Transfer Talk: Spurs, Atletico, Juve, PSG eye Inter Milan’s Brozovic

The 2022 January transfer window is open (find out when it closes here) and there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: Liverpool close on €70m move for Porto’s Luis Diaz

Liverpool are closing on a €70 million deal to sign FC Porto winger Luis Diaz, according to The Sun.

Diaz, 24, has impressed this season with 12 goals and four assists in 15 games so far in Portugal. The Colombia international finished joint-top scorer alongside Argentina‘s Lionel Messi at last summer’s Copa America and reportedly has an €80m release clause.

However, Liverpool are looking to get him slightly cheaper as they look to replace Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane after they left to play in this month’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has previously said that the club won’t be active in January, however injuries and a COVID-19 outbreak have left the club short of options and they are considering dipping into their transfer funds to help.

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20.18 GMT: Nicolo Schira reports that AS Roma expect to soon confirm the signing of Sergio Oliveira from FC Porto on loan with an option to make the move permanent. The 29-year-old midfielder was reported to have agreed personal terms with the Serie A club in December, and with just the final details remaining, he will reportedly be announced as a member of the Giallorossi in the coming days.

19.45 GMT: Former Cruz Azul midfielder Orbelin Pineda left Mexico on Wednesday to join El Tri teammate Nestor Araujo at LaLiga’s Celta Vigo. Fox Sports MX reports that the 25-year-old will sign a five-year contract upon completion of his medical.

19.12 GMT: Paris Saint-Germain are looking to strengthen their midfield options by signing Lyon star Lucas Paqueta, according to L’Equipe. It is reported that sporting director Leonardo has been tracking the 24-year-old Brazil international since his impressive performance against PSG in September, and the Ligue 1 leaders are hopeful of bringing him to the Parc des Princes in the summer.

18.38 GMT: Brentford have failed with their first attempt to sign Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson, reports Football Insider. The Bees reportedly made an initial bid including a transfer fee of £12m for the 20-year-old attacker, who already has seven appearances with Wales, although it is said that the Championship side are refusing to budge from their valuation of £15m.

18.16 GMT: Manchester City forward and three-time PFA Young Player of the Year Lauren Hemp has signed a two-year contract extension, with the club’s leading scorer in the Women’s Super League committed to remaining at the Etihad campus through the end of the 2023-24 season.

2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣

We are delighted to announce that @lauren__hemp has signed a two-year contract extension! 🤩

Download 👉 https://t.co/hquZ2Stav3

— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 6, 2022

17.54 GMT: The Athletic writes that a host of Premier League clubs are beginning to circle for Liverpool centre-back Nat Phillips. While Jurgen Klopp’s side previously rejected a bid of £7m, the report states that they are willing to move the 24-year-old this month, while Phillips’ performance against AC Milan at the San Siro in December has also alerted potential suitors in the Serie A.

17.00 GMT: Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter reveals that there have been no bids for Tariq Lamptey, with the expectation that all of his senior squad will remain at the Amex Stadium this January. The 21-year-old right-back has been linked with a move to Arsenal in recent days, having excelled on the South Coast since leaving Chelsea in January 2020.

“I’d expect all of our players to be with us [at the end of Jan],” Potter is quoted as saying by the Metro. “There is a lot of speculation out there but nothing to report.”

15.56 GMT: Juventus won’t let Spain striker Alvaro Morata leave, so Barcelona are turning to other options, says Sport.

Morata was set to sign for Barca, cutting his loan at Juve short from Atletico Madrid, but will now stay in Turin.

As a result, Barca are looking at a deal for Manchester United winger Anthony Martial.

Martial has been hampered by injuries so far this season but his agent revealed he wants out in January and Barca are looking to do a deal.

United have already rejected a loan bid from Sevilla, sources have told ESPN, and will only consider offers that cover all of Martial’s wages and includes a loan fee. United are happy to keep the 26-year-old if those conditions are not met.

15.30 GMT: Liverpool have signed American forward Katie Stengel.

Stengel, 29, is the all-time leading goal scorer at Wake Forest and has been capped up to U.S. U23 level, winning the FIFA U20 World Cup.

She has played for Washington Spirit, Boston Breakers, Utah Royals and Houston Dash, while spending time on loan in the Australian W-League with Western Sydney Wanderers, Newcastle Jets and Canberra United.

