Real Madrid are willing to sell Jese Rodriguez to Arsenal if the Premier League club match their £21.1 million valuation of the prodigy. 

Spanish outlet Don Balon (h/t Luke Gardener of the Daily Star) reported Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is “very interested” in taking the starlet from Los Blancos after the attacker failed to nail down a place in coach Rafael Benitez’s regular starting XI. 

The Emirates team have lost Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey and Hector Bellerin to injury in recent times, per Gardener, highlighting the club’s lack of depth, and forcing Wenger to look towards the January transfer window with bated breath.

Jese is thought to be keen to find a new club after his failure in the Spanish capital, as French publication Le10 Sport (h/t Jamie Anderson of the Daily Star) reported his current disharmony in La Liga. 

Despite Anderson describing the north London side as “front-runners” in the chase for the 22-year-old, they will face stiff opposition from Inter Milan, who want the attacker at the San Siro. However, they value Jese at £15 million, per Anderson, which is short of the Galacticos’ estimate. 

The player has previously been tipped to be a star of the future for Real, but with a host of alpha males in his path, the progression to the starting XI has been blocked. 

Despite not completing 90 minutes for Madrid this season, according to Squawka.com, Jese has appeared seven times in La Liga, scoring twice and impressing. 

His progress was cut down in 2014 due to a serious knee injury, as reported by Sky Sports, but he has battled his way back to full fitness, and desperately needs first team football. 

The Spain under-21 forward was reflective after his knee injury and operation, but he took a mature stance on a difficult situation, as quoted by FourFourTwo’s David Cartlidge: “I had a very tough time, but I think that things in life happen for a reason. Maybe I had the injury because I needed to learn and become a more mature footballer.”

Football writer Jamie Kemp believes it is frustrating Jese has not been given a bigger role since the start of the season:

Jese is a supremely talented individual, and he just needs the right side to prove his worth.

Arsenal play a brand of football that will suit the youngster, but Wenger’s collection of attacking midfielders may ensure the player spends as much time on the bench as he currently does in Spain. 

Arsenal Watch Xhaka

Wenger is tracking Borussia Monchengladbach’s Granit Xhaka and has sent a club official to watch the player in the Bundesliga. 

German publication SportBild (h/t SportWitness.com) said the Gunners will continue to monitor the Switzerland ace, who has impressed since joining the team from Basel in 2012.

Xhaka has a buyout clause in his current deal set at €30 million, but it can only be activated in 2017, according to SportBild.

The player is a jack of all trades in midfield and can perform a defensive function while also moving box-to-box, making the 23-year-old perfect for Wenger’s needs.

The Swiss is certainly more suited to the Gunners’ current requirements than Jese, as Wenger searches for a player who can provide defensive stability while allowing his attackers to play their flair game.

Xhaka is ready for the step up to the Premier League and has proved in Germany he has the class and motivation to play at a higher level.

The central operator has plenty of experience despite being young and would blossom at the Emirates if given the chance. 

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Arsenal’s hopes of landing Real Madrid’s Jese Rodriguez have been boosted after reports suggested the attacker is ready to leave the Bernabeu. 

French publication Le10 Sport (h/t Jamie Anderson of the Daily Star) said the 22-year-old player wants to secure a starting berth, and will “seriously consider” departing Los Blancos in order to do so.

Anderson described the Gunners as “front-runners” in the race to capture the youngster, but they will face stiff opposition from Inter Milan, who want to buy the Spanish under-21 international. The Italians are ready to spend £15 million to earn his signature, dashing manager Arsene Wenger’s hopes.

Jese hasn’t featured in a full 90 minutes for the Galacticos under new boss Rafael Benitez this term and a move to one of Europe’s traditional elite will appeal. 

AS (h/t Daily Mirror, via the Irish Independent) report Madrid are willing to discuss the player’s transfer with prospective suitors, allowing Wenger to make his move in the forthcoming transfer window.

The Spaniard has fought his way through the youth system at Real, and appeared to have a bright future before suffering a serious knee injury in 2014, as reported by Sky Sports.

However, he returned to full action last season as he battled for match fitness, but he has failed to become a regular starter among Madrid’s superstar contingent.

Squawka‘s Phil Kitromilides believes Jese warrants a bigger role at Madrid as he further develops:

On Saturday, he scored against his hometown club Las Palmas – his second goal of a season in which he has started just four league matches. Both his strikes this term have been of serious quality, showing an innate hunger as well as an awareness of goal, and Monday’s edition of Madrid-based sports daily AS has him on their front cover with the headline: “Jese’s Moment”.

