Atlético Madrid’s men have still got Diego Costa on their minds and so have rounded up all the dosh that they haven’t spent on their new stadium – reportedly in the region of £57m, according to Marca – and submitted a ‘take it or leave it’ offer to Chelsea for the loveable Brazil-born rogue. The Spain international fell off the track with Antonio Conte in the summer and is privately said to be breaking his back for a chance to join his former club. Atlético’s reported offer for Costa, £1m short of the fee Chelsea paid to Real for Álvaro Morata, might just help the London club decide that enough is enough.
Speaking of Chelsea strikers liable to stroke their designer stubble, when was the last time you thought of Mateja Kezman? The 38-year-old has come screeching back into view as a Mr 15%, specifically to Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, the latest hot young thing at Lazio. But guess what, Kezman can’t guarantee the 22-year-old will be there for long: “Right now, Milinkovic-Savic is happy to continue his adventure in Rome with Lazio. There’s been a lot of pressing from several clubs, such as those in Madrid, Manchester and Milan, but the lad wants to be happy, play to keep growing and become one of the best in his role.” Milinkovic-Savic, voted as one of the Guardian’s top 50 best young footballers in Italy earlier this year, was reportedly subject of a failed £24m bid from Liverpool in the summer. But then wasn’t everyone?
Florentino Pérez wants to make Alexis Sánchez the 12th player to play for both Barcelona and Real Madrid and plans to make a move for the Chilean in January, according to the Sun. With his contract expiring next summer and Arsenal not playing Champions League football this season, Real’s president sees Sánchez as an ideal signing, despite reports that some players – including Sergio Ramos – actively don’t want the 28-year-old to join.
One man staying at the Bernabéu is Dani Carvajal, who has signed a new five-year contract – complete with a £308m release clause, just in case PSG get a bit more carried away in the years to come. “The release clause is also so high so that nobody can take me away from here and I don’t want to leave,” Carvajal said in a bitter blow to future Rumour Mills. “Going down in history of the club isn’t easy. This generation is doing that and every Madrid fan is proud of us.”
It’s becoming increasing hard to know if Udinese’s Jakub Jankto is going up in the world. Last year he was linked with Leicester and Bournemouth. This year it’s Arsenal and Everton.
The transfer window might be closed, but French non-league side Montrouge have bought two minivans, after receiving a small cut of the €45m (£39.7m) fee that Monaco got from Chelsea for Tiémoué Bakayoko. The seventh-tier club, who sold the Frenchman to Rennes in 2014 when he was 14 years old, also once had Demba Ba on the books.