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HOT FOOTBALL TRANSFER GOSSIP: Pogba, Griezmann, Hazard, Vardy, Chambers

Guus Hiddink should have been looking forward to a nice relaxing Christmas right about now. Back at home in Holland with his slippers on, Mrs Hiddink wrapping the presents, watching Home Alone dubbed into Dutch while trying to explain to his grandchildren why ‘Black Pete’ isn’t racist. Instead, he has to oversee a Chelsea squad revamp and plan a load of signings that probably won’t arrive at Stamford Bridge until he’s long gone. And two such players, according to today’s Hot Football Transfer Gossip, are Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann.

The Blues are “plotting an audacious double swoop” for the French duo, says the Star, which values the pair at £110m - comprised of a pleasingly palindromic £46m for Atletico Madrid striker Griezmann and £64m for Juventus midfielder Pogba. There is a catch though - or an extra bonus depending on your point of view - in that Chelsea will sell their player of the year Eden Hazard (last year, obviously) to help fund the deal. Real Madrid are apparently willing to give them £74m to secure the Belgian rat.

A new signing that Hiddink may actually get a chance to work with, if the Mirror is to be believed (!), is Jamie Vardy. The Leicester striker is once again being tipped to make a £30m switch to Stamford Bridge next month.

After plodding along in fairly predictable fashion for the past few weeks, Liverpool’s pursuit of 19-year-old Red Star Belgrade midfielder Marko Grujic has suddenly become amazing. The Mail reports that the player’s dad has confiscated the teenager’s passport to prevent him completing an agreed £5.1m switch to Anfield. And they aren’t making it up; there are loads of incredible quotes from Goran Grujic.

“All of this is packaged as a beautiful strawberries and cream for Marko because he was still a child. But the reality is different. Really, I’m starting to think I should call the police to tell them everything about this pressure. All I can say is that the passport is with me, and I can guarantee that Marko is not leaving, he’s not going anywhere. I won’t allow them to destroy my boy!” are among the best ones.

The Reds’ hopes of signing former Man Utd starlet Giuseppe Rossi look more promising, with Football Italia (gooooolazzzzzo!) reporting that the forward is “99 per cent certain” to leave Fiorentina in January.

Elsewhere, Arsenal defender Calum Chambers is heading back to Southampton on loan (the Sun) and Newcastle striker Ayoze Perez has claimed that Man Utd and Tottenham want to sign him (Metro).

Finally, the Sun has issued a facetious apology to Louis van Gaal for speculating about his Man Utd future. How about they also say sorry to readers of Hot Football Transfer Gossip for all those stories they keeping making up about LVG signing Neymar?

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