Jose wants Drogba return: Sensational news in the Sunday Mirror, which reports that Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has set his heart on bringing Didier Drogba back to Stamford Bridge after the striker visited the club's Cobham training ground last week for mystery talks with the Portuguese boss. Drogba may be 35 but Mourinho is keen to have him at his side once more and is even prepared to wait until next summer when his contract expires with Galatasaray.
Paper Round's view: Mourinho and Drogba formed an incredibly strong bond during the former's previous spell in charge of Chelsea and the club have failed to replace a player who scored 157 goals for the Blues before his departure in the summer of 2012. This story makes a lot of sense and could be a great move for all parties concerned - bar Galatasaray, of course.
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Rodgers targets hat-trick of signings: Liverpool have already been busy in the summer transfer market but according to the Sunday Mirror manager Brendan Rodgers is not done yet, with Ajax playmaker Christian Eriksen, team-mate Toby Alderweireld and Chelsea defender Ryan Bertrand all on his hit-list. The two Ajax stars, both in the final year of their contracts, are expected to cost Liverpool £22 million, and Alderweireld has rejected the chance to discuss terms with Norwich. Bertrand has been the subject of an enquiry from Rodgers, who coached him during his time working with Chelsea's youth team.
Paper Round's view: Liverpool seem to have a clear run at Eriksen as Borussia Dortmund have shelved their interest after signing Henrik Mkhitaryan, who himself was a target for the Reds. The two Ajax deals look fairly likely, though it remains to be seen whether Mourinho has a place for Bertrand in his squad.
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City close to Jovetic deal: Manchester City are closing in on the signing of Fiorentina forward Stevan Jovetic, according to the Sun on Sunday. The 23-year-old, who was linked with Arsenal earlier in the summer, will cost £27 million and is hoping to secure a contract worth around £120,000 per week. "It's pretty much sorted he'll go to City," a source close to the player told the paper. "They just have to sort his contract. It shouldn't be a big problem."
Paper Round's view: Once Manchester City show concrete interest there's very few players who will turn down a move to the Etihad Stadium, so this one looks a goer unless a club like United or PSG make a late move, which is very unlikely. Expect to see the Montenegrin magician in a Sky Blue shirt next season.
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No new United deal for Rooney: The Mail on Sunday details how Manchester United have made no plans to discuss a new contract with Wayne Rooney despite interest in the striker from Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. United chief executive Ed Woodward says the club's priority is to sign new players at present, rather than renew the £250,000-a-week contract of the England international which still has two years to run.
Paper Round's view: Rooney has done absolutely nothing to merit a new contract, especially given that he manipluated his way into getting his last one by requesting a transfer and questioning the club's ambition. United are right not to award Rooney for an average 2012-13 season and selling him might be the way forward in any case.
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Spurs struggling to sell Adebayor: Tottenham are busy trying to raise money for the signing of Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke but the Sunday People reports that attempts to flog Emmanuel Adebayor are proving frustrating. A £6m deal with Besiktas fell through after Adebayor refused to join the Turkish club and at present Tottenham need to get him off the books to finance a possible £25m deal for Benteke, who is also a target for Chelsea.
Paper Round's view: Adebayor might have to lower his horizons if Tottenham are to get rid. He remains a good option for a club seeking a tall, technical striker to lead their attack but a poor 2012-13 campaign means his stock has fallen. Spurs will no doubt flog him eventually, but it might take a few more weeks.
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