Manchester clubs eye Walker and Rose
Tottenham full-backs Kyle Walker and Danny Rose are reportedly being targeted by both Manchester United and Manchester City, for a combined fee of £60m.
The Sun claims Jose Mourinho will battle it out with Pep Guardiola for the signature of both England internationals this summer.
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Both defenders are 26 and signed new five-year deals earlier this season, believed to be worth around £60,000-a-week.
Paper Round’s view: Roll up, roll up, we’ve got two full-backs for you here, one for 40, or two for 60… Now which Premier League club would not want this combo deal, or any club in the world for that matter.
Few will argue against Rose and Walker being the best full-backs in the league, and by their own merit – for they’re not actually joined at the hip – the finest left-back and right-back England has to offer.
It’s only natural the big-spending clubs will come in for them, and the rumours are unlikely to die down. Spurs lost Gareth Bale to Real Madrid but now they stand a chance of losing a whole lot more. With Walker, Rose and Dele Alli all being linked away, it’s time to bring in silverware (and every Spurs fan knows that) – or else in 18 months’ time this impressive squad will have left for pastures newer, and shinier.
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Klopp warns Barcelona off £60m-rated Coutinho
Just the one player worth £60m in this transfer rumour, and it’s Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho.
Jurgen Klopp has told Barcelona to forget about trying to bring the Brazilian playmaker over to Spain.
The Spanish giants are readying a £60m bid for Coutinho, according to the Daily Mirror, who quoted the German as saying: “We never had any ideas or plans or any talks about him leaving, because he is our player – there are no other ideas, nothing has changed.”
Paper Round’s view: It’s the same issue Spurs have with Alli, Walker, Rose etc. Coutinho is unlikely to leave this summer, but if silverware seems a distant possibility for Liverpool then the little magician is likely to move on.
Luckily for Liverpool, they are moving in the right direction. Conversely, Barcelona will always be there – a constant threat in the Champions League, and part of a small race for the La Liga crown as well. At 24, Coutinho will feel like time is on his side, but a player of his calibre will soon be looking for medals and titles to show off his good work, and Liverpool can ill-afford another backwards step.
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Giroud nears contract extension
Olivier Giroud is set to extend his stay with the Arsenal ‘family’, reports the Daily Express. The paper claims the French striker is ready to sign a contract extension, with 18 months left on his current deal.
The 30-year-old has netted four goals in four games since returning to the side, and is content with battling it out for a starting role at the Emirates.
Paper Round’s view: At 30, how big would this contract extension really be? It’s a sticky time with contracts at Arsenal (don’t know if you’ve heard the Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil stories…) and it’s in part to do with Arsene Wenger’s own uncertain future.
Seeing Giroud put pen to paper before the season closes would be a surprise, but it’s not the signature Arsenal fans will be desperate to see.
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Conte wants Antonio at wing-back
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte reportedly wants to sign two new wing-backs this January, namely West Ham’s Michail Antonio and Jonas Hector of Cologne.
Despite conceding just six goals in their last 14 games, The Times reports that Conte is keen to shore up his side’s defence in their bid to stay ahead of the pack at the top of the Premier League.
Paper Round’s view: Antonio has been deployed as a wing-back for West Ham on occasion, but it feels like a real waste of his talent to play him there.
However, with Conte’s vision breathing new life into the Premier League, what we’re seeing right now is a tactic being increasingly implemented without the necessary tools, predominantly because no club has a proper wing-back.
Victor Moses is certainly not one, but he has adapted, and his transformation will have to be the first of many if the 3-4-3 / 3-5-1-1 / 3-something-something sticks around.
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