B/R Gossip Roundup: Lionel Messi Move to Chelsea Unlikely, Mats Hummels to Stay
The first full week of the January transfer window has completed, during which a wide selection of names have been touted for possible moves.
The recent turmoil at Barcelona has seen Lionel Messi linked with a move to Chelsea, while Borussia Dortmund pair Ilkay Gundogan and Mats Hummels are rumoured targets for Manchester United.
Liverpool starlet Suso's time at the Anfield club will soon be over, and PSG are monitoring a Premier League midfielder, according to reports.
Let's take a closer look at the rumours that have made the headlines this week.
Is Ilkay Gundogan Really the Man to Ease Manchester United Injury Problems?
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Manchester United have been plagued by injuries so far this season, and their inconsistent form in the first half of the campaign has underlined the difficulties faced at Old Trafford.
United manager Louis van Gaal might be pleased to see his team in the Champions League places, but the Dutchman will recognise his casualty list has denied the team greater progress.
According to Ben Jefferson of the Daily Express, the man Van Gaal is targeting to bolster his squad is Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan.
The article claims that the Bundesliga club are considering allowing the 24-year-old leave for £16 million.
Under any other circumstances, this would be a tremendous move to be encouraged by United supporters.
Gundogan was a driving force in the recent successes at the Westfalenstadion, but a back injury kept him out for all bar one game of the 2013-14 season, and he only returned to action on Oct. 18 last year.
His form prior to the injury was wonderful, but the 24-year-old is still attempting to find a consistency in a struggling Dortmund team.
With Van Gaal also reportedly targeting Kevin Strootman of Roma, via Bruce Archer of the Daily Star, it seems unlikely that Gundogan will be making the move to M16 in the near future.
But is a player returning from a long-term injury really the best course of action to cure an injury crisis?
Believability Meter: Low
Gundogan is a tremendous midfield presence for Dortmund, but Van Gaal appears to favour his compatriot Strootman—ironically, no stranger to the treatment table himself.
Expect the Dortmund man to remain at the Westfalenstadion until the summer at least.
Suso Departure to AC Milan a Tale of What Could Have Been for Liverpool
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The expected departure of Suso from Liverpool to AC Milan will have come as no surprise, but his exit will be a reminder of what could have been for the Reds.
The Spanish playmaker joined the Liverpool academy system from Cadiz in 2010 before signing a professional contract at Anfield at the age of 17.
His development seemed to assure him of a first-team future, and when incoming manager Brendan Rodgers arrived in the summer of 2012, Suso was handed his senior debut in a Europa League tie against Young Boys.
He would go on to make 20 appearances in the Liverpool first XI that season, but Rodgers hit upon a winning formula in the following campaign as Suso gained experience with Almeria in Spain.
With a front three of Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling, the Reds were tearing up top-flight defences and there was little chance of Liverpool interrupting that flow by recalling for Suso.
And with Lazar Markovic and Adam Lallana vying for the same role as Suso this season, there was little chance of the youngster making an impact.
When David Anderson of the Daily Mirror noted on Wednesday Suso's agent told MilanNews.it of an agreement with AC Milan, few Liverpool supporters will have been surprised.
There is no doubt Milan are signing a quality youngster with serious potential, but both Anfield and Suso will be left to rue the lack of first-team chances the 21-year-old received.
Believability Meter: High
Suso was a darling of the Kop during the 2012-13 season, but the emergence of a lethal front three last season and the greater experience of new signings at the start of this campaign limited his chances at Anfield.
Milan will be the major beneficiaries of this deal.
PSG Can Take Advantage of Newcastle Uncertainty with Moussa Sissoko Move
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The road between Newcastle and Paris is known among midfielders following Yohan Cabaye's switch to the Ligue 1 champions a year ago.
And according to Niall Hickman of the Daily Express, Moussa Sissoko is in line to make an identical move this month.
Hickman claims the Magpies will be looking for £25 million for the 25-year-old, but his impressive displays for the club since joining from Toulouse two years ago should ensure that won't put the Parc des Princes outfit off the midfielder.
Indeed, Bleacher Report French football writer Andrew Gibney is convinced Sissoko is worth the outlay:
"No one in the current PSG side has delivered as many assists as Sissoko has for Newcastle this season.
The former Toulouse midfielder has seven in the Premier League, whereas Verratti leads PSG with four, and Javier Pastore has three.
In Ligue 1, PSG can struggle to break teams down when the opposition are allowed to sit back and organise the defence.
Having another player to drive forward the PSG counter-attacks could be crucial in helping Blanc’s side overtake Marseille at the top of the league.
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What also makes this rumour interesting is the fact Newcastle United are currently without a manager following the departure of Alan Pardew for Crystal Palace.
Acting boss John Carver has already thrown his hat into the ring for the head-coach role, as Lee Ryder of the Newcastle Evening Chronicle reported.
But the question mark over leadership at the Tyneside club is an issue Paris Saint-Germain can use to their advantage here.
Believability Meter: Medium
PSG head coach Laurent Blanc's interest in Sissoko is understandable in light of the energy and dynamism he can bring to a team.
But the question will be whether Newcastle want to do business and risk a dip in form after winning just five matches following the departure of Cabaye last season.
West Ham Right to Suspect Winston Reid Already Has a Deal Lined Up
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On Tuesday, West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce gave the clearest indication yet that Winston Reid will leave the club in the summer.
The defender is out of contract in the summer, and Allardyce previously suggested that the defender could be sold in January if the New Zealand international did not agree to new terms before the turn of the year. That did not happen, leading Allardyce to anticipate his eventual departure—although West Ham might now let him run his contract down rather than sell him for a cut-price fee.
