Man City to return for Messi
Lionel Messi has only scored six goals in ten games this season (he’s had a poor 2020 by his standards) so we’re not sure why Manchester City would want him but The Sun claim that City will make a move for the Argentine this January and cash-strapped Barcelona will accept because otherwise, they will lose him next summer for nothing.
The report says ‘they need to cut costs drastically, with debts of £437million. The chance to bring in any fee, possibly less than £50m, for the six-time World Player of the Year is one Barca may find too good to turn down’.
It’s a big old ‘may’ but it’s international week so we are on board.
Varane now at Manchester United level
Raphael Varane was unattainable in 2018 but the Manchester Evening News now seem to believe that United are perfectly placed to sign the Frenchman, whose stock has undoubtedly fallen since. They claim that his price tag would now be ‘comfortably south’ of £100m as his contract expires in 2022. Indeed, he is part of a pretty impressive XI of players whose contract expires in 2022.
There is some talk that Manchester United interest has been leaked in a repeat of previous Sergio Ramos nonsense, but the MEN seem to believe that Varane to United is a deal that could actually happen, based on the player himself and his love of United and Rio Ferdinand, and United’s excellent relationship with his new agent.
Chelsea transfer plans revealed
Dean Jones – formerly of Bleacher Report – has given Eurosport the run-down on all the shenanigans at Chelsea. To sum up:
* Chelsea might sign Jude Bellingham in 2022 rather than pay top dollar for Declan Rice now.
* Ross Barkley may still have a future at Chelsea.
* Antonio Rudiger, Jorginho and Olivier Giroud could all leave. They might need to.
* Callum Hudson-Odoi might go out on loan in January.
And the rest
Sporting CP teenager Nuno Mendes is a target for Leicester City…Dennis Zakaria is a target for Manchester City and Bayern Munich…Eric Garcia and Memphis Depay are Barcelona targets but the Spanish giants will have to sell four players first…Kepa is desperate for a loan move away from Chelsea.
Just about all of the greatest uncapped Premier League players ever were pursued by England. And only four of them were English.
