The final day of the winter transfer window is here and speculation is heating up about potential deals. Check out the latest gossip and news below, and see all official deals here.
Deadline Feb. 1: Bundesliga (noon ET) | Serie A (2 p.m. ET) | Premier League (6 p.m. ET) | La Liga (6 p.m. ET) | Ligue 1 (6 p.m. ET)
TOP STORIES: Liverpool set to sign Davies, PSG eye Alli loan, Arsenal chase left-back
Liverpool are set to ease their defensive problems by agreeing a £2m deal for Preston North End defender Ben Davies, sources have told ESPN’s Mark Ogden.
Davies, 25, will undergo a medical in Liverpool on Monday before completing the transfer, which also includes Anfield youngster Sepp van den Berg, 19, moving to the EFL Championship club on loan until the end of the season.
The Daily Mail reports that Liverpool have also been working on a move for Marseille centre-back Duje Caleta Car. The Croatia international almost signed for West Ham in the summer but now it seems that Marseille don’t have time to get a replacement, so a move to Liverpool looks unlikely.
Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli is facing an anxious wait over his proposed move to Paris Saint-Germain with club chairman Daniel Levy reluctant to let the midfielder leave, sources have told ESPN’s James Olley.
Sources said that Alli is keen on the move and manager Jose Mourinho is willing to let him go but Levy is proving to be the major stumbling block. Tottenham also need to sign a replacement and Inter Milan’s Christian Eriksen has been linked with a return to the club. Having joined only a year ago, the 28-year-old was told he can leave the club, but now looks like he will stay.
Arsenal are chasing a backup left-back to Kieran Tierney with Southampton‘s Ryan Bertrand, Marseille defender Jordan Amavi and Crystal Palace‘s Patrick van Aanholt under consideration. The Gunners could also let Ainsley Maitland-Niles leave on loan, with Leicester City, Newcastle and Southampton all keen according to The Athletic.
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08.40 GMT: Marcos Rojo will undergo a medical on Monday in Buenos Aires ahead of signing a three-year contract with Boca Juniors, according to Ole.
The Argentina international defender has reportedly terminated his contract with Manchester United that was supposed to run until the summer to join Boca as a free agent. Rojo, 30, had played just two games in 14 months for United.
08.30 GMT: Besiktas have signed Turkey striker Cenk Tosun from Everton on loan for the season.
Çok özlemişiz @CenkTosun_ 🖤 pic.twitter.com/wwn3S4PMVC
— Beşiktaş JK (@Besiktas) January 31, 2021
08.28 GMT: Bayern Munich are in pole position to sign RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano for his release clause of €42.5m in the summer, but will face competition from two Premier League clubs.
“We agreed on a release clause because the player decided that he wants to make the next step at some point,” his agent, Volker Struth, said on Sport 1 Doppelpass on Sunday. “There is a good chance he will leave [Leipzig] in the summer.”
Bayern met with Struth late last week and the agent confirmed that the German champions “underlined they are very interested” in Upamecano.
“The release clause is at €42.5m,” Struth said. “It’s a lot in corona[virus] times. It was different back in the summer of 2019.”
With the price set, not a lot of clubs can weigh in and the defender’s decision will be between Bayern “or the Premier League,” the agent said.
“The Spanish clubs in question currently are not capable of it. It’s no secret there are two interested Premier League clubs,” he added. “There will be a decision in the coming weeks and it’ll be announced.”
1:16
Mark Ogden assesses where Dayot Upamecano will land this summer if he leaves RB Leipzig.
08.11 GMT: Chelsea teenager Billy Gilmour in talks over loan move to Southampton, says The Daily Mail.
The 19-year-old has been left out of all new manager Thomas Tuchel’s squads so far and he needs to move in order to play for Scotland at Euro 2020.
08.05 GMT: Joshua King and Shane Long are set to swap clubs, reports The Athletic.
Bournemouth’s King is a free agent in the summer and is looking for a new club, which Southampton can evidently get him by allowing Long to move in the other direction.
