Transfer news and rumours live: £127m Philippe Coutinho to Barca, Manchester United to hijack Chelsea defender move
All the latest transfer news live plus gossip and rumours
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Your support makes all the difference.The winter transfer window is now just around the corner with some of world football's biggest names potentially on the move again.
Neymar smashed the world transfer record by swapping Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer but many closer to home could follow him in big money transfers in January with speculation about the futures of Philippe Coutinho, Alexis Sanchez and more refusing to go away.
Manchester City were the summer's biggest spenders splashing over £200m on new arrivals but Pep Guardiola isn't likely to stop there with a title there for the taking.
Crosstown rivals United were busy too and will want more despite adding Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matic and Victor Lindelof in the summer with Jose Mourinho keen on an attacking wide player and a new full back.
Liverpool struggled to get deals over the line and could still lose Coutinho while Chelsea are still in need of bodies as Antonio Conte continues to battle with a hectic fixture list.
We will have all the latest news for you right here so don't touch that dial.
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Good morning and welcome to today's Independent transfer live blog.
The winter transfer window is now just around the corner with some of world football's biggest names possibly on the move.
Neymar smashed the world transfer record by swapping Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer but with money seemingly to burn January could be the biggest ever with many closer to home possibly following the Brazilian in making multi-million pound moves.
We'll bring you all the latest news, done deals and breaking rumours throughout the day right here so don't touch that dial.
Without further ado, off we go.
Let's take a look around the back pages, shall we?
Sam Allardyce is plotting a £60million bid for Borussia Dortmund forward PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG, the Daily Mirror reports. Everton's new manager is said to view the Gabon international, 28, as a replacement for Romelu Lukaku after the Belgian left for Manchester United in July for £75m.
Liverpool forward DANNY INGS has received admiring glances from at least four Premier League clubs considering a January loan offer, The Guardian reports. West Ham, Crystal Palace, Stoke and Newcastle are tipped to make a move for Ings in the new year.
Arsenal are closing in on completing a free transfer deal for Schalke midfielder LEON GORETZKA, The Sun reports. Arsene Wenger may have to fight off competition from a number of top European clubs, including Manchester United and City, however the Gunners are reportedly confident they will come out on top in the race to sign the 22-year-old Germany international.
Arsene Wenger says Jack Wilshere is ready to more regularly return to Arsenal’s first team in the Premier League, after another “sharp” and “dominant” performance in the Europa League.
The midfielder scored the third goal in his side’s 6-0 win over Bate Borisov at the Emirates, marking his first strike since May 2015, and maybe now a proper chance of getting back into the team after a frustrating time since then.
Philippe Coutinho has admitted that he does not know if Barcelona will make another offer for him when the transfer window reopens in January.
The Liverpool attacking midfielder was taken out of Jürgen Klopp’s first-team plans at the start of the season after Barcelona launched an intense pursuit of him in the summer, but remained at Anfield after the Premier League club stood firm in their desire not to sell one of their prize assets.
Certainly, performances like the one in Liverpool’s 7-0 demolition of Spartak Moscow on Wednesday night – in which he scored a hat-trick while captaining the side – will only grow Barca’s desire to land him at the earliest opportunity.
Stoke have disciplined striker Jese Rodriguez after he left the bench early during last weekend's victory over Swansea.
It is understood the on-loan Paris Saint-Germain forward walked down the tunnel and left the stadium after Mark Hughes made his second and third substitutions in the 70th minute.
Jese lost his place in the side after the defeat against Bournemouth in October and has made just two short substitute appearances since.
Jose Mourinho will be full justified in parking the bus this weekend.
Here's Miguel Delaney to explain why:
↵
Alan Pardew admitted that he fears West Bromwich Albion will lose captain Jonny Evans in January, with Manchester City considering returning for the Northern Ireland international.
West Brom turned down offers of £18m and £23m from City for their skipper in the summer, with Albion holding out for £30m.
Arsenal and Leicester were also interested in the veteran central defender, and with City now likely to come back with a bid it appears West Brom are resigned to losing the 29 year-old.
Pep Guardiola has denied Manchester City offered Lionel Messi a signing bonus of €100m (£88m) as part of a huge Bosman deal.
Reports in Spanish sports daily Marca claimed that City owner Sheikh Mansour himself made the offer, bypassing intermediaries, that also contained a €50m (£44m) annual salary.
Messi ended up extending his Barcelona contract, as he had always intended to do, and Guardiola claimed on Tuesday that reports of City's massive offer were "not true."
"That was never going to happen," he added.
West Ham United claim “friendly relations” with Sporting Lisbonhave resumed, after an explosive war of words between the two clubs this summer culminated in the Portuguese club’s president branding David Sullivan and David Gold “the dildo brothers”.
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