B/R Gossip Roundup: Yohan Cabaye, Edin Dzeko and Manchester City's £100M Summer
With the transfer window now in full swing, there's plenty of speculation for us to dissect in this week's B/R Gossip Roundup.
Over the following slides, we take a look at rumours linking Yohan Cabaye with a return to the Premier League, give our verdict on claims that Angel Di Maria and Edinson Cavani might be part of a Manchester United-Paris Saint-Germain swap deal and bring you the latest on Edin Dzeko, Erik Lamela and more.
Keep reading to see what we think of this week's transfer talk.
Erik Lamela on His Way out at Tottenham Hotspur
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According to Darren Lewis of the Mirror, Erik Lamela could bid goodbye to White Hart Lane this summer, with Juventus said to be keen.
The Argentina international signed for Tottenham Hotspur in August 2013, following two impressive years at AS Roma. However, he has failed to live up to expectations and his £25.7 million price tag during his time in North London.
As Lewis writes:
"Erik Lamela is the fifth player signed in Tottenham’s £100million spree two years ago heading for the exit door.
The north Londoners DO want to offload the 23-year-old this summer and are in talks with at least one Italian club, understood to be Juventus, over a deal.
"
The 23-year-old has bagged six goals and registered 14 assists in 63 Spurs performances (in all competitions) to date.
Believability Meter: Medium
A move back to Serie A could prove attractive for Lamela, who has struggled to make a significant impact with Mauricio Pochettino's men.
Should Juventus make a bid, it would be surprising to see the winger in the English top flight next season. However, with three years left to run on his contract and no formal advances between the two clubs yet made public, this is one to file in the "maybe" category.
Angel Di Maria and Edinson Cavani Swap Deal
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In the Daily Star, Harry Pratt has reported that Angel Di Maria and Edinson Cavani could be swapping clubs this summer.
Manchester United's Di Maria came to Old Trafford last August and has a contract that runs until 2019, whereas Paris Saint-Germain's Cavani has three years left on his deal at Parc des Princes. However, the pair will find themselves the subjects of much transfer chatter over the coming weeks, as seen in Pratt's article:
"Argentine winger Di Maria, who cost a British record £59.7million, is attracting interest from Europe's elite after flopping at Old Trafford last term.
Champions League winners Barcelona have been linked with the ex-Real Madrid star, while French champions PSG and German giants Bayern Munich are long-term admirers.
But the United board do not want to sell Di Maria, 27, to either Barcelona or Bayern amid fears he will prove an instant hit for their rivals.
Although he could be equally successful at PSG that would not be such a problem – as long as Louis van Gaal's men land £50m-rated Cavani in return.
"
With his Premier League career still in its infancy, would Di Maria really leave Manchester so soon? These rumours first started to swirl in March, as reported by Rob Shepherd in the Daily Mail.
Believability Meter: Low
Our believability meter is so low for this one, it's beneath sea level. Swap deals are incredibly complicated pieces of business, and those involving big-name players are rarely pulled off.
Di Maria will not go to PSG this summer, and Cavani is highly unlikely to pitch up at Old Trafford in the coming months. As for the two swapping places…it's just not happening. Next!
Edin Dzeko: Roma-Bound?
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Rumours linking Edin Dzeko with a move away from Manchester City are nothing new, and this week the Bosnia-Herzegovina striker has been linked with a switch to Roma.
As the Mirror's David Anderson reported (from speculation coming out of Rome News):
"Edin Dzeko's Bosnia team-mate Miralem Pjanic claims the Manchester City striker "would run to Roma" to join him at the Serie A club.
Pjanic would love to team up with Dzeko at Roma and says his compatriot would be prepared to take a pay cut to make the move happen. ...
... "Dzeko would run to Roma and the wages won't be a problem, as he'd adjust them. It all depends on the club."
"
The 29-year-old signed for City from VfL Wolfsburg in January 2011. He has since made 189 appearances for the Premier League side.
Despite his 72 goals for the Citizens, Dzeko is third-choice striker at the Etihad, and during the 2014/15 campaign he made just 11 top-flight starts. He has three years remaining on his existing deal.
Believability Meter: Medium
Dzeko’s time at Manchester City has been successful; his two Premier League titles and 72 goals bear witness to that. However, in a team that contains Sergio Aguero, he is never going to be top dog, and no one would begrudge him a summer switch should it actually happen.
His agent, Irfan Redzepagic, came out to deny rumours linking his client with Roma on Italian radio station Rete Sport (h/t the Guardian), and we've seen Dzeko linked with many a move-that-never-was in the past.
It would make sense for the Giallorossi, who need a top-class striker, and for the City man, who would benefit from more games, but we just can't see this transfer occurring. Dzeko can be lethal when called upon, and City are likely to want to retain his services for the 2015/16 season.
Chelsea Making Advances for Asmir Begovic
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As John Percy reported in the Telegraph this week, it seems Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic could be joining Chelsea as backup for Thibaut Courtois.
This comes after Petr Cech's recent move to Arsenal—the former Blues No.1 having signed a four-year deal with Arsene Wenger's side following 11 years at Stamford Bridge.
As Percy writes:
"Jose Mourinho has made his move for the Stoke City goalkeeper and is hopeful of signing Begovic this week after extensive negotiations between the two clubs on Monday.
Stoke have rejected the opening offer and are holding out for a figure over £8million while they are also interested in taking a player on loan next season.