The report states: “The proposal is for Norway forward King, who has scored 48 goals in 161 Premier League appearances and 17 in 51 for his country, to join Southampton on a permanent basis for a small fee and Republic of Ireland striker Long to head the other way on loan with an option to buy.”
07.58 GMT: ICYMI – Manchester United have loaned winger Facundo Pellistri to Alaves for the remainder of the season. Pellistri, 19, moves to La Liga to gain first-team experience having made several appearances for United’s under-23 side since joining last summer.
07.30 GMT: Newcastle United are pushing to try and sign Arsenal’s Joe Willock on loan, The Daily Mail reports.
Willock hasn’t quite been able to break into the Gunners’ first team so far this season, and with the Magpies needing reinforcements in their battle against the drop, the 21-year-old could serve as a breath of fresh air.
07.22 GMT: Sky Germany is reporting that Hertha Berlin are making a late push to try and sign Milot Rashica on loan from Werder Bremen. If they do manage to get a deal over the finish line then there would be an obligation to buy attached to it, which could come into effect as soon as the end of the season.
07.10 GMT: RMC Sport is reporting that Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo is set to make another loan move away from the club, this time to Nice.
Todibo is currently out on loan with Portuguese side Benfica but is struggling for time in the starting XI, and barring a problem with his impending medical, he’ll be heading back over to France with Nice.
07.00 GMT: Celtic are set to sign Everton defender Jonjoe Kenny on loan until the end of the season, The Daily Mail reports. The Scottish giants have failed to make much of an impact in the league and as they prepare to hand their crown over to Rangers, the plan seems to be that they’ll give it their best shot until it becomes official – and Kenny looks to be part of those efforts.
DEADLINE DAY PREVIEW
0:54
ESPN FC’s Matteo Bonnetti has the inside scoop on how Bryan Reynolds landed at Roma from FC Dallas
Any U.S. players being linked in Europe?
Chris Richards: The Bayern Munich and United States defender is set to join Hoffenheim on a six-month loan move, a source has told ESPN’s Tom Hamilton. The move will allow Richards to play under former Bayern reserve team boss Sebastian Hoeness again, who is now in charge of Hoffenheim.
Bryan Reynolds: Roma are set to sign the FC Dallas right-back, sources have told ESPN’s Tom Hamilton. The 19-year-old has drawn interest from Juventus and Club Brugge, but Roma are now in pole position. Roma have agreed to a deal that would bring Reynolds to Italy originally on loan, but have an obligation to sign the player for €7m plus add-ons, sources say.
Aaron Long: The New York Red Bulls and USMNT centre-back was linked with a loan move to Championship side Reading a few days ago, but sources told ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle that he’s now on the radar of Liverpool. Long, 28, was named MLS Defender of the Year in 2018 and could be a cheap option for Jurgen Klopp, though a loan move to an unnamed Championship club has been rejected.
Chris Gloster: The PSV Eindhoven and USMNT youth international left-back has drawn interest from Newcastle United, a source told ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle. But any move to the Premier League side would be subject to Gloster obtaining a U.K. work permit, and it seems like that won’t happen; instead, he could join Danish club SonderjyskE (who have U.S. owners) or stay at PSV.
DeAndre Yedlin: The United States right-back is set for a move to Galatasaray from Newcastle United, sources have told ESPN’s Tom Hamilton. Yedlin, 27, is to travel to Turkey for his medical after both clubs agreed to a fee to sign him.
Paul Arriola: Swansea City are interested in adding the D.C. United winger to their squad on loan, sources have told ESPN. The Championship side have already snapped up Jordan Morris on a loan deal from the Seattle Sounders and have returned to America with interest in another U.S. star. Sources said there is a “50-50” chance of the deal happening before Monday’s deadline, with Swansea and D.C. United in discussions.
0:46
Gab Marcotti explains why Paul Pogba staying at Man United would be a huge coup for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
What do the big teams still need?
