Believability Meter on the Week's Biggest Rumours: Lukaku, Pirlo, Icardi, Tello
Mauro Icardi, Youri Tielemans, Munir El Haddadi and Juan Quintero—they are all 22 or younger, they have all been linked with a move to the Premier League and they can all be found over the following pages, as our believability meter calls fact or fiction on the rumours of the week.
We also bring you the latest speculation surrounding Liverpool and Everton's reported interest in Cristian Tello, plus Andrea Pirlo's mooted loan to Inter Milan and Romelu Lukaku's links with Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.
Read on for more.
Youri Tielemans: Subject of a ‘Transfer Window War?’
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Youri Tielemans could be the subject of a January transfer window battle between Manchester United and Manchester City, according to Paul Hetherington in the Daily Star.
As Hetherington reported:
"The Anderlecht midfielder, 18, is being tracked by both Manchester clubs ahead of a transfer window war. United have been monitoring Tielemans for more than a year.
But it's no surprise that City are fully aware of and are increasingly interested in the developing situation.
City's strong Belgium contingent is headed by skipper Vincent Kompany and Kevin De Bruyne, an instant hit since his record £56m move from Wolfsburg in the summer.
Belgian football has never been stronger and the country is currently ranked No.3 in the world.
And Tielemans—already an Under 21s international—is the latest exciting discovery.
Tielemans is also being linked with possible moves to Chelsea, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.
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The Belgium under-21 international has already racked up 104 appearances for Besnik Hasi's side.
Tielemans signed a contract extension in May, per Goal, which is designed to keep him at Constant Vanden Stock Stadium until 2020.
Believability Meter: Low
We need to accept the fact Youri Tielemans' name will be regularly whispered in the rumour mill this January and for many seasons to come.
The Belgian youngster seems like the real deal, the next big thing, a protege—call it what you will, the central midfielder is admired and wanted by many.
Will he end up at either Manchester club in January? In a nutshell, no.
It wasn't so long ago Arsenal, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid were said to be chasing him, as reported by Adam Skinner in the Express.
It also wasn't long ago that Tielemans signed a new long-term deal with Anderlecht.
It would be naive to imagine the new deal was not put in place to extract the biggest transfer fee possible when the time comes. It really is a case of when and not if he goes, as Tielemans will surely move to a bigger European side at some point.
However, the Belgium under-21 international is guaranteed first-team football at his boyhood club, he is still developing and he won't leave before the current season is out.
We have a sneaking feeling he will move on in the summer and predict it won't be to a side in the Premier League.
A January Move to Everton for Munir El Haddadi?
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Everton will move for Barcelona’s Munir El Haddadi in January, claimed Spanish outlet Don Balon (h/t Tom Olver in Metro) this week.
The 20-year-old winger is contracted to Luis Enrique’s side until 2017. However, speculation suggests he is seeking a switch away from Camp Nou.
As Olver reported:
"Munir is tired of the amount of criticism placed on him at the Nou Camp—where Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez largely dominate—and the Spain international is already understood to be looking for a move away.
And Roberto Martinez will seal a deal for the highly-rated 20-year-old in the January transfer window, according to Don Balon.
The Toffees boss maintains good relations with the Catalan giants after taking Gerard Deulofeu on loan before signing the winger over the summer.
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Linked with Arsenal over the summer by Marca (via the Express), Munir has made 17 first-team appearances for Barcelona in La Liga since making his domestic debut in August 2014.
Believability Meter: Low to Medium
So Munir is tired and dispirited and wants to leave Barcelona?
Contrary to the gossip, it seems pretty unlikely the recently turned 20-year-old is actually unhappy.
Behind Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi in the pecking order, he is still getting his chances—last season, he made 10 appearances in the Primera Division and has been involved in seven so far this term.
Munir is also adding to the Champions League experience he started building last year, with outings against Bayer Leverkusen and BATE Borisov recorded in 2015/16, notching three assists over three games.
Still growing at one of the world's best clubs, if El Haddadi moves at all in January, it will only be on loan.
Liverpool and Everton on Alert for Cristian Tello
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Cristian Tello could leave Barcelona at the end of the season, with the Premier League tipped as a possible destination.
The 24-year-old is currently in the second half of a two-season loan with FC Porto, where he has made 47 appearances in all competitions to date.
