Playing for 90’s transfer gossip column brings you all the latest news and rumours of ins and outs from the Premier League and abroad, including news on the future of Danny Rose.
Blues want Rose
According to the Daily Mirror Chelsea are interested in Spurs’ left-back Danny Rose, and are willing to pay up to £15m. Mourinho currently has only two front-line full-backs at his disposal since Felipe Luis was sold back to Atletico Madrid and wants Rose to fill the void, with versatile Cesar Azpilicueta able to play at either right- or left-back.
Abdul Baba Rahman, the Ghana international currently at German club Augsburg, remains a serious option for Chelsea. That £17m deal is likely to be sealed if no price can be agreed with Tottenham.
Rose, 25, was described as the best English left-back in the league last season by his Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino but has never won a full cap despite call-ups to Roy Hodgson’s squad. Spurs do not want to sell the player but do have decent cover at left-back – Wales international Ben Davies was signed for £9m from Swansea last summer – and may be willing to sell at the right price.
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Manchester United to complete £20m Pedro transfer
The Daily Mirror report that Louis van Gaal is set to tie up a £20m deal for Pedro in the next 48 hours – and is now being offered Real Madrid bad boy Pepe. Barcelona winger Pedro has been offered a four year deal with a further one-year option and is keen to move to Manchester United to strengthen his Euro 2016 chances.
Pedro has fallen down the pecking order at the Nou Camp but Barcelona are still holding out for the £24m buy-out clause in his contract. United boss Van Gaal is confident of getting the deal done and could also consider a move for Portuguese defender Pepe – after missing out on Sergio Ramos.
Ramos appears to have played United to get himself a new deal at Real Madrid which was a big blow because Van Gaal is desperate for a new centre half. But veteran Pepe, 32, is now likely to be behind Ramos and Raphael Varane under new boss Rafa Benitez. That may tempt Real Madrid to move Pepe on before the end of the window and he is now being offered round potential interested clubs.
Southampton make £7m bid for Arsenal and Man United target Virgil van Dijk
Express Sports report that Southampton are ready to bring in Virgil Van Dijk, ahead of interested parties Arsenal and Manchester United. The offer was made before Van Dijk and his team-mates flew out to Qarabag for the second leg of their Champions League qualifier.
Southampton were prepared to let Celtic get the tie out of the way but would want a deal done before their league opener with Newcastle this weekend. Parkhead boss Ronny Deila is desperate to keep Van Dijk to get into the group stage but is also aware the 24-year-old centre-half wants to play in the English top flight.
It may now be about holding out for the best price on a player they bought from Groningen for £2m two seasons ago. Saints swooped to sign Fraser Forster and Victor Wanyama in big-money deals from Celtic in the past two seasons.
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Norwich in for cut-price Dynamo Kiev star
The Daily Star report that Norwich boss Alex Neil is back on the trail of Dieumerci Mbokani after Dynamo Kiev reduced their asking price by £2.5m. The Ukraine outfit wanted £8.5m for the striker after rejecting Norwich’s opening bid of £4.3m for the DR Congo international two months ago.
But Canaries boss Neil has been told he can now have the hit-man for £6m – because Kiev chief Sergei Rebrov does not want him hanging around as a bit-part player for the second successive season. The 29-year-old notched 13 goals in his first campaign with Dynamo, but failed to nail down a regular slot last season.
Mbokani, who cost Kiev £7.7m from Anderlecht two years ago, admitted: “I really want to play in the Premier League. I believe that time has come for me.
“I would have gone there two years ago, but I chose Kiev because they play every season for the title and participate in the Champions League.
“This is the right moment to go, and I want the challenge of testing myself in one of the best leagues in Europe.