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January is just around the corner. Click here to view the latest transfers, and keep up to date with the newest gossip below.
TOP STORY: Premier League trio eye striker Osimhen
Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are all keeping tabs on Lille striker Victor Osimhen, according to Sky Sports.
Nigeria international Osimhen has scored 12 goals in 23 appearances for the French club since joining from Charleroi in the summer. Those strikes include two in the Champions League against Chelsea and Valencia.
Sky Sports reports that the 20-year-old is happy to remain at the club this season in order to continue his development, although a deal could be done if Lille receive an offer that is too good to turn down.
Former Lille assistant coach Joao Sacramento is now part of Jose Mourinho’s coaching staff at Tottenham while the Ligue club’s sporting director, Luis Campos, has also been linked with taking a similar role at Spurs.
LIVE BLOG
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10.49 GMT: Gianluigi Buffon says he will continue to play at least until the summer. The veteran goalkeeper spoke after equalling Paolo Maldini’s record of 647 Serie A appearances following Wednesday’s 2-1 win at Sampdoria.
Buffon, 41, told Sky Italia: “Emotions like this one are the reasons why I continue to play. I feel well physically and it’s right that I continue to play. Until when? At least until the summer.”
Buffon returned to Juve last summer after a season at Paris Saint-Germain, joining as a backup to Wojciech Szczesny. He had been linked with a move to Argentine giants Boca Juniors last year.
“I accepted the role as an understudy because despite playing less, I feel I’m a reference in the changing room and have great responsibility,” the 2006 World Cup winner said. “It’s a role that makes me happy and is gratifying regardless of how many games I play. It’s right that I play less having in front of me one of the three best goalkeepers in the world.”
10.02 GMT: Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has told the London Evening Standard that the club is “not scared” to sell players to Premier League rivals.
Spurs stars Christian Eriksen, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are all out of contract in the summer, meaning the January transfer window will be the last time the club could cash in on them before they become free agents.
Eriksen has previously been linked with a move to Manchester United, and Levy insists that the prospect of strengthening a rival club would not necessarily preclude a sale.
“We are honestly not scared to trade with our rivals,” Levy said.
He added: “My view is really simple. For a player to sign a new contract, not only have the conditions got to be right but the player has got to want to do it. It is up to those players whether they want to stay at Tottenham and we’ll see.
09.31 GMT: Bayern Munich have reportedly entered the race for Benjamin Henrichs, a target for Bundesliga title rivals RB Leipzig, according to kicker.
Monaco right-back Henrichs is considering a return to the Bundesliga to impress Germany coach Joachim Low ahead of the 2020 European Championship.
Kicker reports that Bayern are looking to strengthen their defence and create an option for Germany star Joshua Kimmich to permanently move up to holding midfield.
Leipzig are also believed to be in talks with former Leverkusen man Henrichs, 22, are currently holding out for a transfer fee in the region of €30 million.
08.59 GMT: Valencia owner Peter Lim has given the go-ahead for the club to sign Manchester City right-back Joao Cancelo on loan in the winter transfer window, according to Superdeporte.
According to the Valencia-based outlet, the Spanish club is in the market for an experienced right-back after Thierry Correia failed to impress in the first-half of the season.
Correia, 20, had made just two league appearances for Los Che since joining from Sporting Lisbon in the summer and is expected to be loaned in January in search of more playing time.
Cancelo, 25, played two and a half seasons at Valencia before joining Inter Millan on loan. He was sold to Juventus in June 2018 and then moved to Manchester City in the summer.
The Portugal international has made 14 appearances in all competitions with the Premier League club.
Valencia are also monitoring Norway international Jonas Svensson, who is on the books of AZ Alkmaar, should they fail to lure Cancelo to the Mestalla stadium.
08.27 GMT: Mikel Arteta has agreed to become Arsenal’s new manager and will sign a three-and-a-half-year deal as soon as the paperwork is finalised, sources have told ESPN.
The club is hoping to announce his appointment on Thursday and his first game will be the Premier League test against Everton on Saturday at Goodison Park, where he played between 2005 and 2011.
As reported on Monday, Arteta was the only candidate the club wanted to replace Unai Emery and take the place of interim head coach Freddie Ljungberg.
