By Alan Duffy
Transfer Balls: Rounding up the day’s football tittle-tattle so you don’t have to…
Hazard Warning For Blues As Real Madrid Plan Swap Swoop On Stamford Bridge
Managing to shoehorn two of the most high-profiles names in the game here, the Sun ‘reports’ that Real Madrid want a swap deal involving Gareth Bale and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard.
Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has already publicly voiced his admiration for the 24-year-old Hazard and it seems that the Spanish giants may well be keen on a deal to bring the PFA Player Of The Year to La Liga. Still, as glamorous as it all sounds, one can’t see Jose Mourinho giving the green light to this deal, no matter how good Gareth Bale is.
Pedro Primed For Sanchez Reunion
A diminutive wideman is just what Arsenal are lacking, eh! Well, according to the Express, Arsene Wenger is indeed keen to bolster his merry band of ball-playing imps by signing up Barcelona star Pedro.
The 27-year-old has found himself playing second fiddle to the Messi-Suarez-Neymar triumvirate this season at the Nou Camp/Camp Nou this season and is ready for a move away from Catalonia. Priced at a hefty £24m, the Spanish international and former team-mate of Alexis Sanchez might be viewed by Wenger as a replacement for Theo Walcott, should the injury-prone former Saint up sticks and leave Emirates. Then again, according to the Metro, it’s Chelsea are after the classy attacker. So treat this one with extreme caution.
Birmingham Beckons For Bamford
Aston Villa are the latest in a long line of top-tier clubs to be linked to Middlesbrough’s potent hitman Patrick Bamford. The Mail tell us that Tim Sherwood is interesting in taking the Chelsea loanee to Villa Park to add a bit more bite to the Villans’ attack.
Chelsea are expected to be open to offers for the striker who has netted an impressive 19 goals for ‘Boro this season. Sherwood may also be planning for life after Christian Benteke, if the big Belgian has his head turned by the likes of Liverpool.
Citizens Ready To Woo Wilshere
The Mirror has revived the Jack Wilshere to Manchester City story today, with the paper suggesting that the Citizens are preparing a whopping £30m bid for the England midfielder.
Wilshere has endured an injury-filled season and now finds himself some way down the midfield pecking order, behind the likes of Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey. City are desperate to inject a bit of youth into their ageing squad as well as upping their English contingent, with the 23-year-old fitting the bill. Still, Arsene Wenger is unlikely to let the player go, as he still expects big things from the Stevenage-born schemer.
The best/worst of the rest:
Everton’s much-coveted Irish international James McCarthy ash played down speculation linking him with a move away from Goodison, Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini is desperate to bring Palermo’s man-of-the-moment Pablo Dybala to the San Siro while Liverpool are after the ‘Nigerian Ronaldo’, Moses Simon.