B/R Gossip Roundup: Gareth Bale an Ambitious Man Utd Move, Mertesacker Staying
The name of Angel Di Maria has been prominent in the transfer news headlines this week.
We have had mentions of Manchester United moving for a swap deal with Ezequiel Lavezzi at Paris Saint-Germain, while talk of selling Di Maria to fund a move for Real Madrid's Gareth Bale has also emerged.
Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has also been at the centre of transfer gossip this week, while John Terry's future at Chelsea has come under scrutiny.
Let's take a closer look at the transfer gossip from this week.
Ezequiel Lavezzi Swap for Angel Di Maria Unlikely Business for Manchester United
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A tale of two Argentinians emerged early in the week, courtesy of Jamie Sanderson of Metro.
Citing reports in Spain, Sanderson claimed that Manchester United are set to make an offer for Paris Saint-Germain forward Ezequiel Lavezzi in the summer.
The article also notes the interest of Liverpool in the 29-year-old, who is expected to leave the Parc des Princes three years after joining from Napoli.
However, Sanderson also mentions the Old Trafford club could use Angel Di Maria as part of a swap deal with the Ligue 1 champions.
With the experience Lavezzi possesses, it is understandable his name will be high among the priority transfer moves for many clubs when the transfer window reopens.
But the prospect of Louis van Gaal and United allowing Di Maria to leave the club less than a year after paying Real Madrid £59.7 million for his services, via the club's official website, is not realistic.
The Argentina international's form has dipped somewhat in recent weeks at Old Trafford, but while Van Gaal is not a manager prone to standing on ceremony and disposed toward sentimentality, it seems strange that he would consider allowing Di Maria to leave so quickly.
Believability Meter: Low
Lavezzi will be a high commodity in the summer transfer market if he does depart the French club, but his name is most likely to be among a host of figures on Van Gaal's wanted list.
There may also be some consideration for whether United qualify for the Champions League before spending figures are attuned.
But don't expect Di Maria to be leaving Old Trafford after just one season.
Barcelona Should Not Allow Pedro to Leave
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There can be fewer players across Europe who deserve as much sympathy as Barcelona forward Pedro.
The 27-year-old has risen through the Camp Nou ranks for the past 10 years but has now found himself sidelined to infrequent appearances for the Liga giants.
With the summer arrival of Luis Suarez, Pedro is considered behind the forward trio, which also includes Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Perhaps when you have three of the world's best footballers ahead of you in the pecking order, it would be easy to allow your game to slip. However, Pedro has rarely failed to impress when called into action by Luis Enrique this season.
That form and his current predicament have not gone unnoticed across Europe, and Moises Llorens of AS reported this week that Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are interested in landing the player.
In itself, that is quite some triumvirate of Premier League interest and is a testament to the high regard in which Pedro is held.
However, Barcelona would be unwise to consider allowing the player to leave Camp Nou considering the club are currently serving a suspension from transfer-market activity.
Maintaining the services of Pedro beyond the current 15 months remaining on his Barca deal would be a solution for the Catalan club, who will need rotation of their squad to offset any potential overuse of Messi in particular.
According to Llorens, Barcelona have already stated Pedro is seen as “a fundamental piece” due to his “dedication and sacrifice in each match and at every training session."
It seems as though Barcelona are set to disappoint a whole host of Premier League clubs.
Believability Meter: Medium
Keeping every player happy in a leading squad is a conundrum for all head coaches and managers across Europe, and Luis Enrique is no different.
But Pedro has never shirked his duties when called upon at Camp Nou and should be high on the list of priorities as new contracts are discussed.
Reports of Per Mertesacker Leaving Arsenal Are Premature
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Ultimately, it was Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker who became the fall guy for the Champions League home defeat by Monaco.
The Germany international was benched by Arsene Wenger for the Premier League victory over Everton, in which January signing Gabriel Paulista made a decent replacement.
Gabriel made a vital interception to deny Romelu Lukaku in that game to allow the Gunners to claim a 2-0 win, but it did not go unnoticed that the Brazilian also struggled to settle into the game.
