Football transfer rumours: Liverpool eye £62m swoop for Federico Chiesa?

Today’s fluff has got to praise you like it should

Several Premier League clubs are circling like vultures over central Portugal, ready to feast upon the carcass of Sporting. The Iberian giants have been thrown into chaos as half their team attempt to terminate their contracts having being attacked at their training ground by what the Mirror refers to as “masked thugs”, enraged by their team’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, and if the players get their way a lot of totally free talent will suddenly become available. The goalkeeper Rui Patricio, who had previously been close to a £15.8m transfer to Wolves, might now conclude a free transfer to Wolves, while Arsenal are said to be interested in Gelson Martins, Bruno Fernandes has been watched by Liverpool, William Carvalho has been linked with West Ham and Everton in the past and Bas Dost is entertainingly tall. Also on his way from Portugal is Raúl Jiménez, Benfica’s Mexican striker, who is about to join Wolves on a season-long loan.

Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United, plus Napoli and Internazionale, are all ready to battle for the 20-year-old Fiorentina ace Federico “son of Enrico” Chiesa, who has been priced at £62m by his club after a season of superlative wingplay that would probably have earned him a place in his country’s World Cup squad if only they had one. Inter are unwilling to meet that price but are hoping to tempt La Viola with a crafty player swap arrangement, with the Brazilian left-back Dalbert, the teenage forward Yann Karamoh and the 19-year-old Italian defender Federico Valietti all on the table, making this very much the moment for a cash-rich English team to swoop.

Continue reading...