ARSENAL CHASING CELTIC’S DEMBELE
The only surprise is that more elite clubs did not chase Moussa Dembele before he moved to Celtic, a point picked up in Champions League winners and losers. It looks like they’re quickly learning from their mistakes.
The Sun report that Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Arsenal are all scouting Dembele, who has scored 12 goals already for Celtic. Where were you at Craven Cottage, lads?
Unfortunately, Celtic are hardly likely to let Dembele go for less than a king’s ransom. They somehow managed to sign him for a compensation fee of around £500,000, but are going to ask for at least 20 times that figure now, and probably more besides.
FA WANT TO SPEAK TO RANGNICK. OR HOWE. OR WENGER
We have the latest in the England manager race. Is it a race if nobody is really arsed about running?
The Daily Mirror go big on Eddie Howe, saying that he is on the Football Association’s shortlist (of course he is) and might want the gig. Quite why he’d take it over a big Premier League job we don’t know.
The Mirror also add Jurgen Klinsmann to the FA’s supposed three-man shortlist (alongside Gareth Southgate), which is a shame because we thought all that had gone away.
Finally, Sky Sports report that the FA want to speak to Ralf Rangnick, currently sporting director at RB Leipzig after moving upstairs from the manager’s job. Rangnick was reportedly interviewed after Roy Hodgson’s departure, and has managed clubs including Stuttgart, Hannover, Schalke and Hoffenheim.
Finally, no paper mentions Glenn Hoddle. Praise f**king be.
LIVERPOOL WANT ‘NEXT IBRAHIMOVIC’
It’s when you know you’ve really made it. This week’s Portrait of an Icon piece talked about Russia’s obsession __with the ‘next Lev Yashin’, and we’re now going to hear about the ‘next Zlatan Ibrahimovic’. Cue some tiresome sh*t from him about there only being one Zlatan.
The man in question is Alexander Isak, a 17-year-old striker __with AIK. He’s scored six goals in 18 games this season. Apparently Liverpool are the Premier League club monitoring Isak closely, but they are joined by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. It’s almost like elite clubs have scouts watching every player with serious potential in Europe.
AND THE REST
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp sought to put Mamadou Sakho’s recent remarks behind him by insisting that the matter is finished as far as he is concerned… Francesco Guidolin accepts he could lose his job as Swansea manager if his side fail to beat Liverpool on Saturday… Germany legend Jurgen Klinsmann is on Swansea’s three-man shortlist if they decide to sack Francesco Guidolin… The Football Association has revealed that it will meet City of London police next week as it begins its investigation into alleged corruption.