B/R Gossip Roundup: Breaking Down This Week's Biggest Rumours
The international break is over, with clubs around Europe returning to their domestic leagues this weekend. That means it's also time for a fresh batch of rumours, gossip and speculation.
Leading this week's lot is a tasty rumour concerning Cristiano Ronaldo and the Premier League. But while we all remember what Ronaldo accomplished in England in years past, is it realistic to believe he would return for an encore?
That and more await in this week's B/R Gossip Roundup.
Cristiano Ronaldo Considering England Return?
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Could Cristiano Ronaldo really return to England? The rumours are starting to gather pace.
The Daily Mail has published a report claiming Ronaldo "will demand a ground-breaking £500,000-a-week" salary ahead of a move to either Chelsea or Manchester United next summer.
Ronaldo, 29, played for Manchester United from 2003 to 2009 before joining Real Madrid for a world-record transfer fee. At Real, he played for three seasons under manager Jose Mourinho, who himself returned to England with Chelsea in 2013.
According to the Mail's piece, Ronaldo's potential £500,000-per-week wages would eclipse the earnings of both Wayne Rooney and Radamel Falcao. Ronaldo currently makes a reported €17 million per year as part of the five-year contract he signed in 2013, per ESPN FC.
Believability Meter: Medium
It's hard to know what to make of this one. For now, it appears to be little more than speculation, but considering Ronaldo's past, a return to England would make some sense.
Ronaldo will be 30 next year, and at that age, he might decide it's time for another challenge. In August, the Portuguese international noted his love for Manchester United, telling the Daily Telegraph: "Everyone knows that every time when I speak about Real Madrid I should speak about Manchester United; I loved it there."
But if any club can afford to keep Ronaldo around—no matter what it costs—it's Real Madrid. Many fans will remember Ronaldo expressing sadness (via BBC Sport) at Real in 2012. Both the club and player worked it out then, and Ronaldo eventually signed a lucrative new contract a year later.
For now, we'll just have to wait and see on this one.
Manchester United and Van Gaal Must Heed Lesson of Paul Pogba with Adnan Januzaj
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Adnan Januzaj was the solitary bright spot for Manchester United during a bleak Premier League campaign under David Moyes last term.
The 19-year-old was courted by Belgium, England, Turkey and Albania before plumping to represent Marc Wilmots' Red Devils at international level.
Januzaj found himself on the shortlist for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year after just 10 appearances for United, and he capped off the season with a squad place for the World Cup finals.
The Old Trafford youngster appeared to be on an upward trajectory, despite the failings of the team around him.
But with Moyes' sacking in April came the need for change at the club—most notably the arrival of Louis van Gaal and the impressive war chest to rebuild the team.
With the arrivals of Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao and Van Gaal's 3-5-2 system, there seems little room for the star of last season to build upon his success.
And according to Gary Jones of the Daily Star, Januzaj is set for talks with the former Netherlands head coach over his future.
The report claims Van Gaal will reassure the winger that he remains a part of his plans for the future, but United supporters will already have seen the possibility of a repeat of the Paul Pogba situation under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The France international appeared poised to have a big future with United, as Ferguson told the club's official website in August 2011.
Within a year, Pogba had joined Juventus to further his career after rejecting a new contract at United, where he felt was not being played enough by Ferguson, as Sky Sports reported.
Now Van Gaal finds himself in a similar situation with Januzaj, who appeared to be struggling to find a place in the first team even before the arrivals of Di Maria and Falcao.
In his three Premier League appearances this season, the Belgium international has been used in three different positions by the Dutchman.
However, in an interview with Husmukh Kerai of Squawka.com, Januzaj played down reports he is unhappy at United, saying:
"I saw some reports saying I was unhappy, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
I love this club and I’m excited to play for this manager.
The fans have been so good to me and I want to repay them.
"
There is one major difference between Pogba and Januzaj, with the Belgian under contract at Old Trafford until 2018 after penning a five-year deal almost a year ago.
However, there is only so long a talented youngster will wait for his chance to come around again, especially when he has done little wrong.
Van Gaal is already facing some pressure after a disappointing start to his tenure, but convincing Januzaj of his future at the club could be his toughest task to date.
Believability Meter: High
Januzaj is a star in the making and proved his worth to United by illuminating the gloom around Old Trafford last season.
But the teenager has returned to earth with a bump under Van Gaal as the Dutchman rebuilt the team with several high-profile arrivals.
United desperately needed an injection of new blood, but Van Gaal will be conscious of the need to keep talented youngsters away from the clutches of other major European clubs.
Stevan Jovetic Injury Scare Underlines Man City's Risky Transfer Strategy
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The international break will not have been a comfortable experience for Manchester City supporters.
Club captain Vincent Kompany was at the centre of an injury scare while on duty with Belgium, with the defender requiring a hospital scan on a calf injury before receiving the all clear, as Jamie Jackson of The Guardian reported.