They, along with others, are calling for the 22-year-old to be given a run in the side, even when Madrid’s litany of injured stars return.

The attacking midfielder has featured seven times in La Liga this season, scoring twice from his versatile attacking role, per WhoScored.com.

Jese has the ability to play across the attack, from left to right, and he would add another dimension to the Gunners’ forward line.

However, he is not the striker that the team craves, as Wenger looks to add weight to the contributions of Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott. 

United To Beat Arsenal To Chelsea Wonderkid

Manchester United look set to pip Wenger to the signature of Chelsea teenager Charly Musonda after the player has become frustrated with life at Stamford Bridge.

French outlet FootMercato.net (h/t Luke Gardener of the Daily Star) said the 19-year-old is prepared to jump ship from west London after joining the Premier League champions’ youth academy from Anderlecht in 2012.

However, the midfielder signed a new contract in March, tying him to coach Jose Mourinho’s outfit for four years, pushing his transfer value to “around £10.6 million,” as noted by Gardener.

Musonda might be one that gets away, but the capture of Jese would more than soften the blow.

The Spaniard has been one of La Liga’s burgeoning talents for a couple of seasons, and he has appeared to be on the verge of a big breakthrough before several false starts.

North London would be a great platform for Jese to perform on, as Wenger’s tactics would allow him to play the passing style he is used to. 

Sealing his signature early should mean he is not too expensive to sign in January, and his developing talent would be appreciated by the Arsenal faithful.

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Real Madrid are reportedly open to the idea of selling young forward Jese Rodriguez, amid rumours that Arsenal are interested in the 22-year-old forward.

That’s according to Madrid-based newspaper AS (h/t Daily Mirror, via the Independent), which claimed that Jese is growing tired of his lack of opportunities with Los Blancos and that Real are now reportedly willing to move the player.

Jese has started four La Liga matches so far in 2015-16, scoring two goals, as noted by WhoScored.com. Those four starts have largely come whenever top striker Karim Benzema was unavailable; when the Frenchman is healthy, he’ll always be the automatic starter.

That’s not to say Jese hasn’t proved himself a valuable asset when given the chance. Squawka‘s Phil Kitromilides thinks he has certainly shown enough to be given a bigger role moving forward:

On Saturday, he scored against his hometown club Las Palmas – his second goal of a season in which he has started just four league matches. Both his strikes this term have been of serious quality, showing an innate hunger as well as an awareness of goal, and Monday’s edition of Madrid-based sports daily AS has him on their front cover with the headline: “Jese’s Moment”.

They, along with others, are calling for the 22-year-old to be given a run in the side, even when Madrid’s litany of injured stars return.

Jese has long been regarded as one of the brightest talents to emerge from Real’s youth setup in years, displaying a phenomenal scoring touch that saw him promoted to the senior squad in 2012. He impressed greatly during the 2013-14 season and appeared to be on the verge of superstardom.

All was going well for the youngster until he suffered a serious knee injury in March of 2014. He didn’t return to the pitch until December of that year and has been working his way back to top form ever since.

His performances in the past couple of weeks indicate that he has finally made it back, providing Real with a capable and talented backup to Benzema. Jese will continue to see his minutes in cup matches and against La Liga’s lesser teams, allowing Benzema to be well-rested for Los Blancos‘ top clashes.

AS have made the most of Jese‘s triumphant return in the last couple of weeks, as Kitromilides alluded to in his piece for Squawka. Just last week, it claimed Inter Milan have been scouting him for a while with an eye on a January transfer (h/t Football Espana), followed by these latest claims linking him with Arsenal.

It’s hard to believe the youngster would be disappointed with a lack of minutes, given the fact he’s currently playing more than ever and having spent so long working his way back from injury. Likewise, Real’s willingness to let him leave now that he’s establishing himself as a viable backup makes little sense.

Jese‘s future will become clear once Benzema is fully healthy and ready to rival him for the starting position. If the Spaniard can’t find enough minutes to continue his development, a deal similar to the one Juventus struck for Alvaro Morata could come into play.

