The January transfer window has thrown up some exceptional rumours already this month, but this one could top the lot and it involves Barcelona’s Gerard Pique.
According to The Guardian, there is growing speculation that the Spanish international could leave the Nou Camp in the not too distant future.
It comes as a result of Shakira, Pique’s significant other, wanting to leave Catalonia because of all the abuse and negativity that has surrounded him in recent times.
While it would be a shock to see him leave, if there is pressure from his family to move on and start a fresh challenge, the 29-year-old might just feel the need to oblige.
With Barca still trailing rivals Real Madrid in the La Liga title race and with question marks being raised over the futures of Luis Enrique and several first-team stars, there could well be a shake up at the club in the summer.
It’s unclear if that is where the Pique rumours have come from, but the former Manchester United defender could be set for a return to England after quitting on the Premier League in 2008.
Shakira has reportedly eyed London as an ideal destination for their family, and so that would only really present a couple of options for them.
Both Arsenal and Chelsea would be capable of offering the wages, ambition and settled surroundings to Pique to try and convince him to return to England, but it still sounds as though we’re still some way off from that becoming a reality.
Should Barca catch Real and do well in the Champions League this season, the picture might start to look a lot different with talk of a move to London put on hold for a while yet. However, the nature of football shows that things can change very quickly, so it remains to be seen if there are any further developments this month.