PREMIER LEAGUE
INS: Amad Diallo (£19m, Atalanta)
OUTS: Ethan Laird (loan, MK Dons), Timothy Fosu-Mensah (£1.75m, Bayer Leverkusen), Jesse Lingard (loan, West Ham), Tahith Chong (loan, Club Brugge), James Garner (loan, Nottingham Forest), Facundo Pellistri (loan, Alaves)
After the arrival of 18-year-old Amad Diallo, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still thinks he is two or three players short, but new arrivals — likely to include a centre-back and a forward — will have to wait until the summer. Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero have been given permission to talk to other teams and could leave before the deadline. Facundo Pellistri has gone on on loan to Alaves as he has been restricted to U23 games since signing in the summer, Jesse Lingard has gone on loan to West Ham, but the club have rebuffed enquiries for Donny van de Beek. Sources told ESPN that Manchester United are prepared to wait for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, while Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho will remain a target. — Rob Dawson
INS: None
OUTS: Liam Millar (loan, Charlton), Adam Lewis (loan, Plymouth)
A centre-back has been mooted all window long, with Alaba and Upamecano in the conversation, and now an injury to Joel Matip will see one arrive. Lille centre-back Sven Botman has been on the radar of a string of clubs in England, including Liverpool, sources told ESPN, while Ajax’s Perr Schuurs has also been considered. But Klopp had to get creative with a lack of funds available and worked out a £2m deal for Preston North End defender Ben Davies, sources have told ESPN.
Brighton midfielder Bissouma is being closely followed by Liverpool, sources told ESPN, with manager Klopp tracking him as a potential replacement for Wijnaldum, who is out of contract in the summer. Derby County wonderkid Kaide Gordon, 16, has also been linked. — Mark Ogden
INS: Filip Stevanovic (£7m, Partizan Belgrade)
OUTS: Morgan Rogers (loan, Lincoln), Mix Diskerud (undisclosed, Denizlispor), Daniel Arzani (loan, AGF)
Manchester City are resigned to losing centre-back Garcia to Barcelona, either before the deadline for €3m or in the summer for free. Pep Guardiola has done his best to convince the 20-year-old to sign a new contract at the Etihad Stadium, but Garcia has been clear in his desire to return to Spain and it will happen eventually. Guardiola says he is not expecting any new arrivals this month, but there will be focus on bringing in an established centre-forward in the summer — whatever happens with Sergio Aguero’s contract, which expires in 2021. — Rob Dawson
INS: None
OUTS: Jubril Okedina (loan, Cambridge United), Jack Clarke (loan, Stoke), Maurizio Pochettino (undisclosed, Watford)
Jose Mourinho stated on Wednesday that he does not expect Tottenham to do any business before Monday’s deadline. Sources have told ESPN that Dele Alli is keen on a loan move to Paris Saint-Germain, but chairman Daniel Levy is wavering over allowing a player previously so influential at the club to leave. Levy plays his hand late in the window so nothing can definitively be ruled out, but Mourinho is content with his squad and the club’s longer-term targets — including a centre-back and a new right-back — will likely be put on hold until the summer. Harry Winks has been linked with a move to Valencia, though the England midfielder is expected to stay in north London. Mourinho’s sparing use of Real Madrid loanee Gareth Bale has also taken several Tottenham players by surprise, sources told ESPN. — James Olley
INS: None
OUTS: Charlie Brown (undisclosed, MK Dons), Lucas Piazon (free, Braga), Danny Drinkwater (loan, Kasimpasa), Fikayo Tomori (loan, AC Milan), Baba Rahman (loan, PAOK)
New manager Thomas Tuchel will have his own plans, and Chelsea had been keen to sign Rice before the sacking of Frank Lampard, but sources said the 42-year-old was driving the Blues’ pursuit of the England international while senior figures at the club had reservations about paying a high fee — the Hammers demanded £80m last summer — for a former academy graduate. Chelsea have also been been monitoring the progress of Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, sources told ESPN’s Julien Laurens, while the club want to keep veteran striker Olivier Giroud until the end of the season despite interest from Inter and Juventus. Young midfielder Billy Gilmour could depart on loan as he searches for game time. — Mark Ogden
INS: Mat Ryan (loan, Brighton), Martin Odegaard (loan, Real Madrid)
OUTS: William Saliba (loan, Nice), Sead Kolasinac (loan, Schalke), Matt Macey (free, Hibernian), Sokratis (released), Mesut Ozil (free, Fenerbahce)
Arsenal remain hopeful of adding a left-back before Monday’s deadline. They have not yet made contact with Southampton over reported interest in Ryan Bertrand and have only minimal funds available; Marseille defender Jordan Amavi has been considered, but no formal offer has materalised as of yet, and they have also been linked with Crystal Palace’s Patrick van Aanholt. Ainsley Maitland-Niles could leave on loan, but only if another full-back arrives.
