Gossip: Chelsea hijack United deal; PSG hijack Arsenal deal - Football365.com

SERG OF POWER
Premier League clubs love nothing more than hijacking a rival’s transfer plans. English sides are pretty unimaginative, and so they all target the same bloody players all the time.

The latest in this long line of successful stories comes to us from the Manchester Evening News, who claim that Chelsea want Serge Aurier.

The PSG right-back has emerged as a target for Manchester United this summer, and Le10 Sport report that Chelsea are now keen on the Ivorian.

The Blues have courted a wing-back all summer – we named that their onepriority – and have thus far missed out on Kyle Walker and Danilo.

For their part, United are fans of Aurier but do not consider right-back a problem position, with Antonio Valencia emerging as a fine candidate in that role under Jose Mourinho.

REAL TALK
When all has been destroyed in this world and there is almost nothing left, Real Madrid and Manchester United will still be using each other to posture in the transfer market.

That the latest reports come from Don Balon is the first red flag, and that they involve a part-exchange swap deal with Gareth Bale and David de Gea should tell you it’s almost certainly a load of old balls.

But still, Bale is in a ‘delicate position’ at Real, and the Spanish club know United would want to take advantage of that. After all, Bale is one of Ed Woodward’s four ‘fantasy’ signings at Old Trafford.

‘Although the position of the Welshman in the team Zinedine Zidane is seriously compromised, the top Real Madrid leader wants to take advantage of the situation to close, finally, the arrival of a player who has been almost two years in his sights: David De Gea,’ the article reads.

It is added that president Florentino Perez is ‘only willing to negotiate’ with United over Bale if De Gea is included in the deal. Sure.

WHY SO SERI-OUS?
Not content with messing up Barcelona’s transfer plans, PSG are now taking aim at Arsenal.

Apparently, the French club are ‘set to follow up their signing of Neymar by rivalling Arsenal for the transfer of Nice midfielder Jean Micheal Seri.

Le Parisien report that Seri has a £36million release clause, and that PSG are considering activating that clause to bring him in.

For what it’s worth, Arsenal are clearly fans of Seri, but one doubts they would be that bothered.

AND THE REST
Monaco manager Leonardo Jardim has hinted that 18-year-old striker Kylian Mbappe – targeted by a number of clubs including Real Madrid, Manchester United, Barcelona and Arsenal – could leave before the close of the transfer window for a big enough offer… Philippe Coutinho has been left out of Liverpool’s squad for Saturday’s friendly against Athletic Bilbao because of a back injury. The 25-year-old midfielder is wanted by Barcelona as a replacement for Neymar, who has joined Paris St-Germain… Barcelona have wasted no time in finding a replacement for Neymar after making contact with Borussia Dortmund over French forward Ousmane Dembele, 20… Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is reportedly ready to allow defender Andreas Christensen, 21, to leave in a swap deal in order to sign Inter Milan winger Antonio Candreva, 30… However, the Blues have rubbished claims that Conte is deliberately pushing striker Diego Costa, 28, out of the club… AC Milan are considering a shock move for former Chelsea and Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao, 31.

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