Gossip: Fabregas out, Brozovic to Arsenal
FABREGAS TO LEAVE CHELSEA
It’s not exactly been going swimmingly for Cesc Fabregas this season – just the two Premier League assists, no goals and accusations that he is at the centre of a dressing-room plot to oust Jose Mourinho. Just a few months after he was instrumental in Chelsea winning the title, the fans have turned on him. No wonder he – as Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport claims – wants out of the club. His destination? Juventus or Inter Milan, apparently, though Bayern, PSG and Manchester City are all said to be interested. The price? Around £18m. At 28, that could be a bargain for a Serie A side.
ARSENAL TO CLEAR OUT MIDFIELDERS
‘Arsenal transfer target Mohamed Elneny will fly in to complete a £5m January move to the Emirates,’ writes John Cross in the Daily Mirror, suggesting that the Basel man will be a Gunner very early in the transfer window. He also writes that Mathieu Flamini, Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky ‘could’ all exit in the summer. Could? It seems nailed on as all are out of contract in June; Arteta will apparently be offered a coaching role.
Elneny’s arrival will apparently not prevent a move in the summer for Southampton midfielder Victor Wanyama, who certainly showed on Boxing Day what Arsenal are missing in central midfield.
Cross also writes that Arsene Wenger will not ‘do a striker’ in January. Which is probably a relief to Olivier Giroud.
AND SIGN BROZOVIC?
We have read about Arsenal’s interest in Croatian midfielder Marcelo Brozovic before, but now the Corriere dello Sport are claiming that his price tag has been set at around £18m. Perhaps that’s what they think every central midfielder is worth? That seems an awful lot of money for a player who doesn’t even start games regularly for Inter Milan, where is currently on loan from Dinamo Zagreb. Brozovic – who would presumably play in the Santi Cazorla role – has scored two goals and not registered a single assist in Serie A this season. We remain unconvinced.