#dailygossip

Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Man City ‘target £20m Bernat’, Chelsea ‘chase Rudiger’, Rooney ‘can leave Man Utd’

Boss of Goss Kevin Darling rounds up the latest 'scoops' as the big boys get ready to open their chequebooks in January or later

With Pep Guardiola rumoured to be planning to sign four new full-backs at Manchester City because his current crop are either too old or too iffy, it means the tabloids are four times’ more likely to be right whenever they link him with a random replacement.

Therefore, the Sun is very confidently claiming that Bayern Munich’s Juan Bernat is the latest man on Guardiola’s radar. The 24-year-old Spain international, who Pep signed for Bayern from Valencia in 2014, would reportedly cost £20m.  

But we might not have believed the Sun if they hadn’t also provided some incredibly insightful analysis from an “Etihad insider”, who exclusively told them: “Gael Clichy is out of contract next summer and Aleksandar Kolarov is 31 next month. They are slowly coming towards the end of their careers at City and Pep is looking at the future.“

Wow, this guy - whoever he or she is - really knows their stuff. And they must be pretty tight with Kolarov if they know his age. Ooh… maybe the insider is Kolarov. Cool.

They also some inside information (obviously) on the Bernat deal, continuing: “He knows Pep’s methods and systems. He fits the right age profile and is another Spain international.”

Again, mind-blowing stuff. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise Hot Football Transfer Gossip if the Sun had actually got these quotes direct from Guardiola but had modestly labelled him an "insider” in respect of his privacy. Because how could anyone else possibly know this stuff?

HFTG has been critical of the Sun recently after their vicious attack on Gary Lineker, but a huge hat tip to them for using their unrivalled football contacts to bring us this scoop. Thank you, guys.

There’s also news of a potential big-money defender swoop in the Mail, who claim that Chelsea are lining up a £35m bid for Roma’s Antonio Rudiger, with Manchester United and Man City “also interested”.

But the story doesn’t contain any quotes from insiders who actually know the details of the deal, so we are not inclined to give it much credence.

We are similarly unmoved by Goal’s report that Juventus are set to “rekindle their interest” in out-of-favour Chelsea midfielder Oscar. Yeah whatever, Goal.

The Sun has gone big on Jose Mourinho’s apparent declaration that Wayne Rooney “must leave Manchester United if he wants regular first-team football”, although the ‘Roonster’ probably worked this out a while ago given that he is on the bench every week at Old Trafford.

Elsewhere, Watford are ready to cash in on striker Odion Ighalo, who is wanted by Napoli (Watford Observer), West Brom are poised to make a £4m offer for Leeds left-back Charlie Taylor (Telegraph) and West Ham are considering a £1.5m bid for 21-year-old Millwall right-back Mahlon Romeo (Mirror). Nice career move for the lad, but it depends if he ever wants to go back to south-east London again.

Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Schweinsteiger ‘could head to America’, Chelsea target ‘Gibson and Keane’

Boss of Goss Kevin Darling on an unwanted legend who looks bound for the USA while Chelsea eye defensive reinforcements

Lukas Podolski doesn’t play much football these days, preferring to keep his social media accounts regularly updated with nice pictures, and it seems he has now taken the next step in his blossoming media career by creating some of his own Hot Football Transfer Gossip.

The German goalscoring legend has revealed in the Mirror that his dear friend Bastian Schweinsteiger, who also doesn’t play much football these days (and loves Instagram), could leave Manchester United after all.

“I think America is great,” said Podolski in a not-so-subtle hint to any rich MLS owners who want to give him an excuse to leave his current side Galatasaray.

Then he added that “clearly” it would “be possible to play with Schweinsteiger in the States”, which is the point at which United’s ears would have pricked up.

The Red Devils had already resigned themselves to paying the midfielder the monetary equivalent of a Salford family home (with a garden) every week for the next three years and getting nothing in return.

