Paper Talk: Duo eye Depay; Chelsea identify Cesc replacement
There are two new potential suitors ready to end Memphis Depay’s Man United nightmare, while Chelsea step up their Cesc Fabregas exit plans.
MEMPHIS MURMURS
Roma and Marseille have both expressed an interest in signing struggling Manchester United winger Memphis Depay.
The Dutchman has struggled to make an impact since making his £25million switch from PSV in the summer of 2015 and Mourinho is ready to offload him in January as he does not feature in his long-term plans for the club.
Depay has made just one start in the EFL Cup under Mourinho and a number of British tabloids via Le 10 Sport have suggested that there is interest from the continent to help him end his nightmare spell.
Serie A club Roma are believed to be in a better financial position to construct a deal for Depay with Marseille apparently not very willing to match his wage demands.
Some sources also suggest that Depay has not completely given up hope at Manchester United and still has a desire to prove his quality with the Red Devils.
LET’S TALK ABOUT CESC
Chelsea are ready to offload midfielder Cesc Fabregas in favour of a move for either PSG’s Javier Pastore or Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic, according to the Daily Mail.
Antonio Conte’s plan is to ship the Spaniard out on loan for the reminder of the season before potentially sealing a permanent move away in the summer as he remains unconvinced of the 29-year-old’s play-making abilities.
Fabregas has struggled to get into the first-team this season and a recent thigh injury has prevented him from trying to catch the manager’s eye in training.
The former Arsenal is believed to be not overly keen on leaving the Blues as he settled with London life, but Conte refused to rule out the prospect of him leaving at a recent press conference.
AND THE REST
But manager Slaven Bilic will plead with the midfielder to remain at London Stadium (Daily Mirror)
Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has predicted that Argentina striker Sergio Aguero will not play for another European club in his career, despite speculation linking the 28-year-old to Real Madrid (Daily Mirror)
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has described Spurs and Belgium midfielder Mousa Dembele, 29, as a “football genius” (London Standard)
West Brom manager Tony Pulis has played down the chances of his club signing Leicester’s Ghana winger Jeffrey Schlupp, 23 (Birmingham Mail)
Former Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard, 36, is ready to announce his retirement after LA Galaxy were knocked out of the MLS play-offs (Guardian)
Everton, Sunderland and West Ham are all interested in signing Dynamo Kiev’s Poland striker Lukasz Teodorczyk, 25, currently on loan at Anderlecht (Daily Mirror)
And Sunderland could be targeting a second Dynamo Kiev signing – 27-year-old Croatia defender Domagoj Vida (Daily Mirror)