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Gossip: Manchester City 'target Walker and Mendy', United 'want Lucas Moura'

Manchester City transfer targets: Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy
Manchester City transfer targets: Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy

See, Hot Football Transfer Gossip told you Bernardo Silva was going to make a big-money move this summer.

Admittedly, this column reported – repeatedly – that he was going to sign for Manchester United rather than Manchester City, who he has just joined for £43m. So it was only half-wrong.

But do not let this shake your faith in the quality of tabloid journalism in Great Britain. Those guys have a hard job, especially at this time of year when they have to make up stuff about Jeremy Corbyn, and Manchester United/Manchester City is an easy mistake to make. It’s like stalagmites and stalactites.

So let’s just put Bernardo Silva behind us and learn the lessons from it. Namely, that today’s report about Man City signing Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy means the full-back duo might just be on their way to Old Trafford.

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The Independent claims Pep Guardiola is set to continue his summer spending spree by buying Tottenham’s Walker and Monaco’s Mendy for a combined £100m. Which sounds like a lot of money, although it represents just a fraction of the £300m Guardiola has been handed to use in this transfer window.

Pep is also trying to lure three players from Barcelona, although they probably aren’t the ones you’d expect. The Sun says the Catalan coach is raiding his former club for “whizz kids” Pablo Moreno, Nico Gonzalez and Ansu Fati – three of Barca’s most promising youngsters.

Man Utd, meanwhile, will try to sign Paris Saint-Germain’s attacking midfielder Lucas Moura after Jose Mourinho failed to snare a different Brazilian attacking midfielder, Willian, from Chelsea (Mirror).

The futures of the two managers involved in today’s FA Cup final have been the subject of plenty recent speculation, but the Mirror reports that both will remain in London next season.

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte will be given a new £40m, four-year contract at Stamford Bridge – along with a “massive transfer kitty” to ward off interest from Inter Milan.


Meanwhile, Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger will sign a two-year contract extension at the Emirates “regardless of the result at Wembley”. Even if Chelsea win 20-0, Wenger is staying. What a waste of plane fuel that was.

Another much-loved tactician, Claudio Ranieri, could be set for a return to England with Leeds United, who the Star says have targeted the Italian following the resignation of Garry Monk. Premier League champion one year, Championship managerial merry-go-round fodder the next. Terrible.

Elsewhere, Yaya Toure is set to escape the Man City exodus and sign a one-year contract extension at the Etihad (ESPN), Everton will opt against signing West Ham loanee Enner Valencia on a permanent deal for £11m following “weeks of talks” with the Hammers (Liverpool Echo) and departed Hull City boss Marco Silva is in “advanced talks” to become the next manager of Watford (Telegraph). It’s a nice way to spend a year.