Transfer Talk: Man United turn to Hoffenheim’s Baumgartner

The transfer window opened in early January, and speculation is heating up about potential deals. Check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.

United eyeing move for Baumgartner

The Sun is reporting that Manchester United are considering a move for Hoffenheim‘s talented Austria international Christoph Baumgartner.

The 21-year-old has impressed in the Bundesliga this campaign and is being monitored by a number of clubs, but United are reported to be preparing a bid for the summer after having kept tabs on him all season.

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Baumgartner’s contract ends in 2023 and he is currently believed to be worth around £16 million, though that fee is expected to rise if he continues in his current form.

Baumgartner has been described as “the new Michael Ballack” and, after having joined Hoffenheim aged 16 in 2017, he has climbed the ranks to become one of the side’s current stars.

He has scored three goals and registered five assists in 17 league appearances so far this season.

Odegaard completes medical ahead of Gunners move

Martin Odegaard completed a medical on Tuesday ahead of his move to Arsenal, reports Sky Sports.

The Norway star has agreed to join the Gunners from Real Madrid until the end of the season, and the deal is expected to be announced in the next 24 hours.

Odegaard is hoping to get more first-team football under Gunners’ boss Mikel Arteta after having played just nine games in all competitions at Real Madrid this season.

Arsenal appear to have successfully beaten off interest from Real Sociedad who were keen to re-sign the player following his successful loan spell at the club last year. Real Madrid preferred to send him to a club outside of La Liga.

Odegaard scored seven goals and registered nine assists last season. He becomes Arsenal’s second signing of the January transfer window, after Socceroos keeper Mat Ryan joined from Brighton.

Spurs in for Di Maria

Tottenham Hotspur have approached Paris Saint-Germain about a move for Angel Di Maria this summer, reports L’Equipe.

Di Maria has been a key player for Mauricio Pochettino since the Argentine coach’s arrival earlier this month, but his contract runs out in the summer.

Pochettino would like to keep the winger at Parc des Princes and talks have begun about a possible extension to his contract, but Spurs are hoping they can tempt the 32-year-old to London.

Di Maria, who is hoping for a two-year extension, has been offered a pay cut on his current deal, and so while talks appear to be stalling, he could use Tottenham’s interest as a bargaining tool.

Di Maria has scored 86 goals and added 102 assists in 243 appearances for PSG.

Tap-ins

– Christian Eriksen‘s match-winning free kick for Internazionale against rivals AC Milan could see him stay in Italy, if Antonio Conte’s post-match quotes are anything to go by. Talking after Inter’s dramatic 2-1 win, Conte said: “Nobody will arrive, nobody will leave. We are working with Eriksen on a tactical level to find an alternative for [Marcelo] Brozovic, because we don’t have someone like that in the squad.”

– Bayer Leverkusen have agreed terms with Leicester City‘s Demarai Gray according to Sky Sports, though the German side are just one of a handful of clubs keen to sign the 24-year-old. Gray’s Foxes contract expires at the end of the season and he is keen to secure more playing time than he’s currently getting under Brendan Rodgers. Leverkusen have agreed a deal to sign Gray, and the two clubs have until next Monday, when the transfer window closes, to finalise the move.

– Everton and Parma appear to be battling it out for the signature of Bayern Munich youngster Joshua Zirkzee, according to Sky Sports Germany. Both clubs have made offers for the 19-year-old, with both keen to take the player on loan until the end of the season with the option to sign him in the summer for a fee of around £9m.

– Uruguayan winger Brian Rodriguez could be on his way to Europe. Talking to journalist Martin Charquero, Rodriguez says that he prefers a move to Europe rather than a return to LAFC. Cagliari lead a host of Italian clubs keen to sign the 20-year-old, and they include Fiorentina, Genoa, Lazio and Sampdoria.