Paper Round: Chelsea 'to match Atletico’s £80m valuation of Costa'

Diego Costa to cost Chelsea £80 million: Chelsea are set to offer £80 million for Diego Costa, report the Daily Express. Chelsea are set to open negotiations with the Madrid club for the forward ahead of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday. The paper reports that Chelsea will open the bidding with an offer of £30 million cash and Torres in a bid to tempt the cash-strapped Madrid club.

Paper Round: This is quite the hyperbolic story – with the headline claiming a deal of £80 million seemingly coming from the addition of £30 million in cash and the fact that Torres was once worth £50 million. Therefore, this deal is not for £80 million as reported in the Express. It is £30 million plus Torres, which is basically not too far north of a £30 million deal – at a push it is a £40 million deal. While Chelsea may fully intend to sign Atletico’s talisman this bid would fail, in best transfer talk, to “test Atletico’s resolve” and would probably fall under the “derisory” category. When a bid is forthcoming, expect it to be worth a lot more, as Chelsea are desperate for a striker of Costa’s calibre.

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Barcelona set to move for David Luiz: Despite having a transfer ban hanging over them, Barcelona are set to make a summer move for David Luiz, report the Daily Mirror. The Catalan club are convinced that they will get at least a temporary reprieve against the year ban imposed by FIFA for breaching rules regarding the transfer of players under the age of 18. The paper reports that £25million should be enough to secure the services of the Brazilian.

Paper Round’s view: If history is anything to go by, then Barcelona will almost certainly get this ban reduced or even overturned – one must just look at the example of Chelsea from 2010. Therefore it would be remiss of Barcelona not to draw up a list of transfer targets. The more pertinent question is whether Chelsea would sell and whether Luiz would want to go. The answer to both is a resounding yes. Jose Mourinho appears not to trust the 26-year-old at centre-back and has recently signed Nemanja Matic, so a holding midfield berth also appears unlikely. Furthermore, with FFP soon to be implemented the London club could do with an extra £25 million to boost their quest for a striker.

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Sell on clause could drive up Lallana’s transfer fee: Adam Lallana’s proposed transfer to Manchester United could hinge on a 25 per cent sell on fee owed to Bournemouth, report the Mirror. United are known admirers of both Lallana and teammate Luke Shaw but the fee for Lallana could be artificially inflated by the sell on fee that the Saints would have to pay to Bournemouth with whom the England man trained with before moving to the Southampton academy.

Paper Round’s view: If last summer’s transfer debacle is anything to go by then expect United to baulk at any increase in fee, cut negotiations with the south coast club before failing in their long drawn out attempt to woo Toni Kroos and return to pay over the odds for Lallana. Whether United need a player in the mould of Lallana is another question all together – surely their priorities should lay in getting another centre-back in and a powerful midfielder?

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United line up Cavani as Van Persie replacement: Manchester United are set to battle Manchester City and Chelsea for Uruguayan star Edinson Cavani, report the Daily Mail. The Glazers are set to hand United chief executive Ed Woodward a transfer kitty said to total £220 million, with £50 million of that said to be splashed on Cavani and a further £300,000 per week in wages. If United succeed in their quest to sign the PSG hitman, they will look to offload Robin van Perise.

Paper Round’s view: This is just another example of United’s muddled transfer policy in the post Ferguson-Gill era. If there is any area in which United do not need to strengthen then it is up front – RVP is a proven goalscorer in the Premier League, who has done it consistently. This money would be better spent elsewhere. Regardless, there is no guarantee that Cavani would consider a move to United, especially considering that they are not in the Champions League next season.