"There is no future for Winston Reid at West Ham at the moment as his contract finishes on 30 June," Allardyce said, per the BBC. "He hasn't said he is or isn't going to sign.
"You would err that he isn't, by the feel and look of it, at this moment in time."
Intriguingly, when asked if Reid had already agreed a deal elsewhere in the Premier League, the manager hinted in the affirmative. This would be controversial, considering English clubs are technically not allowed to talk to impending free agents until their contract expires.
Allardyce added:
"You hear rumours. But can we prove it?
We have had the regulations for a long, long time. If you can prove that clubs have broken the rules, then they are in serious trouble, aren't they? But you can't prove it these days. You hear rumours, this, that and the other.
It might have nothing to do with the two clubs directly, it could be between two agents, so how can you relate that to the football clubs? You can't, so it can all get done that way.
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Considering Reid has, according to Allardyce, flatly rejected all West Ham's offers, it does indeed seem likely that the defender already has something else lined up. Whether Reid would enhance a top Premier League side's first XI is open to some debate, but if he is available for nothing, there was always a strong possibility a team would take the cost-efficient gamble.
"If he is not going to sign a contract here, I would find it highly unlikely if it is not already verbally done [elsewhere]," Allardyce concluded. "You have to accept the way it is and contrary to whether it breaks the rules or it doesn't, it happens. It is just one of the ways the football world works."
Believability Meter: High
Allardyce has been around for a while and is probably not too far off target suggesting that teams have already spoken to Winston Reid about joining them in the summer—even if it is technically against the rules.
But Allardyce is astute enough not to have expected anything less; in this day and age, agents and other clubs often discuss interest levels (and salary requests) long before an official bid is ever lodged with a club.
Hammers fans are doubtless disappointed Reid could be leaving the club in the summer, and Allardyce has anticipated that. Pointing the finger at predatory clubs is a smart way of deflecting the blame, but he knows exactly what goes in football these days.
Lionel Messi Links to Chelsea Grow but Too Many Obstacles for Transfer to Happen
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This has been some week in the world of Barcelona.
The defeat at David Moyes' Real Sociedad last weekend was swiftly followed by the sacking of sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta and the resignation of his assistant, Carles Puyol.
After those stunning announcements, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu called an early election to "ease the tensions" around Camp Nou.
Throw into this volatile mix talk of a row between Lionel Messi and head coach Luis Enrique, with the pair having to be separated by Neymar, according to Luis F. Rojo of Marca, and it all adds up to a tumultuous state of affairs in Catalonia.
In the midst of the madness, there was little surprise to see the link between Messi and Chelsea raised a few notches, with Paul Brown of the Daily Star claiming the Stamford Bridge club are lining up a stunning £200 million move for the Argentina superstar.
The article cites sources in Spain claiming that there is a power struggle between Messi and Luis Enrique inside Barcelona, which has encouraged the Blues' interest in the 27-year-old.
The Messi-Chelsea link is, of course, nothing new, and Bleacher Report's Stamford Bridge writer Garry Hayes was dismissive of the speculation on Christmas Eve:
"Jose Mourinho's method is about building solid foundations for success, using the right tools and materials when required.
For any proof on the substance of such claims, the fact subsequent Chelsea managers stuck to his formula to deliver success tells us all we need to know.
Adding Messi right now wouldn't sit right. The manager has transformed the squad he inherited last year to one more in his vision—and it doesn't have room for a megastar.
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It is understandable Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich would be tempted by Messi, but the finances required to fund the deal would test UEFA's Financial Fair Play ruling to the limit.
Chelsea and Mourinho are building something special at the club this season, with their vantage point at the top of the Premier League looking optimistic for all concerned.
Why the Londoners would want to risk that growth—even for Messi—is open to question.
Believability Meter: Low
Having Messi in your team is a dream for football supporters across the globe, but while Chelsea might be tempted into a move, the introduction of a superstar name has not worked well in the past.
That—as well as the need to work within the constraints of European football's governing body—is a salient point Abramovich and Mourinho are likely to remember.
Another point worth mentioning here, is does the current Barcelona board really want to be remembered as the one that allowed Messi to leave?
Timing Not Right for Manchester United's Interest in Mats Hummels
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Manchester United have made an opening bid for Borussia Dortmund centre-back Mats Hummels, according to "reports in Italy" cited by Ben Jefferson of the Express.
According to the report, 26-year-old Hummels has been valued between £30 million and £50 million. The Italian reports did not specify the monetary amount of United's alleged bid.
Hummels has been linked with both United and Arsenal, but Dortmund have indicated that he is not for sale.
Believability Meter: Low
Manchester United and Arsenal could plausibly have some interest in Hummels, due to the injuries and gaps in both squads. The part that doesn't make sense is why Dortmund would sell him now.
At the halfway point of the Bundesliga, Dortmund are currently two points adrift in the relegation zone. This spring, manager Jurgen Klopp will need all his best players available if BVB are to avoid the drop.
As B/R transfers correspondent Allan Jiang noted:
"The timing is wrong.
Borussia Dortmund are not going to release Hummels, such an important member of the dressing room, during their fight to avoid relegation.
For Manchester United, it makes more sense for them to wait and see what Hummels can offer during Borussia Dortmund's bid to stay in the Bundesliga.
If Borussia Dortmund suffer relegation, then Hummels is available at a reduced fee, but it would also be a red flag not to sign him.
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