Football transfer rumours: Atlético to sign Chelsea’s André Schürrle?
Fairly constructive stuff for Ronald Koeman's boys today, though, potentially: all eyes at St Mary's will be trained on Celtic Park this evening; all will be knocking back the Zubrowka and chanting something about Henning Berg's barmy army. To what avail? Well, if Celtic don't overturn their 4-1 first-leg deficit against Berg's Legia Warsaw in tonight's Champions League tie, then the story goes that England makeweight Fraser Forster will be freed up to head southwards for a novel weekly regimen of having shots to save. £6m? £8m? £9m? It depends who you listen to, but Forster probably deserves a crack at the Premier League by now. He might even be joined by his team-mate Virgil van Dijk if Koeman feels particularly excitable. And, if you believe their chairman, they're set to join a club that has everything in apple pie order a mere 10 days before the Premier League season's first knockings. The loan arrival of Saphir Taider from Internazionale, apparently due to be announced today, will underline the point - and the Algerian could be joined by current team-mate Ezequiel Schelotto.
Not everything has been in apple pie order for the Mill in the last few hours. That's what you get when you leave the window open in the height of summer, unprepared for an overnight deluge. We've needed a bit of a pick-me-up, something to remind us of sultry days and nights of lore, and - lo - here's one: if Barcelona are shopping for an Arsenal player then it must, after all, be August. This year it's Thomas Vermaelen, who Luis Enrique plans to add to his rare collection of left-footed centre-backs having already signed Jérémy Mathieu from Valencia. This one, reported on Tuesday and seemingly growing in traction, could be a goer - with the Belgian wanting out after a year spent largely as backup and the Gunners not especially sold on, errr, selling him to Manchester United. An offer of £12m would do it; you rather fancy, though, that Vermaelen - who will probably start the season for Arsenal at current rate of knots - would have more chance of a game at Old Trafford than in Catalonia, according to theguardian.com .
Vidal not so soon. "Cor! Vidal!" headline writers are still standing by. One of the summer's more protracted transfer tales shows little sign of dying a death, with the Chile manager Jorge Sampaoli saying that his and Juventus's midfield dynamo, Arturo Vidal, would probably be a Manchester United player by now if Louis van Gaal wasn't concerned about the knee injury that nagged him during the World Cup. Watch this space. For a while longer.
Atlético Madrid, cash-rich but still slightly player-poor after a summer of departures, are prowling around Chelsea's André Schürrle, and are willing to chance their arm that the London club need to shed a foreigner to comply with homegrown player regulations.
And could there be another departure from the Premier League? Hatem Ben Arfa, who isn't exactly the best of pals with current employers Newcastle, might be taking his maverick gifts back to Lyon - but it might depend whether he prefers a wage cut to a season doing the rounds in the Magpies's development squad.
Here's one that does appear to be a done deal: "Blackpool have signed a player!!!!!!" The joke seems to be running out of steam now that they actually have a few, and they're about to sign the Everton midfielder John Lundstram, who had spells at Leyton Orient and Yeovil last season, on loan.
