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HOT FOOTBALL GOSSIP: Man Utd ‘make move for Alexis Sanchez’

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One of the best/worst things about Hot Football Gossip in the second decade of the 21st century is that we don’t just have to rely on the rumour mongers at rags like the Sun and the Star for our fix; we also have access to the wild and wacky transfers predicted by their foreign equivalents. Some of the so-called “media outlets” in Spain, for example, have even more vivid imaginations than our own beloved publications. And because of Google Translate, even a content producer at the Star is able to get the gist of these Castilian ramblings and regurgitate them on his/her own website.

With that in mind, we bring you: Alexis Sanchez is going to Manchester United. Yep, you heard it here third.

Citing a report from Don Balon, which appropriately translates roughly to Lord Balls, the Star has claimed that Louis van Gaal has contacted Arsenal’s best player and told him he would be a “cornerstone” of his new Man Utd project. Cornerstone definitely sounds more like a word that popped up in Google Translate rather than a snippet from a private conversation between LVG and Sanchez, but who are we to question the wisdom of Lord Balls?

The starting price for Sanchez would reportedly be £50m, but Arsenal - unsurprisingly - are adamant that the 26-year-old forward is not for sale. However, as the Star rightly points out, Arsene Wenger “famously sold Robin van Persie to the Red Devils”. Sleep tight, Gunners fans.

United are also planning a raid on another of their main rivals (well, former rivals) Chelsea, with the Metro reporting that Van Gaal is in “pole position” to snare young Blues midfielder Charley Musonda. The Red Devils are apparently set to make a £10.6m bid for the 19-year-old, although they would face competition from Arsenal, Man City, Paris Saint-Germain and “other European heavyweights”. Vladimir Klitschko? Gerard Depardieu?

Another Chelsea starlet frustrated at his lack of game time despite the club’s woes is Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who the Times says is targeting a loan move in January after “growing disillusioned” at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool are being linked once again to Empoli attacker Riccardo Saponara, with the Daily Express saying Reds scouts have been watching the 23-year-old Italian and are “ready” to make their move in the January transfer window.

Newcastle and Norwich are “in a £7m fight” to sign Sheffield Wednesday’s 24-year-old centre-back Tom Lees, while Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce is eyeing a predictable swoop for his former West Ham defender James Collins, says the Mirror.

And finally, Toon legend Mick Quinn has said in his Chronicle column that the Magpies need to buy a striker in January but it shouldn’t be Andy Carroll. Thanks for that, Mick.

@darlingkevin