Rumor: Didier Drogba in talks with New York Red Bulls, says Gazzetta dello Sport

You may recall the report that Didier Drogba had teased an interest in the New York Red Bulls during an impromptu interview in Morocco. The news was swiftly disseminated across the world's media. But if you watched the minute of film on which the entire rumor was based, you quickly got the sense that this notion was - to use a technical term - balderdash.

Drogba essentially tried several ways to not answer questions about his future, and eventually resorted to joking with his interviewer. "Just call the owners and then I'm there" in answer to a question about RBNY was reported as a "hint" on Drogba's part.

Watch the tape and you'll see it was more the response of a man ever-so slightly exasperated by the persistence of the rumor-mongers (he had just finished asking for whispers about him returning to Olympique Marseille to stop). A man resorting to playing along with a leading line of questioning that had already touched on OM and a club that doesn't exist ("New York Galaxy").

Call it a hint if you like, but it seemed like little more than Drogba simply trying to remain good-humored about the incessant questions about his plans.

So safe to ignore all the chatter emerging from that episode, right? Right.

One thing before you go: La Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting Didier Drogba is "in talks" with the New York Red Bulls.

Just another iteration of the same nonsense interpretation of that interview in Morocco? Quite possibly. But the Italian outlet doesn't mention the Moroccan incident. It doesn't mention much of anything, beyond the (unsourced) statement that Drogba is talking to RBNY.

It is probably simply a novel variation on the flimsy rumor we've already seen extensively reported. Nonetheless, it should be noted that La Gazzetta is perfectly capable of finding and reporting news of its own - and it is presenting this news in a manner suggesting it is completely unrelated to other Drogba chatter.

On the day the James McClean rumor appeared to have died, RBNY has found itself a fresh stake in the silly season. Drogba is a rumor mill favorite: this one could run for a while.