However, the former Villarreal defender soon found his feet, leaving Mertesacker facing the near future on the sidelines.
And the transfer rumours will always latch on to such moments, with Carl Eldridge of the Daily Star claiming that Arsene Wenger will listen to offers for the German.
It would be hard to argue with Wenger's decision to omit Mertesacker from his plans after the 30-year-old's recent inconsistency in the Arsenal back line.
Eldridge notes the comments of former Arsenal defender Martin Keown on the German, who joined the north London club from Werder Bremen in 2011.
Keown is quoted as saying: "I think Mertesacker is under pressure. It looks like Wenger has the necessary players to replace him."
But the whole point of having a strong squad is that managers do have the players to step in and replace those out of form, which is the situation Mertesacker finds himself in now.
The giant centre-half has been comfortable in his first-team selection for too long, and this move by Wenger could be the kick required to rediscover his consistency.
Indeed, with Gabriel sidelined for up to three weeks with a hamstring injury, via BBC Sport, the chance of redemption may come quicker than expected for Mertesacker.
Talk of Arsenal listening to offers for the German seems some way off the mark—for the moment at least.
Believability Meter: Low
Mertesacker paid the price for the 3-1 home defeat to Monaco, although Wenger could have chosen any number of players following that particular loss.
But this could be the move the Germany international needs to resurrect his fortunes at the Emirates Stadium.
Gabriel did enough to warrant a run in the first team, but he made a number of errors against Everton. Mertesacker must now take advantage of his team-mate's injury absence to establish himself as first choice for the Gunners on merit.
Luciano Vietto Should Stick with Villarreal Before Jumping at Real Madrid Move
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There is little doubt Luciano Vietto has been one of the Liga success stories of this season after arriving at Villarreal from Racing Club in the summer.
The 21-year-old Argentinian had scored 18 times in all competitions in Spanish football before the midweek Copa del Rey tie against Barcelona.
Interest in the youngster was bound to be aroused on the back of that statistic, and the names of Liverpool and Real Madrid were linked with Vietto by Jack Bezants of the Daily Mail.
That should come as little surprise after the forward slipped seamlessly into the upper echelons of the Spanish top flight right from the start of his career at El Madrigal.
However, Vietto should consider his options carefully before jumping on one of the names mentioned in the Mail article.
Bezants cites the words of the player's agent, Jorge Cyterszpiler, in an interview with AS for the basis of his story, with the representative quoted as saying:
"He could sign for Liverpool, we know that he is admired by the Reds, as well as Real Madrid and two Bundesliga clubs.
I think he could leave Villarreal in the summer. We know that a lot of big clubs are watching. There is a lot of competition for him.
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We are all aware agents are paid top dollar to "big up" their clients, but Cyterszpiler's words are not beyond the realms of possibility.
However, Vietto should not be rushing into a decision on his future just yet. Real Madrid might be one of the glamour clubs in Europe, but Carlo Ancelotti appears reluctant to look beyond Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale as his front three.
That would leave Vietto scrapping with some of the world's best players to make his mark at the Bernabeu.
While Cyterszpiler is right to boost his client in the media, he should also have a quiet word with Vietto to advise him to stick with Villarreal for a further season or two.
Believability Meter: Medium
Vietto is building an enviable reputation with Villarreal, and his exceptional progress will have bigger clubs interested.
But at the relatively tender age of 21, remaining at El Madrigal and continuing his current career trajectory should be his focus for the next two seasons.
New Deal Warranted for John Terry at Chelsea
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Veteran defender John Terry will remain with Chelsea next season, according to Blues boss Jose Mourinho.
As quoted by Sky Sports, Mourinho said: "What I can guarantee is he will be a Chelsea player next season. No doubts he's going to get his contract."
According to the report, Terry's future was in some doubt after the Chelsea captain said after the Capital One Cup final win over Tottenham that he was not "100 per cent sure" the club would offer him a new contract.
Terry, 34, is currently on a one-year contract, which he signed immediately after the 2013-14 season.
Believability Meter: High
As noted in Sky Sports' report, Chelsea's policy is to give one-year contracts to players over 30 years old. With Terry playing well this season, it only makes sense the club would offer him another one-year deal.
