Gossip: Man United targeting two £50m Premier League defenders
ALDERWEIRELD TO MAN UNITED IS ON. SO IS MAGUIRE
Manchester United have been linked with about 22 different central defenders this summer, and that’s not even an exaggeration. But finally, eventually, they will get one of their men.
The suspicion is that Jose Mourinho would rather buy from another Premier League club, having seen how Victor Lindelof struggled to settle in last season. Yer man Duncan Castles claims that Tottenham are willing to sell Toby Alderweireld this summer, and will consider a deal with United. As ever, he would say that wouldn’t he?
Another line comes from the Daily Mail. Charlie Sale, who doesn’t normally do transfer stuff, says that United will make a move for Harry Maguire in the next week. He also says that they will have to pay £50m for the Leicester City defender, which would surely be enough to persuade them to look elsewhere.
REAL MADRID TO MAKE £150M HAZARD BID
Things are about to get serious at Chelsea. Antonio Conte has been sacked and Maurizio Sarri will surely come in, but there are serious doubts about the future of Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard.
On Friday, the Daily Mail report that Real Madrid are preparing a £150m bid for Hazard, having identified him as the answer to where their Cristiano Ronaldo money goes. With Barcelona also reportedly sniffing around Hazard, Real will make the first move.
You have to say Chelsea should probably sell for that price. Hazard is clearly prepared to entertain offers to leave, and that money could be reinvested in several other positions. But it really is a shambles that the club has got itself into this position with only a month until the season starts.
EVERTON TO BID FOR TWO BARCELONA PLAYERS
Is this the summer that mid-level Premier League clubs finally flex their muscles thanks to the financial creatine provided by the Premier League’s broadcasting revenue deals? We already have West Ham signing Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson for combined fees of over £60m. Whoosh.
Now, Everton are being linked with two Barcelona players, which seems ballsy given that they haven’t actually signed anyone so far this summer. The Daily Mirror report that Yerry Mina and Lucas Digne are both wanted by Marco Silva to replace ageing players at left-back and in central defence.
Sorry, are we missing something here? Barcelona only signed Mina in January, and he has a contract until 2023. He also played excellently at the World Cup, so surely if Barcelona were to let him go he would a) cost a whacking great sum of money, and b) fancy his chances of joining a Champions League club?
