Unlike trigger-happy, shotgun-wielding Elmer Fudd in his welentless pursuit of Bugs Bunny, Barcelona are rumoured to have given up their well-documented hunt for a well known Wabi … sorry, Rabiot. An outcast at Paris Saint-Germain, for whom he has not played since early December, Adrien Rabiot was suspended by his employers after telling them he would not be signing a new contract. The midfielder was expected to move to the Camp Nou during the January window, but was left high and dry after Barcelona cooled their interest and signed Frenkie de Jong from Ajax instead. With Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea all expected to try to hitch their skirts at Rabiot when his contract expires this summer, Arsenal are also ready to throw their fez in the ring and believe they may have the edge due to Unai Emery’s previous working relationship with the 23-year-old.
Pep Guardiola wants to bring Leicester full-back Ben Chilwell and his Crystal Palace counterpart Aaron Wan-Bissaka to the Etihad this summer, while Tottenham Hotspur are hoping to secure the services of David Brooks, a revelation at Bournemouth since signing from Sheffield United last summer. Manchester United are also believed to be interested in the 21-year-old Wales international and with three years left on his deal with Bournemouth he is unlikely to change hands for a penny less than £50m.
Having stayed at Stoke despite strong interest from West Brom and Turkish side Sivasspor, Bojan Krkić could still leave the Potters for a stint in MLS. New England Revolution are eager to bring the midfielder to Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium, where head coach Brad Friedel has previously expressed interest in signing both him and his Stoke team-mate Geoff Cameron, who is currently on loan at QPR. With the USA transfer window open until 1 May, Bojan could still move to the Revolution, who have offered to double his currently weekly wage of £27,000 per week. The Stoke manager, Nathan Jones, would prefer him to stay but can wait to see if his side can mount any sort of push for the play-offs before making up his mind.
Leeds United are hoping to re-sign Aaron Lennon 14 years after selling him to Tottenham. When not hiding in bushes monitoring the training sessions of rival clubs, Marcelo Bielsa’s spies are rumoured to be doing checks on the Burnley winger with a view to bringing him back to his hometown club in the summer. Currently sidelined with a knee injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season, Lennon has 18 months left on his contract but may fancy a return.
And finally, with Neil Lennon no longer in charge of Hibernian, there’s a cushy manager’s job going in the Scottish Premiership. Former Leeds boss Paul Heckingbottom and Accrington assistant coach John Doolan are both in the frame to take over at Easter Road.