JOE’s Transfer Digest – Pep Guardiola in shock bid for first player journalists think of this morning

Welcome to JOE's Transfer Digest, your halfway house for rest and relaxation combined with a constant barrage of transfer debris at your face.

Today's round up features some of the hottest transfer news, which we have taken the time to leave out on the transfer window sill, so as to not burn your lips.

Pep keeping tabs

Man City have been one of the busiest sides of the as-yet-unopened transfer window so far, and reports in the media have linked them with further reinforcements soon. According to sources in several British tabloids, Pep Guardiola's side are said to be closing in on a deal for the first player that comes to journalists' minds after arriving for work in the morning. The unnamed player is believed to have impressed the Catalan coach with his use of the ball, his fitness, skill and presence on the first tab open on writers' desktops upon turning on their computers. "Guardiola is keen to pull out all the stops to get his man," wrote one red top football writer this morning. "But he is also said to be weighing up a move for the first player I think of tomorrow. So watch this space."

Definitely not stuck in the past

Liverpool's new CEO Peter Moore has responded to criticisms over the club's transfer policy by insisting that the team and its strategy is as modern as any other top club's. Moore, who recently became chief executive of the Anfield side, was replying to anger over the club's unwillingness to spend more than £35 million on Egyptian international Mohamed Salah, who reached double figures for both goals and assists in Serie A last season. Speaking today, Moore said that while he respects Roma's valuation of the player, Liverpool would continue to make bids that they deem appropriate for this time. "Salah is a good player, and one we are interested in, but the sums mentioned are obscene for this time. The £60m quoted is almost as much as the amounts grossed by popular current films such as Black Swan, The Social Network or Inception. Liverpool is a modern and up to date club but this is the year 2010 for crying out loud, and we will not be bullied," said Moore.

Hart to Milan?

In Italian transfer news, AC Milan are reportedly preparing for the likely departure of Gianluigi Donnarumma by making a move for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart. While sources at the San Siro are yet to officially start talks, many at the club are said to be excited at the prospect of replacing one young, potentially world class goalkeeper with one who is the exact opposite. "Gigio is an undoubted talent who is already a top player at just 18 years old. He rarely makes mistakes and is destined for the top. Joe, as anyone could see from his ludicrous loan spell at Torino, is the pure antithesis of this. So he is the natural choice for us," said an unnamed source.

And finally...

In confirmed transfer news, football aficionados the world over have responded to Bayern Munich's acquisition of Lyon's French midfielder Corentin Tolisso by insisting that they definitely did not only learn about the existence of the player for the first time this past week. "We have known about Tolisso for a long time," said a representative for the group. "His qualities - numerous as they are - are no secret to us. We just didn't feel like talking about them until now."