#transfergossip

Hot Football Transfer Window Gossip: Antonio 'wants Antonio', everyone loves Schneiderlin (except Jose), ta-ta Zaza

There’s nothing like a long-term successful youth policy and Chelsea have nothing like one.

As they continue to send out their academy players on loan and splash millions on instant solutions, the latest ‘long term project’ appears to be West Ham’s Michail Antonio.

The Hammers utility man has been in great this season and has forced his way into the England reckoning.

And he appears to have caught the eye of Chelsea manager and half namesake Antonio Conte according to the Sun.

They claim the Blues want some ‘British beef’ after the West Ham man ‘terrorised’ them in October in the EFL Cup – the last time Conte tasted defeat.

Apparently they are now ready to talk turkey to get their beef unless they chicken out and concentrate on their other target – Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal who is valued at £36m.

If they do lose their top scorer West Ham appear ready to spend that cash on RB Leipzig striker David Selke who has been a star man in guiding them to the top of the Bundesliga (the Mail).

Hammers boss Slaven Bilic faces competition from Everton and Swansea though but if anyone asks 21-year-old Selke if he fancies switching from the Champions League to either a vast soulless stadium with no prospect of European football, playing second fiddle to Liverpool or life in the Championship you can see why this is probably a lot of bull.

In other West Ham news, the Standard claims that goalshy striker Simone Zaza will return to Serie A for the rest of the season and end his loan period wowing Italians instead.

Chelsea are ready to let Michy Batshuayi leave on loan if the Daily Mirror have got it right with Lille ready to take the Belgian to Ligue 1.

Elsewhere, it’s all about Manchester United.

Morgan Schneiderlin’s future is up in the air but according to the Manchester Evening News Jose Mourinho will insist on at least £20m for the France midfielder – more than Everton and West Brom are currently offering.

But Ligue 1 Marseille are ready to meet that valuation according to the Sun so it seems Morgan could soon be facing a choice.

The Sun are also reporting that Michael Carrick has heard nothing regarding a new contract and the 35-year-old is now free to talk to other clubs.

ESPN are claiming that United are ready to go head to head with Manchester City over Bury starlets Jordan Bedeau 17 and Callum Styles 16 who have broken into the Gigg Lane first team in League One this season.

That’s Bury who have lost 13 of their last 15 matches, drawing the other two…

City are also ready to splash out £25m on former Stoke and Blackburn midfielder Steven N’Zonzi according to the Sun as cover for the injured Ilkay Gundogan.

But Pep Guardiola will wait until the summer before making a move for £20m-rated Atletico Madrid defender Lucas Hernandez, 20. (Independent)

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: Man United ‘hold £80m Griezmann talks’, Spurs 'target £10m defender', Man City plans revealed

Transfer spy Kevin Darling brings us the latest from the grapevine as United are linked with a megastar, Tottenham look to a famous name and what Guardiola has got planned for January.

Ed Woodward has been having “talks” with Atletico Madrid. We don’t know whether they’re face to face, over email or on Snapchat, but the Sunday Mirror assures us that they have been happening, and that Woodward is using them to get his one main point across - that he wants to sign .

It doesn’t sound too difficult, but Woodward has evidently been biding his time before delivering this news - because it’s in the only the most recent “talks” that he finally plucked up the courage to “make it known he sees Griezmann as Manchester United’s next big signing”.

It’s unclear what he was talking about before - the weather, Brexit, the prospects of Mark Lamaar’s TV career - but he’s evidently playing the long game. Either that or he’s shy.

United’s pursuit of the Euro 2016 golden boot winner looks set to continue for another few months, with Woodward earmarking the Frenchman - according to the Mirror - as their replacement for Wayne Rooney in the summer. And they mean in the first team, not on the subs’ bench.

He would cost £80m, and the Red Devils will be more than happy to pay that much, as would Chelsea. So maybe in the next round of talks/emails/Snapchats, Woodward will make it clear that the Blues have no history.

Meanwhile, the Sun on Sunday reports that Tottenham want to sign Lukaku for £10m. Which sounds cheap, but it’s not Romelu Lukaku, silly, it’s his brother Jordan.

The Lazio and Belgium left-back, who you may best remember getting turned inside-out by Hal Robson-Kanu at the Euros, is the man Mauricio Pochettino apparently sees as a “long-term” option on the left side of his defence.

