The Mill woke up this morning, picked another sheet off its banter-quote-a-day calendar and realised this was the final Mill of February. And that means when the Mill returns on Monday, it will be another month closer to when real transfers happen.
You see, February and October are the most difficult months. Mr 15% has gone on holiday and you need to dive really, really deep into the well to find some tittle-tattle or two-bob yarn about a move that, let’s face it, is probably never going to happen.
Still, Manchester United are always good to fill the void. And it appears Rafael da Silva could be on his way out at the end of the season if United can lure Nathaniel Clyne from Southampton. The Brazilian defender has one year remaining on his contract but Louis van Gaal is not too keen, having not utilised his services since the unimpressive FA Cup third-round win at Yeovil in early January. United, though, will have to compete with Chelsea for Clyne’s signature.
Nani spoke earlier this week of how he still loves United but the midfielder, currently doing very well on loan at Sporting Lisbon, may be changing his tune if Everton maintain their interest in moving him 30-odd miles down the M62, especially now it has become apparent he has been snubbed by Van Gaal since he headed off to Europe’s sunniest capital city. Not even a text! O Louis!
Not content with inflicting a massive blow to their Champions League hopes on Tuesday, Barcelona have issued a hands off to Manchester City where Sergio Busquets is concerned by giving him a new four-year contract. The World Cup winner will sign a piece of paper worth millions on Friday afternoon, spawning, one would assume, a picture of him grinning awkwardly with a pen in his hand at an angle that allows him to show off a very expensive watch. The only thing that really changes, though, is the transfer fee – see Luis Suárez at Liverpool as a reference point.
Was Wednesday’s debacle at the Emirates the moment that made Arsène Wenger finally sit up and take notice of his team’s fragility? Unlikely, given numerous previous unheeded warnings, but that has not stopped Arsenal being linked with Southampton’s midfield marshal Morgan Schneiderlin. He wanted to move last summer – with his most likely destination Spurs – before being told non after several big names had already marched out on the Saints. Next week, expect Arsenal to be linked with half the Monaco squad.
