Tottenham Hotspur reportedly want more than $100 million to sell Christian Eriksen to Real Madrid, but Los Galacticos have something else in mind to lower the price.
Spurs would get Colombian playmaker James Rodriguez as part of a deal, says AS, though the player’s star has fallen in recent years.
[ MORE: Barca lands De Jong ]
James has been on loan at Bayern Munich for a year and a half, and has played more under Niko Kovac. He missed six matches with a knee injury, but has three goals in nine Bundesliga appearances this season. It’s better than that, actually, as he has three goals and one assist in the matches which saw him on the field for more than a dozen minutes.
Would James plus cash be enough? Rodriguez is seven months older than Eriksen.
Newcastle has been linked with a pair of loan moves, with The Chronicle saying Mike Ashley sanctioned both during a weekend meeting with Rafa Benitez.
The manager had been reported as ready to walk away from the club if the Magpies hierarchy could not provide two players to his relegation battle.
Antonio Barreca and Gelson Martins are both starving for playing time at AS Monaco and Atletico Madrid, and Newcastle is looking moves which include the chance for permanent summer purchases.
Martins was linked as a possible swap piece in an Alvaro Morata deal, but he’d be a far more important part of Newcastle. The 23-year-old Portuguese playmaker only has 224 league minutes for Atleti, but scored 10 goals and registered nine assists for Sporting Lisbon last season.
The 23-year-old Barreca has struggled at both Torino and Monaco after a strong debut season in 2016-17.
-- We’ve saved perhaps the best for last: If Chelsea doesn’t want to sell Callum Hudson-Odoi to Bayern Munich, do you believe they’d let the youngster stay in the Premier League. Bild is reporting that Liverpool is trying to bring the 18-year-old to Anfield.