City fans were then left worrying this week when reports emerged that Stevan Jovetic had picked up a hamstring problem while working with the Montenegro squad, as Jackson also reported for his newspaper.
But the fact that the two issues emerged in the days following the closure of the transfer window serve to underline just how thin the line between success and failure in the market can be.
By releasing Alvaro Negredo to Valencia on loan at the close of the window, City had taken a gamble—albeit a calculated one.
Alongside Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko, Jovetic has been a main striker for City so far this season after being plagued by injuries last term.
Few people doubted that City's summer business had been solid as they prepared for their defence of the Premier League title, with Eliaquim Mangala, Fernando, Bacary Sagna and goalkeeper Willy Caballero all arriving at the Etihad Stadium.
On the back of a surprise home defeat to Stoke City before the international break, injury concerns were the last thing City manager Manuel Pellegrini needed.
The Chilean might have sanctioned the loan of Negredo bearing his attack-minded midfielders, David Silva and Yaya Toure, in mind, but the move was still a risk—one that underlines the gambling involved in the transfer window.
Where Pellegrini has fortified his defensive line-up, his focus on attack was lessened. And with Aguero being no stranger to the treatment room last season, that fact has come under the microscope with news of Jovetic's injury.
Living within UEFA's Financial Fair Play ruling will have been part of City's thinking, with Radamel Falcao linked to the club before Manchester United made their move with an increased wage offer, according to Ben Jefferson of the Daily Express.
However, the potential loss of Jovetic—or, indeed, any other forward—merely serves to underline that the best-placed transfer policy might not always be enough.
Believability Meter: Medium
City and Pellegrini appeared to have enjoyed a good transfer window, with much of their business being done early in pre-season.
However, the loan of Negredo and the injury to Jovetic have turned a sharp focus on the club's forward line where, perhaps, the transfer deals have not been quite so clever.
Paris Saint-Germain Poised to Reap Reward for Keeping Marquinhos
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Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos may not be as glamourous as Zlatan Ibrahimovic or even David Luiz, but this could still be the season when the 20-year-old makes his mark.
The Brazilian has bided his time with the Ligue 1 champions since joining the club from AS Roma in the 2013 summer transfer window.
Behind record signing Luiz and Thiago Silva, Marquinhos is waiting his chance to shine for the French club and head coach Laurent Blanc.
During the summer, the young defender found himself at the centre of transfer speculation linking him with Barcelona, and PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi revealed that the Camp Nou club had made a €40 million offer for the player, as Stefan Coerts of Goal.com reported.
Al-Khelaifi was quoted as saying:
"We have received a huge offer from Barcelona for Marquinhos, one worth more than €40 million.
"
But Paris Saint-Germain are not a club that buys players to sell them on again. We are not here to do business and try to make profit on a player. We are here to build a great club with some amazing players.
If it was our aim to sell players and make profits, we could have sold three or four players this summer. But that's not our philosophy.
News of an injury to Luiz during international duty with Brazil against Colombia, as ESPN.com reported, means PSG's decision to retain the services of Marquinhos was a good one.
Throw in the fact that Silva has been sidelined with a thigh injury since the club's friendly against Napoli last month, and keeping Marquinhos was a master stroke.
The young Brazilian, who replaced Luiz after his injury in the Colombia friendly, has started every Ligue 1 match so far, with his Brazil team-mates unable to play together in competitive action to date.
Marquinhos is, of course, still a work in progress with the Ligue 1 giants, but three clean sheets so far this season is a mark of progress.
And with the Champions League on the horizon, the youngster will become an integral part of Blanc's plans for this campaign—regardless of the fitness of his compatriots.
Believability Meter: High
Keeping hold of Marquinhos is becoming a decision that ranks among the very best from the recent transfer window.
Despite the attentions of Barcelona and the arrival of Luiz, the young Brazilian looks set to become an invaluable member of the PSG squad this season.
Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width of Revamped Euro 2016
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The international weekend was fun, wasn't it? An intriguing break from the weekly club programme.
There were some interesting moments, such as Scotland's dignity in defeat in Germany and Albania's stunning victory in Portugal.
Check out those groups. Will England finish above Switzerland to reach the finals in France? Who will be the biggest threat to world champions Germany in Group D? Will Spain fail to progress from their qualification section that also includes Ukraine?
Four years ago, these questions would have prompted some genuine thought. However, UEFA has now expanded the finals to a 24-team format, meaning the top two from each group will automatically qualify.
If England, Germany, Spain and all the other major footballing European nations fail to reach the Euro 2016 finals, they don't deserve to be there anyway.
Even finishing third in a qualifying group can see you through depending on your success in the campaign, with the best third-placed team automatically qualifying for the finals alongside four of the eight other countries who finished behind the top two in each section, as explained by UEFA.
Then we have to consider the 24-team finals. Previously, the concise nature of the 16-country format meant the European Championships were, arguably, better than both the World Cup and the Champions League.
