B/R Gossip Roundup: Gonzalo Higuain Going Nowhere, David De Gea Move Finally On?
Has Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal sanctioned David De Gea's move to Real Madrid? Are Napoli confident of retaining Gonzalo Higuain at Stadio San Paolo, and can Arsenal prise Karim Benzema away from the Bernabeu?
You'll find our views on these stories in this week's B/R Gossip Roundup, where we also cast our eye over the latest transfer speculation surrounding Angel Di Maria, Nicolas Gaitan, Chicharito and Pedro Rodriguez.
Read on for more!
Arsenal Readying Improved Bid for Karim Benzema
1 of 7
Karim Benzema is the latest Real Madrid player to find himself linked with a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal said to be preparing an increased bid for his services.
The Telegraph suggested the Gunners have already had a £31 million bid turned down by the Liga side.
But as reported by Spanish website Fichajes (h/t the Telegraph), Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is now "prepared to offer the Santiago Bernabeu chiefs around £35m for the France international."
The article goes on to say that Benzema is unhappy at Madrid and "would be willing to consider a move to the Premier League."
Speculation increased this week when the striker—on tour with his team-mates in China—posted a picture of himself on Instagram with the caption, translated from French to English: "Leave the past to the past. #directionfuture" (h/t James Orr in the Independent).
Since arriving from Olympique Lyonnais in 2009, Benzema has notched 134 goals and registered 86 assists in 281 games for Los Blancos.
The 27-year-old inked a new contract with Madrid in August 2014, a deal designed to keep him at the club until 2019.
Believability Meter: Low
We are racking our brains trying to remember that last time Benzema wasn't linked with a move to Arsenal.
It's not easy, because the French striker has been continuously linked with the London club in recent years, and it will likely remain that way for some time.
We don't think Benzema is on his way to the Emirates Stadium, and no amount of cryptic Instagram pictures will convince us otherwise. New boss Rafael Benitez and the Madrid board will not let him go this summer.
Next Stop White Hart Lane for Chicharito?
2 of 7
Javier Hernandez spent last season on loan at Real Madrid, where he made 35 appearances in all competitions for the Liga outfit.
The Manchester United striker's future is not yet clear. He could viably remain at Old Trafford, yet the 27-year-old continues to be linked with a move away from the club.
As the Mirror's Adrian Kajumba reported this week, Chicharito could be on his way to Tottenham Hotspur as a replacement for the soon-to-be-leaving Emmanuel Adebayor.
With Roberto Soldado also said to be nearing an exit at White Hart Lane, Mauricio Pochettino will be in the market for another marksman to link up with Harry Kane.
When asked about Chicharito's future, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal was recently quoted as saying, relayed by Izzy Horsefield in the Express, "I have long-term expectations but you never know in this football world. But yes, normally I have long-term expectations of Javier Hernandez."
The Mexico international was forced to miss his country's Gold Cup campaign over the summer as a result of a fractured collarbone, leaving him unable to wow any potential suitors during the tournament.
Already into the final year of his contract at United, Chicharito joined the Manchester club from Guadalajara in 2010. In his time at Old Trafford, he has netted 59 goals in 154 games.
Believability Meter: Medium
We admit it: Here at B/R, we can't decide which direction the striker is heading in. We wouldn't be surprised to see him depart Old Trafford in search of guaranteed first-team football, and we wouldn't be shocked to see him stay, especially if Van Gaal's side make no further purchases up front. Over to you, Chicharito.
Nicolas Gaitan Confident of Manchester United Switch?
3 of 7
Benfica winger Nicolas Gaitan thinks he is Manchester United-bound, according to Charles Perrin in the Express.
The report suggests the 27-year-old could be a potential replacement for Angel Di Maria, should he leave Old Trafford this summer.
As Perrin wrote:
"The Benfica star has been repeatedly linked with a move to Old Trafford. Louis van Gaal is believed to be eyeing up replacements for the outgoing Angel Di Maria. Di Maria is expected to join Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth £46million.
