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Gossip: Man City and Bayern 'battle for Alexis', Rodriguez 'could join Chelsea', Marseille 'target Ayew'

Alexis Sanchez and James Rodriguez continue to fuel the rumour mill
Alexis Sanchez and James Rodriguez continue to fuel the rumour mill

This column about newspaper transfer gossip is living proof that newspapers have no clue who is actually going to buy who, because more than 90 per cent of the transfer gossip turns out to be incorrect. But do the players themselves have any better insight into future signings? That is the deep philosophical question arising from today’s report in the Mirror that Manchester City’s players are “convinced” the club are going to sign Alexis Sanchez and Kyle Walker.

READ MORE: Mourinho to sell Smalling after ‘losing patience’ with him

READ MORE: Man United target Griezmann admits he’s ready to leave Atletico Madrid

According to the tabloid, “Etihad stars” believe moves for the Arsenal forward and the Tottenham right-back are “done deals” and that the duo will arrive in Manchester this summer in a “£100m blockbuster double swoop”. (It’s nice to think that these were the exact words Vincent Kompany used when he was discussing it with Fernandinho in the dressing room.)

But the question is, how do City’s players know what Pep Guardiola is thinking? And more to the point, how do the Mirror know what Man City’s players are thinking? (Because if their player mind-reading is anything like their player transfer-predicting, then they probably don’t know much.)

And anyway, Vincent Kompany has been talking nonsense about Alexis (if he has been talking about Alexis at all), because the Chilean is on his way to Bayern Munich. That, at least, is what the Star believes, and when the Star believes something, we listen.

READ MORE: Gossip – Liverpool join Griezmann race, United lead Silva chase

The country’s silliest paper says Sanchez is already having “crunch talks”, no less, with the German champions over a £50m move from the Emirates to the Allianz Arena.

‘Eye-watering’

Bayern are apparently willing to pay Alexis “an eye-watering £10m a season”, which actually isn’t far off what the Gunners have offered him, but the difference is that Bayern are better at football.

With a due sense of exhaustion and dread, West Ham have – for the second season running – drawn up a “striker short list” that this summer features Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi (who was also on last year’s) and Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho (Goal).

The “striker” the Hammers eventually ended up signing last year was Andre Ayew, although the Irons are now “bracing themselves” for a bid from Marseille for the Ghanaian (Mirror). “Crossing their fingers” for a bid might be a more appropriate idiom.

READ MORE: Gossip – Manchester clubs battle for ‘£100m Neymar, ‘Conte and Kante to quit Chelsea’

Real Madrid playmaker James Rodriguez is more likely to join Chelsea than Manchester United, says the Star. And we’ve been repeatedly told the Colombian is definitely joining United, so this means he must be even more definitely signing for the Blues.

Elsewhere, Liverpool are interested in signing Bernabeu legend Iker Casillas from Porto on a free transfer (Mirror), Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta had made the ominous admission that he is “flattered” by interest from Barcelona (Express) and Man Utd’s decision to put Chris Smalling up for sale has sparked a flurry of interest from some of the world’s biggest clubs (Sun). Specifically, West Brom and West Ham.

@darlingkevin