Transfer gossip – Madrid finally bid for De Gea

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 David De Gea.

Real bid for United star

The Daily Star (via ABC News) report that Real Madrid have made a £21.4m bid for David De Gea. De Gea, 24, is out of contract at the end of this season and would be available on a free if he doesn’t sign a new deal.

Super-agent Jorge Mendes is adamant the Spaniard won’t agree a contract extension and is desperate to push through the move this summer. Madrid have reportedly made the offer of £17.7m up front with a further £3.5m in instalments.

But it’s claimed United are holding out for £24.75m in one lump sum before they agree a sale. Real Madrid have insisted they will sign De Gea for free next summer if United can’t do a deal now.

The Bernabeu giants won’t have to pay United a penny and are willing to hand the Spain No.1 a huge signing-on fee to join De Gea was dropped for the Tottenham clash because Louis van Gaal didn’t deem him to be in the right mindset – but he’s refused to rule out him playing for the club.

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Van Gaal said: “Of course he could.

“If he is still here on 1 September we will look again, but he cannot play before that because as a goalkeeper you need the highest concentration, and it is difficult when you are in a position like David.

Manchester City make second bid of £47m for Wolfsburg’s Kevin De Bruyne

The Guardian report that Manchester City have made a second bid for Wolfsburg’s Kevin De Bruyne worth £47m to make the forward the fifth addition of the summer.

The offer is an initial £40m plus around £7m of add-ons for the 24-year-old. Klaus Allofs, the Wolfsburg sporting director, continues to claim the German club will fight to keep the Belgian. But this is viewed as merely a bargaining stance.

“I think some other clubs have definitely turned Kevin’s head,” Allofs told Kicker magazine. “Some huge figures are doing the rounds and I can understand why Kevin is leaving everything open.

“He’s got to listen to the offers. I can’t expect from him that he doesn’t even want to entertain them. If he was only contracted to us until 2017, then yes, it would be different. But let’s be honest about it – it’s highly unlikely that he’ll stay with us right up until 2019.”

Tottenham confident of signing Javier Hernandez or Saido Berahino

The London Evening Standard report that Tottenham are stepping up their interest in Javier Hernandez and Saido Berahino and are confident of bringing at least one of them in during this transfer window.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino wants to ease the burden on Harry Kane and believes that Manchester United striker Hernandez and England international Berahino could be the answer. The club have also looked at QPR’s Charlie Austin and Lyon’s Clinton N’Jie.

Talks over Berahino are set to resume this week while Spurs’ hopes of recruiting Hernandez are high with the Mexican keen to leave Old Trafford after failing to win the confidence of coach Louis van Gaal.

West Ham are also interested in Hernandez, 27, who spent last season on loan at Real Madrid. While United may think twice before they strengthen a rival, Spurs are confident they can arrange a deal before the transfer window closes on September 2. Spurs would be interested in a season’s loan deal although United would be reluctant to sanction such an agreement with a club in the same competition.

Were Spurs to sign Hernandez, who is valued at about £12million, it would allow Kane to play certain matches in the No10 role, rather than as the lone forward in Pochettino’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system.

Although Hernandez has struggled in recent seasons, he showed he could score goals in English football in his first season here, when he struck 20 times in all competitions as United won the Premier League title in 2011.

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Liverpool FC willing to listen to offers for Lucas

The Liverpool Echo report that Liverpool are willing well Lucas Leiva this summer. The Brazil international’s future is shrouded in doubt after he was omitted from the squad for Sunday’s Premier League win at Stoke City.

Lucas was left crestfallen by the snub and is now considering his options with a possible move to Italy back on the agenda. The 28-year-old has two years remaining on his current contract and is valued by the Reds at around £8million.

Inter Milan wanted Lucas back in January and the player was keen on making the switch to the San Siro. However, at the time Lucas had re-established himself in the Liverpool side and Rodgers was adamant he wasn’t for sale.

That is no longer the case with the Reds prepared to sell if Lucas pushes for a transfer and the right offer arrives prior to the transfer deadline on September.

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