Transfer news LIVE: Osimhen ‘agrees’ Chelsea move, Sancho leaves Man Utd and Arsenal target Ajax wonderkid
Brentford have set a huge price for Arsenal and Chelsea target Toney, while Tottenham and Manchester United are also lining up January targets
The January transfer window is well under way with deals being made and moves getting finalised. Arsenal have seemingly made Ivan Toney their ideal target for this window and have been told that it will take at least £100m to prise him away from Brentford. Chelsea are also interested in the striker but will need to offload several members of their huge squad to raise the funds for a deal.
Tottenham, meanwhile, have awarded a six-year contract to Pape Matar Sarr following his impressive season and have their sights set on Genoa defender Radu Dragusin. Spurs are reportedly hoping to finalise a £25m deal to bring the 21-year-old centre-back to the Premier League, although Napoli are now also in for the Romanian.
Elsewhere, Sir Jim Ratcliffe is making his presence known at Old Trafford following his minority takeover. The billionaire is now in charge of football operations and wants to bring Newcastle United chief Dan Ashworth on board to replace John Murtough as sporting director. Ashworth impressed during roles with the FA and Brighton before joining Newcastle 18 months ago and Ratcliffe is prepared to pay ‘whatever it takes’ to secure his services.
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Eddie Howe needs a turning point as he faces crunch moment in Newcastle reign
A derby defeat to Sunderland finished off a Newcastle United manager who had reached a cup final the previous season. His team were on a losing run, he compounded it with a disastrous team selection and a loss to local rivals. He left a few days later.
Eddie Howe, it is safe to say, has rarely been compared to Ruud Gullit. He proved the first Newcastle manager since the Dutchman to take United to Wembley, and also lost to Manchester United there, but the similarities are otherwise superficial.
Sunderland do not hold such immediate peril for him: not when the vast majority of the Newcastle fanbase appreciates his overachievement in the two years before a disastrous last month and when he retains the backing of the club’s powerbrokers; or the more known quantities, at least, such as co-owner Amanda Staveley and director of football Dan Ashworth.
Eddie Howe needs a turning point as he faces crunch moment in Newcastle reign
A derby against Sunderland has caused the downfall of Newcastle managers in the past and Howe can’t afford to slip on that FA Cup banana skin
Brighton midfielder makes move to Blackburn
Brighton midfielder Yasin Ayari has joined Blackburn on a loan deal for the remainder of the season, after a previous spell at Coventry was cut short.
The 20-year-old Swedish international featured in just 13 of Coventry’s 26 Championship games, starting six. Brighton’s technical director David Weir says the club made the switch to try and secure more game time for the midfielder saying:
“Yasin was a regular in the squad at Coventry, but he was finding playing time limited. We feel his move to Blackburn will give him more opportunities to play, and we’re looking forward to following his progress in the second half of the season.”
Yasin joined Brighton in January 2023 from Swedish side AIK, on a four-and-a-half-year deal.
Is Beck the solution to Liverpool’s left-back crisis?
Liverpool have recalled left-back Owen Beck from Dundee as injuries to both Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas leave the Reds short in that position. Joe Gomez has been providing cover there in recent times but Beck may offer a solution to boss Jurgen Klopp.
The 21-year-old hasn’t had the best of times out on loan but Klopp remains confident he can rise to the challenge should be be required.
He said: “We are really positive about Owen, but he had two difficult loan spells, things can happen when you move away from home,
“Must be the right manager, right team, another experienced left back already there, so many things can happen. The situation here is clear; we’ve lost two left backs, so the boy we like is available so we bring him back. That is it.”
Fulham to extend Tete contract
Fulham are said to be preparing a contraxt extension to Kenny Tete by one year to maintain his value should any overseas clubs try to sign him in January, according to the Evening Standard.
The right-back’s current deal is due to end this summer with the 28-year-old, recently back from injury, having made 10 appearances for Marco Silva’s Cottagers this term.
Anxiety weighing heavily on Arsenal but is Ivan Toney the answer?
In the last week, Arsenal’s hierarchy have been attempting to work out whether they can make the finances work to get Ivan Toney. There are no questions about whether he is worth going for. Mikel Arteta wants him.
That is partly because the Arsenal manager himself is trying to work out what has gone wrong with his attack.
