And on it meanders. Reports on the continuing soap opera that is Philippe Coutinho’s seemingly inevitable transfer to Barcelona have taken another turn with suggestions that, far from conceding defeat in their pursuit of the Brazilian playmaker, the Spanish club have bid £101m for him, with the possibility of a further £37m in what Sky Sports say are “easily achievable” add-ons pertaining to his future appearances in the Champions League.
While Liverpool’s apparently hardline stance in the face of repeated offers from a club famously used to getting their own way is commendable, Anfield suits must at this point be asking themselves if it’s really worth trying to hold on to a player who is determined to leave and may, on the face of all available evidence at this early stage in the season, not actually be that crucial to their future plans. Take the money, Liverpool. Take it.
Should Southampton continue to play hardball with Virgil van Dijk and refuse to sell him to Liverpool, reports from Germany say Jürgen Klopp may turn his attention to Schalke’s World Cup-winning defender Benedikt Höwedes instead. Liverpool also like the cut of Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic’s jib. Elsewhere on Merseyside, Everton have approached Benfica with a view to bringing striker Raúl Jiménez to Goodison Park.
Fairly outlandish reports in German newspaper Bild say former Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel is being lined up as a replacement for Antonio Conte at Stamford Bridge, although they do not specify when this succession might occur. Chelsea have a more pressing need for midfield reinforcements and have not given up their pursuit of Leicester City’s Danny Drinkwater, but are also believed to be interested in Inter’s Antonio Candreva.
Arsenal’s German central defender Skodhran Mustafi has caught the eye of Juventus, according to Tuttosport, while the Corriere dello Sport says Lazio striker Keita Baldé is Tottenham-bound. The 22-year-old Senegalese appears hell-bent on leaving the Serie A side and word has it that Spurs have met their £27.5m asking price. “The transfer window closes on 31 August and everything is in the hands of the sporting director,” said Lazio’s president, Claudio Lotito. “The sporting director has the remit to make the team even more competitive, and whatever he feels appropriate will be accepted by the president, who in this case is only a spectator.” Sky says Spurs are also interested in Paris Saint-Germain full-back Serge Aurier and will finalise the transfer of 19-year-old Estudiantes defender Juan Foyth later on Wednesday.
Having had an £18m bid for West Brom centre-half Jonny Evans rejected last week, Manchester City will up their offer for the dependable Northern Ireland international this week.
Following their inauspicious start to the season, Bournemouth are ready to raise their bid for Leicester City winger Demarai Gray to £25m. Along with Ahmed Musa and Islam Slimani, Gray was one of three Leicester fringe players to impress in the club’s 4-1 Carabao Cup win at Sheffield United on Tuesday night and afterwards Craig Shakespeare was fairly noncommittal about the future of the trio, who have all attracted interest from elsewhere. “They’re part of the squad and they carry on,” he said. “We’ll need everyone as we go along because it’s a tough old season in the Premier League and whether it’s a loss of form, a change of tactics or injuries, you have all that to contend with.”
And finally, Hull City midfielder Sam Clucas has coughed for the doctor at Swansea and just has to agree personal terms with the Welsh club before his transfer is concluded later on Wednesday. “He has experience of playing at Premier League level, he has a lot of experience of playing in British football,” said Swans manager Neil Clement after his side’s Carabao Cup win over MK Dons. “And I also like the story, I like his background. He’s had to fight to where he’s got to through the route he’s come in the lower levels.”