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Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Stones, Marquinhos, Montoya, Reus

Sorry Papy Djilobodji: you had your chance, and you blew it. Chelsea surprised everyone, probably Papy Djilobodji included, when they signed the Senegalese defender from Nantes on transfer deadline day. The £2.7m move came about after Jose Mourinho had failed in attempts to land Everton’s John Stones and PSG centre-back Marquinhos, and the 26-year-old Djilobodji was thrust into action as a 93rd-minute replacement for Radamel Falcao in last month’s Capital One Cup victory at Walsall. It’s probably a moment he will never forget, turning out for the Premier League champions, his family and country watching on. The start of a new chapter, not just in his career but in his life.

One minute later, the final whistle blew, and unfortunately it appears that Djilobodji did not do enough in that 60 seconds to convince Mourinho he is the right man sure up his defence. Because according to the Daily Mirror, the Blues are going back to Plan A.

The tabloid reports that Chelsea are determined to renew their pursuit of Stones and Marquinhos in January, with Roman Abramovich setting aside about £70m for the young stars earmarked to revitalise the Blues’ wobbly back four. As for poor old Djilobodji, the paper adds that he will probably be sent out on loan with all the other chumps.

Arsenal and Liverpool are also reportedly facing frustration in their search for defensive reinforcements, with the agent of Barcelona’s Martin Montoya ruling out a January move for his client, who is currently on loan at Inter Milan but is yet to kick a ball in anger for the Italians and had been linked with the Gunners and the Reds.

Manchester United are another side said to be targeting a new defender, namely Valencia’s £22m-rated German international Shkodran Mustafi, who was once on the books of Everton.

Much more excitingly, Louis van Gaal’s side are being linked with a couple of genuine legends, albeit slightly past-their-peak ones. Xavi has revealed that United are the Premier League he’d most like to have played for, while Pele - the actual Pele - said the Red Devils once tried to sign him.

Elsewhere, Everton, Manchester City and West Ham are allegedly tracking young Danish winger Pione Sisto, while the Express says that Barcelona want to make Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus their next big signing.

And finally, because it’s international week, we have some international transfer gossip, which may sound impossible but it isn’t. The Mail reports that Spain are set to swoop for highly rated French defender Aymeric Laporte, who is eligible to play for both countries because he has spent the last six years at Athletic Bilbao. So he’s a bit like a French Diego Costa, except he’s less likely to slap you.

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