Rumour Reel: Icardi to Chelsea as Arsene eye Evans and Koeman keen on Bolasie
Published:
Robbie Purves | August 9, 2016
Coral’s rumour reel
Stamford Bridge could be about to welcome their next big name signing, as Mauro Icardi is linked to Chelsea in today’s back page speculation.
With the start of the Premier League campaign kicking off this weekend, Antonio Conte is keen to bring in a striker to bolster his attacking options.
Icardi to Chelsea?
It seems Chelsea’s pursuit of Romelu Lukaku may be over, after Everton reportedly demanded £75m for the former Bridge player.
New Blues boss Conte has been a fan of the Argentine marksman for some time, and the Inter Milan captain has attracted interest from London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham too. The £50m rated forward, now 23 years of age, netted 16 in 33 league appearances for the Serie A side last term.
Conte may be tempted to use wantaway midfielder Oscar as part of the deal, as the Milan outfit usher in a new era under Frank de Boer with recently acquired Chinese ownership.
Reports suggest if Chelsea fail in their pursuit of Icardi, they could go for Gabriel Barbosa. The Brazilian 19-year-old has netted an impressive 24 in 82 league appearances for Santos, since making his debut in 2013, and has been linked with champions Leicester City as well.
Arsene eyes Evans
After seeing Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista injured this pre-season, Arsenal are hoping to get a defensive deal over the line in time for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool on Sunday.
Arsene Wenger is reportedly interested in bringing former Manchester United man Jonny Evans to the Emirates.
West Bromwich Albion value ball-playing centre back Evans at £15m, and would suit Arsenal’s style.
Meanhwile, another reported target Shkodran Mustafi, has a release clause of £42m. However, Valencia are likely to accept a fee of around £25m.
Koeman keen on Bolasie
Despite Everton reportedly having a £18m offer for Crystal Palace’s Yannick Bolasie rebuffed, new Toffees boss Ronald Koeman remains keen on bringing the tricky winger to Goodison Park.
Palace have slapped a price tag of £30m on the Congo international and are likely to put up a fight to keep him.
Everton are yet to flex their financial muscles and take advantage of Farhad Moshiri’s fresh investment, with only Maarten Stekelenburg and Idrissa Gueye joining thus far.
The Merseyside club look set to be one of the busiest clubs in the transfer window over the next few weeks, as Koeman wants to stamp his mark on the squad.
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