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Transfer balls: Hazard £65m To Manchester United Or £100m to Real Madrid

hazard man united transferTransfer balls: Is Chelsea’s Eden Hazard heading to Manchester United? The Daily Star seems to think he might be. The fee? £65m.

Of course, not so long ago (it was yesterday), Manchester United were buying Gareth Bale from Real Madrid. The Star explains the sudden shift in targets: “New target as Bale deal is off.”

Was it ever on?

The Star says United will “battle” PSG and Bayern Munich for Hazard. The Daily Mail says Real Madrid want him. But the Star is sticking with Hazard to United, saying the club’s owners have approved a bid and £250,000-a-week wages for the Belgian.

But hold on a moment. The Express leads with news that Chelsea are “banking on  Didier Drogba’s arrival as coach being the key to keeping Eden Hazard”.

hazard didierWhy? Well, Drogba “persuaded” Hazard to join a winning Chelsea side from lowly Lille for £35m and a massive pay hike in 2012. Drogba is some negotiator.

The Express reasons that Drogba will now persuade Hazard to remain at Chelsea and turn down a massive signing on fee and more wages at a bigger club.

The Mail quotes a Chelsea “insider” saying of Hazard: “In his head he has already left. It would take some U-turn to keep him.”

Champions’ League football would help – which makes you wonder why Hazard would join a struggling Manchester United when he’s good enough to play at Madrid or Barcelona.

Finally, the Independent has a few words on Hazard’s worth.

The Belgian, 24, is ranked ahead of current Balon d’Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo, who is fourth, with a current market value of €130.5million (£95.77m), according to football think-tank the CIES Football Observatory.

Adding:

The value means that Hazard, who has been linked with a £100m move to Real Madrid in the January window, trails only Barcelona pair Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Such are the facts.

 

Posted: 8th, January 2016 | In: Back pages, Chelsea, Sports | Comment


Transfer Balls: Ronaldo and Bale to Man United, Messi to Man City, Pep to Chelsea

bale ronaldo united manchester

 

Transfer balls: The British Press is obsessed with Real Madrid. The latest news is that Cristiano Ronaldo will definitely leave Real Madrid in the summer, with Manchester United and Paris St-Germain keen to sign the 30-year-old Portugal forward. So says the Telegraph.

This will trigger a new wave of spending by Real Madrid, who will fight PSG for Chelsea’s Eden Hazard. The 24-year-old Belgium forward is certain to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer, says the Daily Mail.

And there is Gareth Bale, the 26-year-old Real Madrid player who will follow Ronaldo out of the Spanish capital, heading to join Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Manchester United or PSG. Unless he elects to stay in Spain, says the Sun.

Should Bale head to Manchester United he will hook up with that club’s next manager. Yeah, it’s 56-year-old Carlo Ancelotti, who was approached by United’s king maker’s last November. Back then the Italian rejected the chance to replace Louis van Gaal because he wants to manage Bayern Munich, says the Daily Mail. But he’s yet to be offered that job. So it might be United for him.

Bayern, of course, are waving goodbye to their manager, Pep Guardiola. The Manchester Evening News wonders if Pep, 44, is to be United’s next boss. News is that he won’t be. Apparently United feel he’s already set his mind on bossing Manchester City, where, says the Sun, he will attempt to buy Lionel Messi from Barcelona. The Catalans will then attempt to buy Hazard.

Unless the London Evening Standard is right and Pep is going to receive an offer from Chelsea he cannot refuse. In which case, Hazard will stay at Chelsea, Bale will stay at Real and Ronaldo will cancel his flight to Old Trafford.

Meanwhile…at Arsenal….

 

 

Posted: 7th, January 2016 | In: Back pages, Chelsea, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment


Transfer balls: Gareth Bale to Chelsea, Hazard to Real, tabloids to guessing

Transfer balls: It’s going to be a month of Gareth Bale this and Gareth Bale that.

The Daily Mail says Bale will head to Manchester United for £75m. There he will hook up with Ryan Giggs, forming a Welsh dream team not seen since Tom Jones pulled on his pulling knickers. 

The Guardian says Bale is not leaving Real. He’s going to see if he can make a fist of it.

But if Real do sell Bale this January – which they won’t do – who will replace him in Spain? The Daily Star knows. The paper says Real will invest £100m in ‘tired’ Eden Hazard. 

The Daily Mirror, speculates, that could mean Bale heading to Chelsea in a swap deal.

