Real Madrid are putting Plan B into action
With Manchester United holding firm on their €50million valuation of David de Gea, the goalkeeper's suitors at Real Madrid look ready to play the long game with the Spanish netminder.
Los Blancos are desperate to sign the 24-year-old but are unwilling to pay more than €35million for a player with just a year left on his contract, so have instead made it clear to De Gea that roughly half that sum, around €18million, will be given to him in the form of a signing-on fee if he sees out his United deal and moves to the Beranbeu next summer. (Mirror)
De Gea wants the move but insists he is willing to play for United until the issue is resolved, yet has not featured yet for Louis van Gaal's men this season.
United are unlikely to soften their stance after suffering a major double blow in their search for a central defender. Real confirmed this morning that Sergio Ramos getting the new five-year deal at the club we suspect he was hoping for all along, while Valencia's Nicolas Otamendi, who has been linked with Old Trafford all summer, appears to have chosen a €4omillion move to rivals Manchester City instead, with Eliaquim Mangala possibly going in the opposite direction on loan.
We're still not sure why Saido Berahino hasn't been wearing the Spurs jersey the past two weekends, but the West Brom striker's long-mooted move to White Hart Lane looks to be inching closer following the departure of Spanish flop Roberto Soldado. The hard-bargaining Daniel Levy will jump in a taxi north with 15million of his English pounds and hope that is enough to finally secure the partner Harry Kane badly needs. (Telegraph)
Chelsea's defence has been surprisingly ropey so far, so if they really want to sign Brazilian left-back Alex Telles then they should probably just meet Galatasaray's €15million valuation, having so far offered just half that sum. (Star)
Everton are determined to hang to hot young thing John Stones, but it's no surprise that they have lined up Swansea captain Ashley Williams to replace the England star should he depart. (Star)
