Gossip: United seal record signing with ‘huge buyout clause’

Matt Stead

TURIN BIG TROUBLE, MISTER
Maybe Harry Kane won’t be stuck at Tottenham after all. The weekend saw both Man United and Real Madrid withdraw from the race to sign him but one of the stragglers could pick up that baton.

Juventus want a new striker. Gonzalo Higuain is said to be ‘stalling’ on returning to Italy amid the current global pandemic, which is quite reasonable when you consider he is caring for his cancer-stricken mother in Argentina. Mario Mandzukic ‘has weight, centimeters, thickness and charisma’ but no long-term future in Turin. Still, that’s his Tinder bio sorted.

Corriere Dello Sport therefore join the dots and suggest Kane is their new ‘priority’. He is seen as ‘perfectly in line’ with what they want: young but ‘not a boy’, authoritative but not old, a leader, ‘modern’ and able to lead the line alone.

‘The approach maneuvers have begun’ but there might be a hitch. CDS say Tottenham would demand ‘well over one hundred million euros, who knows how much’. Chuck another €130m or so in there and you can finally ‘exploit’ Daniel Levy.

 

UNITED BANK
Man United are far busier pursuing Jadon Sancho. Maybe they should throw Tahith Chong into the mix and see what happens?

Not that they need to. They have ‘agreed almost every detail of a move to Old Trafford – down to the small print’. And The Sun are kind enough to exclusively tell us.

The result of ‘months of secret talks’ is that his contract length, wage, bonuses and even ‘a huge buyout clause’ have been agreed. It seems strange that Man United would even consider negotiating that last one for what will be a club-record signing – it’s never really been a thing for British sides to do – but hell, all we need now is for them to finalise a fee with Dortmund and the deal is done.

No numbers are mentioned in the report but he will cost more than the current British record – still held by Man United themselves when they signed Paul Pogba for £89.3m in 2016.

 

REAL TO SELL SIX
After news of Barcelona’s intended spring summer clean comes a suggestion that they will not be alone Real are also rummaging through their wardrobes to find clothes they bought years ago that still have the tag on.

AS say they will again follow the ‘mantra’ of ‘sell before you can buy’. Zinedine Zidane ‘could end up offloading as many as six’ players, with Alphonse Areola, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Lucas Vazquez, Mariano Diaz, Alvaro Odriozola and Nacho Fernandez all named as in jeopardy.

Coming in will be right-back Achraf Hakimi of Dortmund, returning from his loan spell, and possibly Dayot Upamecano, the Leipzig centre-half also wanted by Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal.

 

AND THE REST
Paris St-Germain are preparing a new deal until 2025 for Brazil forward Neymar. It would see the 28-year-old earn 38m euros (£33m) per year… Arsenal have enquired about 29-year-old Valencia and Spain winger Rodrigo Moreno… Arsenal and Man United are weighing up a move for 22-year-old Barcelona and France forward Ousmane Dembele… Chelsea are preparing a £20m move for 23-year-old Freiburg and Germany striker Luca Waldschmidt… Chelsea and France striker Olivier Giroud, 33, has agreed personal terms with Inter Milan… Inter Milan are ready to offer Everton £25m for 20-year-old Italy forward Moise Kean.

 

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