But if Schweinsteiger agreed to leave it would allow them to buy the actual homes and distribute them fairly among people that need them (e.g. young families created by Ryan Giggs).

There is more encouraging news for United in the Independent, which says Jose Mourinho’s chances of signing Antoine Griezmann have improved because the Frenchman has parted company with his agent.

We’re pretty sure he did this about two weeks ago, but it’s still nice for the Independent to join us. It’s difficult for them to keep up since they sacked all those journalists. The paper also confirms that Griezmann is United’s “top target for 2017”.

The Daily Mail says Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is planning to “overhaul” his central defence after being horrified to see it occupied by players such as Gary Cahill and David Luiz (oh, he actually bought Luiz).

The Blues boss is reportedly set to swoop for Burnley’s Michael Keane and Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson, while Cahill will be told to focus on other jobs Chelsea need doing such as hoovering and washing up.

Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has expressed a desire to join Real Madrid (Sun), Everton have sent scouts to watch FC Copenhagen striker Federico Santander (Mirror) and Wayne Rooney will not quit Man Utd despite being dropped (Express). He’s evidently seen how much Schweinsteiger is enjoying it.  

Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Liverpool target £25.8m midfielder, Arsenal ‘want Griezmann or Lewandowski’

Boss of Goss Kevin Darling on how Jurgen Klopp is going to hoover up the last remaining Monchengladbach midfielder - while Arsene Wenger eyes a big-money striker

Don’t be surprised if German side Borussia Monchengladbach start the Bundesliga season with a midfield-shaped hole in their starting line-up. Like, an actual hole. Because the Premier League seems intent on uprooting the entire thing to England.

First West Ham signed Gladbach’s defensive midfield lynchpin Havard Nordtveit, then Arsenal took his younger, sexier and infinitely more expensive partner Granit Xhaka.

Which was bad enough, right? But according to the Express, it’s going to get even worse for anyone who enjoyed watching that midfield collaborate last season, because Liverpool are circling hungrily around one of its last surviving members.

Mahmoud Dahood, a 20-year-old, Syrian-born, Germany U-21 international, who is described as his side’s “midfield star” by the Express - because basically, he is the only one left - is allegedly at the “top of Jurgen Klopp’s wishlist”.

The Reds are apparently ready to offer £25.8m for Dahood, despite conflicting reports that the German side have already turned down a higher bid than that from Paris Saint-Germain.

In a further twist, Dahood is rumoured to have a clause in his contract which means he will be available for just £8.5m next summer.

But if that was true, the Germans would surely sell him now for much more. It’s all very silly. RIP Borussia Monchengladbach’s 2015/16 midfield - one of the best in the history of football.

Moving on, the Sun says Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will only buy a new striker if he is a “superstar”. In other words, Robert Lewandowski or Antione Griezmann.

Hot Football Transfer Gossip: West Ham ‘target £7m Gomez’, Arsenal ‘make £13.5m Bruno Peres bid’

Boss of Goss Kevin Darling on how the Hammers' striking crisis could be deflected by a Turkish coup - while Arsene Wenger has his cheque book out

Another day, another striker is linked with West Ham. This one is less expensive, more famous and older than all the others they are apparently interested in, and he’s also the only one motivated by a fear of all-out warfare taking place outside his house. It’s Mario Gomez.

The Mirror says West Ham are considering a £7m bid for the Germany striker, who does not want to return to his most recent club Besiktas due to the “unstable political situation” in Turkey.

The 31-year-old is actually contracted to Fiorentina, but they are keen to offload him due to his £80,000-a-week wages. So he isn’t that inexpensive really, but he may be the only one of the Irons’ targets who actually wants to join them, so that could work in his favour.

A recent injury to Aaron Cresswell has left West Ham even more desperate to sign a new left-back than they are to sign a new striker (which is already extremely desperate) but they are having a similar lack of success acquiring one.

The Sun reports that Arsenal have rejected Slaven Bilic’s offer to take Kieran Gibbs on loan, while approaches for Hull’s Andrew Robertson and even Norwich’s Martin Olsson have been similarly snubbed.