...
Gaitan, it is suggested, is waiting for his move to United to be given the go-ahead. And it is thought more importantly that he wants to push through a transfer so he can link up with Louis van Gaal.
"
Elsewhere, as Perrin noted, Metro claimed "United are believed to have agreed a £21.5million fee to bring the Benfica attacking midfielder to Old Trafford, as Angel Di Maria looks certain to be heading to Paris Saint-Germain."
With a contract that runs until 2018, Gaitan has been at Estadio da Luz since July 2010, when he swapped Boca Juniors for Benfica.
The two-time Primeira Liga winner has racked up 214 appearances for Rui Vitoria's side.
Believability Meter: Low
Oh, if we had a pound for every time Gaitan had been linked with Manchester United.
The Benfica man seems to have been on the radar of Premier League clubs for some time, but so far, there's been no concrete evidence to suggest this could be the year he finally moves to England.
Gaitan's agent, Jose Irribarren, has been very keen to suggest otherwise, telling Portuguese radio station Antena 1 (h/t James Cambridge in the Express), "Anything is possible as the negotiations are pending. We are waiting for the Manchester United hierarchy to respond and other than that I cannot do anything more."
Just like all the other times Gaitan has been linked with a move to Old Trafford, it seems pretty unlikely that this will happen.
Paris Saint-Germain Close in on Angel Di Maria
4 of 7
Angel Di Maria's Manchester United future has been one of the talking points of the summer, and recent reports indicate his time at Old Trafford is almost up.
According to Jamie Jackson in the Guardian, the Argentina international is nearing a move to Paris Saint-Germain and a £40 million transfer could be finalized within the next few days.
As Jackson writes, "Although United would not confirm the deal is close, it is understood that Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman, is in final negotiations and it would be a surprise if the Argentina international did not depart the club."
In June, it looked like Di Maria would not be exiting Old Trafford, with the Mirror's Liam Corless quoting the winger as saying, "No [I won't leave], because I'm not thinking like that. In Madrid there were times when I was whistled around the stadium but faced it and then it turned around. I like to deal with things."
The 27-year-old joined Louis van Gaal's side last summer—his £59.7 million move making him the British football's most expensive signing.
He notched 27 league appearances over the course of the season and completed a full 90 minutes on just nine occasions.
An attempted break-in at Di Maria's home was said to have unsettled the Rosario-born player, and as seen on Sky Sports in early 2015, Van Gaal said he was prepared to let him leave Old Trafford.
Di Maria did not join up with United on their pre-season tour of the United States after returning from international duty at the Copa America with Argentina, reported by Mike Keegan of MailOnline.
Believability Meter: High
As the days and weeks of the transfer window have gone by, this is a move that has started to look increasingly likely.
For a while, it appeared that Di Maria was going to stay in Manchester to prove himself in the Premier League. Now, it looks like he is destined to become a PSG player.
Expect the Argentinian to pitch up at Parc des Princes within the next seven days.
Napoli: Higuain Going Nowhere This Summer
5 of 7
Gonzalo Higuain will not be leaving Italy this summer, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis insisted this week.
The Partenopei striker had been the subject of speculation linking him with a move away from the Serie A side, most notably with a move to the Premier League.
However, as reported in Corriere della Sera (h/t FourFourTwo, via Ben Grounds in the Daily Mail), De Laurentiis said, "I never, ever considered selling Higuain. It wasn't by chance that I put a very high clause in his contract, which makes it difficult to sustain for any buyer."
The 27-year-old is understood to have a €100 million release clause in his contract with the Stadio San Paolo club, as reported by Sky Sports.
Since signing for Napoli from Real Madrid in 2013, the Argentina international has netted 53 goals in 104 games in all competitions.
Believability Meter: High
Sometimes, club presidents like to play hardball when it comes to selling their prized assets in a bid to drive up a player's value.
In De Laurentiis' case, we believe that Higuain is truly not for sale and that his release clause exists to ward off even the most moneyed of suitors.
