Apparently Barcelona are growing tired of waiting for Arsenal to wave off Héctor Bellerín so have let it be known that if they can’t be reunited soon with their former player, then they’ll introduce Mauricio Pellegrino to the realities of managing Southampton by heading to the south coast and making off with Cédric Soares instead.
That development is understood to have elicited a defiant shrug from Arsène Wenger, followed by a crafty thumbs up, because it’ll suit Arsenal just fine if Barça take their eyes off Bellerín and switch their focus to Soares, whom Spurs have also identified as the ideal replacement for Kyle Walker.
In other right-back prattle, Juventus are mulling over replacing Dani Alves with PSG’s Serge Aurier, who will travel to Turin with a convoy of trucks to carry all his baggage. Once they’ve got Aurier out of their hair, PSG will join the race to sign Jordan Amavi, who is also being wooed by Leicester and Sevilla and, therefore, seems set to leave Villa Park before the arrival of John Terry. The former Chelsea captain looks certain to hook up with Steve Bruce unless Arsenal pull off a brazen and highly entertaining move by gazumping that deal and asking Terry to fill in for Laurent Koscielny, who is being courted by Milan. That’s a scenario that seems unlikely to play out, however, which is unfortunate for followers of social media hysterics by Arsenal fans.
Everton are said to be on the verge of persuading Michael Keane to sign for them rather than Manchester United, which says a lot about the pulling power of Ronald Koeman and/or Farhad Moshiri’s money and, perhaps, the pushing power of José Mourinho. Anthony Martial might be able to tell you about the latter if it is true that he’s poised to demand a transfer away from Old Trafford.
Incoming at United, on the other hand, could be the excellent and versatile Fabinho, currently of Monaco, and Álvaro Morata, for whom Real Madrid are now trying to extort no less than £80m. That stance is complicating United’s chat with Real about James Rodríguez. The only thing standing in the way of a rumoured mega-money offer from United for Middlesbrough’s Marten De Roon is a general sense of bewilderment.
The Boro chairman Steve Gibson might also be waving goodbye to his nephew, Ben, who may be in a position to take his pick of new destination from Chelsea, Spurs, Everton, Leicester, Southampton and Stoke. Boro want bidding to start at £25m. Stoke are presumably in the running just for the mischievous pleasure of driving the fee up for other clubs rather than because they think they’re really going to get the player.
Chelsea might be prepared to let go of Michy Batshuayi, ideally to Sevilla, as that would smooth the way for the London club’s to return home with Sevilla’s winger Vitolo.
Leeds may be on the verge of signing a goalkeeper with at least one cat-like quality, as Felix Wiedwald is said to be on his way from Werder Bremen.
Second last but not second least, Frank Lampard and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink are in the running for the job of managing Oxford United.
And finally, back at Southampton, Saints are close to wangling £14m out of West Bromwich Albion for Jay Rodriguez, whom Tony Pulis is confident of restoring to his top form.