Most recently she played for Norwegian side Valerenga and Stengel said: “I’m a No.9, very competitive, love to get the ball as much as possible and hopefully score goals! Coming in as a second-division team, you want to get promoted and have that big story behind you. The girls have put themselves in a great position and it would be great to get promoted and fight to get back to where we want to be.”

15.20 GMT: The Athletic reports that Tottenham are keen to sign Wolves winger Adama Traore.

Traore, 25, has struggled this season and could move on in January, with Spurs looking to add defender Matt Doherty in a part-exchange deal.

https://theathletic.com/news/tottenham-considering-fresh-approach-for-adama-traore/8OHBdqVsYX1j/

15.04 GMT: Manchester United defender Ethan Laird has moved on loan to Bournemouth, ending his deal with Swansea City.

Man United full-back Ethan Laird has joined Bournemouth on loan until the end of the season. Impressed on loan at Swansea before Christmas. Highly-rated at Old Trafford.

— Rob Dawson (@RobDawsonESPN) January 6, 2022

14.50 GMT: Can PSG keep Kylian Mbappe?

14.23 GMT: Newcastle are looking to sign Liverpool striker Divock Origi, says the Daily Telegraph.

Origi, 26, hasn’t cemented his place in the first-team at Anfield and could be available for around £7m.

Following an injury to striker Callum Wilson, Newcastle are keen to bring in reinforcements and the Belgium international is on their radar.

Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke, Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah and Norwich’s Todd Cantwell are also players who are being linked with a move to Tyneside this month.

13.55 GMT: Paris Saint-Germain winger Julian Draxler has been linked with a move away for some time, with Barcelona interested, according to El Nacional.

Draxler, 28, signed a new contract last May until 2024 but could now depart for around €15m.

Barcelona are short of funds and looking for reinforcements, so that could suit them nicely, while PSG won’t stand in the Germany international’s way if he wants to leave.

13.27 GMT: Fabrizio Romano reports that Man United aren’t interested in signing River Plate sensation Julian Alvarez in January.

Alvarez, 21, has caught the eye after some fine performances in Argentina but is keen to move and test himself in Europe. With a release clause of around €17m, the forward is within reach for most clubs but Romano says United aren’t one of the interested parties, despite being linked.

Expect a lot of other teams across Europe to be VERY interested in the 5-foot-7 superstar though.

12.58 GMT: After four months on loan at Barnsley, USMNT striker Daryl Dike is back in the UK after signing permanently for West Bromwich Albion. He tells ESPN’s Colin Udoh about his objective to secure promotion to the Premier League.

“Going to England was a huge experience for me,” he said. “Because growing up as a kid in America, you watch English football, whether it be the Premier League or the Championship. I wanted to go over there and see how much I can learn, see how much I can progress in my career.

“Luckily, I was put in a good situation where I had a great coach, I had a great staff around me, and, of course, a quality team to drive me, to push me to do better. And with the team, starting at 13th, and driving all the way to playoffs and, us doing collectively well, it was a big experience for me.”

West Brom currently lie fourth in the Championship — within the playoff places — all of which made for a persuasive argument.

“It was an easy decision when I heard about the club’s interest in me,” Dike added. “It’s always been in my head to be over here in England. Growing up I have always dreamed of playing here, especially at a club like this with history, the manager and the opportunity to go up to the Premier League. There were so many different factors for me that made the decision a lot easier.”

12.00 GMT: Ed Woodward will leave his role as executive vice-chairman at Manchester United at the end of January, nine months after announcing his intention to step down from the position in the wake of the failed attempt by several European clubs — including United — to launch a breakaway Super League.

The 50-year-old, who will be replaced by Richard Arnold, United’s managing director, had been in charge of the day-to-day running of the club since David Gill vacated his role as chief executive at the end of the 2012-13 season.

During almost nine years as United’s most senior executive, Woodward has overseen a period of turbulence at Old Trafford that has seen four managers — David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer — sacked for failing to restore the team to the position of dominance it had held for almost two decades under Sir Alex Ferguson, who retired after winning the Premier League in 2012-13.

Woodward’s last significant decision was to dismiss Solskjaer after three years in charge and appoint Ralf Rangnick as interim manager until the end of this season.

