Last month, Wayne Rooney allegedly lost £500,000 in two hours gambling in a casino, but that’s peanuts compared to the amount Bet365 – aka Stoke City Football Club – are reportedly prepared to bet on him still being good at football.

The Sunday People claims the Potters will use the “financial clout” of their shirt (and stadium) sponsors to “assemble a £45m package” to lure the England captain (when selected) from Manchester United to Staffordshire.

Are Stoke allowed to get a betting company to buy them a player? When the club chairman, Peter Coates, is the man who founded the betting company, then the answer is probably yes. Although the People says that, in fact, this was all manager Mark Hughes’ idea.

And while Stoke may not be the destination Wazza always dreamed of ending his career, he doesn’t appear to have many other options in Europe, with former club Everton having apparently “cooled their interest” in re-signing him (Sun on Sunday).

Rooney ‘more or less’ decided on Man United future

Rooney: I have lots of offers

It raises the dizzying prospect next season of Rooney wearing a Bet365 shirt, playing in the Bet365 Stadium, being paid by Bet365 and spending all his wages on the Bet365 app on his phone. That, ladies and gentlemen, is modern English football.

Another plucky mid-table outfit giving it the big’un in the transfer market are West Ham, who the Daily Star Sunday says have launched an ambitious bid to sign Ross Barkley from Everton.

The tabloid claims it has “been told” that the Hammers are willing to match the midfielder’s £140,000-a-week wage demands and see off rival interest from Tottenham. Told by whom, we don’t know. Probably Ray Winstone, sponsored by Bet365.

Pep Guardiola is under pressure to welcome Joe Hart back into the fold at Manchester City because the club’s owners are “huge fans” of the England goalkeeper and don’t want him sold to a Premier League rival, says the Sun on Sunday. Pep will probably find him a role working in the club shop.

Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd are set to go head-to-head (to head) to sign £85m-rated Torino striker Andrea Belotti, for whom the Gunners have already had a £56m bid rejected, says the Sun on Sunday.

Jose Mourinho identifies Torino striker Andrea Belotti as Manchester United transfer target

Meanwhile, United manager Jose Mourinho says the proposed signing of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid is “in the hands of Ed Woodward” (Mail on Sunday). Eek.

Elsewhere, AC Milan are poised to pip Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham to the signing of Celtic striker Moussa Dembele (Sunday Express), Spurs are Everton are “locked in a £22m tug-of-war” for Hull City defender Harry Maguire (Sunday People) and Valencia have given up on signing Eliaquim Mangala after Man City refused to drop their £15.7m asking price for the French centre-back (Marca). The Spaniards are currently refusing to go above £15.70.

@darlingkevin