Sports Burst - PogBa-rca?
Pogba Barca bound and Monaco's miracle continues
Pogba linked in winter move to Barcelona
Paul Pogba scoring the opener for Manchester United on Friday - and being made captain for the match - in a win against Leicester City is not enough to wind down the rumor mill over the future of the French World Cup-winning midfielder. And let's face it, nobody wants that with the market still open for another two weeks.
Indeed, Barcelona currently possessing a collection of about 15 midfielders is not enough either for the Catalan club to rejoin the frenzied fray. Monday's big transfer gossip has Pogba potentially moving to the Camp Nou in January if not in August. To be fair, this is a tad Pogba fueled as well with the Man United man hinting that he was not entirely happy at Old Trafford.
The two reasons in favor of the this story are a) the continuing frosty relationship between Pogba and Jose Mourinho and b) the footballer's agent Mino Raiola, without a hefty commission check so far this summer.
The fact that it would be unwise for Manchester United to sell and not really required for Barcelona to buy, along with the wacky nature of the transfer market suggests that this winter window deal is already in the can.
Head to our beIN SPORTS USA Facebook page at 12PM ET / 9AM PT for the daily Transfer Tracker show - or watch it back at your lovely leisure.
Another departure at Monaco at Balde returns to Lazio
Will the last footballer left at Monaco, please turn out the lights?
Yet another player from the Ligue 1 wholesalers officially departed on Monday to continue a truly remarkable pattern for Monaco: buy low, sell really high and still remain competitive.
Keita Balde is all but an Inter player on Monday with the winger having passed a medical ahead of a loan move with an option to buy for $40 million just a year after joining up in Monte Carlo.
The Senegalese forward joins Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar and Fabinho as a host of footballers to have left the Med this summer, but brought in $354 million in revenue with just over $100 million spent in return on replacements.
That replicates the $228 million sold last summer with Bernado Silva, Benjamin Mendy and Tiemoue Bakayoko sold.
Yet Monaco remain feisty customers having held second spot in Ligue 1 last season despite the charges of Lyon and Marseille and opened the latest campaign with a 3-1 away win at Nantes.
PSG brings in from the Bundesliga as Rabiot rebels
Elsewhere in the French world, PSG is expected on Monday to announce the signing of Schalke defender and Jedi Knight, Thilo Kehrer - Thomas Tuchel going back to the Bundesliga for inspiration.
And this must be a first - an American soccer player featuring on the front page of French sports daily L'Equipe. Timothy Weah is leading the way after the player scored PSG's third against Caen with the headline of "Paris of Youth."
Tune into the Locker Room at 7:30PM ET / 4:30PM PT for a look back at the weekend both in France and England.
Bakayoko makes Milan move as Athletic spend Kepa cash
Elsewhere, the aforementioned Tiemoue Bakayoko is now with AC Milan having completed a medical with the San Siro side. The midfielder is expected to sign an initial loan deal from Chelsea after the former Monaco man failed to impress at Stamford Bridge.
Athletic Bilbao has a good $100 million of Kepa money swilling around its coffers - that can only be spent on Basque players, as per the club policy - which is why the San Mames outfit may be making a swoop for Real Sociedad and Spain midfielder, Mikel Oyarzabal, with a purchase of the footballer's clause of around $50 million. In response, La Real is set to try to improve their player's current deal.
WHAT IS SPORTS BURST?
The life philosophy of Sports Burst is that if you are not upsetting someone, then you are not trying hard enough. Sports Burst is a daily trawl and troll through the morning's sports news to bring you fact-nuggets to make you both smile and swear. Hopefully at the same time.