B/R Gossip Roundup: Under-Fire Mario Balotelli and Mesut Ozil Going Nowhere
It has been another week of rumour and counter-rumour in the transfer columns of the newspapers.
Mario Balotelli, Mesut Ozil and Gerard Pique have all been linked with moves away from their respective clubs in January.
But have Juventus plugged the transfer speculation over Paul Pogba with his new deal?
Queens Park Rangers defender Rio Ferdinand has also been the subject of speculation this week, along with former England team-mate Glen Johnson.
Let's take a closer look at the stories that made the headlines this week.
Matteo Darmian an Ideal Fit for Manchester United, but January Move Unlikely
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Manchester United's need for defensive reinforcements is not exactly a secret buried deep in the Bank of England.
The Old Trafford club made a stuttering start to the Louis van Gaal era before their forward line claimed some success before the recent international break.
So when Dave Kidd of the Daily Mirror linked Torino defender Matteo Darmian with the Red Devils, few eyebrows were raised.
Kidd claims the Italy international is being eyed for a £15 million transfer to strengthen the right-hand side of the defence, but his ability to also play on the left will not have gone unnoticed by Van Gaal.
And, coupled with the Torino player's relatively tender age of 24, Darmian represents good value for the future in comparison to Dani Alves of Barcelona, who has also been linked with United.
United's need is clearly pressing, with the club determined to qualify for the Champions League next season with a top-four finish in the Premier League this term.
There is little room for error for both the club and Van Gaal, with consistency still an absentee from United this season.
While Darmian would make an excellent addition to the United squad, it is his form with Torino that could scupper any January transfer.
Darmian has gained extensive experience at the highest level for both club and country, playing for Italy at the 2014 World Cup.
Believability Meter: High
Darmain fits the criteria for United, but Torino will not be encouraging offers for the player.
Time for Glen Johnson to Move on from Liverpool
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Sometimes it really isn't healthy to stick around somewhere you seemingly aren't wanted.
And that is an adage Liverpool defender Glen Johnson might want to consider as he mulls over his future.
According to Simon Mullock of the Sunday Mirror, the England international is looking toward European football for his next move after rejecting a one-year extension to his current Anfield deal.
The article adds that now the England international has reached 30, he has entered an age period where the Reds hierarchy will only offer single-year extensions to player contracts.
Mullock also reports that the 12-month offer to Johnson included a pay cut.
If this all sounds somewhat familiar, you are not mistaken. Johnson's former England team-mate Ashley Cole fell foul of the same age consideration at Chelsea, as John Percy of the Daily Telegraph reported in May.
And Mullock also noted the comparison with his use of the phrase "doing an Ashley Cole" as Johnson ponders life after Liverpool.
A move away from Anfield is just what Johnson needs, however, after becoming a target for criticism among some Liverpool fans this season, as Richard Buxton of Metro reported in August.
Johnson was part of the Liverpool back line that performed so abysmally at Queens Park Rangers recently, so reports linking him with a move away from Merseyside come as no surprise.
What might shock, though, is the weekly wage of £120,000 that Mullock claims Johnson is currently earning at Liverpool.
Anfield manager Brendan Rodgers will be looking to revamp his squad this season as the Reds adapt to life without Luis Suarez.
Losing a major earner from a failing defence seems to be an obvious move.
Believability Meter: High
Johnson is unlikely to be offered more than a 12-month deal on reduced terms at Liverpool when his current deal expires next summer.
But his form so far this season has hardly warranted a pay rise from the club, who will be looking to fund further moves in the transfer market.
QPR in Danger of Falling into Old Trap with Rio Ferdinand
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Former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand was supposed to be the linchpin of Queens Park Rangers' Premier League survival bid this season.
After being promoted via the play-off final last May, manager Harry Redknapp recognised his west London team needed a senior figure at the heart of the back line.
And with Ferdinand having been released by United just days before that Wembley victory over Derby County, the signing appeared to be destiny.
