HERE ARE THE good, the bad, and the unlikely football moves being talked about today…
ALEXIS SANCHEZ‘S FUTURE has not yet been resolved but it appears increasingly likely that he could be heading to Manchester United.
Arsenal are resigned to losing the Chilean as he’s out of contract in the summer. Man City were favourites to secure the 29-year-old’s signature over the past week and they may still get their man but reports suggest the Gunners have been put off by the signing-on fee and payment that his agent Fernando Felicevich wants.
Whatever happens Sanchez, Arsene Wenger will move to replace their talisman and Borussia Dortmund’s wantaway striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fits the bill.
The Gabon international, who has scored 21 goals in 23 games for the Bundesliga outfit this season, is keen to leave but suitors would have to pay around €60 million for his services.
Arsenal are also in for Bordeaux’s Brazilian winger Malcom, who would cost in the region of €50m.
Leicester City boss Claude Puel insists Riyad Mahrez won’t be leaving the Foxes in the current window. The former PFA Player of the Year has been linked with Liverpool and Arsenal in recent times.
Speculation elsewhere suggests the Reds could be looking to spend some of the money recouped from Philippe Coutinho’s sale to Barcelona on Gelson Martins of Sporting Lisbon, but that seems unlikely as the 22-year-old’s buyout clause is a whopping €59m.
In some Irish news, Jack Byrne is close to joining Oldham Athletic on a permanent deal. The ex-Man City youngster had lost his way somewhat when he joined the League One side on-loan from Wigan Athletic at the start of this season.
Having impressed during that spell, the 21-year-old will now return to Boundary Park despite interest from elsewhere.
Retro Deal of the Day
When Roman Abramovich took control of Chelsea in the summer of 2003, the London club embarked on a huge spending spree with the likes of Damien Duff, Claude Makelele, Geremi, Joe Cole, Adrian Mutu, Glen Johnson and Alexei Smertin all arriving.
During that time, £16.8m was paid to Inter Milan for their Argentine striker Hernan Crespo. A lethal finisher with real pedigree, he had cost Lazio a world-record fee of £35m in 2000 and big things were expected.
Crespo scored 18 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions during his first season in English football, but struggled to settle and Jose Mourinho sent him on-loan to AC Milan when he took over the following year. There, he was part of the side that lost to Liverpool in the 2005 Champions League final — scoring two goals in Istanbul.
Returning to Chelsea that summer, he went on to win the Premier League title in 2005/6 but left for Inter (initially on-loan before joining permanently) in 2006.
Here are all 25 of his goals for Chelsea:
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