Rumours: >Now that he’s finished stockpiling the most fearsome army of full-backs in the known universe, Pep Guardiola is almost ready for an assault on world domination. Not quite yet, though. Manchester City’s squad still has a couple of holes that need to be plugged. We know what Pep’s thinking: make attempt to bring Phillip Lahm out of retirement, there’s our new trequartista sorted. He does love his full-backs. He’s probably mulling over an emotional reunion with Pablo Zabaleta right now. He hasn’t been able to sleep since letting Aleksandar Kolarov join Roma on Sunday. Full-backs. They’re just so versatile, so pliable, so supple, so submissive.
But while Pep’s busy doodling a picture of Héctor Bellerín all over his tactical notes, that’s not the Arsenal player he really needs. Nor is Bellerín the Arsenal player who’s so keen to join City that he’s willing to take a pay cut to force the move through. Step forward Alexis Sánchez, whose concern over regularly sharing a stadium with the kind of strange people who knock up posters about his dogs means that he really wants to get out of Arsenal as soon as possible.
>Sánchez isn’t the only one heading for the Emirates exit door. Mohamed Elneny is wanted by Galatasary and Union Jack Wilshere is a target for Antalyaspor, who finished fifth in the Turkish Super Lig last season, after disappointing on loan at Bournemouth. Wilshere would be following in the footsteps of an Antalyaspor legend, Anton Ferdinand, but Arsenal’s asking price might be too high. “We made an enquiry and are in talks but Arsenal want a lot for Wilshere,” the club’s president, Ali Safak Ozturk, said. ”It will be a difficult move to pull off.”
Talking of difficult moves to pull off, Chelsea still haven’t sealed the deal for Alex Sandro. Antonio Conte is close to reaching the end of his tether, at which point he’ll start marching round the Chelsea boardroom handing out citizen’s arrests. What might placate the Italian, however, is that the Blues are still trying to get a deal over the line for the Juventus full-back and they’re also pursuing Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk and Internazionale’s Antonio Candreva.
>In today’s crazy world of transfer fees, Everton are close to signing Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson for £45m, and £30m for Mamadou Sakho suddenly doesn’t seem that unreasonable. That’s how much Crystal Palace will have to pay if they want the Liverpool defender back at Selhurst Park. However Watford – or Hull – will have to part with only £8m if they want to take Lazar Markovic off Liverpool’s hands. They’re practically giving him away!
Unlike Leicester City, who aren’t budging on Riyad Mahrez. They’re not interested in Roma’s £20m. Although they might be willing to talk if the Italians chuck in another £10m. £45m for Gylfi, though. Roma can go higher than £30m. This one has saga potential.
>Borussia Dortmund want Jadon Sancho from City. Manchester United are still eyeing Bayern Munich’s Renato Sanches, who is apparently a real footballer and not a cautionary figure made up by clubs who want to scare youngsters away from joining one of the big boys too soon.
Jace Flores
any update on the william carvalho to arsenal situation?
Liam Martinez
>Manu still eyeing Renato Literally fucking why!!!!!!!
Jacob James
memes, lad
think of the memes
Matthew Walker
what did squires mean by that pic? Apart from showing his obvious United bias again
He's done it for years. Dimwittery and finding politics in everything is a consequence of working at The Guardian.
Ryan Peterson
>nerman to pay confirmed Barca butthurt through the roof
Landon Peterson
What's the PSG press conference about?
Jose Martin
smelly willys in the training camp
James Hill
>*ruins football*
Samuel Reyes
BOOOOOOOOOOO
Aaron Thompson
yeah but it used to be one liners. Now it takes 10 minutes to read the whole thing. It's meant to be a light hearted comic ffs
Anthony Taylor
Nothing /trans/ related
Connor Ortiz
He's ready, for me i think he's ready to prove his talent on the grand stage of the Champions League. For me he's up there with the likes of Neymar and Gareth Bale, he just never got the chance, he's a great player with great gaem awareness, versatility, tactical vigilence, composure on the ball, i think he will prove any doubters wrong
Adrian Cooper
Sup Forumsfc
Christopher Allen
Well this is boring, but at the same time relieving.
