TRANSFER GOSSIP

MADRID PUT JAMES UP FOR SALE?
It has not gone tremendously well for James Rodriguez at Real Madrid. He has scored just eight goals this season and started just 17 La Liga games – not great for a player who cost 80 million euros. Now El Confidencial claim that he is available for the same amount – though Madrid might want to re-think that asking price as the Colombian did not even get off the bench for the Champions League final. It’s hard to see Manchester United or any other club paying that kind of money.
Rodriguez said recently: “In football you never know but I want to continue here and my idea is to have many more years with the club. I am happy here. All the people close to me are happy too. It’s the ideal club and I want to be here.”
But do they want you, fella?

MAN UNITED LINKED WITH MKHITARYAN
He’s the best European player not at Euro 2016 this summer and according to reports in Italy, Manchester United are very interested in the Borussia Dortmund man who notched 18 goals and 20 assists in the 2015/16 campaign. Tottenham, Arsenal and Juventus have all been linked with the Armenian international who seemed close enough to a Liverpool move that we learned how to spell his name last year.

ZIDANE WANTS POGBA
Well of course he does; he probably saw that assist for Olivier Giroud’s goal on Monday night. Here’s what the Real Madrid manager has said: “He is a great player, every team would want to have him. But he is a Juventus player and we have to respect that.”
Of course, some elements of the British press would still have you believe that he could join Manchester United.

AND THE REST
Middlesbrough are eyeing a £6 million move for Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel as they plan for their first campaign back in the Premier League…Manchester United are keen on a move for Bordeaux’s teen sensation Adam Ounas…Chelsea are lining up a £20m bid for Roma’s Germany defender Antonio Rudiger…Hugo Lloris has turned down Tottenham’s new contract offer…Liverpool are in discussions over a £4million move for Anderlecht teenager Samuel Bastien…West Brom defender James Chester has suggested he could join Wales centre-back partner Ashley Williams at Swansea City…Manchester United are interested in signing 19-year-old French midfielder Adam Ounas from Bordeaux…Leicester City are close to making their first signings of the summer, with the arrival of Germany goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler and Spanish defender Luis Hernandez.