Gossip: Manchester United 'want Griezmann AND Lukaku', Barcelona 'to replace Neymar with Mbappe', Everton 'target Willian Jose'
Barcelona have MSN, Real Madrid have BBC and Manchester United may soon also boast an attacking triumvirate named after a major digital or television broadcaster. Introducing… RAI.
It’s nothing to do with Italy’s national TV channel; it’s the initials of Romelu Lukaku, Antoine Griezmann and Zlatan Ibrahimovic – the three players Jose Mourinho apparently wants leading his forward line next season.
The Sun says the Special One is planning a slightly greedy £170m triple swoop to secure the services of three of Europe’s most wanted strikers – that’s £70m for the ‘L’, £90m for the ‘A’ and a new £10m-a-year contract for the ‘I’.
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While Mourinho’s pursuit of Griezmann is well documented, the Sun suggests he is also “determined” to keep Lukaku “out of Chelsea’s clutches” and will offer Wayne Rooney – his “ace in the pack” – to the Toffees to sweeten the deal.
Jose’s also apparently “determined” to turn Ibrahimovic into “the new godfather of OId Trafford”, whatever the hell that means. Is this an official role?
Whether RAI would actually function effectively as an attacking trio is up for debate, as in fact is the name. They could alternatively be called AIR, RAZ, GIL, RIG or most tantalisingly, the IRA.
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And where would rumoured United target Neymar fit into this new-look attack, you may be wondering? Well, Hot Football Transfer Gossip can’t offer a precise answer on that, but we do learn – via the Express – that Barcelona are already planning with life without him.
The paper says the Catalan giants, were they to lose their Brazilian superstar, would just sign Paulo Dybala or Kylian Mbappe instead. Fair enough.
Incidentally, if United signed Neymar, Lukaku, Griezmann and keep Zlatan, they could have a four-man attack called RAIN. Very apt for Manchester.
Everton, meanwhile, have already identified Lukaku’s replacement, according to the Mail, which says Ronald Koeman is set to smash – or at least equal – the club’s transfer record to sign Real Sociedad striker Willian Jose.
The 25-year-old Brazilian, who has scored 11 goals so far this season, has a buyout clause of £33m but Everton reckon they could get him for £28m, presumably using some kind of discount promo code they found on the internet.
Koeman is also ready to “break the bank” to sign Michael Keane from Burnley in a £25m deal, says the Mirror. The Clarets centre-back appears to be wanted by most clubs in the Premier League, but Everton are allegedly “hot favourites” to get him.
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Arsenal have finally beaten Chelsea at something, and it’s the race to sign Schalke’s Bosnian international left-back Sead Kolisanic on a free transfer at the end of the season (Mail). The Blues would probably take the league title over that though, given the choice.
Elsewhere, Alexis Sanchez’s latest wage demand to stay at the Emirates is a reported £400,000 a week (Express), John Terry has been offered a lucrative deal to and his playing career in Dubai with Al-Nasr – a club managed by former Chelsea defender Dan Petrescu (Sun) and David Moyes says goalkeeper Jordan Pickford would be better off staying with Sunderland in the Championship than moving to a bigger Premier League club (Mail). Remember the days when Moyesy seemed like one of the most sensible, solid guys in British football? Remember them?