The transfer window for Europe’s biggest clubs might be closed, but they are still working tirelessly behind the scenes to line up the arrival of their next star. Transfer Talk has been scouring the world’s media to see who could be heading to your club when Jan. 1 arrives.
No Mourinho, no problem for Milenkovic
Jose Mourinho wanted a defender and Manchester United are still looking to sign one even though the Special One has moved on.
Nikola Milenkovic is on the club’s short list with or without Mourinho, and Italian newspaper La Repubblica claim that the Fiorentina centre-back’s agent is trying to get a deal done over the festive period.
Valued at £45 million (€50m) by the Serie A club, Milenkovic won’t come cheap though. So there had better be a good bit of Christmas spirit if the transfer is to be sorted out.
Zaha to become one of the world’s best-paid players in China?
Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang are ready to offer Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha £11m a season over a four-year contract, say the Daily Mail.
Wow.
Former Real Madrid player and manager Bernd Schuster is in charge of the club but even Real struggle to pay their players that much! The papers says: “The package would be worth around three times his current contract, under which he is reported to earn £130,000 a week.”
Agent Arthur to tempt Neymar back to Barcelona
Neymar left Barcelona to join PSG in the summer of 2017 for a mere €222m, but now he apparently wants to go back. Barca midfielder and Brazil starlet Arthur is front and centre in the ‘keep asking him until he gives in’ plan.
“Personally, I’m doing a lot of work to get him back,” he told Mundo Deportivo. “But he has his life, he knows what he’s doing and I do not know how deep those negotiations are, if there are options for him to come or not. But he is a personal friend and a professional that I admire a lot and would be very happy if he could come back here.”
By all accounts, Neymar won’t need that much persuasion as AS claim the forward’s agents are “constantly calling” Barcelona to try to get their client a return to Camp Nou. The paper also says he can leave for “just” €160m (£143m) in 2020.
Calero to sign for Arsenal?
Fernando Calero has revealed he is in London, which of course means he’s going to sign for Arsenal (the club he’s been linked most with) and not just there on holiday.
The 23-year-old Real Valladolid defender should realise in the world of football that you can never just innocently post pictures of your trip on social media.
Tap-Ins
– Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos was the subject of a £10m bid from Chinese side Beijing Renhe at the start of the year and will likely be the subject of more interest in January. But manager Steven Gerrard doesn’t want to sell. “I’m not resistant to bids,” said the Rangers boss. “But I won’t have his head turned in January, that’s simple. He won’t be going anywhere. The player knows what I think on that situation.”
- United States phenom Timothy Weah will leave Paris Saint-Germain to spend the next six months on loan, the 18-year-old announced on Christmas Day. And he is reported to be on his way to Celtic.
– That moment you kick yourself when it’s revealed Liverpool could have signed Virgil van Dijk three years before they did for £75m. Still, at least they did in the end.