TRANSFER NEWS & GOSSIP: Wednesday 31st July
StrumSolo > 31/07/2013, 10:01
Everyone alright with a spot of Gareth Bale chat? Worried that Real Madrid might actually get close to that £100m asking price, the Sun reckon Daniel Levy has upped it to £125m. Seems reasonable… The Times are saying that Spurs want to bring Luka Modric back to White Hart Lane as part of the deal. Whether he’d actually want to return is unclear, he seemed pretty set on a move last summer.
Zinedine Zidane has ‘told’ Levy to let Bale hold talks with Real, possibly with the threat of a cheeky headbutt if he refuses. While the Mail are reporting that the Wales international has refused to hand in a transfer request. He doesn’t want to upset the fans apparently, and somehow this all adds up to a big load of ‘turmoil’. Not sure about that one.
And Ian Rush, he of one failed season at Juventus before a quick move back to Liverpool, says Bale should stay put until he’s 28. Course he should.
Moving on (sort of). If Tottenham do find themselves with an extra £100-odd-million to play with, they could really upset Arsenal by moving in on the Luis Suarez action. You might have noticed Roberto Soldado still hasn’t signed. That one could still be a way off, with the Spanish striker keeping quiet on his future.
Quick-fire-striker-round: Valencia are interested in Fernando Torres. Newcastle want Loic Remy on loan after being priced out of a move for Bafetimbi Gomis. West Ham are keen on Matej Vydra and Liverpool have been linked with Rubin Kazan forward Salomon Rondon. So have Dortmund, he’ll end up in Germany then.
Everton will bid £15m for £20m-rated Wigan midfielder James McCarthy. It’ll end in tears. Joey Barton is willing to take a 50% pay cut to join his ‘beloved’ Toffees, which will also end in tears. The tears of wounded locals in Liverpool town centre on a Friday night, allegedly.
And Cardiff have made an £8m offer for Tottenham defender Steven Caulker. Daniel Levy’s told them to treble it, probably.