The Back In Town Gossip
Liverpool and Chelsea in for Radamel Falcao, new deals for Smalling, Jones and Young, United scouting Anderson and more...Man City want Pogba, Sterling and Henderson, De Gea and Di Maria want di exit, Liverpool eye Yarmolenko and...
Ander Herrera and Juan Mata may both be enjoying coming in from the Old Trafford cold, but the same cannot be said of Radamel Falcao. His expensive loan looks less and less likely to end in a permanent move.
With that in mind, The Sun goes big on two other potential destinations for the Colombia striker. It's certainly clear that he isn't going to stay at Monaco.
'You'll never Falc alone' is the headline on The Sun's back page, offering a less-than-subtle reference to their belief that Liverpool could look to bring the striker to Anfield. 'Monaco sources claimed last night that the Reds have been in touch with a view to take the Colombian striker on loan - in a similar deal to United,' is their line.
The paper add that Chelsea are also looking for back-up for Diego Costa, with Didier Drogba retiring and Jose Mourinho not convinced by Loic Remy. That would also be a loan deal.
Just for good measure, they add that Juventus, Valencia and Internazionale are also interested.
ANDERSON, OTAMENDI AND DE VRIJ TO UNITED
With actual transfer news quite thin on the ground, the papers make do with telling us which players are being scouted. The fact that clubs scout tens of players every week of every year is by the by.
The Daily Mail report that Manchester United chief scout Jim Lawlor was watching Lazio's Felipe Anderson and Stefan de Vrij in their weekend game against Verona.
Anderson is a Brazilian midfielder with a growing reputation, having scored ten league goals this season. The flies in the ointment are reported interest from most of Europe's elite clubs and his new contract extension. It will cost a fair whack to export him from Italy.
Poor Stefan de Vrij merits nothing in the Daily Mail's article other than being called a 'centre-back', but they do mention interest in Valencia defender Nicolas Otamendi. Again, given that Valencia have made it clear that they will not sell for less than his £37m release clause, we'd say United will probably stay well clear.
NEW DEALS FOR OLD TRAFFORD TRIO
Don't get sucked into thinking that it's all about the new faces at Old Trafford. Not by a long shot.
In the Daily Mirror, David McDonnell writes that the club are set to offer new deals to Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Ashley Young. The three players are all out of contract at the end of next season, and so Louis van Gaal is moving to sort out their futures early.
Young, Smalling and Jones are divisive figures amongst United supporters. They form the core of English players at the club but to many represent a paucity of ambition, and should be the first ones to be replaced by new signings. That's even given Young's form this season.
AND THE REST
Sunderland are facing financial meltdown if Dick Advocaat cannot save them from the drop... West Ham will pip Tottenham and Arsenal to the signing of £5m Swiss defender Fabian Schar... Darren Ferguson is a contender for the Notts County manager's job after Shaun Derry's sacking... Tottenham are weighing up a double swoop for Valencia duo Shkodran Mustafi and Sofiane Feghouli... Bournemouth are ready to launch an ambitious swoop for QPR striker Charlie Austin if they go up to the Premier League... Everton will have to pay Tottenham about £6m to turn Aaron Lennon's loan deal into a permanent move... Arsenal striker Chuba Akpom is set to go on loan in the next few days, with seven Championship clubs hoping to sign him.
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