Lucas Morales
that's how i feel when i shit on ur mum lmao
Evan Thompson
we will never find out who
Michael Collins
One mbappe please
Caleb Morris
You're hard
Xavier Brooks
is the city interest real or made up shit?
Josiah Diaz
real, what's £160m between friends?
Elijah Barnes
City tried to sign him last year but their 40 million bid was rejected by monaco
Aiden Jones
Can't wait to see Pep turn him into a wingback. He's going to score so many goals (for a wingback)
Jack Long
interdasting, I thought it was all made up
Owen Wright
Why has he been buying so many fullbacks?
Cameron Flores
One of the most reliable City journos has just said that they've made an official approach
they released 3 and signed 3
Matthew Morris
Because they released like all of them so they had none available. Obviously if you're gonna ask for a fullback from a club when it's obvious you're desperate for them, they're going to ask for a very high price.
Bentley Peterson
because he got rid of 4? Are Sagna, Zab, Clichy and Kolarov all gone? They fucking should be if Pep is serious about winning
Grayson Ross
City have offered £143m apparently, they don't think Real has the money on hand yet
Isaac Scott
yeh they have all gone now, pep isn't fucking around
Isaiah Cruz
What did he mean by this?
Jacob Thompson
>arsenal setting sanchez go on a free next year >lukaku and morata going to each other's dream club >nerman saga >mbappe saga Is this the biggest meme window ever?
Blake Foster
Brent crude hitting a quarterly low
Jacob Sanders
binge reading david squires comics
Michael Walker
WHat's your address? I'll mail you one
Adam Bell
we'll make more than £50m (our highest offer received) by keeping him an extra year, because we wouldn't finish top 4 without him
Samuel Allen
Is City's Mbappe bid legit, or is this another "United have had a bid accepted for Bakayoko"?
Robert Campbell
City have been chasing hmmbop for a while now
Thomas Ortiz
>we wouldn't finish top 4 without him thats true however i don't understand where the more than 50 million is coming from?
Elijah Bailey
Looks like they've briefed journos, all the people reporting it are dedicated MC reporters following them on the tour
Grayson Walker
CL Prize money and sponsor conditions
Ethan Harris
k
Daniel Jackson
>
Jackson Gray
that's based on the assumption that he will have a good season, as in giving it his all for the club that is holding him hostage
Nathan Nelson
>Bakayoko
Please tell me this guy is Japanese??
Nathan Cruz
Poor Fabinho, all of his mates left
James Hill
Levy is just pissy because all his money is going to the stadium
Tyler Cooper
No fans will turn up to games if sanchez is sold
Camden Roberts
>sign the team that beat you Pep is a genius Wouldn't be surprised if he was using the press to send a message to pochettino. After all whenever Spurs sign the backups he wants he doesn't play them
>sign the team that beat you At least he learned something from his time at Buyern
Aaron Smith
You now remember Man City.
Levi Sanders
You now remember FFP
Ryan Brooks
If you were manager would you gamble on mbappe lads?
Camden Green
>Big news coming out of Spanish media... Radio station RAC1 report that Barcelona have agreed a deal with Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho.
Michael Fisher
It's barely a gamble, the kid is amazing
Chase Lee
not really a gamble, it's not like he's showing just promise or potential, he's showing everything. if he played at the level he played at last season, for the rest of his career, he's worth £160m. That's about £13m a season before wages
Elijah Ross
Messi to Liverpool swap.
Camden Sanchez
>Barca panic buying Qtinho to please Nerman
kek, they're finished, should have sold him and reinvested in rebuilding midfield. Their finances are already pretty fucked.
Easton Nguyen
Levy started the fire
Gabriel Collins
>@FCBarcelona >Gerard Piqué: "My Instagram post was a gut thing. I want Neymar Jr to stay" #FCBlive
Oh boy, so he really posted without telling him
Jeremiah Parker
Yes, he is.
Ryan Martin
>no pic
Jaxon Carter
Haha what a fucking mong
Henry Miller
I'd rather risk 180m on Mbraaape than waste 90m on Lukaku