To date, it really hasn't worked out for either party, and Darren Lewis's report in the Daily Mirror that QPR will seek to cut their ties with the 35-year-old in January came as little surprise.
The article claims those initially opposed to the move for Ferdinand feel vindicated by the defender's poor form, offering Lewis the chance to parade a previous article of his from July.
This situation, of course, is nothing new to QPR, who spent big two seasons ago in their—ultimately unsuccessful—bid to remain in the top flight.
Christopher Samba was among those drafted in at the time, but he offered little in the fight against the drop.
Have QPR fallen into the same trap with Ferdinand? Apparently so—but at least the threat of an axing after just half of his one-year deal might be enough to coax Ferdinand into getting back to somewhere near his best.
Lewis says that some QPR officials favoured chasing a younger centre-half to shore up their defence for this season, which would have made sense.
However, the January transfer window can be a desperate market for struggling clubs, as QPR have discovered in the past.
It might not seem it now, but releasing Ferdinand before his one-year deal is over and frantically chasing younger talent could be a costly mistake by QPR.
Believability Meter: Medium
There are few people who would argue Ferdinand's time at QPR has been successful. The club are rooted to the foot of the table and have conceded 18 goals in eight Premier League matches.
But even an experienced veteran needs encouragement and time to settle into a new team. Chasing a new face in January might not be the wisest move for QPR—both on and off the field.
Gerard Pique Unlikely to Make Manchester United Return
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Talking of out-of-form former Manchester United defenders...
Jeremy Cross of the Daily Star claims the Old Trafford club are considering a £20 million move for Barcelona centre-half Gerard Pique.
As discussed in a previous slide, United have issues in their back line—underlined by Monday's 2-2 draw at West Bromwich Albion—and the need of manager Louis van Gaal is becoming desperate if the team are to regain their Champions League status this season.
However, tempting as it might be to consider bringing Pique back to Old Trafford, it is an unlikely scenario.
The Spain international has struggled to find form this season, as witnessed in the Champions League tie with Ajax in midweek, during which he was fortunate not to concede an own goal before helping to allow the Dutch club back into the game at 2-1.
The 27-year-old has failed to find the same connection he enjoyed with Carles Puyol before his retirement. And that in itself will not have gone unnoticed by Van Gaal.
However, Pique has made no secret of his desire to stay at Camp Nou in an interview with FourFourTwo, via Luke Augustus of the Daily Mail:
"I love this club for its history, its style of play and its connection to Catalunya.
I love it here. I am at the best club in the world right now. I have no intention of leaving now or later. I've just signed a new contract and I want to retire a Blaugrana, just like [Carles] Puyol did.
You never know what the future holds, but right now, I love this city, I love the people in the club, and most importantly, I love the institution. I don't see myself leaving.
"
As love letters to current employers go, that is a pretty emphatic one. And the fact Pique spoke those words at the start of October merely underline his commitment to Barcelona.
Pique made just 23 first-team appearances in four years at United after being brought to the club from Barcelona by Sir Alex Ferguson.
Pique and United may be a transfer link that keeps being resurrected every so often, but there is little chance it will come to fruition.
Believability Meter: Low
This might seem like a decent deal, but Pique appears to have little intention of leaving Barcelona, and Van Gaal and United will be wanting a defender ready to hit the ground running in January.
Mesut Ozil Manchester City Link Has No Substance
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It would be entirely wrong of anyone to suggest Mesut Ozil's move from Real Madrid to Arsenal last year has been a success.
And collective jaws will have dropped recently after reports emerged claiming Manchester City are looking to prise the Germany international from the Gunners.
Metro, citing a report from Fichajes.net, claimed Etihad Stadium manager Manuel Pellegrini views Ozil as a potential replacement for Yaya Toure.
We aren't really sure to begin with this one.
The path from north London to the east side of Manchester is a well-worn one, with Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna and Emmanuel Adebayor all having made the journey in recent seasons.
