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It’s go time as the January transfer window is open. Find out when it closes across Europe, view the latest transfers as they happen and keep up to date with the newest gossip below.
TOP STORY: Arsenal, Tottenham could fight for Lemar
Both Arsenal and Tottenham will have had their ears pricked after Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone said that midfielder Thomas Lemar could be for sale this month, the Mirror has reported.
The France midfielder moved to the Spanish capital just 18 months ago, but has struggled to find his best form in La Liga and has failed to find the net in 21 appearances this season. The Gunners were previously interested in signing the 24-year-old whilst he was playing for former club Monaco, but they face competition from fierce rivals Spurs who also want to bring Lemar to the Premier League.
However, both clubs are believed to be reluctant to splash out the £50 million Atletico parted with to land Lemar in summer 2018, with the Spanish side keen to recoup as much of that fee as possible, although reports suggest a loan move is a possibility.
The player’s fitness levels could also play a big part in any deal, with Lemar currently enduring a spell on the sidelines.
LIVE BLOG
22.30 BST: That’s all for today’s Transfer Talk Live. But please be sure to check back in a few hours for the best lines from Sunday’s papers. Take care.
22.22 BST: Speaking after their sides’ 0-0 draw in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Wolverhampton’s Nuno Espirito Santo both answered questions regarding rumours that Wolves striker Raul Jimenez could be on the move to Old Trafford.
United are looking for a forward after missing out on Erling Braut Haaland, who pledged his future to Borussia Dortmund at the end of last month.
Jimenez, 28, joined Wolves from Benfica in 2018 and has scored 34 goals in 77 games.
21.36 BST: Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo has reached an agreement to join AC Milan, according to Sky Sport Italia.
The deal, according to the report, would be a loan move with an option for the Serie A side to buy the former Toulouse man, while Barca would reserve the right to purchase him back should they wish.
20.23 BST: The Express is reporting that Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho (we’re still getting used to seeing that) has set the January price tag for in-demand midfielder Christian Eriksen.
Eriksen’s Spurs contract expires at the end of the season. But should a club want to pry him from London, it will cost them at least £17 million, per the outlet.
19.47 BST: New Boca Juniors boss Miguel Angel Russo has reminded Daniele De Rossi that he is still under contract with the South American giants amid speculation that the Roma legend is looking for a way back to the capital club, according to a report in Football Italia.
De Rossi’s brief time at the Bombonera has been injury-riddled but Russo has said the midfielder is still in his plans.
“They are players and they have contracts. Until now, everything has been normal,” he reportedly told TyC Sports.
“Then, if when I talk to someone they show me something else, we’ll see what happens.
“To date, all our players are Boca players and we will go from that.”
18.09 BST: Leicester City have seen a bid for Juventus defender Merih Demiral turned down, according to Sky Sports.
The 2016 Premier League champions reportedly saw an offer in excess of £25.5 million rejected for the 21-year-old who has only played five times this season.
The report claims the Foxes are now considering a loan deal for the defender but they will face opposition from Borussia Dortmund who have also seen a bid turned down.
16.57 BST: Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel is confident that Leandro Paredes and Edinson Cavani will remain at the club this month.
Cavani has been heavily linked with a move to La Liga side Atletico Madrid but Tuchel believes he won’t be sold before the summer.
“Leandro played a lot towards the end of 2019,” he told a news conference. “He showed he is important to us and can influence our game. It was hard for Edinson as he lost his rhythm because others were playing well.
“He is getting closer to where we need him to be. I think they will both stay with us until the end of the season.”
15.41 BST: Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has dismissed reports that midfielder Nemanja Matic is set to leave the club in the transfer window.
The Serbia international recently admitted that he was unsure whether he had a future at the club but Solskjaer has confirmed Matic will remain at the club.
“Nemanja will stay,” Solskjaer said. “He’s been working hard to get back in and now he’s here and he’s playing well. There’s always a chance for [a new contract], of course there is. It’s what you do on the pitch that is the decisive factor there.
Solskjaer will also be hopeful keeping Paul Pogba at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future but can they keep hold of him?
14.27 BST: Former England No. 1 Joe Hart is on Aston Villa’s transfer list this month, according to the Daily Mail.
First choice goalkeeper Tom Heaton has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury and Villa boss Dean Smith is reportedly interested in bringing Hart as a replacement.
The newspaper also claims Villa want to sign Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi this month but it is unclear whether he wants to leave London.
