Gossip: Man Utd match City’s €65m bid; Sancho stalemate
Man Utd’s Sancho ploy isn’t working, while three are in for a Real Madrid wantaway…
SANCHO STALEMATE
Manchester United’s hopes of driving Jadon Sancho’s price down with their paltry £50million bid doesn’t appear to be working.
The Red Devils had hoped that the financial impact of the coronavirus along with Sancho’s desire to leave Borussia Dortmund, would force the Bundesliga club to drop their valuation. But they ain’t budging. In fact, the price appears if anything to be increasing.
€120million was the figure most frequently bandied around, but MEN claim Dortmund will accept nothing less than €130million for their prized asset.
“Jadon has a valid contract with us and we would be very happy if he is still with us next season,” Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc told Waz. “To think about anything else at all, the timing would have to be right, and secondly, our price expectations would have to be met 100 per cent.”
SKRINIAR SCRAMBLE
Manchester United are thought to be in the market for a centre-back to partner Harry Maguire. And Tuttosport (via Sport Witness) claim they will rival Manchester City for Milan Skriniar.
The report says United have ‘tabled a €65million offer’ for the Slovakia international, matched by Pep Guardiola’s side.
The centre-back has struggled to adapt to a three-man defence under Antonio Conte at Inter, and the report suggests the Nerazzurri will ‘evaluate any offers to understand what is best to do’.
The Manchester clubs are both keen to add defensive solidity to their teams, and with top centre-backs seemingly a rare breed these days, a bidding war for Skriniar could be on the cards.
JOVIC LIFELINE
Luka Jovic’s move to Real Madrid really hasn’t worked out. The Serbian striker arrived at the Bernabeu for £54million last summer and has scored just twice in 25 appearances for the La Liga giants.
Life’s been no better off the pitch, with the striker breaking lockdown rules to return to Serbia after an injury, flouting social distancing guidelines to attend a barbecue and now being forced to self-isolate after one of his friends tested positive for the virus.
But three Premier League clubs have registered an interest in Jovic. The Mail on Sunday claims Brendan Rodgers wants Jovic to partner Jamie Vardy up front for Leicester next season, but will face competition from Chelsea. Because it’s 2005 again and a player can’t be linked to the Premier League without Chelsea sticking their noses in.
The report claims Leicester have ‘approached the striker’s agent’, while Arsenal have also ‘stepped up their interest‘ amid uncertainty over the future of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
And according to Mundo Deportivo, a raft of Italian clubs are also in talks with Real Madrid over a possible deal for the 22-year-old.
AND THE REST
Arsenal face Ceballos fight…Thiago going nowhere…Chelsea want 15-year-old Malamine Efekele (the new Mbappe) from Monaco…Zouma is off…Chelsea to activate Abraham clause…KDB to stay at City no matter what…Barca agree terms with Lautaro Martinez
