Gossip: Everton’s £54m Ramsey package, Spurs’ £26m interest
RAMSEY’S THIRD OPTION
After Liverpool dropped out of the running to sign Aaron Ramsey on Monday, it seemed as though Chelsea and Manchester United would have a simple tug-of-war for the Welshman. His Arsenal career is over, but his spell at a Premier League giant was absolutely not.
Yet Wednesday brings a spanner and lobs it directly into the proverbial works. A number of Italian clubs are still monitoring Ramsey, but Everton ‘are in the hunt’ too.
The Sun say the Toffees are ‘putting a package together’ to entice Ramsey to take a small step down to Goodison Park. He ‘can command a stunning £15million signing-on fee’, and is also in line for a five-year contract worth £150,000 a week. So that package is worth a whopping £54m.
Will it be enough to keep him away from the clutches of bigger sides who can offer regular Champions League football? Dunno, really.
MRRRRRR ANDERSEN
It’s quite lovely when, in this hyper-popular world of football, where every player is subjected to regular scouting reports by experts on Twitter, you stumble across someone you’ve barely heard of. Tottenham presumably have heard of Joachim Andersen, of course, for they have been linked with the centre-half.
According to Sport MediaSet, Tottenham are one of a number of clubs interested in Sampdoria’s Andersen. Inter Milan and Juventus also want him, and it’s little wonder: he is ‘the plant that Marco Giampaolo has poured all his trust this year’. Sexy.
To that end, Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero ‘hardly willing to go below 30 million’, which we assume is in euros. Considering the boy is 22, and has not missed a minute in all competitions for the side with the best defensive record in Serie A, that might turn out to be cheap.
NATHAN STATUS
Tottenham have also been heavily linked with Nathan Ake, who would be rather more expensive. Sky Sports have finally jumped on the speculation train, highlighting Tottenham’s ‘need to find more home-grown players for their squad’. Ake would also appeal because he ‘can fill several different positions’.
Thomas Lyall adds that ‘Spurs have been looking for a new young centre-half since last season’. Poor Juan Foyth.
AND THE REST
Barcelona want a central defender, with Ajax’s 19-year-old Dutchman Matthijs de Ligt their preferred option… Spain left-back Marcos Alonso, 27, says he is set to sign a contract extension with Chelsea “in the coming days”… Porto have lowered the asking price for Algerian winger Yacine Brahimi, 28, with West Ham linked to the player… Arsenal have joined AC Milan and Inter in the race to sign Cagliari and Italy midfielder Nicolo Barella, 21… Galatasaray and Besiktas will battle it out to sign Liverpool striker Divock Origi in January, although Everton are also interested in the 23-year-old Belgian… Bournemouth are planning contract talks with Scotland winger Ryan Fraser, 24… Newcastle United are close to agreeing a new contract with 20-year-old English midfielder Sean Longstaff… Meanwhile, a group of American businessmen are considering buying the Magpies for £300m.
