The Mill is too tired for much tension this morning but sometimes we must bow to the good lord narrative and take our medicine. There’s nothing much like an urgently ticking clock to sharpen the senses, and in Manchester somebody – let’s say Ed Woodward, because we haven’t heard of any other United suits – has just thwacked one of those old-fashioned alarm clocks down on the table, twisted the knob, pursed his lips and sat back significantly, rapping his fingers on the table with impatience. A bit early for such machismo, you might think, but here’s the thing: Real Madrid now have under 48 hours to decide whether they want to buy Javier Hernández, and if they don’t then ... well ... heaven only knows.
Real’s first dibs on the player expire at the end of Thursday, and what had appeared to be a cut-and-dried case has been given a little extra intrigue by the fact that the striker has started scoring. Four in as many games now for the Mexican, who definitely has never borne a resemblance to Natalie Portman, including the winner against Atlético in last week’s Champions League drudgefest. That followed a five-and-a-half month drought, granted, but might Real just be tempted to get in there before Woodward’s timer wakes the dead? Probably not, in truth, but his value might at least hold up a bit now and those below the Champions League places will be queuing up. £10m? West Ham? Southampton? Or upwardly-mobile Lazio, if you like a bit of that. But only if Real don’t dramatically beat the clock.
The thing is, Real might be too busy – and so, in fact, might United. They’re busying themselves in the hope that Iker Casillas would rather enjoy a move to Arsenal this summer – even considering paying him to depart. Why do that to such a celebrated old stager? David de Gea is why. The ex-Atlético man and goalkeeper in the PFA’s team of the year has been in Real’s sights since the dawn of time, and – as ever – they don’t care whose nose they put out of joint to get their man. If Ed’s still winding up old timepieces, perhaps they’ll have a chance.
If all this is making United fans feel a little fretful, then look away now: Bayern Munich might beat your boys to the signing of Borussia Dortmund’s midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, in the annual shipment of footballing talent from the Ruhr to Bavaria. Gundogan’s contract expires in a year, and there are even suggestions that he will announce his destination on Friday – hot on the heels, of course, of those Chicharito tidings.
Other clubs are involved in the transfer market too. Not least Arsenal, who have taken a shine to Charlton’s 17-year-old defender Joe Gomez. The youngster is a right-back or centre-back who, for a princely £8m, could soon be seen treading the gold-plated path that took Carl Jenkinson across London. If that puts him off, Manchester City are said to be rather interested too, with United also waiting in the wings.
So with right-back all sorted, what about the other flank? Fear not, because the Torino left-back Matteo Darmian is also believed to be on the Gunners’ radar for an impressively precise £10.7m. Barcelona and, yes, Manchester United are also having a nibble at the Italian international.
And, while we’re here, a Theo Walcott tale for you. He might join Liverpool, which we’re sure nobody had ever mentioned before, but only if Arsenal get their hands on Barcelona’s out-of-favour Pedro. What a summer we’re in for, you feel, if the last set of Walcott contract negotiations is anything to go by.
There is a bit more. Manchester City will be changing things up a bit in the close-season, you fancy, and by coincidence so will Serie A’s third-placed side, Roma. All of which means that Samir Nasri could be transported from England to Italy, leading to a sense of gain in one and a feeling of profound loss in the other.
And finally, Everton, Newcastle and Stoke are all mad keen on the Crystal Palace winger Yannick Bolasie. “I will sell Yannick if someone wants to give me £40m to £60m, somewhere in there, that would be good,” said Alan Pardew recently. Seems a ballpark perfectly within the reach of those three suitors, doesn’t it?
