Gossip: Man Utd 'target Zouma' but Chelsea 'want Martial in return', Rose 'to quit Tottenham for Schalke', Arsenal 'target £90m Dembele'
We’re in unchartered territory. By the time you’ve finished work today, the summer’s Premier League transfer business will be complete. The deadline day window slams shut at the far more convivial 5pm, rather than the bleary-eyed 12am, but will this dampen the madness? Let’s hope not.
Especially for Tottenham’s sake. Spurs fans, who have so far seen their chairman sign precisely no one this summer, will be hoping to watch Daniel Levy throw off the shackles, rip off his shirt, peel off his trousers and splurge his burgeoning wad all over Europe.
Wishful thinking – it seems more likely that he will actually SELL someone. The Guardian reports that left-back Danny Rose is set to depart north London, with Levy “in talks” with Schalke about sending the 28-year-old England international to Germany on a season-long loan.
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The Mirror says Spurs have “not given up” on signing Anthony Martial from Manchester United in a sensational last-minute swoop, but frankly most of their supporters have.
Man Utd target Maguire and Zouma
United are still plugging away trying to sign a centre-back, with Sky Sports claiming Harry Maguire “remains hopeful” of sealing a lucrative move to Old Trafford within the next eight hours.
The Red Devils are said to have two bids rejected by Leicester already, the latest worth “about £60m”, but they could make a third before the day is out. And maybe a fourth if that one is also snubbed.
United appear to have missed out on Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng, who Le Parisien says has agreed to join Paris Saint-Germain in a £40.5m deal. But also fresh out of Paris is a claim that Jose Mourinho will turn to Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma as the man to solve his defensive problems.
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L’Equipe says United have identified the 23-year-old Frenchman, who spent last season getting relegated with Stoke, as a centre-back they can actually persuade to join them before the day is out.
Zouma had looked poised to join Everton on loan, but United are allegedly trying to tempt the Blues into letting him leave in a permanent deal, although the west Londoners could then demand Martial in part-exchange.
Gunners want Ousmane Dembele
Arsenal have been tipped to swoop for Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele, with Spanish paper Mundo Deportivo reporting that the Gunners are considering shelling out £10m to take the youngster on loan with the view to a £90m permanent deal next summer.
However, Dembele himself doesn’t seem keen, declaring in the wake of these claims that he wants to stay at the Nou Camp.
Arsenal are also apparently considering a late move for poor old Domagoj Vida, the 29-year-old Croatian centre-back who has been linked with a different Premier League club every day for two months but still finds himself at Besiktas. Don’t stop believing Domagoj – the Standard says the Gunners could sign you today for £26.9m.
Meanwhile, Danny Drinkwater could be on the move for the second deadline day running, with last summer’s £35m Chelsea signing today being linked with Leicester (Independent), as well as West Ham and Crystal Palace (Telegraph).
Elsewhere, moneybags Wolves are trying to sign Paris St-Germain’s 25-year-old France left-back Layvin Kurzawa (Sun), Newcastle are close to signing Barcelona’s 22-year-old Brazilian defender Marlon Santos on a season-long loan (Sport) and Atletico Madrid plan to increase the release clause of their goalkeeper Jan Oblak to £225m (AS). Because the previous £89m one just wasn’t quite high enough.