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HOT FOOTBALL TRANSFER GOSSIP: Chelsea and Man City ‘target £23m Benzema’
There are a few factors that can make a footballer unsettled. Injuries, the weather, not liking the local area, being arrested for allegedly plotting to blackmail a team-mate over a video of him having sex. That kind of thing. And that’s why the vultures are beginning to circle around Karim Benzema. Football vultures that is, not actual birds.
Manchester City and Chelsea are both said to be “keeping tabs” on the Real Madrid man, who the Sunday Mirror claims has “indicated a willingness to leave the Bernabeu next month”. The tabloid says Benzema is “reportedly unsettled”, as most people would be when faced with the prospect of jail. A figure of £23m would apparently be enough to snare Benzema, about half of what Arsenal were willing to pay for him in the summer. Again, being in prison presumably knocks of few million quid off your value. A half-price Benzema would appear to be right up Arsene Wenger’s street, but the Gunners are not mentioned as potential suitors for the French striker. At least not today.
Man City could also end up with Luis Suarez, according to the Daily Star Sunday, which says that Pep Guardiola wants his next club to buy the Barcelona striker for £100m. The only (quite important) piece of information missing is the identity of Guardiola’s next club. So rather than City, equally it could be Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal, Swansea or Luton that have to pay £100m for Suarez if they appoint Pep. Not sure what will happen if he ends up going back to Barcelona and has to sign his own player, but they could probably turn it into some kind of nifty way of avoiding tax.
Aston Villa have belatedly decided to get serious about avoiding relegation, with the Sunday Telegraph linking them with a £6.5m bid for Everton striker Steve Naismith. Remi Garde has been a big fan of the Scotsman since watching the highlights of him scoring a hat-trick against Chelsea earlier this season (although he hasn’t scored since).
Garde has also sent his best scouts to watch Gent striker Laurent Depoitre, reports the Birmingham Mail, whose gossip sensors went into overdrive when Garde confirmed when asked about the Belgian striker: “Yes, I know him. He is a good player.” Sensational stuff.
Everton could use that Naismith money to help fund a £20m bid for Dynamo Kiev star Andriy Yarmolenko, says the Sun on Sunday, while the Sunday Express tells us for the millionth time that Newcastle and Tottenham want to buy Marseille striker Michy Batshuayi.
Finally, we shouldn’t forget Jose Mourinho already. The Independent on Sunday reports that the deposed Chelsea manager has rejected a chance to take over at Roma so that he can steal Louis van Gaal’s job at Manchester United. Just what United fans will want - another defensive manager.