The majority of their business has already been done with Martin Odegaard and Mat Ryan arriving on loan while Mesut Ozil, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Sead Kolasinac have left the Gunners to help reduce their wage bill. Manager Mikel Arteta will continue an overhaul of the squad in the summer with a centre-back among his priorities once Shkodran Mustafi and Calum Chambers depart while they are expected to try to sign goalkeeper David Raya from Brentford having failed with a bid last summer.
The long-term pursuit of Houssem Aouar is set to be complicated by the Lyon midfielder’s desire to wait for interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona to materialise this summer before deciding his next move, while Emile Smith Rowe has made a strong impression after breaking into the Arsenal first team, but talk of a new contract is premature, sources told ESPN. — James Olley
1:48
Gab Marcotti says Lionel Messi’s leaked contract looks like a ploy to reignite his desire to leave the club.
EUROPE
INS: None
OUTS: Carles Alena (loan, Getafe)
There is no money for moves, so the club have to turn to youth. There’s a vague possibility they might spend €3m on Man City defender Garcia if they can raise it, but with no president or board in place, it’s impossible to make a decision. One source at the club told ESPN they hoped to be able to move on Neto and Junior Firpo, the latter of whom is of interest to AC Milan and West Ham United, and that they would also listen to reasonable offers for Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann. But no club has any money to sign the duo. Moves for Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay, or even an unlikely swoop for Aguero, will have to wait until the summer, as will the future of Messi. But a lot will change in five months. — Sam Marsden
INS: None
OUTS: Takefusa Kubo (loan, Getafe), Luka Jovic (loan, Eintracht Frankfurt), Martin Odegaard (loan, Arsenal)
With no money to spend at the Bernabeu, there will be no additions even though Karim Benzema and Mariano Diaz are the only two strikers in the squad. Long term, sources told ESPN, the club is looking to land Kylian Mbappe and Eduardo Camavinga, but they would cost a lot and Madrid have bigger issues right now. A free transfer for Bayern star David Alaba looks likely in the summer, but the future of captain and legend Sergio Ramos is unresolved, with PSG and Man City keen to get him for free too. Luka Modric should sign a new contract, but it seems Lucas Vazquez won’t, while centre-back Eder Militao has been linked with a move but should stay this month. Sources told ESPN that Odegaard felt let down by Madrid, as he was not given a chance in the first team before being allowed to join Arsenal on loan. — Alex Kirkland
INS: Moussa Dembele (loan, Lyon)
OUTS: Manu Sanchez (loan, Osasuna), Ivan Saponjic (loan, Cadiz), Diego Costa (released)
Having won the past transfer window with the free transfer of Luis Suarez from Barcelona, Atletico needed to bring in a replacement for Diego Costa and did so with the loan of Moussa Dembele from Lyon. Vitolo could depart, while Lucas Torreira has been a peripheral figure since moving on loan from Arsenal in the summer and Monaco have been interested. The club really wants to renew manager Diego Simeone’s contract until 2024. — Alex Kirkland
INS: None
OUTS: None
Nothing much will happen in January, but Alaba will leave in the summer after failing to agree on a new contract. A replacement could come in the form of RB Leipzig’s Upamecano, and they are also tracking Gladbach’s Florian Neuhaus to take over from Javi Martinez, who will also depart when his deal ends. A new contract for young star Jamal Musiala is on the agenda, while Bayern remain interested in signing Frenkie de Jong, but sources told ESPN the chances of the Dutch midfielder leaving Barcelona are minimal, despite the Catalan club’s financial woes. Young U.S. right-back Chris Richards could move to Hoffenheim on loan. — Stephan Uersfeld