Portuguese daily A Bola (h/t Mark Brus in Metro) recently reported Tello is being watched by Liverpool and Everton:
"Liverpool have placed Barcelona forward Cristian Tello on their list of transfer targets as it looks like he wants out of the Nou Camp on a permanent basis.
The 24-year-old is on loan at Porto after struggling to become a regular in the Barca line-up and Liverpool and Everton are among the clubs on alert, according to A Bola.
Tello seems likely to move at the end of the season when his loan finishes and a Premier League move could be on the cards so he can avoid returning to being a squad player for the Catalan giants.
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The winger spent time with the youth systems of both Barcelona and Espanyol before breaking through to the senior side of the former, where he made 86 outings and won the Liga, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup.
Tello signed his most recent contract extension in summer 2013, as seen on the club's official website—a deal that is set to expire at the end of the 2017/18 campaign.
Believability Meter: Low
This is not the first time Liverpool and Everton have been linked with Cristian Tello, as seen in speculation from the Mirror's David Maddock in 2014.
The Toffees have a Spanish manager in Roberto Martinez and recently signed Gerard Deulofeu from Barcelona after his successful 2013/14 loan spell at Goodison Park. It's easy to see why their name is in the frame.
Meanwhile, over at Anfield, Tello is supposedly on the wishlist of new boss Jurgen Klopp (along with many others, it seems).
However, the likeliest outcome to this rumour is he remains at Porto, playing under Julen Lopetegui—the man who coached him to victory with Spain in the 2013 European Under-21 Championship.
Also, as reported on UEFA.com last year, Os Dragoes have the option of making Tello's loan move permanent.
That's where we'd put our money.
Liverpool: Considering Move for Mauro Icardi
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Mauro Icardi may be on his way out of Internazionale, with Liverpool said to be considering a move.
The rumours, which originated on Italian website Calciomercato, were relayed by Tom Olver in Metro, who wrote:
"Liverpool are reportedly weighing up the potential transfer of Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi.
Icardi, 22, was dropped by Roberto Mancini for Inter's clash with Roma at the weekend and speculation has intensified in Italy that the Argentinian forward may be on his way out of the San Siro.
And the Reds are eyeing a possible move for the Inter captain, according to Calcio Mercato.
Premier League rivals Tottenham and Chelsea are also in the race to sign Icardi who is understood to be valued at around £25million.
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The Argentinian striker signed for Inter from Sampdoria in summer 2013. He has since made 80 appearances for the Nerazzurri, scoring 39 goals and setting up a further 12.
In June, Icardi signed a contract extension designed to keep him at San Siro until 2019.
Believability Meter: Low
Mauro Icardi is not leaving Inter for the Premier League any time soon.
These rumours have little substance and seem to be based on the fact Icardi was dropped by Roberto Mancini for Inter's recent Serie A fixture against Roma.
Icardi, who also captains the club, recently complained to Sky Sport Italia and Mediaset that he does not get enough service as a striker (via Football Italia), which probably added to the chatter regarding his future.
He ended the last Serie A campaign as joint-top scorer with 22 goals—the same as Hellas Verona's Luca Toni—and the speculation would have you believe he is struggling this term, with a return of three goals from nine games. However, in his first nine games in 2014/15, Icardi had scored just two more.
It seems this is a case of plenty of smoke and no fire but worth keeping tabs on nonetheless.
Juan Quintero: Eyed by Arsenal and Southampton
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Juan Quintero is reportedly attracting interest from Premier League clubs, with Arsenal and Southampton ready to do battle for his signature.
The midfielder, who signed for FC Porto from Pescara in summer 2013, is currently on a season-long loan with Ligue 1 side Rennes.
He has made three appearances in the French top flight so far this term.
As reported in the Mirror:
"Southampton are set to fight Arsenal for attacking midfielder Juan Quintero.
The 22-year-old Porto player, who is currently on loan at French club Rennes, is a long-term target for Saints boss Ronald Koeman—after missing out on him last January.
The Colombia international has a £28.3million release clause in his contract although Southampton are hoping to bag him for about £15m.
The south coast club sent scouts to watch him play last weekend.
Quintero, who has been likened to Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, was a target for Arsenal in the summer of 2014 but his agent said he would only be sold if his release clause was met.
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He has 64 appearances to his name for Porto and will be out of contract in summer 2017.
