It’s Hallowe’en, and cute little kiddies all around the world go out to observe the time-honoured custom of Food And Coin Now Or Window Put Through With Brick. Steven Gerrard is too old to play that game these days, but that hasn’t stopped him issuing a threat of his own today. He’s told Liverpool he might be off in the summer if they don’t get a wriggle on and offer him a new contract. Where to? Good question.
Manchester United are in for a couple of strikers, because they’ve got that habit now. Abdul Majeed Waris of Trabzonspor and Italian hitman Mario Balo … hold on … Mattia Destro are in their sights. Chelsea are also interested in the Roma forward. Arsenal, meanwhile, desperately need a defensive midfielder and as many defenders as they can source, so naturally they’re in for Destro too, as well as Barcelona’s 73rd-choice striker Pedro.
Manchester United and Chelsea also plan to do battle over the Atlético Madrid centre-back João Miranda. He’ll cost £18m, though United hope to barter that price down by throwing in Juan Mata.
Crystal Palace and QPR are both interested in the Spurs full-back Benoît Assou-Ekotto.
And it’s now only two months until all the mid-season transfer frolics begin, so the quality of rumour should pick up again fairly soon. We hope.