Fernando Llorente: Wayne Rooney's replacement at Old Trafford?
Photograph: Cesar Manso/AFP/Getty Images
According to this morning's Daily Mail, Manchester
United are "monitoring" Athletic Bilbao's Spain striker
Fernando Llorente. Llorente is 6ft 5in tall and
would cost £25m. Real Madrid are also interested. Manchester City
and Chelsea are both after "the new Ronaldo", the Sporting Lisbon
teenager Bruma, who is 15 years old.
"City are said to be offering the teenager £220,000 just as a
signing bonus, while a home, cars and work for his family would
also be made available." Work for his family? The Mill is
intrigued. Is that legal? How closely do you have
to be related to Bruma to get a job? What if the Mill applies for
the same post but is turned down on grounds of not being Bruma's
second cousin – can the Mill have Sheikh Mansour imprisoned in the
Hague under EU law freedom of Bruma migrant worker fairness
regulations? So many unanswered questions.
Also in the Mail, Brazilian disappointment Kaká
could be on his way out of Real Madrid if an improbable Wayne
Rooney swoop looks likely. Kaká cost £56m. He's still only
28. Manchester City and Chelsea are said to be
"interested", but they may just be being polite.
In the Daily Mirror, Sven-Goran Eriksson is "chasing Manchester
United starlet" Ritchie De Laet. Run, Ritchie. Run like the
wind. And don't agree to do anything you're not entirely
comfortable with. Birmingham goal-sensation Cameron Jerome wants to
sign a new contract to stay at the club. Barry Ferguson, Keith
Fahey, Stephen Carr and Mickey Pearce from Only Fools and
Horses (also known as Liam Ridgewell) have all recently
signed new deals.
In today's Sun, the "clamour" for Kenny
Dalglish has reached semi-deafening, almost audible
insect-whisper levels. "Roy Hodgson's Anfield future is on a
knife-edge after the Kop boss admitted
he could be powerless to stop
Fernando Torres leaving," says the Voice of
Merseyside.