Although a lot of what’s written in the media regarding players being targets for certain clubs is educated guesswork, when many of the outlets are banging the same drum, you can bet there’s an element of truth to the story.
Whether it’s an agent placing a well-timed pitch for a client to media friends, or clubs letting it be known how much they love certain players - but being careful not to go so far over the line as to be accused of disrespect - as soon as more than two or three credible outlets are going strong on a particular line, you know where the story is heading.