13.12 BST: Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been appointed the new coach of Guangzhou R&F for the upcoming season, the Chinese Super League club announced on Saturday.
The ex-Barcelona, Arsenal and Netherlands man replaces Dragan Stojkovic, who left the club by mutual consent on Friday.
Van Bronckhorst stood down from his role as head coach of Dutch side Feyenoord at the end of the season having guided the club to the Eredivisie title in 2017.
12.03 BST: Chelsea assistant manager Jody Morris has said striker Olivier Giroud will only be allowed to leave the club if they can find a suitable replacement.
‘It’s got to be for the benefit of the club,” he told a news conference. “We can’t just let people walk out the door if that means we’re left short somewhere.”
10.44 BST: Bayern Munich have signed a precontract agreement with Schalke goalkeeper and captain Alexander Nubel, who will move to the Bundesliga champions on a free transfer on July 1. Bayern won the race for the former Paderborn keeper, who will now become the No. 2 to Germany captain Manuel Neuer.
ℹ️ Der #FCBayern verpflichtet Alexander Nübel zur Saison 2020/21.
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) January 4, 2020
10.01 BST: Galatasaray have announced the signing of Henry Onyekuru on loan from AS Monaco for the rest of the season. The Nigeria international previously played for the Turkish club on loan in 2018-19 and scored 14 goals in 31 league appearances. Fair to say the fans are excited.
Henry Onyekuru’s on fire,
your defence is terrified! 🔥 @henryconyekuru pic.twitter.com/f6jd27Q9FR— Gala Fans (@GalaFans) January 3, 2020
09.30 BST: The winter transfer window is easing into gear. Will we see any activity on Saturday? Stick with us.
PAPER ROUND: Juve dangle Rabiot, Real offer Kroos for Pogba
Whilst a cloud of mystery continues to swirl over the future of Manchester United’s Paul Pogba, both Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri and Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane are doing everything they can to land the France midfielder.
According to the Sun, Juventus are preparing to tempt United with an exchange deal that would see Pogba’s World Cup-winning teammate Adrien Rabiot head the other way, while Zidane is willing to offer the services of Toni Kroos in order to seal a deal, despite being coy when recently questioned about his interest in Red Devils’ star.
Both players are former targets of the Premier League side, but the old lady are hopeful that the capture of Rabiot, 24, will convince United to do a deal in January whilst slashing £25 million off Pogba’s hefty price tag, rumoured to be a whopping £180m.
Madrid are believed to have been keen to show Kroos, 29, the Bernabeu exit door door at some time, and the player almost moved to the North of England from Bayern Munich five years ago, before opting to move to Spain instead.
Any swap deal would likely be best for all parties, with United short on options in midfield following recent injuries to Pogba and Scott McTominay, while the former is reported to be desperately seeking an end to his Manchester misery as he looks to satisfy his craving for silverware.
Smalling prefers Roma stay over Man Utd return
Meanwhile, Gazzetta report that Red Devils’ defender Chris Smalling is desperate to turn his loan spell with Serie A side Roma into a permanent deal at the end of the current campaign.
The Italian publication claim the former England man has “fallen in love” with the club and has told United bosses that he doesn’t want to return to Manchester in the summer.
Smalling, 30, has surprised everyone, including his parent club, with a string of fine performances at the heart of the Giallorossi backline this season and could prove a steal with the potential fee involved reported to be around £12.5 million.
United are far from short on options at centre-back, with Axel Tuanzebe, Eric Bailly, Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones all available as cover for Harry Maguire and long-term option Victor Lindelof.
According to Gazzetta, Smalling’s agent has now flown out as the player looks to push through a deal.
Tap-Ins
— With Pogba set for a spell on the sidelines — and possibly the exit door — Manchester United appear to have missed out on another creative midfielder in Jack Grealish. That’s according to the Daily Mirror, who report that Tottenham are also set to be disappointed in their quest to land the midfielder, who has struck eight times this season and assisted six more. According to the Mirror, Grealish’s manager, Dean Smith, told supporters: “He’s a top player but as I’ve said before, our owners are very ambitious…we’ll be keeping hold of Jack Grealish.”
— Whilst bitter rivals Liverpool are loving life at the top, the Sun reports that Everton’s eyes are on Roma’s Cengiz Under as Carlo Ancelotti looks to bring his fresh faces. According to the Sun, the Turkey winger — also believed to be target for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal — sits high on their list of top targets having fallen out of favour at the Stadio Olimpico.