Arsene Wenger is set to oversee a complete overhaul of the British players in his squad, and is likely to cut as many as six of his home-grown stars lose in the summer transfer window.
The likes of Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs, Calum Chambers and Carl Jenkinson could all be sold in the summer, according to a report in the Daily Mail.
Arsenal will bring on board a few of their younger players from the academy to complete the home grown players quota, along with the existing trio of Jack Wilshere, Danny Welbeck, and Alex Iwobi. The club is also reportedly tracking Toni Kroos, Granit Xhaka, and Alvaro Morata.
With no concrete reason given for the sale of these players, one can only brush this off as mere speculation as it is very unlikely that manager Arsene Wenger would make so many changes to his squad over a summer transfer period in which the players would not be easily available due to international tournament commitments.
Manchester clubs to fight over Bale?
Gareth Bale has visibly improved himself at Real Madrid this season with better performances under both Rafa Benitez and Zinedine Zidane. However, with both Manchester United and Manchester City looking to spend big in the summer transfer window, Real Madrid may be swayed to sell the star Welshman, if they get a good offer, according to a report in Tuttomercato.
Bale, whose contract at Real Madrid runs out in 2019, is set to get a newly improved deal at the club. The bosses at the club are not too keen on selling Bale, as he is expected to take over the mantle if Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the club.
However, Bale’s inclusion will exponentially improve both Manchester United and Manchester City, and a fight between the two teams for the player could well be on the cards.
Neymar’s wage demands put Premier League clubs on alert
The leaking of Neymar’s wages has caused quite a stir in Barcelona, with the Brazil national team captain asking the club to increase his earnings by five times, according to a report in The Sun. Neymar currently earns £77,000 per week, which is quite low for a player of his calibre. In fact, even Newcastle United’s Jonjo Shelvey earns £3,000 more than him.
The Brazil star is reportedly not too happy with this situation, and is asking the club to quintuple his wages. It maybe a little difficult for Barcelona to match Neymar’s demands, as other stars like Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez may also ask for a similar raise if they give the Brazilian what he wants.
This has put a number of Premier League clubs on the alert, with Manchester City being the side that is linked with a bid for the player.
Manchester United to sign James Rodriguez?
The Colombian star is not pleased with his situation at Real Madrid, where he has just 14 starts in the La Liga so far this season, and wants a move away from the club. The club is also not too keen on retaining the player and are ready to listen to offers if the sum is good enough.
“All I can say is that Real Madrid are more than happy to sell him if they get the right amount of money,” said reputed Spanish journalist Guillem Balague to Sky Sports. According to the Daily Express, Real Madrid will be prepared to sell their Colombian star for around £63 million.
Manchester United, who have a lot of problems in their creative department, are said to be looking into Rodriguez’s case and may make a move for the 24-year-old in the summer.
Chelsea join Real Madrid, Arsenal, Liverpool in race for Morata
Alvaro Morata is a much sought after man in Europe, with a multitude of clubs like Real Madrid, Arsenal and Liverpool already trying to land his signature. Now, however, another strong link has come into the picture for the Juventus striker — Antonio Conte.
The former Bianconeri boss is said to be a big admirer of the Spaniard and wants to bring him to Chelsea in the summer, according to Calciomercato. However, with Chelsea not looking likely to take part in the Champions League next season, and with a host of other clubs also interested in the player, the Blues will find it really tough to sign him.
Chelsea table £64m offer for Ramos
Sergio Ramos is considered one of the best centre-backs in Spain and incoming Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is looking to make him one of the club’s top transfer targets in the summer. According to Spanish outlet Don Balon, Chlesea have already tabled a £64m offer for the Real Madrid centre-back. An offer of that amount is quite surprising indeed for a 30-year-old defender.
However, Conte is said to believe that Ramos could be the protagonist of the three-man defence of his favourite 3-4-3 system.
