Steven N’Zonzi (Stoke City)
Linked by: Daily Express
Pros: As the Express state, N’Zonzi only has a year left on his current contract, so he’d be available relatively cheaply – £7m is the suggested fee in this report. The 26-year-old is arguably one of the most underrated talents in the Premier League, having helped mastermind Stoke’s steady rise over the last few years under Mark Hughes.
Cons: While N’Zonzi might be a more than decent Premier League player, it’s hard to argue a case for him being much of an improvement on Joe Allen or Lucas Leiva. When the Express are also claiming that Leicester City are interested, then we should probably take that as a signal to start aiming slightly higher with our aspirations.
Asier Illarramendi (Real Madrid)
Linked by: Daily Mirror
Pros: Two years ago the Spaniard was considered one of the finest midfield prospects in world football. While his stock has fallen during two under-par years with the outgoing European Champions, that has only made his suggested price tag all the more tantalising. The Mirror claim that we’ve made a £15m bid, which would represent good business in our opinion.
Cons: The 25-year-old has never played outside of Spain and would surely take time to adapt to English football. He’s quite small in stature for a defensive midfielder and once again you have to question whether he’d offer significantly more than a Joe Allen or a Lucas. Any such significant price tag will need to be justified.
