HERE ARE THE good, the bad, and the unlikely football moves being talked about today…
ARSENAL HAVE BEEN worryingly quiet in the transfer market this summer with just one major signing in the shape of Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka so far.
However, the Gunners are in the middle of an injury crisis at the back with Per Mertesacker and Gabriel both sidelined, so Arsene Wenger has gone out to tie up a deal for Valencia centre-half Shkordan Mustafi.
The 24-year-old German international will cost around £20 million (€23m).
New Sunderland boss David Moyes returned to his former club to bolster his squad ahead of the Premier League’s big kick-off this weekend.
The Black Cats have just signed Northern Irish defender Paddy McNair and 21-year-old Scot Donald Love on four-year deals from Manchester United. The combined fee is believed to be in the region of £5.5m (€6.4m).
Sunderland also look set to take Red Devils attacker Adnan Januzaj on a season-long loan, as the Belgian will find first team opportunities limited with the recent arrivals at Old Trafford.
Leicester City face competition from the likes of Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Juventus and Chelsea for the services of Bralian striker Gabriel Barbosa, nicknamed “Gabigol”.
The Foxes have reportedly made a bid of £23.2m (€27m) for the Santos teenager, who is currently competing at the Olympics.
Flush with money after selling Gonzalo Higuain to Juve for £77m (€90m), Napoli plan to part ways with a substantial proportion of that by dropping £60m (€70m) on Inter captain Mauro Icardi, who is much-coveted around Europe.
Retro Deal of the Day
Newcastle United splashed £9.1m on Paris Saint-Germain left winger Laurent Robert in 2001, who followed in the footsteps of compatriot David Ginola in making the switch between the two clubs.
Very direct with good pace, a hammer of a left foot and a tendency to not track back, the Frenchman scored 30 Premier League goals in 129 appearances before falling out with Bobby Robson’s replacement Graeme Souness.
After a loan spell with Portsmouth, he joined Benfica on a permanent deal in 2006.
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I really think McNair had a touch of class about him and may have been value to united over time. Maybe a loan move might have benefitted both parties.
I think I read somewhere united wanted a loan deal but he turned it down.
Jones is passionate and has some moments when he shows ability, but I think he’s still fairly low down the pecking order anyway. Fairly disappointing as he’s a likeable player.
“Shkodran and Arsenal have reached an agreement, the clubs now only have to agree on the fee,”
Yes, that is between the clubs.
I think Sunderland will do better this year, as in, won’t be worrying about relegation at the end of the season.
Very hard to imagine a relegation battle run in without Sunderland involved.