Football transfer rumours: Fellaini to be denied reunion with Moyes?

When you think about it, it’s a glaringly obvious transfer link-up. Marouane Fellaini and David Moyes, the Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton of the English Premier League, hooking up for a third time. With Moysey getting his feet under the table at West Ham and ‘Big Felly’, as his old Everton and Manchester United boss calls him, facing a 75% paycut at Shandong Luneng due to new regulations in China, it looks a match remade in heaven. Except, except, others in the know suggest that the Hammers have no interest in the king of chest control. That’s the thing about transfer rumours, they can’t always come true, no matter how much you might want them to.

With Harry Kane crocked until April, Moussa Dembélé, previously Chelsea-bound, has been linked with a move to Spurs, who are now to be found desperately scrabbling around for strikers. Milan’s Krzysztof Piatek is reported to have already agreed a deal to head to White Hart Lane. Chelsea and Tottenham meanwhile, are set to compete for the attentions of Atlético Madrid winger Thomas Lemar, yet to score a single goal this season. Habib Diallo of FC Metz is another striker linked with a move to Stamford Bridge as Olivier Giroud is almost definitely for the off.

Giroud’s agent has been pictured in Milan, and the word is a deal with Inter is in the offing. There, he will link up with Ashley Young, said to be ‘angered’ by Manchester United’s ‘token’ offer of a new amid interest from Inter and thus even more determind to hook up with Antonio Conte’s team.

Back to Spurs: Christian Eriksen, able to sign with his next club this month as his current contract expires this summer, has made a decision. And that decision is that he does not want to be a Manchester United player. United might be more successful in their hunt for a central defender to partner Harry Maguire, and Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli is a prime candidate, being one of the players that club president Aurelio De Laurentiis is willing to shell this summer.

Arsenal want new players to be added to a squad struck by injuries and also short of top talent but new manager Mikel Arteta has been told he can only sell to buy or loan in players if he wants to add a central defender and a midfielder to his ranks. That puts Nathan Aké out of range for the moment. And hence Arteta’s keenness to convince fans’ favourite Granit Xhaka to stay on at the Emirates.

Meanwhile, Gareth Bale does not want to leave Real Madrid, despite their continuing desperation to get him off the wage bill.