Jamie Vardy rejected Arsenal to sign a new four-year deal with the English Premier League champions Leicester, and that just shows the unpredictability of the transfer market. Every day a new player gets linked to a club, but in the end only a couple of rumours turn out to be true. In our latest section on transfer rumours, we’re trying to bring some transfer sense by doing an analysis on the latest rumours.
Cesar Azpilicueta
Spanish daily AS believe Cesar Azpilicueta could sign for Barcelona this summer. it is reported Chelsea are ready to sell him for £13.8m, and that Paris-Saint Germain, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid are also interested in signing the Spaniard.
Twitter Says:
Experts say: Spanish journalist Guillem Balague says Azpilicueta is wanted by several top European clubs, and Chelsea want £14m for him.
Our take: Azpilicueta has another three-years left on his contract, and we can’t really see Chelsea selling him this summer. The player maybe wasn’t at his best last season, but there is no way Roman Abramovic will sanction a sale for £14m.
Chances of it happening out of 10 : 1/10
Romelu Lukaku
According to Football Whispers, Arsenal could now turn their attention towards Everton’s Romelu Lukaku, after Jamie Vardy’s decision to stay at Leicester. Lukaku’s agent, Mino Raiola, is keen on his client moving elsewhere in search of Champions League football, and the Belgian has also been linked to Juventus.
Twitter Says:
Experts say: English media is suggesting that there are question marks over Lukaku’s future at Goodison Park, but Arsenal rumours are not taken seriously.
Our take: The Belgian international still has another three years left on his existing deal at Goodison Park, and Everton are in no rush to sell him. The player could force Everton to sell him, but any club should meet Everton’s asking price. Football Whispers are not really a reliable source, and we should wait for more concrete reports. As things stand now, there isn’t much in these reports, and Everton fans don’t need to hold their breath.
Chances of it happening out of 10 : 3/10
Manolo Gabbiadini
Tuttomercatoweb reckon that Napoli have rejected a €25 million bid from Stoke City for Manolo Gabbiadini, whilst West Ham are ready to join the race for the Italian international. The 24-year-old was rarely used by Napoli last season, as Gonzalo Higuain was in inspired form, but has made an impact whenever needed.
Twitter Says:
Experts say: Italian journalist Gianluca di Marzio says Napoli’s president, Auerilo De Laurentiis, is not keen on selling Gabbiadini, who he thinks is one of the most talented players in their squad.
Our take: Tuttomercato say Napoli are demanding at least €30m, whilst Gianluca di Marzio believes Auerilo De Laurentiis is not keen on selling him. We’d like to agree with Di Marzio at the moment because Napoli are yet to sort out the future of Gonzalo Higuain, and would want to keep Gabbiadini till then. There is a chance they could allow him to leave for a tempting offer, but that’d only happen if Higuain decides to stay put. Stoke City and West Ham should be prepared to meet De Laurentiis’ conditions to stand a chance.
Chances of it happening out of 10 : 6/10
