Advertisement

Gossip: Manchester United 'target Robert Lewandowski', Gareth Bale 'up for sale', Real Madrid 'want Salah'

Jose Mourinho wants to bring Robert Lewandowski to Manchester United from Bayern Munich, according to reports
Jose Mourinho wants to bring Robert Lewandowski to Manchester United from Bayern Munich, according to reports

Wonder if Robert Lewandowski ever regrets missing out on a move to Blackburn Rovers in 2010, when the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud whose name I don’t have time to spell caused his flight to England be cancelled and scuppered his chances of joining Sam Allardyce’s side for £4.2m.

That bizarre twist of fate denied him the Venkys; Steve Kean; being friends with Danny Graham; experiencing League One football. Instead, he has had to spend eight years at Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in the silly old Bundesliga.

As Lewy once recounted, with a tear in his eye (possibly), “It was one week and nobody could fly in Europe. The flight was booked, but we couldn’t leave. It changed my life. If I had gone to Blackburn maybe I would have stayed there.”

READ MORE: Kane injury puts England on World Cup red alert

READ MORE: Watch Carragher spit at 14-year-old girl

But if he wants to make amends for the strange events of 2010, this summer is his chance.

Not by going to Blackburn, obviously. They couldn’t afford his flight anymore, let alone his wages. But Manchester United – Rovers’ mid-90s Premiership title rivals – certainly can.

The Mirror – via German publication Kicker – claims that the Red Devils are “favourites” to land the Polish goal machine, who has just employed the services of a new agent (Pini Zahavi – the man who brokered Roman Abramovich’s purchase of Chelsea, yuk) and is reportedly up for a new challenge.

Real Madrid and Chelsea have also been linked with Lewy, but the Mirror says United are the only side who have “made moves” to sign him. Maybe they can loan him to Blackburn when he’s 36.

Real lose confidence in Bale

Another long-term United target, Gareth Bale, will also be up for grabs this summer according to Spanish publication Diario Gol.

The Welshman has apparently “lost the confidence” of the Real Madrid hierarchy after showing “far from the best version of himself” in recent weeks, with a return to the Premier League “more than possible”.

But that’s only if Real can persuade a Premier League team to pay exorbitant wages to a player who has spent most of the past year injured.

Replacing Gazza at the Bernabeu could be Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who El Confidencial – another Spanish outlet – says will be targeted by the European champions this summer. Real would have to pay £142m for the Egyptian though, because that’s the amount the Reds want for all their good players these days.

READ MORE: Gossip – Allegri wants to replace Wenger

READ MORE: Serena to face Venus on comeback trail

Meanwhile, RB Leipzig’s in-demand striker has told Liverpool and United “not to bother” trying to sign him this summer (Mirror). Not because he is holding out for a move to Blackburn, but because he will “definitely” be staying with the energy drinks franchise for at least one more season.

Elsewhere, Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante will be Paris Saint-Germain’s “top priority” transfer target this summer (Goal), Arsenal face competition from Napoli and Roma in their bid to sign the 19-year-old Toulouse goalkeeper Alban Lafont (L’Equipe) and West Ham captain Mark Noble is “highly unlikely” to fact retrospective action for violently hurling a pitch invader to the ground during the Hammers’ home defeat to Burnley at the weekend (Mail). Mainly because the football powers-that-be have come together and agreed that the bloke was an absolute pillock who deserved it.