It wasn't long ago that gossip found on Calciomercato (h/t Uche Amako in the Express) suggested Higuain wanted out of Naples. However, we don't think it's going to happen for a few seasons.
Pedro to the Premier League with Manchester United?
6 of 7
Barcelona's Pedro has seen his name linked with a variety of Premier League sides and is now reportedly nearing a move to Manchester United.
Said to be a target of Chelsea and Arsenal, per Izzy Horsefield in the Express, and with Angel Di Maria seemingly set to leave United, rumours connecting the 28-year-old with a move to Old Trafford have intensified recently.
As reported by Nicholas Godden for MailOnline, Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu claims his side have not received any bids for Pedro: "We don't foresee any departures from the team. I've read many things about a Pedro departure, but no one has officially addressed our club. Our squad is complete."
However, Godden also wrote, "Spain international Pedro had his buyout clause reduced to £22million last season and United are set to activate it when the AWOL Di Maria finally leaves."
Elsewhere, Marca (h/t the Daily Star's Marc Williams) insisted that United have already signed the Spaniard.
The winger signed a new contract with Barca in June, ostensibly extending his stay at Camp Nou until 2019. Pedro's new deal included a buyout clause of £107 million—a figure that was significantly reduced to just £21.5 million in July, as reported in the Express by James Cambridge.
Believability Meter: Medium
Manchester United are being linked with every man and his dog at the moment, and Di Maria's impending exit forms much of the basis for Pedro's links with the club.
In the pecking order behind Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar at Barca, the Canary Islander is easy to brand as a wantaway player, and the reduction of his buyout clause will definitely encourage suitors.
However, it’s tough to tell whether this is a move that will actually happen. Although we could see him at Old Trafford, United are not the first top-flight club that Pedro has been connected with this summer.
Louis van Gaal Ready to Sell David De Gea
7 of 7
Louis van Gaal has reportedly told Manchester United to sell David De Gea to Real Madrid.
Many back pages have been dominated by speculation concerning the goalkeeper's future this summer, and with the start of the Premier League season upon us, a move might finally be on.
According to reports in Spanish newspaper AS (h/t the Observer), Van Gaal "has tired of what has become a drawn-out saga, requesting that De Gea is moved on at the earliest opportunity."
It did appear that United were going to keep hold of the Spaniard until his contract expires in 2016, with Real Madrid unwilling to meet United's valuation of the player, as written in the Mirror by David McDonnell.
The change in Van Gaal's stance on the De Gea situation seems to have come after the 'keeper performed badly in a pre-season fixture against Paris Saint-Germain, in which he was responsible for the Ligue 1 side's opening goal in a 2-0 defeat.
As the noted in the aforementioned Observer article:
"After that match, the cracks in Van Gaal's patience were visible. ‘We have a situation that is not favourable for David De Gea but neither for us and neither for the club [Real Madrid] that maybe he wants to go [to],’ said the United manager. Later, he added: ‘Everybody can make mistakes but when a goalkeeper makes a mistake it is mostly a goal and that’s the difference.’
"
The stopper has been at Old Trafford since 2011, when he signed from Atletico Madrid. He has since made 175 appearances for the Manchester club.
Believability Meter: Medium
One of the most protracted transfer sagas of 2015, this is a move that should have been wrapped up weeks ago.
If Van Gaal's comments are indeed true, we could see De Gea departing Manchester before long, with United pocketing a fee that would not be available to them at the same point next year.
The Premier League side are rumored to be in the market for Ajax 'keeper Jasper Cillessen, per Jamie Jackson in the Guardian, and just acquired previously unattached Argentina No. 1 Sergio Romero. Here at the Gossip Roundup, we'd put our money on De Gea leaving.
Prepare yourselves, because this rumour is going to cause a slew of continued gossip linking Sergio Ramos, Gareth Bale and—just for the hell of it—Cristiano Ronaldo with a move in the opposite direction.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
