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It’s transfer rumour time so allow the Life’s a Pitch panel to wash away all the waffle and cut straight to the chase with its expert verdicts on today’s footballing gossip. Will the latest speculation lead to a big-money move? Or have the newspapers added two plus two and made five? Our journalists in the know rate the chances of fruition from one to 10…

Kicking things off, and not for the first time in recent months, is Poland international forward Robert Lewandowski, who is once again being linked with a move from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United. It is, however, a move that the Daily Mirror’s John Cross doesn’t believe will happen. He says: “During every transfer window Lewandowski is linked with a major European club – as if Manchester United haven’t got enough forward players already – and I don’t think he’s as good as any of them, frankly. I don’t think he’s what United need or are looking for at the moment so I’ll give it a low one or maybe two out of 10.”

Another persistent rumour is a proposed reunion between Ashley Cole and former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti at cash-rich PSG – and Martin Lipton of the Daily Mirror believes the ball is firmly in the Blues’ court with regard to the England left-back’s future. “There would be 200,000 reasons every week for him to go to PSG,” laughs Martin, as he predicts the bumper salary which could be on offer in the French capital. “In January he could agree a pre-contract move anywhere in Europe, but I don’t think he’s going to. I think Chelsea will find a way to meet his demands somewhere in the middle. But if Chelsea are in transition, there is a danger they could lose Cole. They would be mad to lose Cole, as he still has three years left in him at the top. This is a three out of 10 chance unless Chelsea get silly, in which case it goes to a six or seven and we’ll be in a very different game.”

Watch the full video discussion by clicking on the play button in the image above. 

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