Maybe.

Posted: 6th, January 2016 | In: Back pages, Chelsea, manchester united, Sports | Comment


Chelsea v Dr Eva Carneiro kicks off soon

"Has he gone yet?"

“Has he gone yet?”

After the Premier League has wound down for the summer – and Chelsea are calling Avram Grant to manage the team- Dr Eva Carneiro will give testimony in her constructive dismissal case against Chelsea.

The case will begin tomorrow at the London South Employment Tribunal in Croydon. The judge will set a timetable for the case.

The Guardian says the date for a full hearing “could be fixed for some time in June but there may be another preliminary hearing arranged before that takes place. The parties may also agree to a settlement before the case is heard.”

The good doctor is also taking a personal legal action against Chelsea’s former manager José Mourinho for alleged victimisation and discrimination.

The 42-year-old doctor was dropped from first-team duties after Mourinho criticised her and the first-team physio Jon Fearn for going on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard on the opening day of the season.

The action meant Chelsea were temporarily down to nine men against Swansea and Mourinho called Carneiro and Fearn ”impulsive and naive”. Carneiro did not appear on the bench again for first-team duties and later parted company with the club.

Only Fearn remains at the club. Come June, and judging by the way Roman Abramovich goes through staff, he could be managing it…

 

Posted: 5th, January 2016 | In: Chelsea, Sports | Comment


Transfer balls: Chelsea go for Vardy

vardyTransfer balls: The Telegraph lead with news that Chelsea and Manchester City are each to offer £30m for Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy. This is one of those stories that just annoys football fans. Leicester are a joy. They are the season’s surprise package,  reminding us that the hyped Premier League is not all about money and vanity.

It’s sport.

Anyone who love competition should hope Vardy stays at Leicester. If he heads to the City global brand or money-mad Chelsea, Leicester are weakened. City won’t even have to play him to have got one over on top-of-the-table Leicester. Chelsea will chew him up and spit him out.

Matt Law says Leicester City will fight to retain their centre-forward. One way way to do that: pay he player more money. Vardy’s on £40,000-a-week. City and Chelsea would pay him much more. Leicester need to act fast.

Posted: 23rd, December 2015 | In: Back pages, Chelsea, Manchester City, Sports | Comment


Chelsea £17m a year for Pep, Mourinho met Manchester United last week, Ferguson returns

back pages

 

The tabloids continue to obsesses with who is going to be manager of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City, respectively, when January is out. Arsenal don’t seem to be in need of a new broom (see back pages above), showing the rest that sticking with a man and working to a plan can work.

The Mail (back page): “Chelsea move for Guardiola.

Page 72: “Money no object as Roman bids to lure Pep.”

Readers learn that Guardiola has “assessed” the Chelsea squad and calculated the Blues will need 10 new players. Yeah. That’s all. We’re also introduced to Mrs Pep, Cristina Serra. The Mail says she could “sway” her husband’s decision.

Daily Express: (back page): “Mourinho lined up for Old Trafford.”

This is a story that repeats. Why would Manchester United want Jose Mourinho, a successful but irritating man with no roots at United, who sees clubs as existing for his benefit? We can debate it at length, but the Express says United’s management are ready to give current manager Louis Van Gaal the boot and replace him with the Portuguese.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: 22nd, December 2015 | In: Back pages, Chelsea, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment


Manchester United want Jose Mourinho as Van Gaal slumps

jose manchester unitedNo longer working in English football, Jose Moutinho continues to be the main news story. The Mail leads with a picture of Louis Van Gaal, the hammer-headed Manchester United manager, and asks a question: “Time To Call Jose?”

The answer must be a resounding ‘no. Of course, Mourinho wants the United job – it’s the biggest in British football. But United’s dealmakers are shy of recruiting a man with a reputation sullied by bitchiness and division.

ESPN says Mourinho craves the Old Trafford job. The Independent says United are giving serious consideration to hiring Jose.

But, as the Star notes, the only people linking Mourinho with the Manchester United boss Van Gaal’s job in public, other than the media, are the Norwich City fans who teased the Dutchman by chanting “Jose Mourinho – he’s getting your job!” as the mighty Canaries defeated United 1-2.

The Mirror adds that “fans everywhere are convinced Mourinho is headed to Old Trafford” – which, of course, they are not. The news has been thick with stories of Jose to Real Madrid.