But Chelsea are expected to return with an improved bid nearer Stoke's valuation and want to complete a deal in the next 48 hours.
"
Begovic has been at the Britannia Stadium since February 2010, after joining the club from Portsmouth. The stopper has racked up 173 games for the Potters.
Believability Meter: High
Begovic is yet to sign on the dotted line with Jose Mourinho's side, but things appear to be moving along at pace. Following Percy's original article on Monday, by Saturday he had this to say:
"Sources at Stoke admit "there is a deal to be done" and the only delay has been over Chelsea deciding which player to loan out as part of the deal.
Chelsea's opening offer of £6million was rejected last Monday but the clubs have continued dialogue and the move should go through this week.
"
Within the next seven days, expect to see Begovic in Chelsea blue.
Yohan Cabaye: From Paris to Palace?
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Former Newcastle United man Yohan Cabaye has been linked with a return to the Premier League with Crystal Palace.
Currently at Paris Saint-Germain, the club he joined in January 2014 following two-and-a-half seasons at St. James' Park, the 29-year-old is said to have been "tempted" by a move to Selhurst Park.
As the Guardian's Dominic Fifield reported this week:
"The 29-year-old is attracted to the idea of returning to the Premier League, where he had flourished after a move from Lille in 2011, and with working with his former manager on Tyneside, Alan Pardew.
PSG are willing to allow the player to leave after he made his frustrations clear at Parc des Princes, with Palace the most persuasive of his suitors to date.
"
Despite winning two consecutive league titles with Laurent Blanc's side, not to mention two French League Cups and one French Cup, Cabaye is not at the top of the PSG pecking order. He made just 13 Ligue 1 starts in 2014/15.
This lack of playing time means Cabaye "has grown concerned that a lack of regular first-team football may affect his chances of making Didier Deschamps' national squad for next summer’s European Championships in his homeland," writes Fifield.
Elsewhere, the Telegraph's Jason Burt suggests West Ham are also keen on signing the France international.
Believability Meter: High
Ahead of Euro 2016, which is likely to be Cabaye's last European Championship, the chances of Cabaye leaving PSG are high, as he's searching for regular first-team football.
It seems two London clubs are chasing his signature, but having played 93 games under Pardew while at Newcastle, Cabaye's good relationship with his former Magpies boss will probably swing the deal.
Manchester United 'Secretly Selling' Robin Van Persie
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Speculation suggesting Manchester United have been secretly trying to sell Robin van Persie emerged this week.
The story, reported by David McDonnell of the Mirror, was based on quotes coming from Van Persie's former Netherlands and Feyenoord teammate, Pierre van Hooijdonk, who wrote the following in his column for Voetbal International:
"As early as January of this year, I received information from Turkey about Robin and Fenerbahce. The minute this information came, you knew that United had sent people to test the water for a move. ...
... Van Persie is in a difficult situation. To the outside world he says he is happy to stay and I can understand this. But Robin has the feeling that United want to get rid of him.
A big club in England, Spain or Germany is a more attractive option. Until the player realises that behind his back the two clubs have done a big deal.
"
The 31-year-old striker has one year left on his current contract at Old Trafford and has already been linked with a move away from Louis van Gaal's side.
As Tuttosport (h/t Joe Short in the Express) reported in April, both Juventus and Inter Milan were interested in his name.
Believability Meter: Low
Let's be clear: Robin van Persie leaving United would not be a surprise. In fact, it makes perfect sense. His age, contract situation and fading influence should give Van Gaal reason enough to sell.
However, we have a hard time believing the move is being engineered behind his back. It would be a highly unprofessional move from United, and Van Persie's representatives SEG (Sports Entertainment Group) would surely not stand for it.
In early June, the Netherlands international admitted he knows his United future is uncertain. As quoted by Sky Sports, he said, "I must evaluate the situation. The club is doing that as well. I must consider what I really want."
Also, Van Hooijdonk is not the first person to link Van Persie with Fenerbahce—these rumours have been here since November 2014, as reports in Turkey have indicated (h/t Alex Harris in the Daily Star).
Manchester City Expected to Spend £100 Million This Summer
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Manchester City are expected to spend big this summer, after their UEFA transfer restrictions were lifted.
As reported by Mark Ogden in the Telegraph, Manuel Pellegrini's side could shell out upwards of £100 million between now and when the window closes September 1.
As Ogden writes:
"City were issued with a £49m fine and forced to submit a reduced Champions League squad of twenty-one players last season after breaching Uefa's Financial Fair Play regulations.
But after meeting Uefa's break-even targets, City are now free to pursue top targets Paul Pogba, Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling.
"
City are yet to make any big-name transfers, with Bursaspor teenager Enes Unal the only new player to arrive since the trading period officially began in England on July 1.
However, we have seen Frank Lampard (loan), Alvaro Negredo, Matija Nastasic, Scott Sinclair, James Milner, Micah Richards and Dedryck Boyata all exit the Etihad in recent weeks.
Believability Meter: High
As the club with the oldest average age during the 2014/15 campaign (per the Daily Mail), the Citizens need new blood—that much is clear. It promises to be a summer full of activity in the blue half of Manchester, where several big targets (like those named above) seem to be on Pellegrini's wish list.
Now that UEFA's restrictions have been lifted, wealthy City won't hold back.
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