Welcome to JOE’s Transfer Digest, our round up of the the day’s transfer rumours and what they mean for you.
Today’s edition features a host of near deals, almost transfers and speculation, guaranteed to leave you hungry for some actual deals which may occur.
Chelsea-bound Morata regretting Man Utd tattoo on forehead
Saying that it was a heat-of-the-moment choice and one that now feels quite foolish, Chelsea-bound striker Alvaro Morata has admitted that he regrets getting a Manchester United tattoo on his forehead.
The Real Madrid striker had been poised to join the Red Devils, prompting him to both dye his hair red and have the three-times Champions League winners’ crest permanently emblazoned upon his face.
Speaking yesterday, the Spain international admitted that, in hindsight, the decision may not have been his wisest to date.
“Looking back, it might not have been a great idea. The hair, it is fine, it will grow. But to put this on my forehead and for the move to fall through is quite bad. To be honest, even if I had moved to United it would have been a bad idea,” said the former Juventus striker.
Morata later revealed that rather than getting the tattoo removed, he might instead add a new tattoo depicting a Chelsea fan urinating on the crest directly beside it.
Liverpool back in to not sign Keita
They have been spurned a number of times throughout the summer so far, but Liverpool are refusing to let a few rejections get in the way of necessary reinforcements.
Fresh from having a bid for the midfielder rejected, sources at Anfield say the club is planning a new unsuccessful bid for Red Bull Leipzig star Naby Keita, which they believed might appease their fans for a little longer.
The Premier League side have already broken their transfer record this summer on AS Roma’s Mohamed Salah, but manager Jurgen Klopp is keen to bolster his squad with another failed bid for Keita.
“The manager is highly aware of the areas of the team he wants to improve. Red Bull made it clear that our last offer was unacceptable, but we are more than prepared to return to the table and have another bid rejected,” said a club source today.
“It’s about evolution of the squad, so we’ll keep trying until we are eventually forced to resign Joe Allen.”
Barkley keen to test his ability to do nothing for half the season at Tottenham
They’ve been quiet in the transfer window this summer, but speculation recently has linked Tottenham Hotspur with a move for Everton midfielder Ross Barkley.
The Englishman has been unable to agree a new deal at Goodison Park, and it is believed Spurs are among a number of club interested in securing his services.
While the player himself is yet to speak out, a source close to him has revealed that he is desperate to prove himself and show he is capable of playing well for less than half the season at another club.
“Ross has had a good career at Everton. He’s pleased with what he has done but now he wants something new. He knows he has his doubters but he feels the time has come to show that, even if he does move to a Champions League side, he’ll still be capable of playing well in about 40% of all matches before coasting through to the end of the campaign,” said the source.