Like Jese, Morata was stuck behind Benzema in the pecking order and was sold to Juventus in a deal that included a buy-back clause. It’s unclear whether Real will use the clause or whether Morata is interested in returning to Madrid, and the outcome of that situation should in turn play a role in how Real move forward with Jese.

Galatasaray Want Joel Campbell?

Turkish news outlet Fanatik (h/t Turkish Football, via Metro‘s Mark Brus) believes Galatasaray are preparing a January move for Joel Campbell.

The 23-year-old winger has seen limited opportunities with the Gunners after a series of loan spells and is widely expected to leave the club at some point in the near future.

He recently told IBTimes UK’s Eduardo Fernandez-Abascal that he has no intention of leaving north London, however:

No (I didn’t want to move). I’m here at Arsenal, I am very happy. I keep fighting for my dream and I think I still have a long-term future here.

Obviously a player always wants to play but in a team which has so many quality players like Arsenal, you need to be patient and taking the chance when it arrives

The Costa Rican has recently seen an increase in playing time due to a series of injuries to his team-mates, but when everyone’s healthy, Campbell hardly ever leaves the bench. Last season was supposed to be his breakout campaign after a superb showing at the 2014 World Cup, but he didn’t start a single Premier League match and was ultimately loaned to Villarreal.

James McNicholas of uMAXit Football thinks he still has a role to play, but not as a starter:

Fans have been waiting for Campbell to break out and establish himself as a top attacking option for years, and it still hasn’t happened. He’s a solid depth option who can add something to Arsene Wenger’s squad, but if Galatasaray are willing to pay fair value, a transfer should be considered.

Campbell deserves the opportunity to prove himself in a situation where he has the chance to play more minutes, and Galatasaray could provide that option. His insistence on proving himself with the Gunners is admirable, but at some point he has to make the best decision for his career.

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Saturday’s 2-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion saw Manchester United fans in more familiar voice than they had been in the near-mutinous atmosphere on Tuesday evening against CSKA Moscow.

There was barely an outing for the “attack-attack-attack!” refrain that has been so familiar of late. In spite of Tony Pulis’ sides best efforts to prevent United from doing so, they did indeed attack and by the end of the game were certainly worth their 2-0 lead.

The opening goal had been an emotional one—a first senior competitive goal for a player who has been at United for long enough to have had training from Cristiano Ronaldo when the superstar still had long streaks of blonde highlights in his hair.

Jesse Lingard’s opener was a peach too, beautifully curled in from the edge of the area—an area of the pitch from which United had appeared reluctant to shoot.

Anthony Martial was involved in the buildup, as he was in winning the penalty that Juan Mata used to put a shine on the scoreline.

Admittedly, United’s attacking unit once again failed to create many standout chances before Lingard’s goal. After the game, Pulis rued Claudio Yacob’s positioning and a Chris Brunt header, which he felt was instrumental in allowing the youngster to score.

Of course, the positive take on the football Louis van Gaal’s side is playing is it requires the opposition to be at their defensive best for long stretches of the game. United repeatedly probed West Brom, looking for weaknesses. Eventually, as against most sides this season, especially at home, United found a way to make the breakthrough.

Van Gaal said after the game that United’s back-to-back wins over teams that set out to play with 10 men behind the ball may cause a rethink in terms of the way opponents approach their visits to Old Trafford. He suggested United had sent a message of “OK, you can do that” but United would find a way through.

That may be true, but the lack of entertainment value remains an issue.

In truth, Van Gaal has some justification when he puts part of the lack of that entertainment value down to the tendency of opposition coaches to set their side up to defend deep, cede possession and hit on the counter.

It is the model Jose Mourinho developed at Inter Milan as a means to thwart Pep Guardiola’s superlative-defying Barcelona side. United are nowhere near that level, but Mourinho deployed the same tactic when Van Gaal’s side visited Stamford Bridge in April last season.

Chelsea won that game 1-0, and United have faced an awful lot of nine- or 10-man defences since.

So far this season, Newcastle United, Sunderland, CSKA Moscow and even Manchester City have chosen a similar approach to try and get points out of Old Trafford. Perhaps Van Gaal will be proved correct and coaches will seek a different approach now United have shown the capacity to break through.

The manager must hope that is the case. He can get just about get away with fans being less than enthralled by the football on show while the side is winning. Another long dry spell in front of goal will surely lead to further vocal frustration.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Van Gaal was full of praise for United’s fans, saying he had never known a group like them. He did, however, suggest they had been influenced by Paul Scholes and the media reporting on Scholes’ comments when it came to their cries for attack.