INS: None
OUTS: None
Keeping their top stars including Sancho, Haaland and Gio Reyna was the priority, and that has been achieved. They have been linked with Sassuolo midfielder Manuel Locatelli and Borussia Monchengladbach’s Florian Neuhaus, though the latter’s €40m release clause is too expensive for Dortmund right now. Mo Dahoud could depart if they get a suitable offer, while sources told ESPN that 16-year-old Julian Rijkhoff will sign from Ajax and be added to the club’s U17 side. — Stephan Uersfeld
INS: None
OUTS: Jese (Released), Marcin Bulka (loan, Chateauroux)
New manager Mauricio Pochettino wants to sign Alli from Tottenham on loan, and has also been linked with another former player in Eriksen, but the priority for PSG is to get Kylian Mbappe and Neymar to sign new contracts. The club’s sporting director Leonardo has said they are interested in signing Messi as his contract with Barcelona comes to an end this summer, while sources told ESPN they have approached Bayern’s Alaba and are reportedly keen on Real Madrid’s Ramos — both on free transfers. Wingers Julian Draxler and Angel Di Maria should stay until summer, despite links abroad, with Di Maria opening talks over a new contract. — Julien Laurens
INS: Marley Ake (€8m, Marseille), Nicolo Rovella (€18m, Genoa)
OUTS: Stefano Gori (loan, AC Pisa), Franco Tongya (€8m, Marseille), Manolo Portanova (€10m, Genoa), Elia Petrelli (€8m, Genoa), Nicolo Rovella (loan, Genoa).
Juventus’ focus has been on signing players for the future. Sassuolo forward Gianluca Scamacca could arrive for around €25m, while highly rated midfielder Nicolo Rovella arrives from Genoa, but will return to the club on loan. Juve’s biggest concern is to bring down the age of the squad with Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Cristiano Ronaldo needing to eventually be replaced. Sami Khedira could depart for Hertha Berlin too.
Paulo Dybala and Federico Bernardeschi were among the players offered to Manchester United as Juventus looked for ways to put together a deal to sign Paul Pogba early in the window, sources told ESPN’s Rob Dawson. But there now seems to be an acceptance that Pogba will stay until the summer. — Andrew Cesare Richardson
INS: None
OUTS: Radja Nainggolan (loan, Cagliari), Sebastiano Esposito (loan, Venezia), Giacomo Pozzer (loan, Lucchese), Axel Bakayoko (Free, Red Star)
Inter are expected to be quiet as they continue their push for a first Serie A title since their Treble-winning season of 2009-10, but could sneak through a loan swap deal for Dzeko and Sanchez with Roma. Eriksen had been considered a potential outgoing, with director Beppe Marotta admitting in December he was transfer listed, but his last-gasp winner in the Coppa Italia on Tuesday could give him a reprieve; manager Antonio Conte noted after Tuesday’s match that the club has been working on a new position for the Denmark international. Inter’s priority remains to get striker Lautaro Martinez to sign a new deal, and they have already met with his agent. — Andrew Cesare Richardson
INS: Mario Mandzukic (Free), Fikayo Tomori (loan, Chelsea), Soualiho Meite (loan, Torino)
OUTS: Andrea Conti (loan, Parma), Leo Duarte (loan, Istanbul Basaksehir), Lorenzo Colombo (loan, Cremonese), Mateo Musacchio (undisclosed, Lazio)
AC Milan have been busy in January, bringing in three players. They would have likely signed Mohamed Simakan from Strasbourg for around €15m had he not been injured, but instead they picked up Tomori on loan from Chelsea. Defender Mateo Musacchio joined Lazio, and Milan have sounded out Barcelona about a move for out-of-favour left-back Junior Firpo, sources have told ESPN’s Moises Llorens. New contracts (see above) for a key trio are also on the agenda. — Andrew Cesare Richardson