As for Van Gaal, well, he says: “I think I can turn the situation around. My record suggests I am a very successful manager, although maybe now I should say I was a very successful manager.”

The Guardian adds a little more on the shadow of Jose:

Mourinho is a manager United considered as a successor to Sir Alex Ferguson, before passing over him in favour of David Moyes. That decision did not end well and, now the recruitment of Van Gaal is also becoming problematic, many supporters would like to see the club bite the bullet and reverse their original decision. It would cost a lost of money, with Van Gaal in mid-contract, though compared to the £250m the club has spent on players with no visible improvement the expense could be borne if the directors have the desire and the courage.

Man United have the money, but surely not Jose.

Posted: 20th, December 2015 | In: Back pages, Chelsea, manchester united, Sports | Comment


Chelsea: Daily Express and Daily Mirror in tabloid Q and A

What role did Eva Carneiro, the former Chelsea club doctor who left her post in controversial circumstances, play in Jose Mourinho’s downfall. In a word: none. The Spiky One was was sacked because Chelsea were losing matches and flirting with relegation.

But the tabloids turn Dr Eva v Jose into a front-page debate.

:

jose mourinho eva carneiro

 

Question asked. Question answered.

Posted: 18th, December 2015 | In: Back pages, Chelsea, Reviews, Sports, Tabloids | Comment


Chelsea balls: that Jose Mourinho redundancy package in full

Jose Mourinho has been sacked as Chelsea manager. But how much did he have stuffed inside his pockets as he sauntered off?

The Mail: £10m.

 

Jose Mourinho sacked money

The Sun: £18m.

Jose Mourinho sacked money

The Express: £10-£40m.

Jose Mourinho sacked money

 

 

The Mirror: £45.5m.

 

Jose Mourinho sacked money

 

In other words: they have no idea.

Posted: 18th, December 2015 | In: Back pages, Chelsea, Money, Sports, Tabloids | Comment


Chelsea balls: Jose Mourinho gets the sack (again)

Farewell, then, Jose Mourinho, sacked at Chelsea for the second time.  You were the self-styled Special One. You were then ‘The Happy One’. Now you are ‘Taxi For One’.

 

Screen Shot 2015-12-17 at 14.45.50

 

The Daily Mail never saw it coming. Its back page today stated that Jose was “safe”.

 

mourinho mail

 

 

He’s gone.

Posted: 17th, December 2015 | In: Back pages, Chelsea, Sports | Comment (1)


Man City pay Guardiola £84m but Chelsea say ‘name your price’

Guardiola daily mirrorPep Guardiola has moved “one step closer” to Manchester City says the Mirror. The paper leads with news that Pep Guardiola  is “poised to join his old Barcelona mates and quit Bayern Munich for Manchester millions”.

It seems odd that a man at the top of football would be in it for the money, as the Mirror implies. Does he really want to live in Manchester? Would he not prefer to wait for a London club, say, Arsenal, where his style of football would be an easy fit?

The Sun says Arsenal would suit Pep, but they have less money to spend on top players and Arsene Wenger is not leaving.

As for the wages, Marca says Bayern have offered Pep £14.5m (€20m) a season. He’s not exactly shy of big-money offers. So why City? Well, he has worked with The Citizens’ chief executive, Ferran Soriano, and the director of football, Txiki Begiristain. Those are his “Barcelona mates”.

So much for the headlines. But reading on in the Mirror we learn that Pep is not poised to join City. He has simply announced that he will make his decision on whether or not to remain at Bayern Munich in the next week. However German magazine Kicker does say he is definitely on his way out.

pep man united

 

Guardiola is in the final year of his contract with Germany’s champions. What he’s going to do next is largely a matter of media guesswork. The Guardian says “his availability next season would also appeal to Manchester United and possibly Chelsea”. The Times says Chelsea is not an option because Pep was “unsettled by Roman Abramovich’s relentless pursuit while he was enjoying time away from the game in New York”.

The Sun returns to the Pep pay packet, saying Chelsea will pay him the most. They want him to “name his price”. City will offer him £84m over four years. Chelsea will top that and throw in a glitzy life in London.

Pep has options. That much is clear. But the Mirror says he’s on his way to City for sure. In fact, he’s already “lined up stars” to play for him at the Etihad, players like Paul Pogba and John Stones.

Well, maybe.

 

Posted: 17th, December 2015 | In: Arsenal, Back pages, Chelsea, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports | Comment


Chelsea balls: how much it costs to sack Jose Mourinho

What would it cost Chelsea to sack Jose Mourinho?  The newspapes know.