Whatever the overriding viewpoint on Ozil is among Arsenal supporters, few of them would want to see their record signing become the latest player to leave their club to join City.
Occasionally, Ozil has shown flashes of what he can achieve with the Gunners, and releasing him before the end of the current Premier League campaign would be a mistake.
For Ozil, he is at an age, 26, when he should be at the peak of his prowess.
Saying his form has been inconsistent this season would be a serious understatement, but on his day, he has proved himself to be a genuinely brilliant footballer.
At City, David Silva has proved himself to be an exceptional talent, and the likelihood is that Ozil would not be first choice when the Spaniard is fit.
If replacing Toure really is at the forefront of Pellegrini's mind, Ozil isn't the player to work out of the same role as the Ivory Coast international.
Coupled with all this, the former Real Madrid man is also on the long-term casualty list at Arsenal after a knee ligament injury.
This move really isn't looking likely.
Believability Meter: Low
The Metro article has no reporter's name attached to it, which probably speaks volumes for the belief in this link.
It is a move that would make little sense for any of the parties involved.
Paul Pogba's New Juventus Deal Does Not Lessen Chances of a Move
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Juventus have managed to do what their fans had hoped they would and tied midfield star Paul Pogba to a new contract.
The deal extends Pogba’s commitment to the Old Lady of Italian football to 2019 and, if a headline from the Mail is to be believed, has dealt a blow to Manchester United.
Pogba left United for Juve on a free transfer in the summer of 2012. That was a blow to the Red Devils, considering the heights the France international has scaled since his departure.
But is the news of a new deal a blow to United?
Reports have persistently linked United with a bid for Pogba, while the Mail suggests the new contract has trebled Pogba’s wages to somewhere in the region of £70,000 per week.
Such a sizeable wage increase will be welcomed by Pogba, but as obscene as it sounds, £70,000 a week is small fry compared to what Pogba could earned elsewhere—such as Old Trafford.
Juventus are the elite force in Serie A, but the Italian league is a shadow of its former self.
Pogba will want to test himself against the best; he is not doing that on a weekly basis in Italy.
So the new contract should not be seen as a blow to the likes of United and the other sides seemingly interested in Pogba.
Pogba is unlikely to leave Juventus in the January window, but that could be a different story come next summer.
Believability Meter: Medium
By tying Pogba to a new deal Juventus have ensured his market value will not drop any time soon, but it has in no way has ended any prospect of a move away from Turin.
Mario Balotelli Is Under Pressure, but Talk of His Exit Is Premature
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Mario Balotelli just keeps finding his way onto the back pages.
Shirt swapping and "threatening" behavior, per the Mail's Kieran Gill, are two subjects that have resulted in the Italian forward taking up a sizeable chunk of column inches in recent days.
Since his move to Liverpool, the forward has found the media far from friendly—a situation exacerbated by his lack of goals.
The shirt-swapping furore has led to talk that the forward is on borrowed time at Anfield.
Comments from Reds boss Brendan Rodgers in the aftermath of the loss to Real Madrid have done little to dampen the fire.
"As long as he's doing his best, that's all I can ask for as a coach and as a manager. Whether that best is going to be good enough in the longer term, that remains to be seen.
"
The back page of the Mirror screamed on Friday that Balotelli had “68 days to save his Kop career.”
The thing to note here is that Friday was exactly 68 days until the January transfer window opened for business.
Sixty-eight days is a long time in football—six days is a long time in football.
There is no doubt Balotelli is under pressure to perform at Liverpool, but he is not alone in that as the majority of his team-mates have hardly covered themselves in glory so far this term.
A striker is judged on goals, so on that score Balotelli is under pressure. But he has the talent to turn things around very quickly.
He could well be on his way, but headlines like the one on the back page of the Mirror should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Believability Meter: Low
The Mirror have jumped on the bash-Balotelli bandwagon with this one. Come the end of January, when the Italian is still leading the line for Liverpool, we do not expect the Mirror to pull this headline out of the archives.
