Transfer news LIVE: Lopetegui to be sacked by West Ham, Vlahovic to Man Utd, Arsenal latest
The transfer window is in full swing with sides at both ends of the Premier League table looking to strengthen as they battle for survival, European football and the title
Clubs across the continent are in the market for January transfer deals as they look to strengthen their squads for the second half of the 2024/25 season with titles, European football and survival all on the line.
Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City are all rumoured to be circling new arrivals as they battle it out in the Premier League while the window could see some big exits confirmed with Trent Alexander-Arnold negotiating a possible free transfer to Real Madrid and Manchester United open to selling Marcus Rashford. Joshua Zirkzee could also be leaving and Juventus have reportedly offered Arsenal target Dusan Vlahovic to United for the striker in a swap deal.
One of the more intriguing sagas is the fate of Dani Olmo who could be left in limbo is Barcelona fail in their attempts to re-register him. The Spanish giants are battling LaLiga over finanical issues which could mean Olmo needs to find a new club and there are plenty of teams, Arsenal and Chelsea included, monitoring the situation.
And across the rest of the English top-flight, clubs are sticking to PSR regulations and tight budgets as they look to find cut-price deals to bolster their squads.
Follow all the latest transfer news, rumours and deals below:
Casadei on verge of Chelsea exit
Cesare Casadei looks set to leave Chelsea after he agreed a permanent transfer to Torino, according to The Sun.
The 21-year-old midfielder was signed in 2022 from Inter Milan in a deal worth £12.6m but was sent out on loan moves to Reading and Leicester before being recalled to the Blues squad in January last year.
Transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio, says a deal between the two clubs is being negotiated in the region of £10m with a buy back option included for the Blues.
Kabore heading out on loan
Manchester City’s Issa Kabore will be heading to Werder Bremen on loan for the rest of the season after being recalled from Benfica.
The right-back has spent time at Mechelen, Troyes, Marseille, Luton Town and most recently Benfica with Werder Bremen being the sixth loan for the 23-year-old.
Kabore is a Burkina Faso international with 45 caps and two goals.
Besiktas target Chris Wood
Chris Wood has scored 11 goals in the Premier League this and is garnering interest from other clubs.
According to Fotomac, Turkish giants Besiktas are eyeing a move for the forward in the hopes of bringing him in as a partner for striker Ciro Immobile.
Nottingham Forest are, understandibly, not keen on selling during this window as they hope to maintain their great form and keep themselves in the top four.
Eddie Howe hits back at critics of Newcastle’s approach: ‘We are here to win’
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe does not care what people outside of the city think of his team as he plots another assault on Carabao Cup glory.
The Magpies have climbed to fifth in the Premier League after a run of five successive victories, two of them at Manchester United and Tottenham, to rekindle memories of their surge into the Champions League places two seasons ago.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta and then Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp were angered by Newcastle’s approach during that campaign, prompting Howe to say: “We are not here to be popular and to get other teams to like us. We are here to compete.”
Eddie Howe hits back at critics of Newcastle’s approach: ‘We are here to win’
The Newcastle boss is happy to see his team “ruffling feathers” once again ahead of their Carabao Cup semi-final
Everton’s new owners assessing Sean Dyche’s future
Sky Sports News reports that Everton‘s new owners, The Friedkin Group, have been assessing the club’s direction and the future of manager Sean Dyche.
The Toffees sit just one point above the relegation zone having won one of their last 11 games following a defeat to Bournemouth at the weekend.
The new ownership group is planning to see out the season and conduct a full review and evaluation of the club. However, there are immediate concerns over the team’s performance and discussions are underway on how to proceed to guarantee that Everton avoid the drop.
Cunha to extend time with Wolves
The Telegraph are reporting that striker Matheus Cunha is in advanced talks over a new contract at Wolves.
They say that the forward is on the verge of signing a new deal, with the club in ‘advanced talks’ to keep the Brazilian at Molineux. Furthermore there will reportedly be a release clause built into the contract to allow Cunha to leave if the midlands club are relegated from the English top flight.
Wolves spent £44m to sign Cunha from Atletico Madrid in 2023 and would want to sell him for a profit if they cannot secure his services long-term.
Chiesa confirms January window plans
Liverpool’s Federico Chiesa has been linked with a move away from Anfield this month with a return to Italy being the most likely destination for the winger who has struggled for game time with the Premier League leaders.
However the player’s agent, LIAN Sports director Fali Ramadani, insists the 27-year-old has no intention of leaving Liverpool.
Speaking to 365Scores, Ramadani explained: “Napoli did not negotiate a contract with Chiesa from Liverpool in the winter period, and the club has no intention of dispensing with the player,
“The player is continuing with Liverpool and is seeking the opportunity to participate in the coming period. This is what I can confirm now.”
Victor Osimhen set to stay at Galatasaray
Victor Osimhen is a name linked with a move to the Premier League every transfer transfer window but according to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Galatasaray are currently 100 per cent convinced he won’t be leaving the club this January.
Plettenberg also says that there are no negotiations taking place with other teams despite Osimhen’s 13 goals and five assists this season.
Juve offer surprise swap deal to Man Utd
Juventus have offered to swap Dusan Vlahovic for Joshua Zirkzee as part of a January transfer move according to talkSPORT.
Zirkee has only scored three Premier League goals since his arrival at Old Trafford and is in the firing line as one of the squad players underforming.
The Dutchman signed for £36.5m in the summer but could make an early exit if a swap deal for Vlahovic can be arranged. Vlahovic has just 18 months left on his Juve contract in Turin and the Italian giants hope to benefit from his exit.
The Serbia international is the club’s top scorer this season with 12 goals in all competitions and has the ability to lead the line for United.
Arsenal have bid rejected for Brazilian striker
Arsenal’s search for a striker has led them to South America, where they have reportedly had an opening bid rejected for Botafogo star Igor Jesus.
The Gunners have been linked with the likes of Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko but with that calibre of player unlikely to be available until the summer, they’re aiming for a cheaper stop-gap solution.
Brazilian outlet RTI Esporte are reporting that Botafogo have rejected an opening offer from the gunners for Jesus, although the amount is unknown, and that although the 23-year-old has an £83m release clause in his contract, a £16.6m bid may be enough to sign him.
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