Perhaps Claudio Ranieri has finally realised why we’ve finished above his team for the past two seasons or maybe the Sunday Mirror’s football writers just made it up, but apparently a bag load of roubles is on its way to St James’ Park in exchange for Jermaine Jenas and Kieron Dyer.
The plot thickens in the Sunday People, which claims that Manchester United are prepared to offer £20million for Dyer after Brazil midfielder Ronaldinho chose a mid-table Spanish club over a move to Old Trafford.
There is probably very little truth in either story but it isn’t the first time Sir Alex Ferguson has been linked with a big-money bid for Dyer, who could add another dimension to the Red Devils midfield with his pace.
If either report is true (and it is a big if) I’d like to think that any bid for JJ would be dismissed out of hand, however a £20million bid for the occasionally brilliant but frustratingly inconsistent Dyer may prove at least a little tempting.
Meanwhile our own lack of transfer activity is reflected in The Sunday Times, which has a club-by-club guide to the latest rumours in which we don’t even merit a mention.