Rumour reel: PSG to upset Wenger
French side to move on Jean Michael Seri
Middlesbrough got their Championship campaign underway on Saturday, but the free-spending Smoggies still have work to do in the transfer window. They freed up a bit of space in the squad, shedding some wages at the same time, when selling Gaston Ramirez to Sampdoria.
Ramirez netted nine goals in 44 games for Boro, but failed to live up to expectations last season, and will hope for a bit more fortune in Serie A. The Uruguayan has experience of playing in Italy, employed by Bologna between 2010 and 2012. That’s a done deal, here’s a few rumours doing the rounds on Sunday.
PSG to nick Arsenal target
It’s all about PSG at the minute. They have flexed their muscles in the transfer window, and it’ll be a long time before we see that £200m deal passed by another club. That should stay a world record for a while. If you thought they had gone all in on the Brazilian star however, you’d be wrong. They’ve got the taste for spending money and are now making moves on Arsenal target Jean Michael Seri. The 26-year-old midfielder was the subject of a £35m bid from Arsenal, but Nice are happy to play the waiting game and sell to the highest bidder. It looks like Wenger has missed out on Thomas Lemar, and we wouldn’t fancy his chances in a bidding war vs PSG. While we’re on Arsenal, it’s believed an increasingly frustrated Arsene will make one final attempt to lure Lemar. Monaco insist he’s not for sale, but could change their mind with £55m on the table.
Monaco interested in Sanchez
Sticking with Ligue 1, and we catch up on what’s going on at Monaco. Leonardo Jardim’s side are lining up a £45m bid for Arsenal striker Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean has been in limbo all summer, but has entered the final year of his contract at the Emirates, meaning it’s time to act. Sanchez now has an option, he must sign on and commit himself to the club, lending a hand in helping improve on last season. If the player isn’t interested, Arsenal must look to move him on ASAP, rather than risk losing him for free further down the line. Sanchez to Monaco is filed under gossip, considering the player would be after around £300,000 a week. It’s doubtful Monaco would pay that.
Barca to replace Neymar with Dembele
Barcelona may not be too happy about it, but they have £200m to spend in the coming weeks and, as expected, have wasted no time lining up a replacement for Neymar. The man to fill that sizeable gap will be Dembele. Celtic can breathe easy though, it’s not their star striker fans believe could cut it at that level of football, it’s another young French forward in Ousmane Dembele. The 20-year-old hot-shot is currently on the books at Borussia Dortmund, and if the La Liga giants want him, they’ll have to put a dent in the money taken from that world-record transfer fee to push it through. Dembele told members of the press he would welcome any approach from Barcelona, and is ready to answer the call, which should arrive early next week.
Daily updates on the summer transfer window here
