Transfer Zone: Pogba to United Done?
The transfer season that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has dubbed “scary” is in full swing,despite transfer fees going through the roof and teams paying some of the most exorbitant prices for players we’ve ever seen.
Speaking of the Gunners, Jese’ Rodriguez is the latest in a growing list of strikers Wenger has targeted as potential competition for Olivier Giroud this summer. The Real Madrid man was on the outside looking in for much of last season has been advised by manager Zinedine Zidane to start looking for a new club. Also in the picture for Jese are Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain. The Ligue 1 outfit in particular are rumored to be “very close” to signing the forward.
The deal everyone expected and has been tired of hearing about for about three years looks finally to be on the verge of completion with Paul Pogba set to have his medical and complete his world-record setting transfer to Manchester United. Pshew! Can we stop talking about this now? Hopefully.
In other Man United news, Jose Mourinho is in the midst of a summer clear-out with Bastian Schweinsteiger topping a list of players to have been told they are surplus to requirements that also includes Adnan Januzaj, Andreas Pereira, James Wilson, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Will Keane, Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett.
With Gonzalo Higuain gone to Juve for £75.3M, Napoli have money to spend and are apparently prepared to lavish a bit of it on Ajax for striker Arkadiusz Milik, the Polish striker who made a reasonable showing at the European championships last summer.
The Dutch outfit may look to bring in want-away Besiktas striker Mario Gomez as a replacement for Milik. However, the German goal-getter has also reportedly been offered to Barcelona by his parent club Fiorentina as part of a makeweight deal for Cristian Tello. Barça are known to be in the market for a backup striker and have also been linked with Robin van Persie.
Brazilian wunderkind Gabriel Jesus’ purported transfer from Palmeiras to Manchester City looks closer to completion. The two teams have reportedly agreed a £32M fee for the striker who will represent Brazil in the Olympics next month. But don’t expect the 19-year-old to suit up in sky blue any time soon, as it’s expected he will be immediately loaned back to his Brazilian club until a UK work permit can be acquired.