Struggling to pick out the facts from the figures? Reality from the rubbish? Sense from the silly season? We’ve got you sorted in our daily dose of the Transfer Predictor, where we round up the latest rumours with an analytical spin.
We sort through the most eye-catching transfer reports of the past 24 hours and give a balanced judgment on whether the move really will happen – and why.
CALLUM WILSON & DAVID BROOKS
Callum Wilson.
RUMOUR: Bournemouth -> £80m -> Spurs
Tottenham are ready to end their self-imposed transfer drought by swooping for the double signature of striker Callum Wilson and midfielder David Brooks from Bournemouth, claim The Sun.
WHY IT WILL HAPPEN: If Tottenham are going to dine at the top table of not just the Premier League but Europe for years to come, they need more quality bodies in the squad. When Harry Kane went down they were left with a fairly useful Fernando Llorente, but Wilson – the top EPL scorer outside the top six behind Jamie Vardy last season (14) – oozes class. Brooks is just 21 but was a sensation in his first year in the top tier, and could potentially replace Christian Eriksen if needed as a versatile option in midfield.
WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN: Seriously, how many ‘double swoops’ ever happen? Bournemouth will be loath to give up not just one but two of their prized assets, especially as another in Ryan Fraser could run down his contract and walk for free next season. Every Premier League club can hold out for a premium given the cash sloshing around, and it’s difficult to imagine a parsimonious Daniel Levy breaking the bank for either.
TRANSFER PREDICTOR: 4/10
MOUSSA DEMBELE
Moussa Dembele: Only Kylian Mbappe (30) has scored more goals from open play than Demebele (14) in Ligue 1 this season
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) May 24, 2019
For more player stats -- https://t.co/5Qg9YANa2V pic.twitter.com/Tu1IAFKKF1
Manchester United have made their initial interest in Lyon striker Moussa Dembele concrete by submitting a €40m bid for his services, say Goal.
WHY IT WILL HAPPEN: The chatter over the exits of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, potentially both to Italy and even Inter Milan, continues to grow. United need replacements – even if Sanchez’s presence was a black hole – and a young striker with room to grow at a rather reasonable price for this day and age makes a whole lot of sense. Marcus Rashford needs both help and competition, and former Celtic striker Dembele – who scored 20 goals for Lyon this season – can tick both boxes.
WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN: The Lukaku and Sanchez offload plans could easily fall through given their bloated wages and rotten reputations at the moment. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer does also have the incredibly talented academy youngster Mason Greenwood at his disposal, though he doesn’t even turn 18 until October. And there’s been, er, talk about a potential move for Antoine Griezmann from The Independent.
TRANSFER PREDICTOR: 8/10
NICOLAS PEPE
Nicolas Pépé’s 2018-19 Ligue 1 season by numbers:
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) May 24, 2019
38 games
118 total shots
108 fouls won
102 take-ons completed
70 chances created
22 goals
11 assists
*phones begin to ring* 🤑 pic.twitter.com/tGSw7UjQ0x
RUMOUR: Lille -> €80m -> PSG
Lille have slapped an €80m price tag on Nicolas Pepe and are in negotiations with PSG, according to Yahoo Sport journalist Manu Lonjon.
WHY IT WILL HAPPEN: In April, Pepe notched a goal and two assists as Lille blew Paris Saint-Germain away. It did nothing but postpone PSG’s cruise to the Ligue 1 title, but it clearly made them sit up and notice. With Neymar and Edinson Cavani out for large portions of the campaign, their back-ups were cut from a rather uninspiring cloth. The 23-year-old Pepe – who hit 20 goals in the league – is a superstar of the future, a future in which they hope the Champions League lies.
WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN: As always – just how much can PSG spend to remain on the right side of the FFP rules? A sale of Neymar is a distinct possibility, especially as they continue to ferociously deny that Kylian Mbappe is going anywhere. They also need cover in midfield, given that Adrien Rabiot is leaving on a free and they were forced to play defenders Marquinhos and Dani Alves there for parts of the year, while Leandro Paredes hasn’t lit up Parc des Princes yet. The Parisians may well have to negotiate that price tag down significantly.
TRANSFER PREDICTOR: 7/10
