Football

Football transfer rumours: Kessié to Wolves? Håland to Manchester City?


The curious thing about Wolvesdefeat of Manchester City a fortnight ago is that it could have been much more comfortable had Patrick Cutrone not seemingly had his boots on the wrong way round. It’s not gone unnoticed by Nuno Espírito Santo that the young striker, signed from Milan in the summer for £16m, is taking his time to settle at Molineux. What he needs is a familiar face in the ranks to help him feel comfortable – surely then the goals will come. Step forward Franck Kessié.

The midfielder had a fine understanding with Cutrone at Milan last season and was close to joining Wolves in the summer window only for the transfer to fall through. But Milan’s dire financial situation means a move is back on again. The box-to-box Ivory Coast international would bring even more energy to Nuno’s side and a smile back to Cutrone’s face. The cost for all this positivity would be £26.9m but there is a sticking point. Milan want a replacement and would only be willing to let Kessié leave if they can secure Mohamed Elneny from Arsenal for £13m in January. But let’s be honest, Elneny hardly has a queue of suitors lining up to whisk him away now does he?

Manchester City scouts visited Anfield at the beginning of the month but don’t fret Liverpool fans, they’re not about to launch an astonishing bid to take James Milner back to the Etihad. Nope. They went to see RB Salzburg striker Erling Håland in the flesh – and the sound of £50m being counted out at the Etihad that The Mill can hear would suggest that they liked what they saw. The 19-year-old was suffering from the lurgee yet still leapt off the bench to frighten the life out of home fans by scoring a goal and giving Virgil van Dijk the most uncomfortable time he’s had in the north-west since he was rumbled meeting Klopp for a cosy chat in Blackpool two years ago.

Oh, and while we’re on the subject of coveted players meeting opposing teams’ managers in seaside resorts, Paul Pogba crossed paths with Zinedine Zidane by the side of a pool in Dubai during the international break. For some, it is hard proof that the moody Manchester United midfielder will be off to Real Madrid next summer. For others, it’s yet more evidence that off-duty footballers have very little imagination these days when it comes to choosing somewhere sunny to spend their downtime.

If Pogba does end up in Madrid in January, Ivan Rakitic will not be replacing him at Old Trafford. The Barcelona midfielder’s family have taken a look at the weather forecast in Manchester and told the Croat to consider another European city in which to ply his trade. A crisp winter and French cuisine has made PSG the new favourites to sign him. Another 31-year-old on the move is Nemanja Matic. Internazionale are readying a bid in January to rescue the midfielder from Manchester United, where his stock has fallen so low he can’t even get a game ahead of Fred.

Everton are the one Premier League club who can rival Manchester United when it comes to a scattergun approach to signing players they really don’t need. They will do battle with Old Trafford bean counters for the Lyon striker Moussa Dembélé, who has been scoring for fun in Ligue 1 this season. A move away from Lyon would be bad news for Celtic, though, with the French club likely to throw in a huge bid for Odsonne Édouard to replace Dembélé.

And Bayer Leverkusen manager Peter Bosz has got Liverpool scouts all hot and bothered after hinting that whizzy Germany winger Kai Havertz might leave next summer. “The player himself must feel when he is ready for the next step,” teased Bosz.



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