Everybody loves a bit of salacious gossip now and again, something to get the tongues rolling and the chins wagging. Indeed rolling tongues and wagging chins are never far away from the realms of Old Trafford and the mighty Bernabeu.
Recently though they are being mentioned more and more within the same breath.
Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo say that the United of Manchester club are willing to meet an asking price of £35m for central midfielder Khedira, while Real will want £18m for Di Maria.
Sounds like a bargain for Di Maria, and an over-the-top price for Khedira. Maybe it is a cunning move by the Madrid club to use Di Maria as a loss-leader to lure in an obscene amount of cash for a good midfielder. I said 'good' midfielder, not 'great' midfielder or 'world class' midfielder.
Cesc Fabregas is a great midfielder and United only begrudgingly offered £25M for his stellar talents.
Then again, they gave £28M for the fallacy of Fellaini.
Priorities all over the shop. Bidding for the wrong players. Worse again is bidding obscene money for the wrong player. Even worse than that is the fact they paid £4M more than they had to by not conducting business in a common sensical and logical fashion. (The buy out clause was for £23.5M up until the 31st July). Fellaini finally switched sides over a month later on deadline day for a hefty £4M premium!
Anyway the rumour is there.
Phil Neville, the United assistant manager, was sent to watch Khedira in October as Real demolished Sevilla 7-3 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Germany international midfielder was a target for United this summer and has recently suggested he would be open to leaving Real.
United were also linked with Di Maria in August, when the winger appeared set to leave Madrid in advance of the world record signing of Gareth Bale. (SportsDirectNews)