Hot Football Transfer Gossip: Valdes, Yarmolenko, Marquinhos
Don’t mess with Louis van Gaal. Since Manchester United goalkeeper Victor Valdes refused to play in a reserve match three months ago, the Dutchman has made it his personal duty to ensure the Spaniard derives as little enjoyment from his life as possible. Forced to play with the kids, banished from the Champions League despite having won it more times than any of his team-mates, ignored even when David de Gea was having a strop. And the meanest part is that LVG won’t let him leave Old Trafford. The manager’s argument is that he doesn’t want Valdes to play for a “rival club”, but it’s pretty clear his main priority is simply to prevent Valdes experiencing anything that can be described as job satisfaction. He’d prefer him to wallow in a pit of despair so deep that his entire existence becomes meaningless. And finally, it seems Van Gaal might have found the ideal place for that plan to be realised: Newcastle.
The Magpies are desperate for a new goalkeeper following the season-ending injury suffered by Tim Krul while playing for Holland at the weekend, and the Star reports that Steve McClaren is targeting Valdes as a replacement. With the keeper seemingly guaranteed to concede lots of goals and suffer numerous unhappy defeats at St James’s Park, it’s likely Van Gaal will now choose to relax his stance on letting Valdes move to a fellow Premier League club.
A manager with a more tenderhearted approach is Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp, who the Daily Mail says will not return to former club Borussia Dortmund to steal their players and bring them to Anfield. Not even Shinji Kagawa.
Arsenal are interested in a “wonderkid” – the Gunners love a wonderkid – in the shape of 19-year-old Ajax midfielder Riechedly Bazoer, claims the Mirror. While West Brom are targeting a “hardman” – Tony Pulis loves a hardman – in the form of Malaga’s Ignacio Camacho, says the Birmingham Mail. The paper adds that “the tigerish 25-year-old” would “add bite” to the Baggies midfield and cost £14.8m.
Jose Mourinho has “sparked speculation” of a bid for Ukraine winger Andriy Yarmolenko by wearing a hood and “watching Ukraine play Spain” last night, says the Independent. Presumably the next time Mourinho watches EastEnders that will spark speculation he wants to sign Ian Beale. Although to be fair Beale could probably do a better job than at right-back than Branislav Ivanovic.
The Chelsea manager has also been dealt a blow, says the Star, by Barcelona’s decision to pursue PSG defender and long-time Blues target Marquinhos. This swoop for Ian Beale is seeming like less and less of a crazy idea.
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