There may be some truth in that, but Van Gaal should be careful. It is hard not to think that if Scholes comments had an influence, it was because it struck a chord with what fans were feeling.

There was entertainment on show against West Brom if you were looking hard enough. The two goals were the most exciting moments of the game, although there were plenty of individual skills demonstrated by United’s talented players.

One such moment was Martial’s brilliantly deft header knocked into the path of Juan Mata. Another was Wayne Rooney‘s flick to Mata in the first half before the Spaniard curled the subsequent chance wide. Chris Smalling was once again imperious, and his performances continue to be a highlight.

However, the overall effect of the spectacle certainly relied upon the goals to satisfy United fans. If the goals keep coming, the style will just about be forgiven. But in terms of fan contentment, Van Gaal and his brand of possession football are on a short leash.

Van Gaal might be hoping the CSKA and WBA games send a message to other coaches so they turn up to attack. However, it is a game of fine margins—CSKA had a great chance with the game at 0-0. Saido Berahino missed a superb chance for WBA when the Baggies were trailing 1-0. Perhaps coaches will look at those moments and back their team to do better.

The likelihood is there will be more long afternoons and evenings ahead at Old Trafford and that the Red Devils will continue to have to find their way through plenty of deep-lying defences. Fans will likely have to rely on moments like Lingard’s opener to find enjoyment in what is proving to be a challenging season.

All quotations obtained firsthand.

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Mauro Icardi, Youri Tielemans, Munir El Haddadi and Juan Quintero—they are all 22 or younger, they have all been linked with a move to the Premier League and they can all be found over the following pages, as our believability meter calls fact or fiction on the rumours of the week.

We also bring you the latest speculation surrounding Liverpool and Everton‘s reported interest in Cristian Tello, plus Andrea Pirlo’s mooted loan to Inter Milan and Romelu Lukaku‘s links with Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.

Read on for more.

Begin Slideshow

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Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi is reportedly open to a transfer to Liverpool, according to Fichajes (h/t Daily Mirror).

The 22-year-old forward has emerged as one of Serie A’s top strikers since joining the Nerazzurri, but he was recently dropped from the starting XI for the all-important clash with AS Roma, sparking plenty of transfer rumours.

Manager Roberto Mancini quickly moved to downplay the decision to sit him, per Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia). However, since then, a host of Premier League clubs have reportedly emerged as suitors, according to many outlets (h/t Football Italia).

Corriere dello Sport (h/t Sport Witness) even claimed Inter sporting director Pie­ro Au­si­lio is already in England and could be open to the idea of parting with Icardi, despite the player’s importance to the club.

Just 22 years old, Icardi is already Inter’s captain and the club’s most deadly scorer, netting 22 times in 33 Serie A starts last season, per WhoScored.com.

FourFourTwo’s Adam Digby thinks his instincts in front of goal are unmatched on the Italian peninsula:

Blessed with excellent athleticism and an incredible nose for goals, Icardi usually plays as Inter’s main target man, and he’s often responsible for most of the danger the Italian side creates.

He also has a tendency to be really selfish on the pitch, although that has actually served him well with Inter. Prior to the arrival of Stevan Jovetic, the Nerazzurri were desperately short of scoring options, but the Serb and Ivan Perisic have taken much of the load off Icardi’s back.

From a pure football point of view, Icardi would make a great addition to the Liverpool squad, providing he can learn to be content with a smaller role and figures out he doesn’t have to score all of his team’s goals.

He has the physical stature to be a target man and hold up the ball in the Premier League, and his mobility would be a great fit in manager Jurgen Klopp’s fast-paced system.

Icardi’s biggest issue remains his mentality, however. The Reds’ recent history with controversial, selfish players coming from the Serie A is spotty at best, to put it lightly, and the memories of Mario Balotelli’s spell with the club still linger at Anfield.

Like Icardi, Balotelli is a supremely gifted young striker with an impressive scoring record, but he never adapted to the English game, was seemingly unwilling to work his hardest and quickly became an unpopular figure among the Liverpool faithful.

And while the Italian’s time with the club was a major disappointment, it’s worth remembering he moved to Anfield for a relatively modest transfer fee, given his obvious talents. He only cost the Reds £16 million, per the Daily Mail‘s Alex Miller, and Icardi would be a far more expensive purchase in January.

