Just when Manchester United thought they might have a clear run at Manu Kone, Manchester City have decided to swan in and make life difficult. Classic. According to the latest reports, City are now set to rival their neighbours for the Roma midfielder, which means United fans can add this one to the long list of transfer sagas that will almost certainly end in mild heartbreak and a lot of Twitter discourse.
Kone is a genuinely good player, it has to be said. The Frenchman has real energy in midfield, covers ground well, and at 23 years old he has plenty of development ahead of him. Both clubs could do with that kind of profile in the middle of the park, so it makes total sense that they are sniffing around the same target. Whether that drives the price up to uncomfortable levels remains to be seen, but that is usually how these Manchester derby transfer battles play out.
Elsewhere in the gossip columns, Aston Villa are reportedly interested in Tosin Adarabioyo. The Chelsea centre-back has not had the easiest time at Stamford Bridge since joining last summer, so a move to Villa, where Unai Emery would likely give him a proper role and a settled defensive structure, could actually make a lot of sense for everyone involved. Villa have shown they know how to get the best out of players who need a fresh start, and Tosin is too good to be warming benches.
Over at Tottenham, it appears Spurs are in talks to bring in a couple of Manchester City players. The details are still a bit vague at this stage, but the idea of City offloading fringe players to a direct rival in the top four race is the kind of subplot that makes the January and summer windows genuinely entertaining to follow.
All in all, Thursday's gossip has a bit of everything. Big clubs chasing the same targets, smart lower-profile moves, and Spurs doing Spurs things. The summer window is shaping up to be a lively one.
Let me know your thoughts.