn’t involve Arsenal, we can finally celebrate the official opening of the transfer window.

According to Corriere dello Sport, Juventus and Inter Milan are interested in Paris Saint-Germain striker Cavani. They add that both clubs will face competition for his signature from Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea. How does an Italian daily newspaper know anything of an English club targeting a Uruguayan playing in France?

Not only that, but Cavani turns 29 next month. Corriere dello Sport value him at around £30million. It just won’t happen.

MORATA TO LIVERPOOL
The Italians know everything about transfers, don’t they? This time it’s Gazzetta dello Sport, with a Juventus striker being linked with Liverpool.

They claim that the Reds, ‘via intermediaries’, have contacted the Serie A club with regards to the availability of Alvaro Morata. Liverpool are reportedly willing to pay the equivalent of £45million for the striker, which would be simply absurd. He has scored one league goal in 2015/16, and is no longer a regular starter under Massimiliano Allegri. Liverpool are better off sticking with Steven Caulker up front.

EXCLUSIVE: PART ONE
Let’s kick Tuesday’s gossip off with an exclusive, shall we? Jeremy Cross of the Daily Star is the man in the know. He tells us that David de Gea is staying at Manchester United. Wow.

According to Cross, De Gea ‘has told United bosses he isn’t leaving’, which he has then told to his pals, who have in turn told Cross. How nice of them.

Of course, this is hardly breaking news. The nature of Real Madrid’s imminent transfer ban will prevent them from registering players in the summer and in winter 2017, leaving just this transfer window for them to do business. De Gea signed a new four-year contract in September, and is once again in fine form for United this season. There are claims of a £30million release clause in the Spaniard’s new deal, but United have no obligation to sell. If they did, Sergio Romero would be their first choice. And no-one wants that. Apart from everyone who isn’t a Manchester United fan.

EXCLUSIVE: PART TWO
The Sun have got an exclusive of their own, and this also pertains to the goalkeeping situation at Old Trafford. What do you have for us, Martin Lipton?

According to Lipton, sources close to De Gea insist the the 25-year-old ‘sees his long-term future at the Bernabeu’. These bloody sources need to make their minds up. Real will look to conclude the deal ‘in the next FORTNIGHT‘, Lipton adds. They probably should, considering the transfer window closes in 13 days.

Anyway, the actual exclusive in this story is that if De Gea leaves, United have lined up his replacement already. Inter Milan goalkeeper Samir Handanovic is mentioned, but Lipton throws up a more familiar name. Apparently, Ryan Giggs ‘is keen’ on Leicester shot-stopper Kasper Schmeichel, he of Peter’s son fame. Lovely.

EXCLUSIVE: PART THREE
We leave you with a final exclusive; Chelsea are ‘fearing an exodus’ of their biggest players this summer.

Eden Hazard, Diego Costa, Oscar and Thibaut Courtois are the four named by The Sun’s Rob Beasley as contemplating their futures at Stamford Bridge. A mixture of poor results, uncertainty over the manager and no Champions League could see all four leave, Beasley says.

And he quotes a source, too. That source says: “Yes, they’re tied into deals but those contracts won’t stop rivals moving in at the end of the season. And they won’t stop our players considering their futures either. Contracts don’t count for a lot these days.”

What? ‘Contracts don’t count for a lot these days’? Is this source under the impression that the four aforementioned players can just down tools and quit, then move to a different club with no repercussions? The Sun’s back page states that Chelsea fear these players ‘may quit’. Will Hazard be ripping up the remainder of his five-year contract? Courtois, Costa and Oscar all have three-and-a-half-years left on their deals. They can’t just leave without Chelsea’s say. Is this Chelsea ‘fearing a summer exodus’, or is this Chelsea fan Rob Beasley ‘fearing a summer exodus’?

REDS WANT GREEN
Some delightful news to finish with now. Liverpool want Rob Green.

According to the Evening Standard, Jurgen Klopp is considering a move for the QPR keeper to replace Adam Bogdan as back-up to Simon Mignolet, who signed a new five-year deal on Monday. They will face competition from Bournemouth and Crystal Palace for the 36-year-old, which says all you need to know. Please, Jurgen, make this happen. In fact, make it the only deal on transfer deadline day. Make Jim White explode at the prospect of Green turning up at Anfield at 10pm. Make Harry Redknapp discuss how he is a top, top, top keeper. Make this happen.

AND THE REST
Serie A side Napoli are interested in signing Newcastle midfielder Moussa Sissoko, 26, who is valued at £25million…Newcastle have entered the £15m race to sign West Brom forward Saido Berahino…David Luiz has urged Chelsea forward Diego Costa to join him at Paris Saint-Germain…Tottenham want to sign £7.5m Toulouse striker Wissam Ben Yedder, having so far failed to land Berahino…Newcastle think they will have both West Brom forward Berahino and Spurs winger Andros Townsend signed in time for the pair to line up at Watford on Saturday…Liverpool will have to come up with at least £12m to tempt Southampton into selling Shane Long…Swansea are pushing ahead with a move for former player Scott Sinclair, now at Aston Villa, and have made an enquiry for Seydou Doumbia at Roma…Newcastle will consider turning their attention to QPR winger Matt Phillips if they cannot agree a deal with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy for Townsend…The agent of Wilfried Bony, 27, says the Manchester City striker will not be leaving the club in the January transfer window…Sunderland could make a second bid for Swansea striker Andre Ayew, 26, after having a £10m bid rejected…Swansea and Bournemouth are both looking to bring in 22-year-old former Manchester United midfielder Ravel Morrison on loan from Italian side Lazio…West Ham have beaten Everton to the signing of Leeds full-back Sam Byram, 22, after both clubs had a £3.7m bid accepted last week…West Ham are also looking to sign Galatasaray striker Burak Yilmaz, 30, and are ready to make a £6m bid for the player…Sunderland goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon, 28, is attracting interest from La Liga side Espanyol after losing his place in the first team.