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Hello and welcome to the Premier League transfer roundup for the day! The headline is exactly what it reads and it is just another great roller-coaster ride in the transfer rumour mill today.
And so, here are the biggest stories of the day!
#5 Newcastle scout admits to helping his boyhood club
Being a fan of a football team means that you always want your favourite team to do well, no matter what. For supporters of big clubs, it is always about winning competitions but for the ones lingering at the bottom, it is only about survival.
For Cordoba fans, it is the latter as they are at number 20 in the second division of Spain. And as an ardent fan of the Spanish club, Newcastle United’s scout Pedro Campos is doing all he can to help his club.
According to him, he tried to loan some Newcastle players to his favourite club in order to help them with their signing problems but it didn’t come to fruition in the end.
“Whenever it has been in my hands, yes," he said.
"In fact, I’m going to tell [you] something that few people know. This summer, when I saw the problems that Cordoba had with the signings, I sent a list of players for a possible loan from Newcastle - but it did not happen.”
He then added that he does all he can to help the Spanish side as he is a “follower and sufferer” and tries to help his childhood love – which, of course, happens with the permission of the Magpies.
“It’s [my support for Cordoba is] something that I have marked on the skin, something I feel. Yes, I am a follower and sufferer.
"And, therefore, wherever I am, I always try to be aware of what the team is doing and have as much information as possible - with permission from Newcastle, of course.”
#4 Zabaleta eyes the Middle East
Former Manchester City right-back Pablo Zabaleta has revealed that he would like to play in the Middle East before he calls it quits with the game. The former World Cup-finalist currently plays for West Ham and stated that if he opts to play in Europe, Serie A is the place he hasn’t played yet.
However, Zabaleta is enticed more with the Middle East since he went to the United Arab Emirates at a very young age while he was playing with the Argentina U20 World Cup and that there is a chance to win trophies even there.
“At 34 I think it might be the right time to try something different, have a new experience,” he said.
“If I carry on playing in Europe, Italy is one of those leagues I haven’t played, but I have always been thinking about the Middle East. I first went to the UAE for the Under-20 World Cup in 2003 and have seen how much the region has changed.
“The League is not as long as in Europe, but there’s still the chance to play for trophies, to play big games competitively like in the Asian Champions League.”
#3 London
Issa Diop is a man in demand. After all, he has been rock-solid at the back for the Hammers, which is the main reason for the likes of Manchester United and PSG to be interested in him.
However, when he was asked about the French giant’s reported interest, he played it down by simply stating that all he is aware of what comes up in the news.
“Frankly I do not know anything, I have also read of the interest of the PSG, but I have no confirmation,” Diop said.
Meanwhile, Leon Bailey, who is enjoying a great time in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, is still attracting interest from the Premier League. He only recently revealed that a host of English clubs wanted him but he opted to join the German outfit instead.
However, according to TMW, the youngster is still on the radar of Chelsea.
#2 The want for Pepe
\Nicolas Pepe has been a revelation this season for Lille as he has already scored 8 goals and has assisted 7 times so far and has, as a result, caught the attention of clubs that belong to the top echelons of European football.
One among them is Manchester City and it has been reported by The Times that the Citizens have made an inquiry for the in-demand player. It will, however, take a big bid to coax him out of the French club, who have already reportedly rejected a £26 million bid from Lyon.
Meanwhile, the high-flying Gunners are perhaps looking to add more wings to their arsenal (yes, 100% pun intended) as Unai Emery’s team is being linked with Nicolas Pepe by the respectable Tele Foot.
Emery has been impressed by the player’s performance this season and he is not the only one as Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich are also among the teams vying for his signature.
#1 Manchester madness
And they are back to where they usually belong. The number 1 slide has almost always belonged to Manchester – especially the red half – and today, we are back to normality.
In today’s circle, Sports Mole, who quote Tuttosport, claim that Italian outfit Inter are the favourites to land in-form Manchester United forward Anthony Martial as the player is looking for a new challenge and might just want to leave the Red Devils.
However, the icing on the cake is not the earlier report – but the one that comes next. According to Don Balon, Mourinho is contemplating an attempt to sign a player he has always admired: Gareth Bale.
The report states that while the Red Devils’ priorities are Neymar, Mbappe, Harry Kane or Mohamed Salah, they view Gareth Bale as a cheaper alternative as the Welshman will now cost in the region of €100 million.
