Gossip: Man Utd, Man City and Chelsea in Messi scramble

Will Ford

Man Utd, Chelsea and Man City are in for Messi, but the former Rangers target should sign for Fulham…

 

MESSI PANIC
Josep Maria Bartomeu – the Barcelona president – must have heard the whirring and screeching of the fax machine and assumed the worst. The greatest player of all time has handed in a transfer request. Time to panic.

Ronald Koeman reportedly told Lionel Messi that his “privileges in the squad are over” in showdown talks. Which was unsurprisingly the last straw for Messi, who presumeably thought: f*** it, the privilege to have me in your team is also over.

As is to be expected, the transfer gossip has gone into overdrive. Sport claim Manchester United are ‘in position’ to make a move for Messi, Esporte Interativo say he is desperate to reuinite with Pep Guardiola, while Rio Ferdinand “just heard that Frank Lampard is now in for Messi”.

But then he is also a former Rangers target…

And if this isn’t confirmation of his move to Everton, we don’t know what is…

Reports claim Messi had a clause in his contract which, if activated, would allow him to walk away from the club for free.

That clause expired at the end of May. But due to the extended season, Messi’s team believe that should be extended to the end of August. A bitter legal battle is set to ensue. Messi’s current exit clause sits at €700m, which might put him just out of reach of Fulham, who of course should sign him.

But Metro claim the Catalan club will accept a bid of £200million, a world record fee, for the Argentinian magician. Still, along with his wages, which the report states are currently £970,000-a-week, will any club in world football be able to afford him?

 

JESUS OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR
A Messi-less Barcelona are also set to be without Luis Suarez next season, with Koeman reportedly willing to let another goalscoring machine leave the Nou Camp. And the Dutchman has identified Gabriel Jesus as the answer to what will be a bit of a shortage of goals next season – he’s no fool…

Barcelona are said to have already made contact with City over the move, according to Globo Esporte, with the Brazilian’s relative youth thought to be a key factor.

 

ANCELOTTI EYES JAMES REUNION
Carlo Ancelotti has always been a big fan of James Rodriguez, having coached the Colombian at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. And he is keen to reunite with the 29-year-old, whose contract with Madrid comes to an end next summer.

TalkSport claim the Toffees are eyeing a permanent deal, but a loan move is also a possibility.

 

Football Transfer Gossip James Rodriguez

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