Cursed as they are with strikers currently struggling to hit a cow’s backside with a banjo, West Ham are in the market for some goal-getters, and the Daily Telegraph describes their plan to lure either Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford to the London Stadium on loan from Manchester United as “ambitious”.
The fact that neither player regularly features in United’s starting 11 appears to have tempted West Ham to chance their arm. The Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi, Sassuolo’s Grégoire Defrel and Porto’s Laurent Depoitre are also cited as being on the Hammers’ radar, in a state of affairs that suggests somebody in their scouting department is just throwing darts at Panini stickers on a wall in the office.
There aren’t too many strikers better than Antoine Griezmann and reports say Manchester United have opened talks with one agent in the hope of bringing the Atlético Madrid man to Old Trafford for £60m next summer. United are also ready to offer the manager José Mourinho a contract extension on the back of their recent run of decent form – you can read more about that in this report from our man in the Reni hat on the Manchester beat. Benfica’s Swedish defender Victor Lindelof is another target for United, who are prepared to shell out £50m to secure the 22-year-old’s signature, and are also being linked with his team-mate and fellow defender Nélson Semedo.
Arsenal are giving Valencia left-back José Gaya the glad eye. A native of Alicante, the 21-year-old graduate of the Spanish club’s academy made his senior debut in 2012 and is extremely diligent in defence but his electric pace means he enjoys a good bomb forward and is as at home in the opposition half as he is in his own. With Valencia currently fourth from bottom of the La Liga table, reports suggest he is disillusioned with life at the Mestalla and could be tempted by a move to the Emirates or anywhere else. Arsenal have also been keeping tabs on Standard Liege goalkeeper Guillaume Hubert, who shipped two goals when Arsène Wenger’s spies went to scout him in a recent match against Genk.
Wolfsburg midfielder Julian Draxler can regularly be found propping up the metaphorical bar at the Rumour Mill Arms, but he may have to find a new local if reports that he’s moving to Paris-Saint Germain for £34m prove to be true.
A host of Premier League clubs are interested in signing winger and fall-over merchant Ashley Young from Manchester United: Watford, Everton, West Bromwich, Burnley, Swansea and Hull City are all interested in hooking up with the 31-year-old. In other speedy winger news, Hull are considering bringing Jefferson Montero north from Swansea City and seem resigned to losing Robert Snodgrass, who might be off to The Hawthorns. The Baggies are also interested in signing the Aston Villa and Benin striker Rudy Gestede in January. The fee being mentioned is £7m.