Talks between Arteta and his former club, whom he played for between 2011 and 2016, have gone on since Sunday and a final agreement was found on Wednesday.
His final interview with Josh Kroenke on Tuesday went very well. The 37-year-old Manchester City coach got reassurances on the direction of the club as well as a transfer budget.
08.00 GMT: Liverpool have confirmed the signing of FC Salzburg forward Takumi Minamino.
Minamino will officially join for £7.25mwhen the January transfer window opens on Jan. 1. His debut for the Premier League leaders could come against Everton in the FA Cup on Jan 5.
Sources told ESPN how Liverpool beat Premier League rivals Manchester United to the Japan international’s signature by triggering the 24-year-old’s release clause following their Champions League victory against Salzburg last Tuesday.
And with the Austrian Bundesliga having closed down for its winter break, Minamino completed his medical at Liverpool on Wednesday ahead of the move.
We can confirm an agreement has been reached with @redbullsalzburg for the transfer of Takumi Minamino 🙌
リヴァプールフットボールクラブは南野拓実選手の移籍についてレッドブル・ザルツブルクと合意に達したことを発表する pic.twitter.com/2yH2N0v3Y1
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 19, 2019
PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd): Sane keen on Bayern move
Leroy Sane is keen to return to Germany and has reportedly told Manchester City officials that he’d like to leave in January, Bild reports.
The German newspaper writes that Bayern Munich is Sane’s favoured destination, and that the Bavarians are expected to reignite their interest after failing to land the winger in the summer as a result of the serious knee injury Sane sustained in August.
The 23-year-old last played in the Bundesliga with Schalke before he moved to Manchester in 2016, and would favour a return to Germany if it meant first-team football and an improved chance of being part of the Germany first team at next summer’s Euros.
City boss Pep Guardiola is hoping to have his man back for the end-of-season run-in, with Sane expected to return to fitness in February, although he may not get the chance if the winger gets the move he reportedly seeks.
Giroud could be forced to stay put
Olivier Giroud could be forgiven for packing his bags, such is the striker’s reported desire to leave Chelsea in search of first-team football, and the number of clubs interested in his services.
However, Italian website Tuttosport suggests that the France international might have to stay put, with two of the leading clubs believed to be interested in his services, AC Milan and Inter, suggesting he’s too expensive.
Giroud is just one of several strikers on Milan’s wanted list, but the Rossoneri believe that the 30-year-old is earning far too much for his age, which has seen him drop down their wanted list. Inter, meanwhile, were said to be looking for a second striker behind Romelu Lukaku, but they’ve cooled their interest thanks to the form of Sebastiano Esposito.
Grealish sale could help Villa avoid FFP sanctions
If Aston Villa are to avoid becoming the first Premier League club to fall foul of financial fair play regulations, they’ll need to raise millions from player sales or slashes in wages before the summer, according to the Mail. And if there’s one player whose sale could offer some financial reprieve, it’s Jack Grealish.
The report suggests that had Villa not sold Villa Park and land near their Bodymoor Heath training ground, that the club would’ve breached the EFL’s profit and sustainability rules — and that was before they spent £90 million following their promotion, without banking any significant funds through sales.
Grealish is said to have a buyout clause of £45m in the contract he signed in September 2018. The 24-year-old was the subject of prolonged interest from Tottenham in the summer before signing his new deal; regardless of whether Spurs maintain and interest in the Villa captain, there will undoubtedly be a market for the most fouled player in the Premier League this season.
Aston Villa won’t be forced into sales in January, so potential sales of Grealish or anyone else aren’t imminent, but the books will need to be balanced by the summer, leaving the Midlands club needing to get their affairs in order in the months to come.
Tap-ins
– Lyon are interested in signing Kevin Gameiro from Valencia, reports L’Equipe. The French title reveals that Lyon are desperate to fill the void left by the injured Memphis Depay, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season because of a knee injury. Used sparingly at Valencia since arriving from Atletico Madrid in summer 2018, Gameiro could be the perfect alternative for Lyon.
– Roma are keeping their striker options open this January, with the Giallorossi said to be interested in Genoa’s 20-year-old forward Andrea Pinamonti, according to Corriere dello Sport. The striker has scored four goals and contributed three assists in a struggling Genoa side.