The Daily Mail says “Roman Abramovich will be forced to pay Jose Mourinho more than £40million“.

The Mirror says sacking Mourinho “could cost £40m“.

The Express says it would cost a “staggering £37.5m“.

The Independent says, “If Mourinho were to be sacked then he may insist on his compensation being paid in full, a package that could cost Abramovich above £30m.”

The Telegraph says “Jose Mourinho due £10m compensation if he is sacked”.

Such are the facts.

 

Posted: 16th, December 2015 | In: Back pages, Chelsea, Money, Sports, Tabloids | Comment


Transfer balls: Manchester United and Chelsea start bidding war for Everton’s John Stones

The Daily Express says this January Chelsea will return with a £40m bid for Everton’s John Stones. This is, of course, a complete guess, based on the Chelsea’s failed moves for Stones over the summer. 

The Blues failed with £40m in the summer, and a combination of their bad form and Everton’s consistency and optimism will will surely only necessitate and much higher bid.

A few days ago. the Independent said Manchester United will offer £50m for Stones.

Simon Jones ups the ante, telling Daily Mail readers that Barcelona are also after the English defender. There were noises linking Stones to Barcelona before, but the Catalans instead bought Jeremy Mathieu from Valencia for £14.5m and Thomas Vermaelen from Arsenal for £15m.

Right now Stones is earning £30,000 a week at Everton. If he’s worth £50m, then surely his wages will have match the £200,000-a-week Manchester City pay their £50m striker Raheem Sterling. That surely leaves Arsenal out of the running – and Everton unable to hold onto their star.

 

 

 

Posted: 15th, December 2015 | In: Back pages, Chelsea, manchester united, Sports | Comment


Chelsea boss Mourinho repeatedly linked to Real Madrid return

In an “exclusive” the Sun says Real Madrid want to re-sign current Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. The Real players and fans might not like Mourinho, but the Sun says the club’s president, Florentino Perez, is a big fan.

A source says the pair share a relationship that “goes way beyond the professional”. As your heads spin with images of the pair taking long walks in the rain and sharing rooms on away days, readers soon learn that no approach has been made to Mourinho. The story is based entirely on that unnamed source.

Cynics might wonder if this is more PR puffery than actual news.

And it is news we’ve heard before:

Sky Sports: “Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho could return to Real Madrid, says Ramon Calderon” – Nov, 11

Daily Mirror: “Real Madrid want Jose Mourinho BACK – and they want him to bring Eden Hazard with him” – October 30

Daily Express: “Chelsea in shock as boss Jose Mourinho set for stunning return to former club Real Madrid” – October 21

Number of words from Jose or Perez: nil.

Posted: 11th, December 2015 | In: Back pages, Chelsea, Sports | Comment


Chelsea lose to Bournemouth in Russian billionaire battle

Yesterday Bournemouth beat Chelsea 0-1 at Stamford Bridge. It was cracking result for the south coast club playing for the first time in the Premier League.

But in the Times, Rory Smith has a word to the wise:

 

bournemouth owner

 

Bah, humbug!

Posted: 7th, December 2015 | In: Back pages, Broadsheets, Chelsea, Reviews, Sports | Comment


Chelsea balls: Jose Mourinho sacked by Leicester (maybe)

Mourinho outMore Jose Mourinho sacking news now. The Times leads with a story that the Chelsea boss is “in last chance” to save his job.

Matt Hughes says José Mourinho has been told that “he must guide Chelsea into the knockout stages of the Champions League this week to safeguard his position as manager”.

Win a single point against Porto on Wednesday and Chelsea qualify for the round of 16 – “Defeat, though, could bring the end of Mourinho’s second spell as manager at Stamford Bridge.”

From a headline stating Mourinho has one chance, to a story beneath it that the Portuguese could be given more last chances. The Times has no idea.

And neither does the Daily Mirror, which reports that Chelsea “could sack manager Jose Mourinho whether or not they beat Porto in the Champions League on Wednesday”.

The Sun  hedges its bets, giving Mourinho two games to save his job. It sticks a wet finger in the air and discovers that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich “may act if the Blues lose to Porto and then against leaders Leicester in the Premier League next weekend”.

Or else, he may not.

Such are the facts.

