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Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Aubameyang, Cavani, Alaba, Stones, Kante, Ozil

It’s possible that the reason there seems to be more Hot Football Transfer Gossip about Manchester United than any other team is because it’s a way of distracting the club’s fans from how rubbish they are on the pitch. And maybe all the United rumours are not the result of a tabloid hack’s imagination, but rather a product of Louis van Gaal feeding them to the Sunday papers every time United lose - just so they don’t talk about him. Because it’s certainly true that whenever the Red Devils are turned over on a Saturday, they’re tipped to buy some very good players on the Sunday.

Chief among them today is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who the Mail on Sunday reveals is “closing in” on a £70m move to Old Trafford. The Borussia Dortmund striker, who has scored 27 goals this season, is apparently viewed as a “more likely proposition” for United than their other targets Neymar, Gareth Bale and Robert Lewandowski. They’ve at least got that right.

Another striker being linked with United today is Edinson Cavani, who Italian media predict will join the Red Devils for £35m in the summer. It seems unlikely this rumour was fed to them by Van Gaal though, because it states that Cavani will be Jose Mourinho’s first signing at the club.

More United gossip centres on Marouane Fellaini, who the Daily Star Sunday says is being “sounded out” for a move to the Chinese Super League. It was probably Fellaini that fed them that one.

The same paper also states that Pep Guardiola’s new summer “priority” is Manchester City’s full-back positions, and that he will target Bayern Munich left-back David Alaba in a £40m deal.

The Sunday People reckons Pep is more interested in addressing City’s frailties at centre-back, tipping him to swoop for Everton’s John Stones in a massive £75m deal. However, that isn’t such a generous offer as it seems, because the £75m comprises of offering the Toffees three players - Eliaquim Mangala, Wilfired Bony and Jesus Navas - for whom City paid £75m. The Sunday People neglects to mention that those three players are now worth about £7.50 (give or take).

Elsewhere, Arsenal could make a summer move for Leicester midfielder N'Golo Kante, especially if he impresses when the sides meet today (Sunday Mirror), Mesut Ozil is set to reject interest from Barcelona and sign a new Gunners contract (Sunday Telegraph) and Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has said he is “not thinking” about a move to Liverpool (Mundo Deportivo), although he must have been thinking about a move to Liverpool a little bit when he said that.

@darlingkevin