He may not have started against Roma, but he remains Inter’s captain and top attacking option. The Nerazzurri won’t part with him cheaply, so unless Icardi can show he has matured enough to warrant such an investment, he may present too much of a risk for Liverpool.

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Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has dealt a blow to potential suitors Chelsea by declaring his love for the Bianconeri.

On Wednesday, the Sun‘s Carl Long reported the Blues are still keeping tabs on the Frenchman after the revelation he won’t be heading to Barcelona, but according to Football Italia, the midfielder told Juve’s official TV channel:

Juve are the first team where I started to play. They’re the team who allowed me to go to the national team, the team where I scored my first goal, so now they’re the club of my heart.

They let me prove myself in football, and had the confidence in me to put me on the pitch.

How much do I love Juve out of 10? 10! Since I’ve been here, I’ve always given my best for the club, for the shirt, for everything. I play at 100 per cent. Always.

Like his team, Pogba hasn’t quite been at his breathtaking best this season, and the 22-year-old has been forced to shoulder the responsibility of carrying the Bianconeri’s midfield in the wake of Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal’s departures.

Nevertheless, the Frenchman has still been able to show flashes of his quality, such as this delicious long-range effort in the Turin derby, courtesy of BT Sport Football:

Also worth sharing is his incredible assist for Stephan Lichtsteiner against Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League:

Chelsea could do with revitalising their midfield, and the addition of Pogba would undoubtedly meet that need and then some, but if he won’t be moving to the Camp Nou, it seems he may be content to remain in Turin.

Another Italy-based star the Blues could be set to miss out on is Inter Milan‘s Mauro Icardi, after Italian outlet Tuttosport (h/t Joe Short of the Express) reported the club are dismissing the notion he could be sold.

After bagging 27 goals and nine assists in all competitions last season, Icardi will be highly sought after, but for the foreseeable future, it seems he’ll be terrorising defences in Serie A rather than the Premier League.

Further afield, the Blues are reportedly interested in New York Red Bulls defender Matt Miazga, but the 20-year-old turned down the chance to join them.

So reports FourFourTwo‘s Martin Harasimowicz, who shared Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch’s praise for the youngster on MLS.net:

I think in many ways he’s been one of the best defenders in the league this year and should be considered in that echelon. His starting points are very high – everything from his mentality, to his awareness, to his athleticism – which means his ceiling is very high.

Miazga is one of the most exciting prospects in MLS—a league slowly but steadily growing in stature all the time—and his decision to remain there for the time being was a smart one.

While Chelsea could use defensive improvement, it’s far from guaranteed he would get the regular minutes he needs to continue his development.

Harasimowicz also reports Miazga still harbours ambitions to play in the Premier League eventually, though, so don’t be surprised if Chelsea return for him a year or two down the line.

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Arsenal are set to face further competition in the race to sign Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi—but the Serie A side will fight tooth and nail to keep their star.

According to Joe Short of the Express, the Gunners, along with rivals Chelsea and Manchester United, are interested in signing the forward, but club president Erick Thohir is adamant his player won’t be among those departing in January.

He told Italian outlet Tuttosport (h/t Short): “Icardi is our captain. He can now show that he can score more goals. There is a completely different team behind him, he and his team-mates need time.”

The striker has just three goals and an assist in nine Serie A matches this season, but he racked up an exceptional 27 goals and nine assists in all competitions last year. As WhoScored.com demonstrate, the 22-year-old has developed well in recent seasons:

Despite his goalscoring exploits, beIN Sports’ Matteo Bonetti favours Serie A’s other young striking talents:

Italian football expert James Horncastle acknowledged the youngster has not been at his best this year as Inter adapt to a raft of new faces brought in over the summer, but he is nevertheless convinced he will prove crucial to the club’s fortunes, per WhoScored.com:

Horncastle also noted his “instinct for goal is comparable with a shark finding a single drop of blood in the ocean.”

A clinical finisher, Icardi could help give Arsenal an even more ruthless edge up front, which would undoubtedly prove a huge help in sustaining a serious title challenge.

The Argentinian is naturally a crucial player at the San Siro, though, so Inter are of course reluctant to part with one of their stars as they seek a return to challenging for league titles themselves.

The Nerazzurri may not be the powerhouse they were in days gone by, which could see Icardi tempted to make a further step up to a club like Arsenal, but after recruiting well in the summer, they demonstrated their ambition and that could well see Icardi decide to stay.