The older Lukaku could be joined at Everton by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, says the Sun on Sunday. The Toffees want the 22-year-old to replace Maarten Stekelenburg when gets too old to save penalties, but the Mirror says the Black Cats will offer Pickford a “bumper pay rise” to keep him on Wearside.

Elsewhere, Liverpool are planning a £19.5 raid for 22-year-old Torino striker Andrea Belotti, who is also wanted by Arsenal (Daily Star Sunday), AC Milan are set to sign Memphis Depay from Man Utd in January (Sunday Express) and - in the most unlikely transfer gossip of the day - the Sunday Mirror claims that Pep Guardiola has “no plans” to enter the transfer market in January. The tabloids do come up with some crazy stuff, but this takes the biscuit.

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: Everton ‘upset Lukaku’, Lamela ‘demands 120k a week’

Boss of Goss Kevin Darling on how upset Romelu got when the Toffees did not pay his air fare - and a Spurs favourite 'demands' more cash

This was always going to be a tricky period for Romelu Lukaku and Everton, as they attempted to rebuild their relationship following a summer of squabbling and the Belgian striker pining for a move to a bigger club.

But the Toffees insisted they could change. They told Romelu they would become a big club too; they even spent the summer pretending to try to buy good players and telling everyone they had come into some money. But it only takes one slip-up for someone’s true colours to be exposed.

And according to the Mirror, Romelu has just found out to his horror that the Toffees are not even a bigger club than Burnley.

Lukaku has apparently been left fuming after Goodison Park chiefs refused to pay to fly him back from Belgium’s recent World Cup qualifier in Cyprus on a private jet.

Which might sound a bit diva-esque until we find out that Belgian players from Everton’s north-west rivals Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Burnley were all on the jet - and the other clubs reportedly agreed to pay £6,500 per head to brings their boys home.

But Lukaku, along with his Toffees’ team-mate Kevin Mirallas, had to stump up the £6,500 out of their own pocket - with the Everton hierarchy refusing to foot the bill because their next Premier League game wasn’t until Monday.

None of which is strictly Hot Football Transfer Gossip, but it does mean that Lukaku might now want to quit Merseyside even more than he did in the first place and may be prepared to go anywhere else - even Bournemouth.

Speaking of which, Jack Wilshere may not be consigned to the south coast forever, as the Star reports the midfielder will be offered a new Arsenal contract, with Arsene Wenger predicting that talks between the two parties will begin in December.

Young Jack may not be in a position to be as demanding as Erik Lamela, who the Mirror says has asked Tottenham to double his wages to get him to sign a new deal at White Hart Lane.

The Argentine attacker is currently earning £60,000, which is fairly low but it’s worth noting that he also earned that amount in his first two seasons at the club when he offered nothing in return. These footballers, eh.

Elsewhere, Manchester United are “plotting a surprise move” for Juventus’ 18-year-old Cypriot “wonderkid” Grigoris Kastanos (Express), long-time Arsenal target Mauro Icardi is set to sign a new contract at Inter Milan (Mirror) and Victor Moses has revealed that new Chelsea manager Antonio Conte never for a second considered selling him over the summer (Express). Probably because he didn’t actually realise Moses was still a Blues player.

Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Man Utd and Chelsea 'battle for £84m Griezmann'

Boss of Goss Kevin Darling looks at the 'tussle' brewing for the Atletico Madrid striker even though he is showing no signs of leaving the Spanish capital

As you know, there are no real transfers happening at the moment, so we may as well keep ourselves occupied with outlandish but alluring fantasies - the kind where Chelsea and Manchester United tussle like gladiators for the affections of Europe’s hottest striker, Antoine Griezmann.

The Sun has unashamedly declared that the Blues are set to “hijack” the Red Devils’ swoop for the Atletico Madrid goal machine, as if United were on the verge of buying him or something.

In the Sun’s fantasy world, Reds and Blues are going head-to-head in an explosive battle for the Euro 2016 top scorer - who in reality is probably taking no notice and far more interested in practising his latest Drake-inspired goal celebrations in the mirror.