There was no room for error in groups made up of the best teams in qualification and a handful of second-placed nations.
By extending the number of entrants to the finals, the European governing body has diluted the qualification process by gifting struggling international sides a second bite of the cherry with the parachute of even third spot being a means of reaching the finals.
Of course, for countries such as Scotland, Wales, Iceland and Montenegro, the extended format offers a return to a major finals or a debut place in an elite tournament. But hasn't the element of satisfaction in reaching the finals been removed by the extended numbers?
However, by removing the fear of failure from some of the bigger players on the European scene, UEFA president Michel Platini and his board have created a meaningless set of qualifying matches.
Enjoy your occasional weekend break from the league programme, but don't expect to be on the edge of your seat—certainly not until the last 16 of the finals.
Believability Meter: High
UEFA has turned what was once an enthralling competition into a relaxed period for several major nations by extending the number of European Championship entrants to 24.
What was once a tournament to savour has lost some of its capacity to enthral without the previous fear of failure.
Welbeck Has the Platform to Prove Van Gaal Wrong
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Some Manchester United fans may not like it, but they will have to get used to seeing the England international in the colours of Arsenal and not their own shade of red.
That is a bitter pill to swallow for the Old Trafford faithful who were firmly of the opinion that the striker was one for the future.
Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal did not share that opinion, having elected to let Welbeck join Arsenal on the final day of the summer transfer window.
Radamel Falcao is the man Van Gaal has pinned his faith in, and at the press conference to unveil the Colombian on Thursday, the United boss made it clear that he felt Welbeck was not up to standard.
"We have given all the players a chance to convince me of their qualities. When you ask about Danny Welbeck, he was here since the age of nine and after [a loan spell at] Sunderland he played three seasons at United, but he doesn’t have the record of Van Persie or Rooney, and that’s the standard. That’s why we let him go.
We spoke with Danny Welbeck and also Chicharito [Javier Hernandez] before we got the chance to sign Falcao. We have to be fair about that. In that part [of the team] we had a lot of youth who can fit in. They have to take their chance to play football. I have to put them in the squad.
"
It’s fairly apparent that Van Gaal did not fancy Welbeck. One man who does feel Welbeck has the qualities to shine at the highest level, however, is Manchester United legend Paul Scholes.
Writing in his column in The Independent, Scholes said:
"I have said before that, as a Manchester United fan, I am sorry to see Danny go to Arsenal. He will be a good signing for them.
He gives every team he plays for something different, and never more so than on the counter-attack when he covers that pitch from end-to-end at an incredible speed.
"
Time will tell whether Van Gaal is right about Welbeck. With the likes of Falcao, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie at Van Gaal's disposal, Welbeck’s chances to play in his preferred attacking role would have been limited. On that score, the Dutchman could well be correct in his assertion.
But Welbeck will get his chance to play up front at Arsenal, and that will be when Van Gaal will be proved right or wrong.
Believability Meter: Medium
Van Gaal is not short on confidence, and he has stuck his neck on the line by being so public in his belief that Welbeck was not up to the task.
Welbeck’s display for England against Switzerland suggested he has the qualities to flourish as a central striker. He will get his chance, and the incentive is to not only to lead his new side to glory, but to prove his old boss wrong.
Hart Facing Massive Fight to Keep His City Place
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Joe Hart started in goal for Manchester City, but he may not want to get too comfortable in the starting jersey.
Hart has the shadow of summer signing Willy Caballero looming over him, and City boss Manuel Pellegrini has spoken in glowing terms about a 'keeper he previously worked with at Malaga.
Per the Mirror’s John Cross, Pellegrini said:
"Willy Caballero can be in any team, he’s a very good goalkeeper.
He’s coming here against good players and in this moment I’m playing Joe Hart. But he will have his opportunity soon.
It’s important to have competition in every position in the team, not just with Joe Hart and Willy Caballero.
Replacing Joe Hart with Willy Caballero doesn’t make a difference.
"
Hart fought off competition from Costel Pantilimon last term to cement has status as City’s No. 1 'keeper. But 12 months on, the competition is far more severe.
Last term, Pellegrini inherited Pantilimon as Hart’s understudy. This campaign, he has brought in his own man.
Pellegrini has stated that he is not looking for Hart to make a mistake before drafting in Caballero, but it is highly likely that an error from the England international will weaken his position.
The City coach has attempted to stress that rotating his keepers will not have any impact on his side, given that he has two top-class options at his disposal. It is true that both are top class—but there is a pecking order.
Rotation causes uncertainty, particularly among defenders, who will grow accustomed to how the man behind them will act in certain situations.
Pellegrini may claim publicly that there will be no difference depending on which 'keeper plays, but he will have in his mind who he wants as his No. 1. Hart is in possession of the jersey at the moment; time will tell whether he retains it.
Believability Meter: High
The message to Hart is clear: don’t get too comfortable in goal as you now have real competition for the starting spot. Willy Caballero will get his chance at some stage.