 

Posted: 7th, December 2015 | In: Broadsheets, Chelsea, Reviews, Sports, Tabloids | Comment


‘On the brink’ at Chelsea: Jose Mourinho sacked by teatime

When does ‘the brink’ become ‘the fall’? The Telegraph says Jose Mourinho is “on the brink” of leaving Chelsea following the Blues’ 0-1 defeat to the mighty Bournemouth.

Mourinho sacked

 

Mourinho may well scoff at the report. After all, he has been ‘on the brink’ of getting the sack for much of this season.

After defeat at Stoke City, Eurosport wrote: “Chelsea slump to Stoke defeat as Arnautovic puts Mourinho on the brink”

The Express agreed:

 

Screen Shot 2015-12-06 at 11.00.17

 

ITV said Mourinho was ‘on the brink’ after defeat to Liverpool.

 

brink jose

 

After defeat to West Ham United, the Mail said Jose was “on the brink”:

 

Screen Shot 2015-12-06 at 11.00.17

 

The Mirror agreed.

 

Screen Shot 2015-12-06 at 11.02.20

 

According to the Press, Mourinho has been a dead man walking for weeks:

 

tumblr_nwunhz0BSG1u5f06vo1_1280 86341589_mirror tumblr_nxgukdyZ1B1u5f06vo1_1280 mourinho-sacked klopp-chop

 

To which Jose says:

 

jose mourinho sacked

 

Such are the facts.

Posted: 6th, December 2015 | In: Chelsea, Reviews, Sports | Comment


Chelsea balls: Costa in London nightclub rage as Jose seethes in total silence

When is a riotous night out not a riotous night out? The Mail leads with news that “Chelsea stars Diego Costa, Ramires and Kenedy risked incurring the wrath of Jose Mourinho by partying into the early hours on Thursday morning at a London nightclub”.

The Chelsea hell raisers were “spotted leaving top London nightclub Libertine at 3.15am”. Ashley Clements has more on these rebels:

Chelsea boss Mourinho may not be best pleased to see Costa out until 3am after seeing his struggling striker throw a touchline tantrum last weekend.  Mourinho’s golden rule for the first-team squad is that they are not allowed to drink alcohol or have late nights out in the 48 hours before Chelsea games – a rule the Blues trio were certainly testing by partying late into the night on Wednesday.

Jose must be doing his pieces. Those Brazilian-born party animals.

Here’s Darren Lewis in the Mirror:

Chelsea’s underachieving squad enjoyed a team-bonding evening out on Wednesday night – with full permission from Jose Mourinho.

Diego Costa and Ramires were among the Blues allowed to paint the town red and were spotted leaving a London nightclub in the early hours of Thursday morning with recent addition Kenedy.

They were joined by the entire first team squad ahead of Saturday’s Premier League home game against Bournemouth.

Such are the facts.

 

Posted: 4th, December 2015 | In: Chelsea, Reviews, Sports, Tabloids | Comment


Transfer balls: Chelsea in for Manchester United’s Thomas Muller

The Mirror says Chelsea have joined the hunt for Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller. In “Muller In.. Mauler Out”, the paper says the German will replace Diego Costa, the Blues’ charmless striker.

According to Darren Lewis, Chelsea face a challenge from Manchester United for the superb Bayern star.

Why Muller should want to leave the German champions nicknamed FC Hollywood for life with Mourinho’s vanity project or Louis Van Gaal’s dullards is something former Germany captain Lothar Matthaus can’t work out.

“He does not need United or Xhelsea,” says Matthaus. “Barcelona perhaps could use him, but I don’t know whether he can deal with their game. He started his career at Bayern and I think he should end his career there.”

The Premier League is a bubble. The tabloids pretend it’s better than it is, talking up the money-bloated PL, linking the world’s top players to English teams more in hope than reality.

For instance, this drivel remain on the Daily Express site:

 

Muller signs MAnchester

 

Such are the facts.

Posted: 1st, December 2015 | In: Chelsea, manchester united, Reviews, Sports | Comment


Transfer balls: Ribery joins Arsenal, shuns Manchester United and heads to Chelsea

Can it be that Chelsea are ready to pay £45million for Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery? Yes, says the Daily Mail. It’s true! The paper declares:

“Roman Abramovich to break the bank for Bayern Munich star”

That’s lot of cash for a 32-year-old. Indeed, Matt Lawton says it will “break the bank”.

