SPURS RESIGNED TO LOSING ALDERWEIRELD
We’re starting with Belgian outlet HLN, and their well-connected journalist Kristof Terreur. He reports that Tottenham are resigned to losing Toby Alderweireld this summer, and are now focused on getting the maximum transfer fee.
Alderweireld’s contract situation has run on and on, with the club and player no closer to an agreement. The central defender knows he can earn far more away from Tottenham, whose upper limit on player wages is far lower than at Manchester United or Chelsea. Both of those clubs are thought to be interested.
The figure mentioned in the article is £50m, and that would seem about right. Alderweireld as a release clause of £25m that comes into effect in June 2019, which prevents the fee from rising close to – or even past – the £70m Liverpool paid for Virgil van Dijk.
ARSENAL TO PUSH FOR FEKIR MOVE
We do enjoy all the transfer rumours regarding potential Arsenal targets. This is a club that doesn’t know which European competition it will be playing in next season nor if Arsene Wenger will still be the manager. Surely those two things need sorting out first?
And yet the rumours keep coming. In the last two weeks alone, Arsenal have been linked with Luka Modric, Robert Lewandowski, Bernd Leno, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Kalidou Koulibaly, Alban Lafont, Jose Luis Gaya, Jose Gimenez, Maycon, Malcom, Andre Silva, Andrija Zivkovic, Leon Goretzka, Thomas Lemar, Adrien Rabiot, Emil Forsberg, Lautaro Martinez, Max Meyer, Jan Oblak, Timo Werner, Jack Butland, Jakub Jankto and Jorginho. It’s definitely not a case of agents leaking names and newspapers (and their websites) lapping it up for delicious clicks.
Now we’re on to Lyon midfielder Nabil Fekir, who the The Sun say Arsenal are trying to sign for £45m before the World Cup even begins. They say a deal has moved a lot closer after Fekir’s agent spoke to the media:
“If at the end of the season, and this is not the case today, there was a decision to be made, then we would sit down with President Aulas and we would find the right solution.
“Respecting first and foremost Lyon. At home, we do not leave like a savage or after a showdown. Nabil is in a big French club, if not the biggest.
“You know very well that at some point, we may be able to ask questions about a departure. The decision will be taken in all intelligence, as professionals, and especially in the interests of all parties.”
Well, that sounds the move to Arsenal is already completed then. FFS.
BAYERN MUNICH ARE EYEING POCHETTINO
Interesting line in the Daily Mirror, who believe that Bayern Munich could make an approach for Mauricio Pochettino this summer.
It’s worth saying that their story uses the phrase ‘it is claimed that’ without actually telling us where they got that information. The source would seem to be here:
In @SPORTBILD tomorrow: Hasan Salihamidzic, Sportdirector of @FCBayern, tried to get Mauricio Pochettino for the Job as new coach. But the chances are bad @SpursOfficial@DietmarHamann
— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) March 20, 2018
‘Chances are bad’. Great.
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