Juan Mata. Manchester United. Done (assuming he passes the medical). Now let’s move on, shall we?
United want to follow up the signing of the Spaniard with that of Luke Shaw, the brilliant Southampton full-back who would cost David Moyes £22.5m of the Glazers’ cash.
Shaw is still only 18 but has played 44 times in the Premier League for the Saints. With Patrice Evra’s contract running down, his signing would be a major coup for Moyes with Chelsea also waiting in the wings.
Meanwhile, Shinji Kagawa’s agent Thomas Kroth has denied that the 24-year-old Japanese playmaker is set to end a fairly miserable spell at United by either returning to Borussia Dortmund or joining Atletico Madrid.
“At this moment I am sure Shinji will stay. There has been no contact and so it is just rumours,” Kroth told Sky Sports.
Finally from Old Trafford, Rio Ferdinand has been offered the chance to move to the MLS following the end of his United contract this summer.
The Telegraph reports that Julian Draxler is desperate to join Arsenal from Schalke, and that Arsene Wenger is preparing a bid of £36m for the 20-year-old before the window SLAMS SHUT (cheers Jim White) next Friday night.
A few of the papers report that Paris Saint Germain want to bring Yohan Cabaye back to France from Newcastle; West Ham want to bring former Liverpool and Chelsea midfielder Raul Meireles back to England from Fenerbahce; Sunderland have ideas above their station about signing Valencia’s Ever Banega (he’s good, really good); Liverpool will make a move for Bayern Munich outcast Xherdan Shaqiri if (when) Mohamed Salah completes his move to Chelsea.
