Is Malaga goalkeeper Willy Caballero going to make life difficult for Joe Hart at Manchester City?
We start this morning with possibly the most underwhelming rumour in the entire ten-year history of the Rumour Mill. Quadragenarian hitman Kevin Phillips might be leaving Crystal Palace for an as yet unspecified destination. "I do have offers elsewhere and, if I'm being honest, there is one which I'm very, very tempted by," he says, keeping his cards very close to his chest, though in truth few are peeking.
More from Crystal Palace, in the second part of a deliberately understated opening which would constitute grounds for dismissal at more cynical media outlets solely concerned with shamelessly hoovering up hits. Ian Holloway is to put a bid in for Peterborough striker Dwight Gayle, who scored 13 goals for Posh last time round. Fulham are also interested.
Completing this morning's Palace triptych: they're close to a deal for West Bromwich Albion winger Jerome Thomas.
More on West Bromwich Albion, then! They're in for Scott Sinclair, who has probably thought at least twice about the sagacity of his move last summer from Swansea City to Manchester City.
St Etienne forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will pick Newcastle United over Anzhi Makhachkala. As you read this, someone, somewhere is no doubt constructing a satirical zinger about Joe Kinnear's inability to rattle off the Gabon international 's monicker. However while the Mill might not be above much, we'll pass on the opportunity to criticise a 66-year-old football coach for not possessing the crisp enunciatory skills of a 1950s BBC newscaster.
Velez Sarsfield and Argentina right back Gino Peruzzi, a target for Manchester City, is on his way to Sunderland instead. Also telling the Champions League clubs to bugger off this morning are Norwich City, who are refusing to let Chelsea make off with John Ruddy; Everton, who have told Manchester United that nothing less than £20m will do for Leighton Baines; and the Rumour Mill, who is already sick to the back teeth of Robert Lewandowski, Edinson Cavani, Marouane Fellaini, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Ashley Williams, who all chase the Mill over broken glass in our dreams.
Liverpool having thoroughly called Pepe Reina's bluff, the one-time Barcelona target who may or may not have actually been a target for Barcelona is now in limbo. Arsenal are offering an escape route, of sorts. Manchester City also want a new goalkeeper, Manuel Pellegrini having taken all of ten seconds to get Joe Hart's number, and he's selected Malaga's Willy Caballero as his man.
Roberto Martinez will make a move for Spartak Moscow winger Aiden McGeady, a player he tried to sign in January while at Wigan. Everton have meanwhile discovered that the aforementioned Arsenal and Manchester United target Marouane Fellaini's £24m escape clause runs out on August 15, after which he'll have to stay put. That means he can only feature in 34 more Rumour Mills. ONLY 34 MORE MENTIONS TO GO, FOLKS! Y'ALL KEEP COMING BACK, NOW!