 

Screen Shot 2015-11-27 at 16.52.14

 

Well, not quite. Roman Abramovich has already lent Chelsea over £1bn of his hard-earned cash. So what’s another £45m between pals? And, in any case, he’s broken that bank before.

 

Screen Shot 2015-11-27 at 16.52.07

 

The story goes:

Roman Abramovich has told new Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay to make signing Franck Ribery his top priority

 

 

Screen Shot 2015-11-27 at 16.53.30

 

Only, Mr Gourlay is not the Chelsea chief exec. He’s not even on the board, having left his post last year.

 

Screen Shot 2015-11-27 at 16.54.45

 

 

By now you’ll have noticed that the Mail’s story from 2009 was wrongly republished on its website this week. But other newspapers, like the Daily Mirror, which replayed the news on its transfer blog, did not spot the glaring error.

ESPN told us: “Chelsea may make Franck Ribery Transfer Move”

The Guardian added: “Football Transfer Rumours: Franck Ribery Chelsea for £45m”

Yeah, just £45m, Guardian readers:

Screen Shot 2015-11-27 at 17.04.03

 

Neither Man United nor Chelsea ever did bid for Ribery. He didn’t sign for Arsenal, either, although the Guardian did say he would:

 

Screen Shot 2015-11-27 at 17.05.41

 

Such are the facts.

 

Posted: 27th, November 2015 | In: Chelsea, Key Posts, Reviews, Sports | Comment


Chelsea balls: Mourinho attacks Arsenal with praise

In “Why I don’t want Arsenal to go through”, the Mirror leads its posts coverage with the words of Chelsea’s manager Jose Mourinho.

 

Arsenal daily mirror

 

Reader can think of any number of reason why the manager of Chelsea wold prefer another London club to fail. But the given reason that “stokes rivalry with Arsenal” is that Mourinho “is mates with Olympiakos coach Marco Silva”.

Says Mourinho:

“I would always like English teams to qualify, first. They [Arsenal] are in a group where a kid friend of mine is the manager of Olympiakos and it would be fantastic for the kid’s career to go through. So I have to be honest and say that I would like the kid and Olympiakos to go on, and we know that Bayern go through for sure.”

And, er, that’s it.But Adrian Kajumba has an entire column to fill with this nonsense, so he ploughs on, using every tabloid trick to eke sensation form the dull:

Jose Mourinho admits he WANTS Olympiakos to dump Arsenal out of the Champions League.

He admits – as in confesses, finally, his innermost secret’s extracted by incisive journalism. He “WANTS” in capital letters because he WANTS it so very badly.

But Kajumba soon tires, leaving the rest of his scoop to Mourinho, whose words “risk riling” Arsenal.

“Even doing a bad group phase – because to lose at home to Olympiakos and to lose in Zagreb and to lose six points they should win is bad – they can qualify. They can qualify. It’s not my problem, it’s their problem, but the reality is first of all they can qualify and secondly if they go into the Europa League then they become favourites [to win it]. So I think they can have success in the Champions League by going to the next round and they can succeed in the Europa League because then they become favourites, so I think they have a lot to play for.”

And so having answered a journalist’s leading question on Arsenal with an easy, even and fact-based answer, the Express reports on “Moutinho’s Arsenal dig”.

Such are the facts.

 

Posted: 26th, November 2015 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Reviews, Sports | Comment


Transfer balls: Liverpool have £42m for Aubameyang, Chelsea offer £20m, Arsenal release Reus

ST GALLEN, SWITZERLAND - JULY 25:  Marco Reus of Dortmund (R) celebrates his team's second goal with team mate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during the friendly match between Juventus and Borussia Dortmund on July 25, 2015 in St Gallen, Switzerland.  (Photo by Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)

ST GALLEN, SWITZERLAND – JULY 25: Marco Reus of Dortmund (R) celebrates his team’s second goal with team mate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during the friendly match between Juventus and Borussia Dortmund on July 25, 2015 in St Gallen, Switzerland. (Photo by Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)

 

Transfer balls: News is that Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp is on course to reunite with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the  Borussia Dortmund striker who has scored a mere 19 goals in 16 appearances so far this season.

The Guardian says Arsenal and Barcelona are among clubs to have noticed that Aubameyang is rather tasty, but Liverpool hope the player’s relationship with Klopp, who signed him, will secure a “£42m deal”.

The Sun, however, says Chelsea are leading the hunt, and are”weighing up a £20m bid”.

