Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has reportedly informed seven of his squad that they are surplus to requirements at Old Trafford. According to the Daily Star the Dutchman has taken a "long hard look” at his resources and concluded that several of the players he inherited from David Moyes just don't cut the Manchester United mustard.
The 'Mediocre Seven' are said to comprise Javier Hernandez, Marouane Fellaini, Wilfried Zaha, Will Keane, Nani, Anderson and Rafael, and the Star alleges that Van Gaal held "private meetings" with the players in question at the weekend. The club will listen to offers for all the players with Fellaini expected to sell for the most having only arrived at Old Trafford from Everton 12 months ago in a £27m.
The Daily Express says there are no shortage of suitors for Zaha (above). With his former club Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, QPR and West Ham all said to be interested in a move. Palace are favourites, with a £2m loan deal and the option to make it permanent on the table.
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One player who's escaped the cull is Japanese ace Shinji Kagawa. He was widely expected to be transfer listed, what with the presence of Juan Mata and Ander Herrera in the squad, but though Kagawa probably won't feature much for the first team his inclusion might help sell shirts in the Far East.
Elsewhere and Arsenal playmaker Santi Cazorla has rubbished speculation that he might be pining for La Liga. The Spaniard scored the Gunners' first goal in their 3-0 thrashing of Manchester City in Sunday's Community Shield romp but that hasn't stopped rumours linking him with a move to Atletico Madrid. But when Spanish radio Cadena Cope put the gossip to the 29-year-old midfielder Cazorla replied: "It's paper talk... I've seen that in the papers, but nobody has told me anything personally and the only things I know are from the papers, so I don't know anything."
Meanwhile Caughtoffside.com is claiming an exclusive with the news that QPR boss Harry Redknapp is looking to do a bit of wheeling and dealing in the coming days. Using Loic Remy as "bait", Redknapp hopes to lure the Spurs pair of winger Andros Townsend and young striker Harry Kane to Loftus Road.
With Remy, whose move to Liverpool collapsed at the last minute last month, said to be eager to quit the Hoops, Caughtoffside claims that Redknapp is hoping he can persuade Spurs gaffer Mauricio Pochettino to agree to "a straight swap deal". The move is likely to depend on Remy passing a White Hart Lane medical, particularly because he allegedly failed to impress the Liverpool quacks last month. But if he does get a clean bill of health the website believes Pochettino will sanction the swap.
Finally have Liverpool finally identified the frontman to fill in for Luis Suarez? Having rejected Remy, the Reds are now said to be eyeing up veteran striker Samuel Eto'o. The Sun says that the 33-year-old Cameroon international, who left Chelsea a free agent at the end of last season, is on "Liverpool's radar" and they are favourites to sign him ahead of Ajax. Apparently the Dutch club would love to have Eto'o but they can only stretch to £30,000 a week in wages, a frankly risible sum for a man intent on feathering his nest before the end of his career.
