Football transfer rumours: Chelsea and Barcelona battle for Samuel Umtiti?

00:16, 15 June 2016

LONDON. KAZINFORM The Mill just cannot work in these conditions. First we hear that West Ham United have told Chelsea that Dimitri Payet is not for sale at any price and then we hear that Lyon have told West Ham United that Alexandre Lacazette is not for sale at any any price after the east London club made a renewed bid of £32m. And all that after Romelu Lukaku effectively pledged his allegiance to Everton by turning in a performance against Italy that ensures no one will be buying him this summer.

Much more of this and the Mill be reduced to making up deals. Oh, by the way,Paris Saint-Germain are looking for a top manager to take them to the next level, so are hoping to open talks with Roy Hodgson or Marc Wilmots after the Euros. Gah, saw through that one, didn’t you? In fact, PSG have reportedly already begun nattering to Unai Emery.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s new boss, Antonio Conte, has got his people into chat overdrive: they’re sweet-talking Lyon in an effort to persuade the club to sellSamuel Umtiti to Chelsea, although that plot is being complicated by sweet counter-chat from Barcelona. Conte is also thinking of getting his people to have a word with Manchester United about Matteo Darmian because the current Italy manager would never dream of approaching the Italy defender directly while they spend this month together. Rule are rules and Chelsea are sticklers for them.