Gossip: Lemar likes Liverpool, Sanchez to City, Tarkowski…
LEMAR EYEING LIVERPOOL
‘Liverpool will go in for Monaco’s £90m-rated Thomas Lemar in January,’ begins the report from the Independent’s Chief Football Writer Miguel Delaney, but the real story is that the Frenchman reportedly favours Liverpool over joining either Chelsea (mentioned in the Evening Standard on Wednesday) or Arsenal.
They claim that Lemar is not seen as a replacement for Philippe Coutinho (even though Spanish reports would have you believe that move was close) but is seen as ‘someone to give Klopp even more attacking variety and create what may well be one of the fastest attacking line-ups in the world’.
Question: Are they really going to pay £90m for a player with two Ligue Un goals and four assists this season? It seems a lot.
ALEXIS TO CITY IN THE SUMMER
We kind of knew this already but the Daily Mirror claims that ‘Alexis Sanchez is heading for Manchester City – in a deal worth £400,000-a-week’ (the hyphens are theirs, by the way). Because Sanchez will be a free transfer, he will not only pocket a huge signing-on fee but will also get £325,000 a week plus image rights worth another £75,000 a week. Which is a lot of money. Certainly the kind of money that means any January move from PSG will get short shrift.
Although they have given up hope of retaining Sanchez, Arsenal have still not given up on keeping Mesut Ozil, who is being offered £275,000 a week to stay at the club.
TARKOWSKI IN DEMAND
Hmmm. We are not sure we are truly on board with this one from The Times. They claim that ‘Arsenal and Manchester City are monitoring James Tarkowski with a view to bidding for the Burnley centre back next summer’, but it is hard to believe that the heading and blocking machine (who has been a lovely surprise this season) would fit they styles of either club, whose defences play a good 20 or 30 yards further up the pitch.
It sounds awfully like Tarkowski is looking for a new contract to us. Give him one because he has been great.
AND THE REST
Atletico Madrid say full-back Sime Vrsaljko, a target for Liverpool, will not be moving next month…Chelsea are set to fail in their bid to sign Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey next month…Valencia have agreed a £31m fee for Paris St-Germain winger Goncalo Guedes…Newcastle are favourites to sign striker Islam Slimani from Leicester…the Magpies have also secured a loan deal for Chelsea winger Kenedy…West Brom will focus on signing Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson if they sell Jonny Evans… Liverpool will refuse to let striker Daniel Sturridge leave in January…Jurgen Klopp has given Ben Woodburn the green light to leave the club on loan…
