Gossip: Man Utd ‘fear’ trio leaving as Chelsea eye £25m raid
Man Utd could lose two teenagers to Italy and their best keeper to Chelsea. That’s just careless.
GARNER SYMPATHY
Their obsession with calling scouts ‘spies’ will never not be funny, but The Sun are here to tell us of Manchester United’s new ‘fear’.
They suggest that Inter Milan employees have started to ‘camp out’ at United’s U23 and U18 games as they keep tabs on midfielder Charlie Wellens and James Garner. The former started to train with the first team in September, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer clearly rates the latter.
Man Utd obviously ‘want to keep both’ but believe that Wellens is particularly susceptible to a move as he is only on a scholarship deal and has not made as much as a matchday squad yet.
It is not unthinkable that Man Utd could lose either, or even both, to a major European rival. But Garner’s contract runs until 2022 and Inter seems a strange destination: two teenagers have played for them in all competitions this season in Sebastiano Esposito (281 minutes) and Lucien Agoume (6 minutes), so they surely aren’t expecting more opportunities there.
HELLO DEAN, YOU’RE A STUPID HEAD
While Antonio Conte considers an Old Trafford raid, his former employers do the same. Chelsea see Dean Henderson ‘as a solution to their goalkeeping problems’.
The Daily Star claim that while the 22-year-old has two obvious future paths – staying at Man Utd to compete with or replace David de Gea or bizarrely returning to Sheffield United again – a third option has emerged in joining the Blues.
Henderson himself ‘is still unsure’ of what to do. But with Frank Lampard ‘a big admirer’ and in need of more certainty in goal, the decision could be made for him.
Nick Pope is suggested as another Chelsea option, but that ‘is regarded as a tougher deal to pull off’. Future international teammate Henderson, however, is rated at £25m and could be tempted to swap the Champions League with Sheffield United for a Europa League run with Chelsea.
SERG OF ENERGY
But back to The Sun we go, as they suggest that Manchester City ‘are willing’ to allow Sergio Aguero’s departure if their European ban is upheld.
City insist they will keep most of their squad yet ‘an exception would be made in the case of Aguero’ if the 31-year-old expresses a desire to leave.
The striker has another year remaining on his current contract beyond the end of the season, and while he ‘is not thought to especially want to leave Manchester,’ a Champions League ban that would prevent him from trying to win one of the trophies missing from his collection could persuade him otherwise.
That Aguero would be 34 by the time City return to European competition if the ban remains means the club are ‘sympathetic’ with his situation. Which major side on the continent he would join is unclear, considering all signs point to a spell back in South America.
AND THE REST
Chelsea could also move for Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, 27, if he decides to leave Barcelona this summer… Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is prepared to splash out £80m on Inter Milan’s Slovakia defender Milan Skriniar, 25, in a bid to solve his defensive problems… England forward Tammy Abraham, 22, has turned down Chelsea’s latest contract offer and is looking for parity with the club’s biggest names players before committing his future to the Blues… Inter Milan are interested in signing Tottenham’s Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen, 32, on a free transfer when his contract expires in the summer… Inter also have Arsenal and Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 30, on their radar… Everton are one of a host of clubs interested in Manchester City’s English defender Tosin Adarabioyo, 22, who is on loan this season at Blackburn… Everton are also plotting a summer move for Newcastle’s French winger Allan Saint-Maximin.
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