Football transfer rumours: Christian Eriksen to Manchester United? | Football | guardian.co.uk
The world has changed since Saturday but sadly the transfer tittle-tattle industry is behind the curve. The Mill is of no doubt that at this very minute Pep Guardiola is hunched over a desk in a windowless room looking at a list of his largely Spanish squad and wondering: "where are the Lampards, the Bents, the Lescotts, the Joneses and the Rodwells? These are the real world beaters and I must have them at Barcelona."
But for some reason the precise number of "lionhearts" (© The Sun) who played in England's glorious, life-affirming, Blatter-baiting victory at Wembley being linked with moves to the great clubs of Europe is zero. Zilch. Zip. We can only assume it's because when you're at Aston Villa or Everton where is there really left to go?
Despite not being English (or even Spanish) Ajax's Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen is wanted by both Manchester United and Manchester City. Sir Alex Ferguson has put the 19-year-old at the top of his wanted list, which is probably precisely why Roberto Mancini wants him too. It will take £20m to prise the 19-year-old from Ajax's grasp and Mancini could raise that exact sum if he flogs kick-boxing's Nigel De Jong to Real Madrid.
Mancini is also keeping tabs on Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus which begs the question: what kind of tabs? Are they colour-coded in a ring binder or does he simply have a picture of Reus on his wall to which he habitually adds those luminous adhesive tabs favoured by the legal profession? Sadly we are unlikely to ever know the answer.
Cesc Fábregas has an addiction to tiresome Arsenal transfer sagas and is feeding his habit by weighing into the Robin van Persie: should he stay or should he go dilemma. "Go now or stay for ever," Cesc tells RVP which seems a) a little bit harsh – forever is a long time – and b) the transfer window is closed so he can hardly just walk away now.
David Beckham's tour of the world's fashion capitals will take him to Paris Saint-Germain and possibly as soon as next month. Carlo Ancelotti will be there waiting for him at the airport – the former Chelsea manager could installed in the hot-seat at the Parc des Princes as soon as Sunday.
Lukasz Fabianski is so desperate to get away from Arsenal that the Sun have printed his desire to go out on loan twice on the same page. "I want to play for Arsenal but if not I go somewhere else," he says, before saying the exact same thing again three columns to the right. He must mean it.
Blackburn want Fulham's Andrew "Andy" Johnson who is out of contract at Craven Cottage at the end of the season but could do one in January if Fulham want to be recompensed for the striker. Given the short time left on his contract the best they can hope for is an extra-large bucket of Venky's chicken.
Speaking of Venky's, the Blackburn owners could be on their way out of Ewood Park before we've really had a proper chance to get to know them. A group of "wealthy Qataris" want to but the club, says the Mirror (it was hardly going to be a group of middle-class Qataris, was it?) but must get the all-clear from all four Venkys who have a say in the club. Balaji Rao, the "football brain" of the operation, is against selling up.
In a move that will appease Everton fans everywhere David Moyes wants FC Dallas defender Brek Shea and travelled to watch the 21-year-old, who has been on trial at Arsenal, in USA's friendly with France on Friday. Moyes also wants Landon Donovan back at Goodison.
Steve Bruce is leading the race to sign FC Zürich's Ahmed Mehmedi. It's not a very big race.
The Sochaux striker Modibo Maiga won't be stopped at a mere come-and-get-me plea. The 24-year-old Mali international wants Newcastle to come and get him, hold him long into the night and promise never, ever to let go no matter what. "All players dream of playing for a club like that and I hope it will happen, either this winter or in the summer," he said.
Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers wants four players on loan in January, including the Chelsea midfielder Josh McEachran, a future star of England, the greatest football team in the history of the world ever. That is one transfer The Mill can understand.