Gossip: Seri, Coutinho, Dembele, Wood, Dybala
SERI TO ARSENAL DEPENDS ON NICE’S CL QUALIFICATION
The lovely (sometimes) Matt Stead might have quite reasonably picked a winger as Arsenal’s top remaining transfer priority, but Arsene Wenger is keen on signing a central midfielder. That central midfielder target looks like it’s Jean Michael Seri.
L’Equipe report that Arsenal will make a £35m bid for Seri, which should be enough to persuade Nice to sell. However, ESPN quite reasonably say that the sale depends on Nice’s qualification for the Champions League.
Nice got past Ajax on Wednesday evening to progress to the play-off round. They surely aren’t going to agree to sell Seri until after that play-off, which means Arsenal might have a long wait on their hands.
CHRIS WOOD TO LEAVE LEEDS FOR £20M?
Yeah, this one has come out of nowhere. Given that Britt Assombalonga has moved for £15m this summer, Leeds United’s Chris Wood probably is worth in the region of £20m. Although that is an absolutely mental sentence to write.
According to the Daily Mirror, Besiktas coach Senol Gunes is keen on signing Wood, and has been scouting him throughout preseason. The Turkish Super Lig team could make an offer of £20m.
We’re also told that Southampton, Stoke and Swansea also want Wood. Why don’t those S teams just get a room?
HOW DO YOU THINK BARCA WILL REACT TO LOSING NEYMAR?
It’s all going to bloody kick off, basically. Firstly, the Daily Telegraph continue with this story that Barcelona will make sure that UEFA demand to know how Paris St Germain are financing the deal, because they are bad grasses.
Unsurprisingly, there are also reports that Barcelona will now step up their chase for Philippe Coutinho, given that they have all the money in the world. Jurgen Klopp has again told them not to bother trying, but I don’t think it’ll be that simple. We’ve even got Ronaldinho saying it will happen.
Next, The Sun say that Barcelona will use the money to fund a move for Eden Hazard. We will be many different shades of surprised if they pull that off.
Finally, the Independent report that Barcelona will go for Ousmane Dembele as Coutinho’s replacement, rather than Juventus forward Paulo Dybala.
AND THE REST
Everton expect to finally tie up a £45m deal for Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson… Jack Wilshere wants to stay and try to salvage his Arsenal career… Manchester United have reportedly given up on trying to sign Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic… Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has told his club’s board that they must sign striker Diego Costa… Watford are keen to sign Everton’s Aaron Lennon.