One player who could be on the move is Mathieu Debuchy, after France manager Didier Deschamps has hinted the right-back may need to seek pastures new in January. Per Uche Amako of the Express, he said: “Mathieu Debuchy is in a position where he is playing very little, when he does play, look at yesterday’s result. He has a decision to make in December or January. He hasn’t lost his quality, he’s playing very little.”

The Frenchman’s injury problems since arriving at the Emirates have presented Hector Bellerin with a golden opportunity to nail down a starting berth, and the young Spaniard’s emergence has severely restricted Debuchy’s first-team opportunities.

Like the rest of Arsenal’s defence, Debuchy struggled to cope with Bayern Munich’s onslaught in the Champions League on Wednesday, though as Squawka Football revealed, he was the only defender to get close to the Bundesliga giants:

Debuchy is understandably lacking match practice but has experience and has shown in the past to be an effective full-back at Premier League level, making him a useful back-up for the Gunners in Bellerin’s stead.

However, particularly with the 2016 European Championships looming on the horizon, the 30-year-old isn’t likely to be content with a back-up role.

Further, though he has been selected in France’s squad for the upcoming international break, as Amako notes, Deschamps’ words are a clear indication that to make the tournament he needs regular minutes on the pitch.

Bellerin’s youth makes him a better long-term candidate for Arsenal, so barring a lengthy lay-off, Debuchy isn’t likely to be appearing regularly anytime soon, so expect him to seek a move in January.

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Cristiano Ronaldo has received an offer from Manchester United to rejoin them from Real Madrid, but he has alternative options in potential deals with Paris Saint-Germain and an unnamed MLS team.  

French newspaper L’Equipe (h/t Will Giles of Metro) reported Ronaldo is now mulling over his options, and despite PSG leading the race, United will not let their former player escape their clutches without a battle. 

Further rumours circulated after the player was spotted speaking to PSG coach Laurent Blanc as Madrid beat the Ligue 1 side in the Champions League, whispering into the manager’s ear, per Giles.

Ronaldo was lined up for a dramatic return to United before the departure of former boss Sir Alex Ferguson, with ex-United vice-captain Patrice Evra confirming to the Sunday Times (h/t FourFourTwo) the winger was almost certain to move back to the north-west:

I remember we talked maybe two weeks before and he [Ferguson] said, ‘Patrice, I will be here another five years’.

I said, ‘Yes boss. Let’s do it.’ I was so convinced. He was looking younger and younger, amazing. He even told me ’99 per cent, Cristiano Ronaldo will come’. I was like, ‘wow, we are ready to bounce back and to even win the Champions League again.

After that everyone knows what happened. You know when you are lost and you feel like the world is crumbling? It was a big trauma, I felt lost.

Ronaldo opted to stay at the Bernabeu after Ferguson’s sudden retirement, but with United now back in Champions League action after David Moyes’ disastrous tenure, they can offer the player the platform he needs and warrants. 

United also believe they will soon knock Los Blancos off of their perch as the world’s richest club after the Premier League TV deal comes into effect in 2016, per Mike Keegan of the MailOnline.

The Red Devils also have the global support of sponsor Adidas in the pursuit of the best players on the planet, as the sportswear giant pumps £750 million into the Old Trafford coffers, per Keegan. 

Since Fergie departed the Theatre of Dreams in 2013, Ronaldo has carried on his incredible goalscoring record for the Galacticos, hitting 79 goals in two full seasons in La Liga, as well as adding a further eight goals in the league in 2015-16, according to WhoScored.com.

Madrid will surely not want to sell Ronaldo at this juncture, as CR7 continues to plunder the goals for the club, but with the player now on the wrong side of 30, he might want to challenge himself away from the Spanish capital. 

Inter Milan Scout Jese 

Serie A giants Inter Milan are watching Madrid starlet Jese Rodriguez in the hope of luring the prodigy to Italian football.

Gazzetta World said the Nerazzurri were in attendance on Tuesday to watch the player start in the Champions League, and the San Siro giants remain “favourites” to capture his signature if President Florentino Perez authorises his exit. 

Despite the speculation, Jese recently told the club’s official website (h/t talkSPORT) he is content to stay with Madrid, despite not always maintaining a starting berth: “I’ve always wanted to be at Real Madrid and be a success. I’m very happy. I always try to make the most of the playing time the coach gives me, and I feel good and I have to carry on like this.”

