Not content with causing Liverpool fans no end of summer torment with their relentless but ultimately unsuccessful pursuit of Philippe Coutinho, Barcelona are ready to put them through the wringer again by courting Sadio Mané in the coming months. Real Madrid and Juventus are also reported to be interested in the speedy Senegalese forward, who is currently sidelined through suspension on the back of that red card he received for accidentally booting Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson in the head. Losing Mané would be a nightmarish scenario for Liverpool, who conspicuously failed to fire on all cylinders when he was away playing in last season’s Africa Cup of Nations. It may have been no coincidence that they could only draw with Burnley over the weekend as he sat out the first game of his three-match ban. Time will tell.
Michael Carrick isn’t getting any younger and with his current deal at Old Trafford set to expire next June, Manchester United are eyeing up potential replacements. United scouts are understood to have killed two birds with one stone last week, running the rule over Atlético Madrid’s Saúl Ñíguez and his Roma counterpart Radja Nainggolan when the sides met in the Champions League last week.
Having upset his employers at Bayern Munich by complaining about their lack of ambition in the transfer market, Robert Lewandowski took time out after Saturday’s shellacking of Mainz to not really address his apparent obsession with joining Real Madrid. “I don’t have to comment every time on every bit of nonsense, whether it means something or not, and I don’t have to say something about this bullshit,” said the potty-mouthed striker, who seemed in chirpy form after netting a double to take his tally for the season in all competitions to nine goals in seven appearances. Sensing that Lewandowski may have dressed in Lederhosen, raised a stein of pils and posed with his team-mates at Oktoberfest for the last time, Manchester United and Chelsea are both interested in bringing him to the Premier League.
Tottenham quite like the look of Barcelona midfielder André Gomes, who endured a difficult first season at Camp Nou and has yet to endear himself to the supporters who call it home. Despite his failure to impress, Barcelona are believed to have turned down several offers of more than £30m for a player who scored only three goals and provided one assist while becoming an object of derision for Barça supporters, who made him a scapegoat for last season’s failures. Having failed to sign Ross Barkley in the summer, Spurs may now turn their attention to the 24-year-old from Grijó.
Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Alphonse Areola could be off to Crystal Palace or Newcastle United in January, while Leicester winger Demarai Gray will be going nowhere once his employers push a lucrative, improved £50,000-per-week contract under his nose and hand him a pen later this week. Meanwhile, at the Etihad, Kevin De Bruyne is also expected to ink a new and improved £200,000-per-week contract to tie him to Manchester City and dissuade other clubs from trying to turn his head in the next transfer window.