B/R Gossip Roundup: Harry Kane, Mario Balotelli, Paul Pogba, Andrea Pirlo
Harry Kane wouldn't really leave Tottenham Hotspur already, would he?
Kane, 21, has risen to prominence thanks to a strong season with Spurs, and as the summer transfer window approaches, the rumours are already starting to circulate. Who's interested? And how much would Kane cost?
Those answers lie inside this week's edition of the B/R Gossip Roundup, along with news on Mario Balotelli, Paul Pogba, Andrea Pirlo, Mario Gotze and more. Keep reading for all the details.
Time Running out for Balotelli, but Offloading Him May Not Be Easy for Liverpool
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It’s something of an understatement to state Mario Balotelli has not had the best of times since moving to Liverpool.
Eyebrows were raised when Liverpool brought the forward to the club, as he was a polar-opposite of the all-action style of his predecessor at Anfield, a certain Luis Suarez.
Balotelli’s performances have been hugely underwhelming and he slipped down the pecking order following the return to fitness of Daniel Sturridge.
Sturridge, though, has been struck down by injury once more and Balotelli was expected to be handed the chance to show his class in the final weeks of the season.
However, the forward was overlooked by manager Brendan Rodgers for the 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Sunday, and the Mail’s Matt Morlidge feels it is a clear indication that time is up for the Italian at Anfield.
"Brendan Rodgers gave further indication that Mario Balotelli holds no future at Liverpool by leaving the £16million striker out of the matchday squad at Chelsea on Sunday. The Reds boss instead placed his trust in 18-year-old Jerome Sinclair to provide back up to Rickie Lambert on the bench at Stamford Bridge.
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Balotelli was not injured, so was omitted for tactical reasons, which is a huge blow to his chances of turning things around at Liverpool and could spell the end of his time on Merseyside.
Believability Meter: Medium to High
It does appear that Balotelli is surplus to requirements at Anfield, but the problem Liverpool could face is offloading him. If they want a swift and amicable exit the Reds may well need to take a sizeable hit on the £16 million they paid for Balotelli only last summer.
Paul Pogba Future Will Not Be Decided Before August
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The name of Paul Pogba has never been far from the transfer gossip pages for the past 12 months, but the level of scrutiny in the future of the Juventus star is reaching peak levels.
Jeremy Cross of the Daily Star joined the fray this week as he claimed Manchester City were preparing to break the bank for the France international.
Cross wrote:
"The big-spenders (City) have made the France and Juventus ace their No.1 transfer target this summer and want him to replace Yaya Toure.
Billionaire owner Sheikh Mansour will sanction a British-record £70m deal for Pogba in the hope of luring him to Manchester, as exclusively revealed by Starsport last week.
He is ready to break records to rebuild his squad and will offer Pogba, 22, a deal worth a staggering £12.5m that equates to £250,000-a-week - AFTER TAX.
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Such numbers will bring joy the Juventus owners, who might have to accept that the time has come to cash in on Pogba after Cross mentioned the names of other possible interested parties, including Chelsea and Manchester United.
There can be no doubt that the 22-year-old is one of the top footballers in Europe at the moment, and helping the Old Lady to a fourth successive Scudetto this season has only helped to enhance his reputation.
Juventus will, obviously, want to see Pogba remain within their ranks for next season, especially after the success of this season's Champions League campaign.
However, the Italian champions will also recognise that the figures involved here will only rise as we near the new season.
Don't expect Pogba's future to be settled swiftly.
Believability meter: High
It seems highly unlikely that Pogba will remain in Italy next season considering the figures involved.
But Juventus are wise enough to recognise that further rumours of clubs' interest will only further force up his transfer value.
Atletico Midfielder Koke an Intriguing Possibility for Chelsea
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It's that time of year where many footballers are preparing for their holidays and Jose Mourinho prepares to plunder Atletico Madrid.
Well, at least it seems that way after the signings of Diego Costa and Filipe Luis last summer were followed by recent transfer links with Antoine Griezmann.
Atletico head coach Diego Simeone is unlikely to enjoy seeing the Chelsea manager linked with another one of his star names, but that is what he found on Monday.
The Sun noted a link between the Stamford Bridge club and Atletico midfielder Koke this week as Mourinho prepares to defend the Premier League title next season.
The Chelsea boss is also looking at a fresh tilt at the Champions League after seeing his team defeated by Paris Saint-Germain at the last-16 stage this year.
Koke offers an intriguing possibility for Chelsea, though, with a midfield partnership between Koke and Nemanja Matic providing a new dynamic for Mourinho.
At a quoted price of £40 million, the services of Koke would not come cheaply for Chelsea, but their strong relationship with the Vicente Calderon club after the successful loan of Thibaut Courtois to the Liga side could see them edge out on any possible rivals here.
Believability meter: Medium
Koke is an interesting choice for transfer gossip, offering a genuine will-he-won't he-leave conundrum.
At 23, he still has tremendous potential which could be reached in the Premier League, but under the tutelage of Simeone he also a good chance of developing even further in Spain.
A case of wait and see on this rumour.
Andrea Pirlo Unlikely to Be Enticed by Liverpool Link
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When you have achieved all that Andrea Pirlo has achieved, you can pretty much do anything you like at this stage of your career.
The 35-year-old has played his part once more in helping Juventus to a fourth-successive Scudetto, while also guiding them to success in the Champions League this season.
Pirlo has more honours than you could shake a stick at, and has the swagger of a man half his age.
Liverpool could do with somebody of that calibre as they rebuild this summer after a disappointing Premier League campaign, a point which has not gone unnoticed by Tom Sheen of the Independent on Sunday.