In addition, it's hard to see Terry playing for any other Premier League club. Having made his debut with the Stamford Bridge side in 1998, the captain would likely not play anywhere else in the English top flight.
Difficult to See Paul Pogba Staying Put If the Price Is Right
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On Saturday, the agent of Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, Mino Raiola, claimed that seven big European clubs were after his client and that he could sell the France international "in a heartbeat."
Raiola told Tuttosport (via Football Italia):
"We made a pact with Juve: Paul doesn’t have to leave.
I spoke to President Andrea Agnelli, directors Pavel Nedved, Beppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici, so they all agree. The club doesn’t need the money.
At this moment the situation at Juve is ideal for Pogba. We would only leave if a situation emerged that was favourable for all concerned.
He is wanted by seven clubs and that is certain, because they all told me so. The ones that can afford him are Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.
If I just whistled, I’d sell Pogba tomorrow to PSG or City in a heartbeat. But Paul did not tell me to find him another club.
What are his chances of staying? As of today it’s 99 per cent. Juve agree with our approach, which is that they will only sell if Paul asks to leave and there’s a suitable offer. Of course, it could become one per cent, it depends on the market.
For a year and a half Marotta and Paratici have been working on a market strategy, whether they sell Pogba or keep him.
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Believability Meter: High
At this point, there is surely no doubt Pogba will leave Juventus eventually—unless something drastic changes in Italian football in the very near future, the club just will not have the economic muscle to retain a player destined to be one of the very best in the world (if he isn't already).
Pogba surely wants to move to a bigger club in due course, but it is worth remembering he is probably still influenced by his experience at Manchester United. That was a disaster, and he is probably now more willing than most players in his situation to take his time to consider his next move.
Raiola thrives on moving his clients around in big-money moves, but even he will realise that—barring injury—Pogba's value is only going to increase over the next few years. Waiting beyond the summer might suit everyone concernedexcept the clubs that want to buy the Frenchman.
Gareth Bale for Angel Di Maria Swap Would Be Bold Move from Manchester United
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On Sunday, one British newspaper claimed that Manchester United are now considering offloading Angel Di Maria this summer in order to finance the purchase of Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale.
Both players are believed to be slightly unsettled at their current clubs, with Di Maria struggling to adjust to his new surroundings in Manchester and Bale subject to increasingly vicious criticism for some of his performances in the Spanish capital.
Per the Sunday Express report:
"Di Maria has shown little of the form which made him one of Real Madrid's Galacticos and it's believed he and his family are unsettled after being the victims of an attempted break in at their home earlier in the year.
Last week the Argentinian, his shaken wife Jorgelina Cardoso and one-year-old daughter Mia moved into former Old Trafford player Phil Neville's £4 million 45th floor apartment in the middle of Manchester.
They are only renting the property because Di Maria is understood to be contemplating his future - something the club are well aware of.
It means the attempt to bring in Real Madrid's former Tottenham forward Bale has gone into overdrive.
United who will have to smash the club record fee of £59.7 million which brought Di Maria to Old Trafford to have any chance of landing Bale won't take no for an answer.
Even though Bale regularly pronounces that he doesn't want to leave the Bernabeu for a return to the Premier League, United feel they can persuade him to change his mind if they can agree a deal with the European champions
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To whom Di Maria would be sold is not revealed. Paris Saint-Germain showed interest last summer, but financial fair play restrictions ultimately scuppered any potential move to the French capital and could well do so again this summer.
Beyond them, however, it is hard to see who would pay the sort of sum that would enable United to recoup a significant percentage of their initial outlay.
Believability Meter: Medium
The knives may be out for Bale at Real Madrid, and to a lesser extent for Di Maria at Manchester United, but both players cost their employers fortunes and they still have obvious long-term potential, so offloading one or both of them would seem the sort of move top clubs tend to avoid.
Real would surely only sell Bale to sign another superstar, but if Pogba is not available, whom could that be?
United might sacrifice Di Maria to get Bale if they could, but at this point, it looks an impractical project.
