Back in the day before t'Internet, rumours were sweet. After a sneaky peak of page 3 in the greasy spoon you'd read all the rumours from the back pages, Papin to Spurs, Hagi, Maradona, those were simpler times and you didn't really know what was going on at the club so you think yeah, there's a chance of that. It wasn't all pie in the sky because we pulled Klinsmann out of the bag one sunny day.
Then, once t'Internet came around there was the heyday of ITK, some juicy gossip some of which transpired and some that was just blown out of their asses. As time moved on It was the ITK's with contacts in the club or agents who had the good info, passed on in forums like this one. Increasingly journalists just weren't in the loop unless they're fed stuff with an ulterior motive from the club.
These days though it's a tight ship with tight lips, and talksport, sky & the papers just print bullshit to generate clicks & sales with the odd exception. These are the preserve of morons or people who like laughing at morons.
It seems we won't sell to rivals and why would they want to go there anyway? The domestic ones have deep pockets but they're not as good as us. Our England contingent have a sense of pride playing for the national team, where else would they be better placed to get in? Playing for us with an understanding is a massive incentive for any England manager to utilise.
And the clubs like Real, they like individuals, superstars, as talented as our lot are Eriksens passes wouldn't be as effective without Deles exceptional off the ball movement. And vice versa. We have quality players but the sum is greater than the parts. We don't have a Bale that can beat half a team and slam it in the goal every other week. Why buy solid Toby for what ever we paid for him when you can splash 50 million on flashy John stones?
Real Madrid it's the chairman that gets the players in, unless we start winning leagues or doing something serious in the Champions League clubs like that won't take notice. The clubs with canny managers who would take notice like Dortmund or Monaco etc couldn't afford them.
The only way I see someone leaving is if they want a fatter contract and take a step down to join one of the Manc clubs and in that case Levy would impose a substantial Levy. & we wouldn't want that type of player in the squad anyway, Poch would mould someone else to take their place.
TLDR: Rumours these days are nonsense. Take no notice and laugh at those that do.