Now the Confederations Cup has ended David Villa can get on with leaving Barcelona.
The Mirror say the striker will join Tottenham this week after "reaching an agreement in principle" with the club. Yet in Spain, Sport claim he and Thiago Alcântara are both off to Manchester United, with Wayne Rooney moving in the opposite direction.
Villa, wasted out wide by Barcelona, could occupy that role at United, unless David Moyes plans on starting the Spaniard up front, with Robin van Persie dropping off. Everton fans know all about Moyes' penchant for playing strikers on the wing, though.
Could Thiago and Villa both move to United?
United will, however, not get Robert Lewandowski. The Mail report Borussia Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp as saying the Pole "is going to play for Bayern after the upcoming season", which means BVB will lose the striker for nothing.
Dortmund have told Lewandowski he will not be sold to Bayern this summer, yet in 2014 they will be powerless to prevent one of Europe's finest penalty-box strikers from heading to Bavaria.
"You can't join us just yet."
Everton will today complete the signing of Arouna Koné from Wigan for £5m, write the Independent. The 29-year-old is likely to be joined at Goodison Park by former teammate Antolín Alcaraz, who left the DW Stadium on a free this summer.
Le Parisien write Edinson Cavani will join Paris Saint-Germain this week, which will not please José Mourinho.
It's not so much gossip as fact, but Everton scourge Grant Holt is having a medical at Wigan, as he prepares to drop down a division.
Paul Ince said the Norwich City striker should have been selected by England circa 15 months ago...
With Asmir Begovic still at the Britannia, talk of a Jack Butland loan arises. The former Birmingham goalkeeper, who rejected Chelsea in January to sign a pre-contract deal with the Potters, has had something of an iffy time, most notably at the Under-21 Euros.
Butland is struggling to live up to the hype
The Mirror say he could move to Spain for the season in a bid to secure a World Cup squad berth. Assuming England qualify.
All that talk of fallouts over funds at Swansea City seems to have ended. Chairman Huw Jenkins expects the club's record-breaking £12m transfer for Vitesse Arnhem striker Wilfried Bony to be completed within the next 24 hours, according to the Mail.
And Newcastle, Hull and Fulham are all poised to make a move for Darren Bent, who could leave Aston Villa for £5m, the Sun chirp.
Amusingly, Bent brought Twitter to the forefront four years ago when he publicly pleaded to join Sunderland from Tottenham, and tweeted "Do I wanna go to Hull? No."