They must be putting something in the water on Fleet Street
It is approaching the end of March, a time when the previous window is far behind us, and the next one is not visible without binoculars. You would think it would be a time for little to no tittle tattle.
Instead, rumours the size of full-grown elephants are rumbling across the back pages today. If even a fraction of these come to pass, we are in for a very interesting summer.
Top of the bill, of course, is Falcao. El Tigre has been far from a roaring success at Old Trafford and it is widely expected that he will be dispatched back to Monaco as soon as the season is over.
However, today’s Sun reckons that the Colombian won’t be settling down in the principality for long, and that he is a target for both Liverpool and Chelsea. Both sides could do with another top line striker (which team wouldn’t) but on the evidence of this season, Falcao is nowhere near that level any more.
As they say, we’ll believe it when we see it.
But wait, there is more craziness in the press today. The reigning best player in the world is also being linked with a move. Cristiano Ronaldo, who it seems is not too chuffed with life at Real Madrid at the minute, is linked with a move to Manchester City by Sky Sports.
They spoke to Graham Hunter who said he has heard that the Manchester City players are sure a bid for the superstar will go in this summer. Of course, Ronnie may well say no, and considering his time at the red half of the Manchester, that is surely the most likely course of events, but who knows what will happen in the crazy world of football.
Only third billing today, which says a lot about the nature of the first two, is the suggestion in the Mirror that the two Manchester clubs will battle it out for Gareth Bale this summer. As unloved at Real Madrid as Wayne Barnes at an IRFU dinner, big clubs are circling the Welsh flyer, despite his assertion he wishes to stay in Spain.
In other tit bits, Juventus say that nobody has contacted them over a move for Paul Pogba (MEN), Charlie Austin may be off to Bournemouth if they get promoted (Sun) and Mats Hummels has finally slapped a ‘For Sale’ sign on himself, meaning Manchester United are going to try and plonk him in the middle of their defence next term.
So say the Mail anyway.