NEW CONTRACT FOR COSTA
It’s only six months since Diego Costa’s Chelsea career looked over. The striker was subject to interest from Atletico Madrid in the summer, and sources close to Chelsea thought that Costa quite fancied the move back to his former club. He’s probably glad he didn’t now.
The Daily Mirror’s John Cross writes that Costa is likely to be given a new two-year extension to his Chelsea contract. He’s already paid £150,000 a week, but Cross believes that could be nudged up to £200,000 a week.
It’s a bit of a no-brainer for Chelsea, who are unlikely to get an offer for Costa from Atletico that would make selling him worthwhile, and he’s a damn difficult forward to replace.There’s nobody better in Europe at leading a line, on current form.
ARSENAL TARGET REUS AS OZIL/SANCHEZ REPLACEMENT
The Daily Telegraph’s Jeremy Wilson is a reliable source for Arsenal news, and Wilson has written a transfer story on the subject of Marco Reus.
The claim is that the Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder is viewed as a perfect replacement for either Mesut Ozil or Alexis Sanchez, should either of them choose to leave the club. Those contract remain unsigned, __with reported offers of £180,000 a week not enough to convince them to put pen to paper.
While Reus is clearly a player __with huge ability, it’s a little odd to be identifying him as a replacement. Arsene Wenger has repeatedly insisted that neither Ozil nor Sanchez will leave before the end of their current contracts, which means summer 2018. By then, Reus will be 29.
MILAN CLUBS WANT FELLAINI
Look here, if Marouane Fellaini gets a move to Inter or Milan, it says two things:
1) Italian football club presidents don’t watch the Premier League.
2) Serie A is in more trouble than we thought.
In the Daily Mail, Chris Wheeler writes that Fellaini was spotted in Milan on Monday with his brother, and has spoken to his Manchester United teammates about a move to Italy. The rumours about Milan’s interest came as early as January, but we’re trying to not think that Inter have been added just because Fellaini was seen in the city.
AND THE REST
Manchester United and Chelsea are competing to sign Roma’s 23-year-old Germany defender Antonio Rudiger… Chelsea are also interested in signing Fenerbahce’s 27-year-old Denmark centre-back Simon Kjaer… Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is also interested in Genoa winger Diego Laxalt… Manchester City and Leicester are both interested in National League Aldershot’s 17-year-old striker Idris Kanu… Southampton manager Claude Puel wants to sign 21-year-old France Under-21 midfielder Wylan Cyprien… Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace both want to sign Aston Villa’s Rudy Gestede… United are willing to accept half of the £25m they paid for midfielder Memphis Depay.