Believability Meter: Medium
With just 173 minutes of Ligue 1 football so far this season, the Colombian playmaker is not receiving much game time at Roazhon Park.
Not that this will matter when clubs start sniffing around in January.
Quintero, as seen above, has been compared to Lionel Messi in the past, scored for Los Cafeteros at the 2014 World Cup, has 13 international caps to his name and will make an attractive target for many a manager before the season is out.
In the summer, Quintero will enter into the final year of his contract, and it's fair to assume Porto will listen to offers in January.
Southampton will not be his next home, by all accounts, as manager Ronald Koeman has already dispelled this week's gossip linking the Colombian with the Saints, as seen on Sky Sports.
Andrea Pirlo: A Loan Return to Inter Milan?
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Andrea Pirlo has been linked with a loan move back to Europe during Major League Soccer's offseason in a bid to increase his chances of playing at Euro 2016.
The New York City FC man was first said to be on his way to Manchester City—the sister club of his American employers—on a short-term loan.
However, the Mirror's Neil Mcleman has relayed rumours that originated in Gazzetta dello Sport and tipped Inter Milan as contenders to bring Pirlo back to Serie A:
"Roberto Mancini is eyeing a move to bring Andrea Pirlo back to European football - but old club Manchester City insist they are NOT interested.
The Italy midfielder, now 36, left Juventus to join New York City FC last year—a club part owned the Premier League leaders.
But Gazzetta dello Sport claims Pirlo is now considering returning on loan in January to boost his hopes of playing at Euro 2016 with Serie A a likely destination.
Mancini, now Inter Milan coach, and wants to strike a deal like David Beckham's successful stints at AC Milan in 2008 and 2009 from LA Galaxy.
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A six-time winner of the Italian top flight with AC Milan (two titles) and Juventus (four titles), Pirlo's NYCFC contract will expire in December 2016.
Believability Meter: Low
In recent years, we have seen the likes of David Beckham (AC Milan), Landon Donovan (Bayern Munich and Everton) and Robbie Keane (Aston Villa) return to Europe during the MLS offseason to keep their fitness at top levels.
Of course—formerly of Brescia, Inter, AC Milan and Juventus—Pirlo could conceivably want to return to the league he knows so well for a short-term loan ahead of Euro 2016.
Recent quotes suggest otherwise. As the Italian told Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t talkSPORT) in October, "No, I do not think I will go to Europe, it would not be fair to my team. All I'm thinking about is training this off season for the 2016 campaign at New York."
Meanwhile, it was recently reported on ESPN FC that Inter coach Mancini was open to the idea of a Pirlo loan, telling the club's official website that "anything can happen in football."
Those of you getting excited, stop for a moment and remember this is the sentence that has launched an overwhelming amount of spurious transfer rumours over the years and should not be taken too seriously.
Pirlo to Inter is a nice idea—although probably not for fans of Juventus or AC Milan—but we really can't see this one happening.
Everton: A Summer Exit for Romelu Lukaku?
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Everton have put a £45 million price tag on Romelu Lukaku, following speculation linking the striker with Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.
These rumours come from the Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel, who claims the Belgium international wants to play Champions League football and will "review his future at the end of the season."
Lukaku joined Everton from Chelsea in summer 2014 after a successful loan spell at Goodison Park.
In total, he has made 96 appearances for the Toffees, scoring 45 goals and registering 19 assists.
His current contract is set to expire in 2019.
Believability Meter: Medium
Lukaku is an outstanding centre-forward, and it’s not hard to see why the 22-year-old has admirers across Europe.
Not yet January, these rumours may seem premature, but Everton's rumoured £45 million price tag calls for early talk about the Belgian's future.
There have already been suggestions Roberto Martinez would sell Lukaku for the right price—claims that come from the player's agent, Mino Raiola, and told to Radio Monte Carlo (h/t Kieran Gill in the MailOnline).
Lukaku's decision to leave his former agent, Christophe Henrotay, to join "super agent" Raiola will also fan the flames of discussion.
In fact, the latter declared in April, "If we had met each other earlier, he wouldn't have played for Everton," per Andy Hunter in the Guardian.
January is out of the question, but our believability meter would not be a bit surprised if Lukaku departed Goodison Park in the summer. Everton fans can be comforted by the thought of that £45 million.
All player and contract information comes from Transfermarkt unless stated otherwise.
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