Maybe the Hammers will have better luck snaring Gibbs if the Gunners manage to land Torino full-back Bruno Peres, who the Star says has been the subject of £13.5m from the Emirates.

To be fair, Peres is mainly a right-back so it probably won’t make much difference to the Gibbs deal. Plus, the Italians are said to be demanding £17m. And plus, it’s in the Star.

Everton are poised to sign Swansea centre-back Ashley Williams for £10m “this week” (South Wales Evening Post) while another star of the Euros, Moussa Sissoko, has had to report for pre-season training with Newcastle despite the fact he was supposed to have joined Real Madrid by now (Newcastle Chronicle). Awkward.

Elsewhere, Swansea are set to spend their Ashley Williams money buying Leicester’s Leonardo Ulloa and Tottenham’s Nacer Chadli (Mirror), Fulham have told Norwich to pay £15m if they want to sign striker Ross McCormack (GetWestLondon) and Bastian Schweinsteiger has been sent to train with the Manchester United reserves, Victor Valdes style (Manchester Evening News).

Finally, Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri has been handed a “blank cheque book” by the club’s owners and encouraged to buy whoever the hell he wants (Sun). Bet they win the league again.

Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Bacca ‘rejects West Ham’, Man City Stones bid ‘exceeds £54m’

Boss of Goss Kevin Darling on a Milan man's quest to snub becoming a Hammer - while Middle East cash could soon be pouring into Goodison Park via the Etihad

Sometimes a relationship just doesn’t work out because one partner comes across as far more into it than the other one does. It leaves the first person feeling needy and insecure, while the other starts taking things for granted and feeling less sexually aroused. And that seems to be the problem for West Ham and Carlos Bacca.

The Hammers have made it abundantly clear that the AC Milan striker is the man they want to spend the next four years with - matching his club’s asking price and bowing to his wage demands, then patiently waiting for his next move like love-struck schoolgirls. But all this has achieved is to make Bacca feel like he can do better.

Can he really, though?

Football Italia reports that the 29-year-old has rejected West Ham and has no intention of changing his mind, preferring to wait instead for a Champions League team to buy him. But none of them have shown any interest in doing so.

Bacca is reportedly holding out for an approach from Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli or basically anyone who isn’t West Ham. But, like so many men, he seems to be the kind of guy who only wants what he can’t have.

West Ham have offered him security, companionship and cuddles, but he doesn’t find that remotely hot.

It’s left the Hammers looking at his social media account for signs he might like them, with Squawka reporting that a photo Bacca apparently posted from a plane had “fuelled speculation” he was on his way to east London. But he’s probably just going on holiday.

John Stones’ price tag continues to rise despite him not doing anything, with the Mirror reporting that Manchester City are poised to make a bid for the Everton defender that would “eclipse” the £54.5m they paid for Kevin de Bruyne.

City were initially “reluctant to go beyond £40m” but after Toffees owner insisted he “wouldn’t come to the table until the bidding got past £50m”, City caved - just like Arab princes with unlimited transfer funds usually do.

The problem for the Toffees is that it will leave them with even more cash that they can’t seem to spend. The latest man linked with a big-money move to Goodison Park is Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson, for whom the Express says Ronald Koeman is “preparing a £25m bid”.

Meanwhile, Tottenham’s decision to leave Nabil Bentaleb, Clinton N'Jie, Federico Fazio and Alex Pritchard behind as they jetted off to Australia for a pre-season tour has prompted the Sun to speculate that all four players will soon be sold. Jumping to conclusions as usual; maybe they’re just scared of koala bears?

Elsewhere, West Brom have made a £7m bid for Brighton defender Lewis Dunk (Mirror), Man City have baulked at Toni Kroos’ enormous wage demands (Sun) and Ravel Morrison has sparked rumours he is signing for Aston Villa by following the club on Twitter (Birmingham Mail). Or maybe he was just bored and wanted a laugh.