It’s only June 21 but AVB is trying to get us all to stop talking about Gareth Bale while Isco is set to be signing with a new club in the next 48 hours.
Today’s the longest day of the year and that means we still have loads of the summer, or transfer window as we prefer to call it, to go. A staple of the football rumour mill even before the season finished, the 'Gareth Bale to Real Madrid' tale was one we thought would sustain us until he ultimately committed to one more year at Spurs sometime around the start of August.
But Tottenham gaffer Andre Villas Boas has spoken in the press today in a bid to stop the story dead. AVB is quoted in most of the papers as saying: “We have the pledge of the chairman that Bale is not going to leave the club.”
In fairness, Daniel Levy might be the shrewdest operator in the world of football so we are inclined to think that the Welshman really will be lighting up the Premier League rather than La Liga next term.
So from a player who isn’t going to Spain to one who is in Spain but will be on his way soon. Despite Malaga saying recently they don’t need to sell him (let’s face it, they do) where U21 star Isco goes will be resolved in the next 48 hours, according to the Daily Mail. The player himself is quoted as saying "I prefer not to comment about my future, but the matter could be closed this Sunday."
They reckon that a late bid by Real Madrid to ‘scupper’ the deal with Manchester City has failed and that the midfielder will join the 2012 Premier League champs for £21million over the weekend.
Elsewhere, Jose Mourinho will speak to Juan Mata to assure him he wants him to stay at Chelsea (Daily Mirror), Celtic’s Victor Wanyama is being battled over by Southampton and Cardiff City (Sky Sports) and Liverpool had to pay Andy Carroll £1m to persuade him to sign for West Ham and get off their wage bill.
Finally, interesting news coming from Aston Villa via the Birmingham Mail where it emerges that Charles N’Zogbia could miss the start of the season after suffering an ‘unspecified injury’ while on holiday in Las Vegas. Guess it proves the old adage what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas…
