Rumour reel: Neymar next on Mourinho’s wish list

Jose wants Barcelona forward at Old Trafford

John Terry shocked us all on Monday by signing for Aston Villa. For weeks we’ve been asking the question – will he retire, or stay on in the Premier League, and the answer was neither, he’s off to a side that finished midtable in the Championship last term.

Good luck to you anyway John…and we move on. There’s plenty going on in the Premier League rumour reel, and Jose Mourinho hasn’t taken the hint, he continues to chase the game’s biggest names, desperate to land a star from either Barcelona or Real Madrid. Here’s your round-up.

Best of Brazil for Man Utd

Having already pushed for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, Jose Mourinho is now being linked with Brazilian superstar Neymar, and The Special One is ready to splash the cash on the gifted striker, still only 25 years old. It goes without saying that he won’t come cheap, but when has that ever stopped Mourinho, he’s happy enough splashing the board’s cash as he looks to cement his footballing legacy. There’s a £174m release clause in Neymar’s contract – wow – and United are ready to trigger that. They’re also close to getting the Alvaro Morata deal over the line, but could send goalkeeper David de Gea in the opposite direction.

French side ready to raid Liverpool

Philippe Coutinho was one of the shining lights an Anfield last season, and we weren’t the only ones to notice the 25-year-old’s talent, with free-spending French side PSG reportedly making an enquiry to Liverpool bosses about the possibility of buying him. Not short of a few quid, they could surely meet The Reds’ valuation, whatever that may be, if they wanted the attacker badly enough, but with a Champions League campaign ahead, could Liverpool afford to sell one of their best players? We expect this to amount to nothing more than gossip, and there’s no lack of it at this time of year. Sticking with Jurgen Klopp’s crew, and they are after Mexico goal scorer Raul Jimenez. The Benfica assassin will attract a significant bid, and West Ham are keeping a close eye on that one too.