Jose Mourinho, having already spent £21m on Pedro in an attempt to prevent further unlikeable results, now looks poised to fork out an additional £110m on Paul Pogba and John Stones.
We don’t know much about Roman Abramovich’s personality, but we can deduce from recent events that he’s a man who doesn’t like drawing at home to Swansea and losing 3-0 to Manchester City. Because having already spent £21m on Pedro in an attempt to prevent further unlikeable results, he now looks poised to fork out an additional £110m on Paul Pogba and John Stones.
Chelsea’s pursuit of the young duo is nothing new, but their willingness to pay what may once have been described as “silly money” does appear to be swinging things in their favour, if this morning’s hot football transfer gossip is to be believed.
The £60m Pogba has morphed into £70m Pogba almost overnight, while Everton’s £30m defender Stones has slowly but surely emerged as Everton’s £40m defender Stones. The Independent says Chelsea are encouraged that Juventus are still “entertaining negotiations” over Pogba, which seems to mean the Italians could be persuaded by an offer so huge that no one but Abramovich would make it.
Meanwhile, the Guardian reports that Chelsea’s fourth and final offer for Stones - following bids of £20m, £26m and £30m - will make a substantial leap to £40m, including add-ons.
In an unusual story, the Telegraph says that Zenit St Petersburg have warned Chelsea off swooping for defender Ezequiel Garay as an alternative to Stones - a weird time to mention it when Stones has just handed in a transfer request and looks highly likely to move.
Everton have been linked with most of the world’s centre-backs while the Stones story has been rumbling on, and the latest is Tottenham’s hot football transfer gossip regular Federico Fazio. Roberto Martinez has bid £5m for the out-of-favour Argentine, claims the Daily Mail.
Charlie Austin can add West Brom to the list of lower-ranked Premier League clubs that apparently want to sign him, with the Daily Express reporting that the Baggies are lining up the QPR striker to replace Saido Berahino.
According to the Daily Mirror, Tottenham will up their offer for Berahino to £23m plus add-ons, which sounds suspiciously close to the £25m West Brom have been demanding all along.
Spurs are also being linked with Real Madrid’s unwanted midfielder Asier Illarramendi, while Italian media are claiming that Erik Lamela is in talks with Inter Milan.
Elsewhere, Wolves have put a £14m price tag on Norwich target Benik Afobe, Everton face competition from Barcelona for Ukrainian winger Andriy Yarmolenko and Besiktas say they have signed Man Utd goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Just a marginal step up from United’s reserves, then.
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