Monday’s transfer round-up: Arsenal contact Real Madrid over James Rodriguez as Kevin Prince Boateng joins Barcelona
Relive all of Monday's transfer news plus gossip, rumours and done deals
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Your support makes all the difference.The Premier League's January transfer window saw one of its most bizarre transfer stories as former Tottenham and Portsmouth midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng joined Barcelona on loan until the end of the season from Sassuolo. The deal for the 31-year-old also includes an option to buy for £7.1m.
Arsenal confirmed head of recruitment Sven Mislintat will depart the club after disharmony emerged behind the scenes last week, while the Gunners continue their pursuit of Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez, who's on a two-year loan from Real Madrid at Bayern Munich.
Manchester United are ramping up their search for a director of football, with the club's hierarchy keen to fill the role before a decision is taken over their next permanent manager, meanwhile, Jose Mourinho claims he has turned down three job offers since being sacked.
Relive all of today's transfers news, rumours and done deals on our live blog below.
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Borussia Dortmund’s sporting director Michael Zorc has insisted that Jadon Sancho will stay at the Bundesliga side next season and remains a part of the club’s long-term plans.
The 18-year-old, who made his England debut in November, has scored seven goals and assisted a further 10 in 24 appearances this season.
Dortmund bought Sancho from Manchester City for just £8m in the summer of 2017, with his value now thought to be ten times that amount, but Zorc confirmed that his immediate future is with the German club.
Back to Chelsea where a former player could be on his way back.
The Sun report the Blues are considering triggering the £40m release clause in Nathan Ake's contract at Bournemouth as they look for defensive reinforcements.
Former England, Chelsea and Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has announced his retirement from professional football.
Johnson was the first signing of Roman Abramovich's reign as Chelsea owner, when in June 2003 he joined from West Ham as an 18-year-old for a reported £6million fee.
The 34-year-old told talkSPORT on Monday: "Today is the day I'm officially saying I've retired. I knew halfway through last season I was going to call it a day. I always wanted to retire at an age where my body still felt good."
Johnson, who made 54 England appearances and featured in two World Cup squads, spent four seasons with Chelsea, earning a Premier League winners' medal in 2004-05.
He joined Portsmouth, initially on loan, before helping them to FA Cup victory in 2008.
He moved to Liverpool for £18m in 2009, spending six years at Anfield, before three seasons at Stoke, concluding with their Premier League relegation in May 2018, after which he was released. He has not played since.
Chelsea are said to have enquired about Paris St-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot.
The French international is out of contract in the summer and looked set for a switch to Barcelona.
But Bayern Munich are said to be keen and so too are the Blues, according to L'Equipe.
Brighton have signed 20-year-old Argentine prospect Alexis Mac Allister from Argentinos Juniors, where he will return on loan until June.
The Seagulls unloaded around £6m on the young midfielder but have allowed him to remain in Argentina for a further six months in order to process paperwork that will allow him to claim an EU passport.
Mac Allister is the son of a former Argentina international and plays at club level with his two brothers Alexis and Francis.
Argentinos Juniors, the club that Brighton have signed him from, is known for producing talented young players from its academy, most famously one Diego Maradona.
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