According to Sheen, Pirlo is viewed as a successor to Steven Gerrard, who will leave Anfield for Major League Soccer with LA Galaxy at the end of this season, by a "keen" Brendan Rodgers.
It is completely understandable that the Reds manager should be interested in Pirlo, who remains one of the greatest talents in European football even at such a late stage in his career.
However, FootballItalia.net reported quotes from Pirlo from a Gazzetta dello Sport interview in which the playmaker reveals his next move could be to follow Gerrard across the Atlantic.
He was quoted as saying:
"Juventus will be my last Serie A team, whatever happens.
MLS could be an idea, but for the moment I don't have anything, Juve are the only thing on my mind.
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Pirlo still has one year left on his current deal at Juventus, but the Italian club would be unwise to allow their veteran star to leave as they attempt to build on the successes both home and abroad this season.
Liverpool and Rodgers will have to look elsewhere for an experienced midfield head next season.
Believability meter: Low
Juventus are unlikely to let Pirlo leave this summer, even if they were offered good money for the 35-year-old.
Juve head coach Massimiliano Allegri allowed Pirlo to leave the San Siro in 2011 when he was in charge of AC Milan. He will not make the same mistake again.
Mario Gotze Worth a Chance for Manchester Utd but Not at Di Maria's Expense
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No matter which way it is painted, the picture Mario Gotze finds himself in at Bayern Munich cannot be described as a masterclass.
When it was announced that the Germany international would be leaving the Westfalenstadion before the end of the 2012-13 season, you could hear the howls of protest among Borussia Dortmund supporters across Europe.
Gotze sat in the stands at Wembley in the awkward position of watching his new club defeating his then employers in the 2013 Champions League, with every single person inside the stadium aware he was on his way to Allianz Arena.
But the past two seasons in Bavaria have not been kind to the 22-year-old, although he did become a national hero last summer when his extra-time goal defeated Argentina in the World Cup final.
Even the recent injury absences of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben have not convinced Pep Guardiola to turn to Gotze, including for the midweek Champions League semi-final exit to Barcelona.
That disappointment came hard on the heels of criticism from Bayern honorary president Franz Beckenbauer, who was quoted by Matt Maltby of the Daily Mail as saying:
"He behaves and moves around on the pitch like a youth player. He just stops moving when he loses a duel. This is the behaviour of a child.
This kind of behaviour does not fit in at Bayern. It is time for him to grow up. He has shown at Dortmund what he can do and we know that he is a great talent. But there is still something missing.
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But former Liverpool and Germany midfielder Dietmar Hamann wrote in his Goal.com column that Manchester United should make a move for Gotze this summer, with Angel Di Maria moving the other way.
Whatever his issues at Bayern, Gotze's talent cannot be doubted after his form with Dortmund, but while Di Maria has struggled to find consistency at Old Trafford this season, the flashes of form he has shown should be proof enough that Louis van Gaal should not give up on the Argentina winger.
Believability meter: Medium
It is only the word of Hamann which have seen this rumour emerge, but it isn't something which would be completely out of sync with what Van Gaal is building at United.
But it would surely be unlikely that Di Maria would be part of any exchange deal with Bayern. Certainly at the moment.
New Contract Is Just Reward for Jay Rodriguez and Southampton
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One year ago, Southampton striker Jay Rodriguez had the world at his feet.
After impressing in the Premier League with the Saints, the former Burnley forward had broken into the England team and appeared to be on the verge of a trip to the World Cup in Brazil.
However, a serious injury suffered against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium saw those dreams crumble as he was carried off the field.
The 25-year-old then saw head coach Mauricio Pochettino and a host of team-mates depart St Mary's Stadium as he remained in the treatment room.
However, the club and Ronald Koeman refused to give up on Rodriguez and one year on from that injury, the player signed a new contract which will extend his stay until 2019, as The Guardian reported.
But despite his long-term injury, Rodriguez still found himself the subject of transfer gossip, as Koeman recognised:
"It’s very good news for the club because there was some speculation about Jay and interest from other big clubs.
So it is a compliment to the club that we have an agreement with Jay. He is close to being back and that is already good news for everyone.
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As The Guardian article noted, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham were linked with a summer move for Rodriguez to underline the positive impact he had made on the top flight.
But Southampton deserve credit for ensuring the forward's progress back from injury is boosted by a new deal. A good move for all concerned.
Believability meter: High
There will always be a fear that a long-term injury can affect any player's confidence, but the links between Rodriguez and major clubs while he was sidelined will have brought a smile to his face.
But Southampton and Koeman deserve credit for standing by their man, and they are likely to reap their reward with a fully fit Rodriguez back in action next season.
Too Soon for Harry Kane Departure Rumours
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According to Matt Lawton at the Daily Mail, Manchester United have identified Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane as a transfer target for this summer.
United manager Louis van Gaal, Lawton reports, will have £150 million to spend this summer as United seek a return to the top of the Premier League table. The Red Devils reportedly will search for a forward, centre-back and centre-midfielder in addition to the already-signed Memphis Depay.
Kane, 21, stormed to prominence this season with 20 Premier League goals. He also became the first Spurs player since Gary Lineker to score more than 30 goals in a season in all competitions.
Believability meter: Low
United might really be interested in Kane, but the £45 million figure that Lawton quotes is too high.
True, Kane has enjoyed an excellent season for Tottenham, but as B/R transfer correspondent Allan Jiang has noted, such an investment would be too high based on a single strong campaign.
"If Kane can better his current form next season," Jiang wrote, "then a big-money transfer away from Tottenham Hotspur (will become) a reality."