The 22-year-old has been linked to Liverpool and Arsenal in recent weeks, per talkSPORT, but a move to Serie A now appears the most likely destination. 

The exit of manager Carlo Ancelotti has triggered thoughts of transition at the Bernabeu, but whether Perez would allow Ronaldo to leave the club while under contract is highly questionable. 

Ronaldo’s form is as good as ever, and if he moves to United or PSG, they will be strengthening a Champions League rival—whatever the final transfer fee is. 

Gareth Bale has been groomed to take over for CR7 when the Portugal player finally moves on from the Spanish capital, but while he continues to score goals at the current rate, a transfer must be rejected by Perez and coach Rafael Benitez. 

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Chris Smalling is having a remarkable season, although it is too soon to say for certain whether Wayne Rooney‘s assertion that the Manchester United defender is one of the top three in the world is correct.

Rooney made the claim in an interview with United Review—the Manchester United programme (h/t the club’s website).

Of course, the United captain’s status as a scout is called into question by the fact that, according to Morgan Schneiderlin, per Rob Dawson in Manchester Evening News, he had never heard of Anthony Martial before United were linked with him. 

However, assuming that the top three centre-backs in the world are better known than Martial was during his time at Monaco, though, does Smalling belong that high up in the pantheon?

On Tuesday night at Old Trafford, he gave a fine example of his worth to Louis van Gaal’s side. With the score at 0-0, Seydou Doumbia had come off the bench for CSKA Moscow and, during one of the Russian side’s rare forays into United’s half, had forced a save from David De Gea.

The stopper was unable to prevent the ball from falling back into Doumbia’s path. Ashley Young, desperate to cover the ground, fell victim to the damp conditions and slipped ingloriously, leaving the Ivorian with a certain goal.

Until, apparently out of nowhere, Smalling materialised between the ball and the goal. Doumbia could, and perhaps should, have done better, but nonetheless, Smalling’s heroics were a nice encapsulation of just how important he has been to United this season.

After all, while the Red Devils have infamously been struggling to score goals, they have had fewer problems at the other end of the pitch. They have conceded just eight in the Premier League—the joint-fewest total in the division. Three of those came in a dizzying 19-minute spell at the Emirates. Two came in a five-minute spell against Swansea City.

For most of the other 966 minutes of the league season so far, United have been defensively solid.

Smalling has been a big reason why. The current system might be set up in order to ensure United’s back four receives plenty of protection from the midfield, but the 25-year-old has been doing his job well when called upon.

Centre-backs are, of course, harder to compare than strikers and creative midfielders. While there is nuance required in comparing forward players, there are at least solid metrics for output and performance that can be objectively measured.

Form plays a part—it would be surprising if Jamie Vardy turned out to be one of the world’s best strikers in the long term—but even then, strikers’ form can be more easily measured than that of their defensive colleagues.

Metrics like number of tackles or interceptions per game depend heavily on a team’s style of play—teams under the cosh are likely to find their defensive players putting up big numbers in these areas. Two of the top five Premier League players in average numbers of both interceptions and tackles per game so far this season play for Aston Villa, the team at the bottom of the league, per WhoScored.com. 

Thus, statistical comparison from publicly available statistics is probably not the best measure.

Players like Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva, Gerard Pique, Giorgio Chiellini, Diego Godin and Mats Hummels have such different styles and play in such different kinds of teams that direct comparison seems impossible.

There is a horses for courses aspect to central defence that means assessing a true, objective meritocracy among them is somewhat futile.

After all, Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona needed something very different from its centre-halves than, say, Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan.

Wherever he ranks in the mythical pantheon of defenders in world football, Smalling is proving an excellent fit for Van Gaal’s United. He has emerged as a leader, attracting praise from his team-mates, his manager and fans alike. He is, in fact, along with Anthony Martial, probably this season’s only unqualified success in the United squad.

His form has been consistent since he returned from suspension after his red card against Manchester City. That sending-off happened just over a year ago—November 2, 2014. It is a long enough stretch of success to suggest that Smalling is now the real deal and that he belongs in the conversation as one of the best in the game.

To prove that, though, he will need to keep up this form for longer and help guide his team to success.

Whether he is one of the top three in the world, though, probably does not matter much to United fans. For now, they will settle for him being a crucial performer for their team, and he is most certainly that.

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