Gossip: Top six all in race for Liverpool’s ‘No.1 target’
SIX OF ONE
The Times landed on an SEO goldmine on Thursday evening. A headline including ‘City, United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea’ is sure to turn heads. Paul Hirst brings us the latest on Napoli midfielder Jorginho.
According to Hirst, Jorginho is bound for the Premier League this summer. Each of the current top six are ‘interested’, with champions City leading the way. They ‘are considered to be the front-runners’ at this stage, with Napoli slapping a €60million price tag on his head. That’s £52.9m, folks.
Jorginho ‘is an admirer of Pep Guardiola’s style of play,’ and the City manager sees him as an ideal long-term replacement for Fernandinho. But he ‘is Liverpool’s no.1 midfield target’, and ‘has also told friends’ that current Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri would want him at Chelsea if he is appointed Blues boss.
There is unfortunately no further information on Tottenham’s pursuit, but the same cannot be said for Arsenal. They are unlikely to win this race as Napoli ‘are refusing to budge from their asking price’. Poor lads.
FORWARD THINKING
If Liverpool do concede the race for Jorginho to City, as Hirst suggests, they will focus their efforts elsewhere. The Daily Mail says they have a shortlist of three forwards ahead of this summer.
According to Jack Gaughan, interest in Bordeaux winger Malcom has been renewed. With Jurgen Klopp ‘looking to strengthen in attacking areas’, the former Arsenal target is back in the reckoning.
The Brazilian will leave this summer, and Bordeaux want around £40m. If Liverpool cannot stomach that, they will look to Leon Bailey of Bayer Leverkusen or Christian Pulisic of Borussia Dortmund. Both would be more expensive.
JAMAAL LA-SELLS (SORRY)
We finish with the Daily Mirror, who claim Everton want to sign Jamaal Lascelles for £25m. The very best of luck to them.
It just isn’t going to happen. Lascelles is Newcastle’s captain, is their most important player and is happy at the club. They would surely demand more than £25m, and even if he does leave, Chelsea and Tottenham are interested. Everton have no chance. Sorry.
AND THE REST
Former England striker Wayne Rooney’s move to MLS side DC United from Everton is “50-50″… Rooney, 32, will snub the move to the United States if manager Sam Allardyce leaves the Toffees… Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure, 34, will turn down lucrative offers from China and the Middle East to continue playing for less money in the Premier League when he leaves Manchester City this summer… Atletico Madrid want to re-sign former striker Sergio Aguero from Manchester City. The 29-year-old Argentine left Madrid in 2011… Juventus are set to offer Chelsea £15m to take Spanish striker Alvaro Morata, 25, on loan… Liverpool are targeting Bordeaux’s Brazilian winger Malcom, 21… Newly promoted Wolves have made AC Milan’s Portuguese striker Andre Silva their main summer target. The 22-year-old is said to be worth £33m… Wolves are also considering a £30m bid for Sporting goalkeeper Rui Patricio, 30, with the Portugal international also wanted by Napoli.