Premier League Round-Up: Real Madrid in for Hart
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart (Reuters)
Real Madrid are weighing up a shock move for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart; Arsenal are already planning for the post-Arsene Wenger era; and Tottenham Hotspur have made Romelu Lukaku their top summer target - here are the main stories making headlines in this morning's newspapers.
Hart targeted by Real: Real Madrid are set to make a sensational £25 million summer bid for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, according to an exclusive in today's Daily Star. The report claims that the England international has been added to the Spanish giants' wanted list as they prepare to shake up their goalkeeping department. Iker Casillas has dropped down the pecking order at the Bernabeu while current number one Diego Lopez has failed to convince Carlo Ancelotti he is a long-term solution. Recent comments by Hart have given Real belief that they have a genuine chance of luring him to Madrid this summer if the price is right.
Gunners already planning for Wenger exit: Arsene Wenger is ready to sign a new two-year deal as Arsenal manager, but the club are beginning to plan for life after him, reports the Daily Mirror. The deal is agreed in principle, according to the article, and Wenger is preparing for next season by discussing transfer targets, improvements at the training ground and player contracts. The next two years would give Arsenal time to line up potential replacements, with Juergen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Brendan Rodgers, Roberto Martinez and Wenger's current number two Steve Bould "likely to be on their list".
Red card 'wiped from history': Most papers are up in arms over the Arsenal red-card cock-up, after it emerged that neither Kieran Gibbs nor Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be suspended for Tuesday's game against Swansea and bungling referee Andre Marriner is free to officiate at the weekend. It had been widely expected that Marriner would be demoted after he sent off the wrong man, but the Premier League have decided to stick by him. "The decision makes it almost as if the incident during Arsenal’s 6-0 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday never happened," one report states.
Spurs target Lukaku: Tottenham have made Chelsea-owned Romelu Lukaku one of their top transfer targets, according to the Daily Telegraph. The Belgium international has spent the season on loan at Everton, scoring 12 times, and the striker has left Spurs impressed. Daniel Levy offered Emmanuel Adebayor as part of a swap deal last summer, but will come back at the end of the current campaign with a more serious offer. Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez and Queens Park Rangers’ Loic Remy are other options for Spurs, but Lukaku is ahead of them on the wanted list.