Gossip: Chelsea 'join race for Alves and Ox', Manchester United 'have second thoughts' about signing Ronaldo

You know that guy who, every time you go out for dinner with him, as soon as the food is served he starts eyeing up yours because he thinks it looks better, and is subsequently wracked with anxiety about whether he ordered the wrong thing? That guy is Roman Abramovich.

Despite the Chelsea owner already having his own well-established list of summer transfer targets, today’s papers see him poking his noses into everyone else’s like the guy who’s always complaining that he got less chips.

The Russian billionaire has already (reportedly) ordered Tiemoue Bakayoko as a starter, Leonardo Bonucci as his main course (with a side of Alex Sandro) and Romelu Lukaku as an indulgent Belgian dessert.

But that’s not enough. He also wants what Manchester City and Liverpool are having.

The Guardian reports that Abramovich is making a belated effort to snatch Juventus full-back Dani Alves from under the nose of City boss Pep Guardiola.

The Brazilian has apparently told the Italian champions he wants to leave Turin and is “keen” to link up with his former Barcelona manager Guardiola, but Abramovich has waded in and demanded some “discussions” with the player’s agent.

Meanwhile, the Mirror says Chelsea have emerged as Johnny-come-latelys in the race to sign Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who Liverpool and City have been tracking for months.

The Arsenal midfielder has just a year left on his current Emirates contract and the Blues are “ready to take advantage” of his alleged reluctance to sign a new one.

In Cristiano Ronaldo news, Cristiano Ronaldo has told Manchester United he will not “hold them to ransom” by making exorbitant wage demands, says the Sun. The Real Madrid star doesn’t even care about money really – that’s why he’s had a such a good-humoured reaction to his recent £13m tax bill.

Alternatively, the Express says United are having “second thoughts” about trying to sign Ronaldo because they are “wary” they are being “used” by CR7 to engineer a new deal at the Bernabeu. That wouldn’t be very nice, Cristiano.

The Red Devils would have no such trouble with Nemanja Matic, who the Sun says is desperate to move to Old Trafford and reunite with his former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho because he thinks current Blues manager Antonio Conte doesn’t rate him. He might be cheaper than Eric Dier, too.

READ MORE: Ronaldo ‘won’t leave Real Madrid for Manchester United’ insists Los Blancos chief

READ MORE: Is the Ronaldo/Man Utd partnership good for either of them?

Man City are “closely monitoring” Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after his proposed £60m move to Paris Saint-Germain collapsed last week, according to shady “Sky Sports sources”.

Elsewhere, Liverpool have had a £36.7m bid rejected for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly (Mirror), Newcastle are set to complete a double swoop for £9m Porto striker Vincent Aboubakar and £8.7m Eibar defender Florian Lejeune (Star) and Tony Adams has been “brought on board” by a consortium of Sunderland fans who are trying to buy the club (Star). That man does have an incredible habit of popping up in the most unexpected of places.