With just four goals in five games, it is the primary reason why they have only taken four points from those fixtures and thrown away the opportunity for a commanding position at the top of the league. It’s not even like they’ve been squandering that many chances, either. Arsenal just aren’t creating with the fizz and finesse they had been for much of last season, and some of this. There’s been an anxiety to their recent build-up that has fed into an agitation at training. Everything suddenly feels forced and prescribed again, in the way it was in Arteta’s difficult first two years. The manager is also one of the Premier League’s more intense figureheads, which can grate for players that bit more when form isn’t going well.
Anxiety weighing heavily on Arsenal but is Ivan Toney the answer?
Arsenal’s flaws have been exposed in the past month and Mikel Arteta is desperate to find a solution
Brereton Diaz on joining Sheffield United
Ben Brereton Diaz made just two starts in LaLiga since joining Villarreal on a four-year deal from Blackburn in the summer but will look to rediscover his former in the Premier League.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Brereton Diaz said: “As soon as I knew there was interest, I spoke to a few people, and we got it done quickly.
“I wasn’t really playing out there (in Spain) and was told I could go out on loan, so it is great to be over in England now at such a great club and a club I know well through playing against. I can’t wait to get started.
“I spoke to Chris (Wilder) on the phone, and he was telling me about what the team stands for - hard work, desire and things like that. That’s something I enjoy, and it was something I wanted to be part of.
“Coming here is great for myself, playing in the Premier League is something you dream of as a young boy so that’s great for me and I just can’t wait to get started.”
Sheffield United announce Brereton Diaz
Sheffield United have announced the signing of Ben Brereton Diaz on loan from Villarreal saying they have moved quickly in the January transfer window to complete the deal for the Chilean international striker.
Ben Brereton Díaz joins the Blades until the end of the season and could make his debut in the FA Cup third round tie at Gillingham on Saturday.
“Ben was a coveted player so we’re delighted to have brought him to the club,” commented Chris Wilder, “We all know about him from his days at Blackburn. He’s a versatile operator at the top of the pitch, who gives us options in terms of playing off the side or playing through the middle.
“He’s quick, powerful and obviously his recent goal record at Blackburn speaks for itself. He’s got plenty of international experience as well over the last few years, representing Chile.
“For me, the fact that he really wanted to come here and play in the Premier League was a big factor. I didn’t have to say much about Sheffield United because he knows all about us already, he’s done his homework and liked what he’d heard and what we had to say to him.
“Bringing players to this club, first and foremost they need to want to be here, and Ben showed a real appetite and enthusiasm for the challenge ahead, and that was key for me. He’s excited about playing for this club and I have no doubt this is a signing which will be a major help to us in the second part of this season.”
Newcastle and Juventus target Phillips
Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips will seek guarantees over playing time from City ahead of a decision on his future at the club, as both Newcastle and Juventus are interested in the England midfielder, says the Daily Telegraph.
Juventus has enquired over a possible loan move though City would prefer a permanent transfer. Phillips’ wages of around £7m a year - or £135,000 per week - are tough for another club to take on in the middle of the season with Financial Fair Play a contributing factor.
Newcastle have also approached over a loan move as they see Phillips as potential cover for the banned Sandro Tonali.
Man City close to signing another teenage star
Manchester City are reportedly close to completing a deal with River Plate for attacking midfielder Claudio Echeverri says Sky Sports News.
The deal could be finalised in the next few days with an initial fee believed to be in the region of £12m plus performance-related add-ons.
If completed 18-year-old Echeverri would return to River Plate on loan for the rest of the year.
Klopp discusses Phillips and Williams’ futures
Liverpool will not be hasty in securing another loan move for Nat Phillips and will decide his future later in the January transfer window.
The 26-year-old centre-back has returned after a loan at Celtic, where he made eight appearances, and is expected to head elsewhere this month, though there is a possibility that he remains at Anfield as cover.
Liverpool’s centre-back options have been reduced by Joel Matip’s season-ending ACL injury, while Joe Gomez is being used at left-back following the loss of Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas.
Liverpool also brought back centre-back Rhys Williams this week after an unsuccessful loan at Aberdeen, where he played just once.
Klopp said: “With Nat, we have to see. We have to consider our own situation, stuff like this. He will definitely train with us until the end of the month and then we will talk.
“We really think highly of both to be honest after what the boys did when they were here. With Nat, it didn’t work out 100 per cent at Celtic, but that said nothing about his quality.
“With Rhys, it’s slightly different. He will train with the under-23s here. I will talk to him about why his loan spell didn’t work out. The boy I know I would expect to play in Scotland 100 per cent from the first until the last second, if it’s not Celtic or Rangers.
“He didn’t so I will have to talk to him about that. We will see what the outcome is of that conversation.”
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