It all adds up to a lot of guesswork. Like this in the Bleacher Report:

Liverpool are hoping to recruit Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus, but they will only be able to do so if Arsenal can secure his team-mate, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, at the same time.

According to Heiko Ostendorp of German outlet Sport Bild (h/t Metro‘sGeorge Bellshaw), the pair “have made a pact to not leave the club unless the other is also leaving” with the Reds targeting Reus and the Gunners eyeing up Aubameyang.

That would be the dame Metro that told its readers:

 

reus signs arsenal

 

Such are the facts.

Posted: 22nd, November 2015 | In: Chelsea, Liverpool, Reviews, Sports, Tabloids | Comment


Transfer balls: Chelsea, Manchester United and Bayern Munich in Robben story plot

Transfer balls: Is Arjen Robben heading back to the Premier League to play for Manchester United?

Yes, says the Daily Express. He is. The paper’s headline is definitive:

Former Chelsea winger agrees January move to Manchester United

 

robben balls

 

 

Why wold Robben agree to join Man United now?

Adam Skinner writes:

United manager Louis van Gaal is keen to add some pace to his forward line and Robben is understood to be keen to leave Bayern Munich.

Well, d’uh. He’s agreed to join Manchester United. You told us that, Adam. Not sure how well that will go down with Bayern Munich fans when they watch him play for the German giants before the transfer window opens in January.

Skinner continues:

The Daily Mirror claim the former Chelsea winger is unsettled as a result of the fall-out and is relishing the chance to move back to England for a second crack at the Premier League.

What the Mirror claims is an actual done deal in the Express.

Van Gaal has already expressed his desire to make a marquee signing in the January transfer window and might continue his spending spree after completing a deal for the 31-year-old.

Might? And, Skinner, a marquee is a big tent not a human being.

Having made a statement and then denied it, Skinner adds:

Robben could form one half of a sensational double deal, with Gareth Bale also thought to be at the top of a list of targets.

Could. Thought. Might.

Such are the facts.

Posted: 19th, November 2015 | In: Chelsea, manchester united, Reviews, Sports | Comment


Transfer balls: Chelsea in for Berahino and agree to meet Sneijder release clause

Chelsea are looking to buy West Brom striker Saido Berahino. The Daily Telegraph says the 22-year-old is valued at £20m.

Chelsea are also hopeful of signing Valencia’s Algeria winger Sofiane Feghouli, 25. Well, so says Fichajes, which has little by way of fact to support the claim.

That’s not all. The trusty Metro says Chelsea are on track to sign Bologna midfielder Amadou Diawara, 18.

The Daily Express claims Chelsea and Valencia are among “the top 15” clubs in the world keen on Lyon’s Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi, 22. Yeah, just the top 15 clubs. Hard cheese on the top 16th club, which, as the player’s agent knows, is AFC Bournemouth.

And to round things up Chelsea will very soon sign Galatasaray’s Wesley Sneijder, 31, Fanatik claims Chelsea will meet the player’s release terms. 

 

Posted: 18th, November 2015 | In: Chelsea, Reviews, Sports | Comment


Chelsea balls: Cesc Fabregas swears he loves Mourinho

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The Sun says Cesc Fabregas, the loyal footballer seen kissing the badge at Arsenal, Barcelona and now Chelsea, is “FEELING EFFING MAD”.

This is Fabregas, the Chelsea player who denied being the rat in the camp leading a “revolt” against Jose Mourinho, the team’s manager.

The Spaniard today opines, “This season is being f*****! It’s been tough. Last season was excellent, except for the Champions League, which was a shame… When things are going your way, you flick the ball with your heel and it flies into the top corner, whereas now every piledriver is going off target. Either way, we need to get back to winning ways sooner rather than later.”

He then talks about Mourinho: “Things with Mou are good… I cannot support Jose even more than I am doing. I am always saying he deserves it, 100 per cent. We are not playing well but that does not mean we are not in favour of the manager or something like that.”

 

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Is he protesting a tad too much?

Inside the paper, we hear Fabregas saying he can’t sleep when Chelsea lose. He turns the game over and over in his mind.

 

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Lest any Chelsea fan think Fabregas is a self-serving rat on a mission to buff his own faltering reputation, the Express leads its sports coverage with a picture of the player laying the ball he received for his man-of-the-match display when Spain beat England outside the French embassy in Madrid.

What odds the photographer should be there to see selfless Cesc the good arrive…

Posted: 16th, November 2015 | In: Chelsea, Sports | Comment