Ask any West Bromwich Albion fan old enough to remember Laurie Cunningham, or a Liverpool supporter able to rationally discuss the career of Michael Owen without flying spectacularly off the handle: the problem with having a world-class talent in your ranks is that Real Madrid will one day come a-knocking. Yes, Tottenham fans, it’s happening to you again. Harry Kane for 200 million euro. Gareth Bale for €91m suddenly seems like a steal.
Tottenham will ease the pain by bringing in Barcelona midfielder André Gomes on loan. Yes, well, you do what you can.
Manchester United are increasingly sure they’ll land Mesut Özil for nix in the summer. That’s two days in a row this one’s been peddled. It’s going to be a long season for Arsenal, and that’s without anyone mentioning Alexis Sánchez or Julian Draxler.
Chelsea are preparing a £60m offer for Juventus left-back Alex Sandro. It’s a package designed to placate Antonio Conte, who is considering going home to Italy in the summer, Milan his likely destination. They’re also lining up, er, Alexis Sánchez. Like we say, long season for Arsenal.
Everton will keep on investing. There’s no point stopping now, they’ve come too far. Theo Walcott and the Atlético Madrid striker Kevin Gameiro will be the latest fixes for whatever problem Ronald Koeman thinks they have.
Across the park, Danny Ings would have dreamed of following in Robbie Fowler’s footsteps upon signing for Liverpool. It’s happening, but not quite in the way envisioned. First the knee injuries; soon he’ll cross the Pennines in a shock move to Leeds United.
And here’s some more worrying news for Liverpool. With Bayern Munich managerless and flailing around, unsure what to do next, former Germany defender Christoph Metzelder has been proselytising on national television for Jürgen Klopp.
“He’s ready!” But Bayern legend and fellow media gum-flapper Lothar Matthäus isn’t so sure his former club will go for the Roy Evans de nos jours. He’s convinced they’re set on Hoffenheim’s Julian Nagelsmann, 6. Also in the frame: another former Dortmund manager in Thomas Tuchel, and old Bayern boss Louis van Gaal. Should the latter land the job, you know exactly what’s going to happen in the knockout stage of the Champions League.
But to give Liverpool fans a little succour, there’s this. It’s not over, is it. And so the Mill is assured of copy through the winter months.