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Hello and welcome to the Premier League transfer roundup for the day! With every passing window, the clubs in England just outdo themselves with lavish spending. The winter season is usually quieter than the summer but that’s never the case with the rumour mill.
And so without further ado, let’s begin!
#5 Wenger to Manchester United?
Or at least that is what Paul Merson believes to be a good idea. The most talked about issue in the Premier League right now is the job security – or lack thereof – of Jose Mourinho.
He might have won his last encounter against Newcastle 3-2 after being 2-0 down but it seemingly hasn’t reduced the number of rumours that push him out of the club. And if that is the case, in the end, Arsene Wenger could be a good replacement according to Paul Merson.
While Merson doesn’t advocate the sacking of the former Real Madrid manager – claiming "I wouldn't sack him" – he seems to be of the belief that Wenger would be a good choice because he won’t be demanding for a lot of money to sign players.
"Seriously, that's not the worst idea in the world," he was quoted as saying. "You've got to look at what Wenger did.
"You don't have to go out and buy £70m and £80m players with some of the gems he's got over time.
"It's not a bad shout. Sometimes you just need a fresh start."
Meanwhile, former Real Madrid and Liverpool midfielder Steve McManaman has stated that the current roster of Manchester United don’t have the quality to succeed in the Premiership.
The former midfield wizard went as far as claiming that the Red Devils are actually half a dozen players short of being a quality top four side, which might be a bit of an exaggerated opinion.
“I still don't think they've got enough to climb the table to satisfy everyone here," he said.
“I really don’t. I don’t think they are good enough.
“They are still five or six players away from being anywhere near the top four sides from what I’ve seen recently.”
#4 Mbwana Samatta and De Gea
West Ham might just have 7 points from 8 games but they have shown glimpses of what they could be at their best under Manuel Pellegrini. There were talks of the Hammers sacking The Engineer but he might have bought himself some time after defeating Manchester United.
They need reinforcements in the winter, which is why the Mirror (via HITC) report that West Ham – along with Everton and Burnley – are after the signature of Mbwana Samatta.
Meanwhile, David De Gea might not be keen on tying himself with Manchester United in the long term. According to The Telegraph, talks over a long-term contract have reached somewhat of a dead-end as the Spain goalkeeper wants to be in a team that competes for titles.
#3 Zizou agent speaks out
At this point in time, Zinedine Zidane seems like the most coveted manager in the world. After leaving the Galacticos with three Champions League titles under his belt, there seems to be no dearth of interest in him.
So far, he has been touted to replace Jose Mourinho at the Old Trafford should the Portuguese be sacked. However, his agent seems to have poured cold water over such a possibility, claiming that his client isn’t interested in moving to the Premier League because Zidane feels like the football played in England doesn’t suit his style.
"He was exhausted in terms of nerves, he has chosen to take a sabbatical year and he won’t go back on that,” Alain Migliaccio, Zidane’s agent, said.
"I don’t think he’ll go to England, it’s not his style.
"I’ve spoken about it with him and the truth is that it doesn’t attract him."
#2 Harry Kane on Madrid’s radar
This is natural, isn’t it? After all, the Galacticos have not only lost their main scorer to Juventus, they have also not scored in the last four games. For the first time in three decades, the Blancos have failed to score in four matches in a row.
So now, Florentino Perez may be understanding the cons of not buying a proven scorer. As a result, according to Mundo Deportivo, the construction magnate is looking towards Harry Kane to solve Madrid’s scoring crisis.
Meanwhile, Sweden captain Andreas Granqvist has claimed that he is flattered by reports of Manchester United’s interest in him but also mentioned that he will see if anything firm happens.
“I’m flattered even to be mentioned with such a big team as Manchester United,” he said.
“We’ll see, but there is certainly an interest, as it says in the media.
#1 Eden Hazard wants Real Madrid move
The star of the World Cup, who has also started the Premier League season on fire, Eden Hazard has openly claimed that joining Real Madrid and playing for the Galacticos is a childhood dream for him.
Hazard, rated at £200 million, was vehemently linked to the Blancos in the summer but stayed put in the end. And now, the former Lille starlet has claimed that Madrid is the best in the world and will soon talk about his future with Chelsea.
"Real Madrid is the best club in the world. I don't want to lie today. It is my dream since I was a kid. I was dreaming about this club,” he said.
"We will see. I don't want to talk about this every day. I don't have time but we will talk about my future soon."
