Gossip: Liverpool star ‘thinking’ of exit as ‘tug of war’ develops

Inter Milan are putting together an ‘operation’ for a Liverpool midfielder, while Marcus Rashford is set to be offered a huge new deal at Manchester United…

TUG OF WAR
Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is considering his options as Inter Milan emerge as a new candidate for his signature, according to reports.

The Holland international is out of contract next summer, which means he can begin negotiating with overseas clubs from January 1, and talks about extending his stay at Anfield have hit an impasse despite Jurgen Klopp clearly wanting him to stay. Wijnaldum was heavily linked with Barcelona in the last transfer window but there will be plenty of other clubs interested in a player who has been a key part of Liverpool’s success over the last three years.

And Italian journalist Enzo Bucchioni has now claimed that Serie A giants Inter have entered the race for his signature with no sign of Wijnaldum signing a new deal at Anfield. Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta is apparently keen to carry out an ‘operation’ – like the one that brought Christian Eriksen to the club last summer – in an effort to land the Dutch international.

“That would be the goal: to put up a little cash with which to attack the targets that Conte likes,” Bucchioni told Tuttomercatoweb (via Sport Witness). “In particular, there is a tug of war with Barcelona for the Dutchman Georginio Wijnaldum, 30 years old and expiring with Liverpool.

“Giuseppe Marotta has in mind to repeat an operation similar to the one carried out last January with Eriksen; there is talk of fifteen million for the English. But the midfielder is very much liked by the former Dutch coach who would like him in Spain and the player is thinking about it.”

NEW DEAL FOR RASHFORD
Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward will offer Marcus Rashford a bumper new contract to commit his future to the club, according to reports.

Rashford has scored 12 goals and contributed four assists in 20 appearances in all competitions this season as he’s helped the Red Devils to sixth position in the Premier League, with Man Utd five points behind leaders Liverpool with a game in hand. His amazing work off the pitch has also been highlighted this year and now United want to reward him with a new contract.

The Daily Star claims that United want to wrap up a new contract agreement ‘before the end of this season’ with Woodward  to ‘open negotiations with Rashford and his representatives in the next two months’. United are ‘keen to offer the 23-year-old a new five-year deal worth around £300,000-a-week that reflects his growing status and influence in the team’.

AND THE REST…
Paulo Dybala and Federico Bernardeschi are among the players being offered to Manchester United as Juventus look for ways to put together a deal to re-sign Paul Pogba…Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti has raised the prospect of a reunion with Sami Khedira as he refused to rule out a move for the Juventus midfielder…Sheffield United are interested in signing Manchester United forward Jesse Lingard on loan in the January transfer window…Mesut Ozil is set to stay at Arsenal until his contract expires at the end of the season…Liverpool target Ozan Kabak is close to making a decision about his future but the Schalke centre-back is said to favour a move to AC Milan.