Manchester United
Agent Jorge Mendes has not ruled out David De Gea leaving Manchester United for Real Madrid because of the way situations can rapidly change in football.
United manager Louis van Gaal has recently expressed his confidence that the Spain goalkeeper will resist Madrid’s overtures and sign a new contract to stay at OId Trafford.
When asked about De Gea’s situation on Thursday and the prospect of a switch to the Santiago Bernabeu, Mendes said according to newspaper Mundo Deportivo: “I do not know the future, things change every five minutes. We all know that in football nothing is impossible.”
Mendes, agent to a host of world stars including Cristiano Ronaldo, was speaking at an event to launch his own autobiography.
He added of De Gea in Marca: “David is a Manchester United player and has a contract. You have to respect that.”
De Gea, 24, is contracted to United until the end of next season.
At the same event, Mendes predicted former United man Ronaldo, who turns 30 next month, could play on for Madrid for another decade.
He said: “I am confident that he will retire at Real Madrid when he is 38, 39 or 40.”
Manchester United
While Darren Fletcher may be involved for Manchester United at the Abbey Stadium on Friday against Cambridge United in the FA Cup, United manager Louis van Gaal is offering no gaurantees about Fletcher’s future with the club.
Van Gaal was noncommittal ahead of the FA Cup tie about whether the long-serving midfielder, 30, will still be at Old Trafford at the end of January with West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion chasing the Scotland international.
“I’m not sure. It is the transfer month,” said Van Gaal.
Fletcher has ben sparsely used this season, appearing in only 11 Premier League matches for Van Gaal's side.
West Bromwich Albion
West Brom head coach Tony Pulis has warned any suitors for Saido Berahino he is not prepared to do a deadline-day deal.
The Hawthorns club manager will not leave himself short of firepower as he tries to steer West Brom away from relegation trouble.
Pulis does not want to sell the 14-goal striker, although he has admitted West Brom would consider a huge bid for the England Under 21 international.
Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have been linked, although neither side have approached West Brom yet, and chairman Jeremy Peace this week insisted they want to keep Berahino.
And with West Brom in a Premier League relegation fight Pulis is not prepared to gamble with their top-flight future if he has not signed a replacement.
“I would have to decide and take into account what we’ve brought in and what we’ve been left with,” he said, ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup trip to Birmingham City.
“Staying in the Premier League is vital. What’s it worth next year? Hundreds of millions.
“We’ve not been offered any money yet.
“You have to sit down and think about it and you’d have to look at how strong the squad was he was leaving to agree to it.
“If the squad wasn’t strong enough it would be very difficult to say yes, although you still might take a chance.
“The important thing is that he keeps doing what he’s been doing. He’s been brilliant around the place.”
Liverpool
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists he does not want to lose any more senior players in the summer and remains hopeful out-of-contract defender Glen Johnson will sign a new deal.
With captain Steven Gerrard joining LA Galaxy of the MLS at the end of the season Rodgers admits he cannot afford to lose the diminishing number of experienced players in his youthful squad.
That means midfielder Lucas Leiva, who has been linked with several moves this season but has subsequently become a key part of the side’s revival, is also likely to be retained.
Negotiations with right-back Johnson, who will be 31 at the start of next season, stalled at the beginning of the campaign as the club wanted to extend his stay on reduced terms due to his age.
That was not accepted by the England international and, despite there being no progress since, Rodgers hopes an upturn in the team’s fortunes plus the attraction of staying at one of Europe’s biggest clubs will persuade the player to remain.
“We can’t have three or four leaving next season,” said Rodgers.
“The intention will be to keep everyone, partly because of the mix in the group.
“Steven will obviously be a loss, when you are losing someone of that calibre of man and player it would be a loss to any club, but you move on.
“For the younger players to develop their potential they are going to need that seniority around them. You can’t just have a whole group of young players.
“Glen Johnson we want to keep, Lucas we want to keep.”
Rodgers added that Liverpool and Johnson’s “agents spoke towards the beginning of the season but I am hopeful he will stay and we can find a solution so he can be here.
“Obviously, like every player, you want that security and it sorted earlier than it is now.
“But when he looks at it he realises he is at one of the biggest clubs in the world with a team which is developing and growing that he would want to be a part of.
“I think he will try to find a solutoin with the club to stay here. He loves being here, he enjoys working with the way we are playing.
“His game will adapt over the next couple of years. He is not the maurading full-back of six or seven years ago but he is still a quality player and he has a lot to offer with his experience and football.
“He is one we would look to keep.”
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