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Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Chelsea and Man Utd 'chase Rodriguez', West Ham 'get Bacca warning'
For a year he’s been linked with £45m moves, £50m moves, £60m, £70m moves and even £75m moves to England’s biggest clubs, without moving to any of them, but is James Rodriguez finally ready to accept defeat and admit that his Galactico days are behind him?
He seems to be, according to his latest quotes in the Express, made after watching Real Madrid’s Club World Cup win from his familiar vantage point of the substitutes’ bench. It appears that being denied the chance to face the mighty Kashima Antlers was the last straw.
“I can’t guarantee that I’ll stay at Real Madrid after the winter window. I have offers and seven days to think,” he said after the match.
So, these offers. Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham are the teams who have most commonly tipped to sign the Colombian in the past – although only one of those sides is offloading a playmaker for £60m in the next few weeks.
The Express says Oscar’s imminent departure from Stamford Bridge makes the Blues “favourites” to snare Rodriguez and that Antonio Conte is prepared to spend “up to £75m” on him.
Real would certainly be pleased to make a profit for a player they paid an inflated £63m for in 2014 and who has since struggled to cement a place in their side – but that’s football in 2016/17 for you.
Chelsea’s need for extra flair in midfield could also be intensified by the departure of creative genius John Obi Mikel Obi, who the Mirror says is in talks with Marseille.
The long-serving Nigerian will apparently be allowed to leave west London for free, despite having six months left on his contract. That’s how highly Conte rates him.
Marseille seem to putting it about a bit though, because the Mirror reports that they are also keen on signing Mathieu Flamini from Crystal Palace in January – again on a free transfer. We’re not sure the world is ready for the French club to pair the two Premier League stalwarts together in a devastating midfield partnership.
West Ham are still trying to sign a striker, but they have been told by AC Milan to forget about making another attempt to buy summer target Carlos Bacca, who is “absolutely not for sale” despite not having scored a goal for almost three months. (Standard).
Elsewhere in foreign-language gossip, the Hammers and Southampton are interested in Eibar’s 26-year-old midfielder Dani Garcia (Marca), Liverpool have targeted 19-year-old Santos star Thiago Maia (ESPN Portuguese) and Tottenham have made a £19m bid for Atalanta’s young Ivorian midfielder Frank Kessie – dubbed the “new Yaya Toure” (Calciomercato). Hopefully he doesn’t have the same agent.
