HOT FOOTBALL GOSSIP: Hazard ‘likes’ Madrid move, Ronaldo ‘available for £73m’

As a 24-year-old lad with an expensive smartphone and a fair bit of free time on his hands, there is nothing Eden Hazard enjoys more than firing up the old Instagram and looking at the nice pictures. He liberally dishes out ‘likes’ whenever he sees something that catches his eyes and warms his soul, whether it’s photos of fast cars, sexy ladies, Romelu Lukaku wearing vests or dogs dressed as bees. And he also ‘likes’ various football-related posts, such as match reports, interviews and transfer rumours. The only problem, according to the Sun, is that yesterday one of the transfer rumours he ‘liked’ was about him.

“According to Spanish media Eden Hazard is on Real Madrid’s radar for a 2016 transfer,” said the post by football magazine 433 which Hazard apparently endorsed. Which most observers seem to agree makes it a done deal. The Sun claims Hazard is in line for a “dressing down” from Jose Mourinho over the incident, although that’s based on the assumption that Chelsea’s manager knows how Instagram works. Maybe he’ll just confiscate Hazard’s phone.

It seems that Hazard’s ‘like’ may have prompted a shift in transfer policy at Real Madrid, who according to the Mirror are now willing to let Cristiano Ronaldo leave for a mere £73.6m. The tabloid says this has put Manchester United “on alert”, while PSG’s directors are believed to be drawing out that amount from the cashpoint as we speak.

United are also being linked with another Madrid player in the form of Portuguese defender Pepe, who the Mirror says could be the subject of a “£14.7m swoop” from Louis van Gaal.

Juventus have claimed they turned down an offer from Liverpool for Italy midfielder Claudio Marchisio, as well as bids from various clubs for Paul Pogba, reports the Guardian.

And one of Arsenal’s alleged targets, the Napoli forward Lorenzo Insigne, has dealt the Gunners a blow by saying – via the mouth of his agent – that he wants to stay at the Serie A club for the rest of his career, reports the Express.

Instead Arsenal have been linked by the Mirror with Hakan Calhanoglu, the Bayern Leverkusen midfielder who was also apparently wanted by Man Utd a couple of weeks ago.

And finally, in upsetting news passed on by the Telegraph, Sam Allardyce will not be reviving Kevin Nolan’s career by bringing his former captain to Sunderland. Instead Big Sam wants a striker, and he’s willing to let high earner Jermain Defoe leave the Stadium of Light to fund the move.

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