But, as it’s a quiet day, let’s indulge the tabloid. Encouraged by Griezmann’s recent claim that he would only leave Madrid if his manager Diego Simeone did, the Sun alleges that the Argentine boss could indeed “leave at the end of the season”.

If that happens, United would be “front-runners” to sign the Frenchman. Obviously, right? They’re the best. But Chelsea are also “big admirers” of Griezmann (wow, guys) and - not only that - they would also be willing to pay his release clause, which is £84m apparently.

That clearly means nothing, because United would also meet his release clause - whatever if happened to be. But, here’s the thing, the Blues also have a “bargaining card” in the shape - the exact shape - of Diego Costa, who Atletico would love to re-sign and that bit is actually true.

So, in summary, Griezmann won’t be leaving Madrid until next summer anyway - if he leaves at all - but maybe he’ll go to Manchester United. Or Chelsea. Or neither of them.

In another stunning revelation - an “exclusive” one, no less - the Sun reports that Manchester City will let Joe Hart leave for a “cut-price” fee next summer. Well that’s a surprise, isn’t it, given how highly they obviously rate him.

Apparently City will let Hart leave cheaply “as a thank you for his service” and not because Pep Guardiola never wants to see his face, hands or feet at the Etihad again.

The rest of today’s Hot Football Transfer Gossip consists of people talking about things that they didn’t do, such as Odion Ighalo revealing that he rejected a £37.5m move to the Chinese Super League (Star) and Reading boss Jaap Stam saying that he nearly signed Ghanaian former World Cup star Asamoah Gyan, but didn’t (Reading Post).

Finally, we have Alan Pardew saying in the Express that Wilfried Zaha is good enough to play for Barcelona and that he would probably accept a bid of “say, £50m-£60m” for the winger. OK Alan, thanks for your comments on this matter. We’ll get back to you (even if Barcelona don’t).

Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Sturridge ‘offered to Arsenal’, Tottenham in ‘failed Schneiderlin bid’

It's the morning after the night before and the Boss of Goss Kevin Darling is busy surveying the wreckage

It’s the morning after the night before and all 20 Premier League clubs will awake with sore heads as they survey the wreckage of a crazy transfer deadline day party. While some clubs got lucky (Hull City ended up with a threesome) others have been nervously checking their bank statements and finding out they’ve spent £34m on David Luiz.

But the party could have been even crazier than it was, according to the reports and recriminations emerging from today’s papers and media outlets.

Goal claims that Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge was offered to Arsenal “by his representatives” but that, although the Gunners were “open” to a move, the Reds wouldn’t let him leave Anfield.

As for the player’s so-called “representatives”, we can only assume that was just Sturridge in sunglasses and a wig desperately trying to escape the clutches of Jurgen Klopp.

Ironically, it was the player Klopp was actively trying to jettison, Mamadou Sakho, who insisted on clinging on to his manager for dear life. The Mirror says the French defender rejected moves to Stoke, West Brom and Besiktas and is set to spend the rest of the season playing FIFA 17 - because his angry manager certainly won’t be selecting him for proper football for a while.

Not for the first time, Morgan Schneiderlin was denied a move to Tottenham, claims the Mail.

Spurs reportedly made a deadline day enquiry for the player they first tried to sign from Southampton two years ago, but Jose Mourinho apparently told the midfielder he “remained in his first-team plans” at Old Trafford. Wonder if he added “in the Europa League”.

Spurs’ alleged interest in Real Madrid’s Isco also failed to materialise, which the player’s team-mate Sergio Ramos has insisted is “great news” for everyone (FourFourTwo).

Chelsea may have bagged the eyebrow-raising double signing of Luiz and Marcos Alonso but they missed out on Inter’s Marcelo Brozovic, who opted to sign a new contract with the Italian club despite them offering him less money than the Blues (Goal).

And the reason Everton gave West Ham actual money for Enner Valencia was that their £34m bid for Porto striker Yacine Brahimi was turned down, says the Mirror.

Other thwarted deals included Axel Witsel’s move from Zenit St Petersburg to Juventus (Gazzetta dello Sport), Mathieu Debuchy’s proposed switch from Arsenal to Espanyol (Squawka) and Yaya Sanogo’s transfer from the Emirates to Leeds (Sun), which was blocked because Arsene Wenger evidently believes that this is the year when the French striker finally becomes the new Thierry Henry, but better.