It’s transfer nonsense all the way down today, with any excuse to place ‘Isak’ and ‘Liverpool’ in the same headline cheerfully and unapologetically accepted. There’s also some Man United nonsense because there is always some Man United nonsense.
**The Feeling**
Obviously there’s clicks gold in them there ‘Alexander Isak’ and ‘Liverpool’ headline hills this morning. Like Marcus Rashford ([**see yesterday’s Mediawatch**](https://www.football365.com/news/marcus-rashford-feelings-clear-deal-agreed-mediawatch)), Isak is a name that carries more than enough SEO heft that it need not be concealed.
And as with Rashford it also means you don’t remotely need to worry about having any actual news or viable content. You just need to be able to put that name and that club into the same headline by any means necessary. And that means it’s time for yet another trip to Tenuous Bollocks Corner.
To the surprise of quite literally nobody, it’s to the **Mirror** we must travel.
> Alexander Isak has made Liverpool feelings clear as Reds plan record move for Newcastle star
Seasoned headline studiers will already have leapt upon the use of the present perfect tense ‘has made’ rather than the more straightforward present tense ‘makes’ and immediately and correctly deduced that we are not in any way talking here about feelings that have been made clear either a) recently or b) in relation to the ‘record move’ Liverpool are currently planning.
After talking at length about how much he loves St James’ Park and the atmosphere it generates, Isak also made the mistake of saying this:
> I’d say Anfield is probably up there as well. The atmosphere is really good – it’s probably the toughest away game.
It really was careless of him to let that little transfer detail slip in, er, January 2024. The deal is practically done at this point. Mediawatch must, though, concede grudging admiration for the irritating and vague yet undeniable correctness of the Mirror airily referring to those 18-month old quotes as being from an interview ‘last year’.
**SIX appeal**
Yesterday came the news that [**Arsenal were going to be shipping out EIGHT stars**](https://www.football365.com/news/marcus-rashford-feelings-clear-deal-agreed-mediawatch), and today it’s Man City’s turn, albeit with a mere SIX on the hitlist. But the **Mirror** still go with capitals to remind you that it is still a big and exciting number of players ‘who could be moved on by the former Premier League champions in the summer transfer window’.
Remember that bit at the end there, because ridiculously it will become important: ‘summer transfer window’.
And again in the headline:
> John Stones heads list of SIX stars made available by Man City in summer clearout
Six stars. Summer clearout. Summer. Stars. SIX. All key pieces of information.
Stones we will allow, and we’re also going to happily wave through Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic as City ‘stars’ who could absolutely move on this summer.
From there, things inevitably take a turn for the drab.
Nico O’Reilly and Claudio Echeverri are next on the list, stretching the definition of star to its breaking point, while the concession that their exits could be on loan also feels like it’s not quite in the ‘clearout’ spirit.
The best is saved for last, though. For Oscar Bobb is the sixth and in many ways most interesting name on the list. Until this quite significant kicker.
> Nico O’Reilly, Claudio Echeverri and Oscar Bobb are the three other players who said to be in the same boat as their team-mates, though the same report adds Bobb is unlikely to leave The Etihad this summer.
So… FIVE then? Yeah? Can we all agree it’s FIVE?
**Green means go**
Another transfer saga that rumbles ever onwards is Bryan Mbeumo’s move to Manchester United. But hurrah, Mediawatch brings glad tidings from the **Manchester Evening News**. Significant progress has been made.
> Man United could finally get Bryan Mbeumo transfer green light as release clause ‘activated’
Sure, that’s Omari Hutchinson’s Ipswich release clause being activated by Brentford – something only revealed in the eighth chunky paragraph of a rambling tale taking in Matheus Cunha and Antoni Milambo before arriving at its point.
But that’s still something, isn’t it? Of course, anything in that headline that hinted at the clause being directly related to Mbeumo himself is pure misfortune and entirely unintentional.
**Agree to disagree**
Elsewhere at the **MEN** comes this classic of its type:
> Man United transfer news LIVE – Bryan Mbeumo ‘agreement’, Benjamin Sesko ‘offer’, Antony price
We’ve scoured that live blog and the only reference we can find to a Bryan Mbeumo agreement is this:
> As of yet, the Reds have still been unable to reach an agreement with the Bees over his signature.
The ‘offer’ for RB Leipzig player Benjamin Sesko is from Saudi Arabia.
Confusingly, there is actually a relevant update about Antony that even mentions United’s reported asking price. That won’t do at all.