Gossip: Van Gaal transfer kitty, Guardiola, Vardy
VAN GAAL WARCHEST
Louis van Gaal may have spent just over £250millon on players since being appointed Manchester United manager in the summer of 2014, but according to The Sun, he’s about to receive another wad of cash next summer. Warchests, warchests everywhere.
In an exclusive from Ken Lawrence, The Sun claim that United will hand Van Gaal another £200million at the end of the season in order to strengthen his side, and to ‘complete his squad overhaul’.
The Sunday Mirror add a little more, as they report that United are keen to sign ‘at least one Gaalactico’, and that’s not a typo.
According to a ‘high-level source’: “A club like Manchester United must have a player who will be in the top 10 on the list to win the Ballon d’Or.” As a result, the Mirror have included a rather lazy shortlist including the already-linked Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Neymar.
TIME FOR PEP TALK
A little more on Van Gaal and the United manager situation now. The Sun add in their morning report that Van Gaal could extend his current deal at Old Trafford, which expires in 2017, ‘if he wins trophies’. They say United will avoid Pep Guardiola if he does indeed leave Bayern next summer.
It’s a claim strengthened and repeated by The Guardian. Chief Football Writer Daniel Taylor will ‘take a backseat’ if a battle for Guardiola breaks out at the end of the season, with the Spaniard’s contract with Bayern expiring in the summer.
‘Unless something drastically changes,’ Taylor writes, ‘United will take themselves out of the equation if Guardiola is available.’ So that leaves the inevitable destination of Manchester City for the former Barcelona boss. Chelsea may also be an option if they continue to be not good at football.
NEVALENCIA TARGET VARDY
The Jamie Vardy party is over. Someone has accidentally unplugged the bouncy castle, and there aren’t enough goodie bags for all the guests. Vardy may score against who he wants, but that list of teams does not include Swansea.
Still, Vardy’s remarkable run of form has seen him linked with Barcelona, Real Madrid, and a list of Premier League clubs, while talk of a £300,000-a-week contract even (laughably) surfaced recently. Vardy is on a terrible run of 156 minutes without a Premier League goal, but the transfer rumours keep coming.
The Daily Star on Sunday have an EXCLUSIVE; Gary Neville wants Jamie Vardy at Valencia.
Neville is only on a short-term deal with the Spanish side until the end of the season, but he has been tasked with identifying transfer targets from these shores in that time. Neville is reportedly a big fan of Vardy, and will recommend him to the Valencia board.
One dreads to think how Vardy would greet club owner Peter Lim.
AND THE REST
French outlet BuzzSport claims PSG forward Lucas Moura is the latest player on the Arsene Wenger’s radar…David Moyes, 52, will be offered a return to the Premier League as replacement for beleaguered Swansea City boss Garry Monk…Newcastle are mulling over a January move for QPR winger Matt Phillips, 24, while Tottenham wide man Andros Townsend, 24, is also on the Magpies’ radar…Striker Gerard Deulofeu, 21, wants to stay at Everton beyond this season because of the positive influence manager Roberto Martinez is having on his career.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino says he plans to build the squad for the future around goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, 28…West Ham are set to sogn Houston Dynamo keeper Tyler Deric…Swansea are watching Celtic starlet Callum McGregor…Sam Byram is a target for Southampton and Everton after rejecting a new deal at Leeds…Jurgen Klopp will move for Galatasaray star Kevin Grosskreutz in January…Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse is wanted by Galatasray.