11.07 GMT: Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku has apologised for an unsanctioned interview he gave to Sky Italy in which he expressed his unhappiness at the club and claimed he wanted to one day return to Inter Milan.

Sources tell ESPN that Lukaku is also expected to stay at the club with the following clear-the-air talks with head coach Thomas Tuchel. The 28-year-old was dropped for Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Liverpool with Tuchel concerned about the “noise” caused by the interview.

10.40 GMT: MK Dons midfielder Matt O’Riley is attracting interest from clubs all over Europe, with Championship side Swansea leading the race to sign him for around £2m, sources have told ESPN’s Tom Hamilton.

O’Riley’s six goals and five assists for the League One club in 27 games this season have seen him scouted by Rangers, PSV, Bordeaux, Porto, FC Cologne and OH Leuven, among others.

Premier League giants Liverpool have also enquired about the 21-year-old after his name kept on reappearing on their system, sources said.

Championship sides Barnsley, Middlesbrough and Bournemouth are monitoring his progress, but Swansea are at the front of the queue amid growing clamour for his signature. If Swansea do manage to get a deal across the line, the move would see him reunite with his old manager Russell Martin (who managed MK Dons from 2019-21 before joining Swansea in the off-season) at the Liberty Stadium.

The former Fulham academy graduate holds an EU passport and is internationally eligible for Denmark and Norway, while he has played for England up to U18 level.

10.11 GMT: Tottenham have reportedly joined the race to sign £50m-rated Brighton right-back Tariq Lamptey, says The Sun.

Lamptey, 21, has impressed after leaving Chelsea’s academy in 2020, despite a hamstring injury that saw part of his 2021 season disrupted.

Tottenham want to move on Matt Doherty and are eyeing a transfer for Lamptey in the summer, but Arsenal are also reportedly interested.

09.45 GMT: Julien Laurens writes that Kylian Mbappe won’t leave PSG in January, not even for Real Madrid, as he focuses on success this season.

Sources tell ESPN that Mbappe had a long conversation with PSG’s sporting director, Leonardo, on Friday after his early arrival to the training ground. What they discussed has broadly stayed private so far — it could have been about his future, his holidays, the comic book he just released or some lighter chat about New Year’s resolutions — but the No. 7 did stress that he wanted to win everything in 2022 and do even better than that in the first part of the season.

Fresh rumours about Real Madrid making a €50m bid this month, in order to bring him to LaLiga during the 2021-22 season, have not fazed Mbappe either. The offer has not arrived, for one, and PSG, who would reject it anyway, don’t think that Real Madrid would do it a month before they face each other in the Champions League. More importantly, Mbappe would not accept it; he’s not going to leave in January. He doesn’t want to leave now, even for Real Madrid, and is highly focused on the second part of the season.

09.21 GMT: Manchester United are “determined” to sign Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves in the January transfer window, The Sun reports.

The Portugal international has been an Old Trafford target since the summer, and he could be the subject of a £35m bid before the end of the month.

Wolves, however, are holding out for a £40m transfer fee for Neves, who has a contract at Molineux until the end of the 2023-24 season.

Neves, 24, has scored 12 Premier League goals and registered seven assists for Wolves since he helped them win promotion to the top flight in 2018.

08.43 GMT: United States men’s international midfielder and defender James Sands has been loaned to Rangers from Major League Soccer champions New York City FC through the end of the 2022-23 Scottish Premier League season.

Rangers have an option to acquire Sands at the end of the loan.

Sands, a 21-year-old from Rye, New York, made his MLS debut in 2017 and appeared last year in 26 regular-season games and four postseason matches. He was selected to the MLS All-Star team.

🇺🇸 Welcome to #RangersFC, James Sands. pic.twitter.com/aHfCbStILs

— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) January 5, 2022

08.00 GMT: Philippe Coutinho is open to leaving Barcelona this month and five Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa, have expressed an interest in signing him on loan, sources have told ESPN’s Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.

Coutinho’s agent Kia Joorabchian is working in collaboration with Barca to find a new home for the Brazil international, who wants to play regular football before the World Cup in Qatar later this year.

Multiple sources have confirmed that Villa, coached by Coutinho’s former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard, are one of the clubs interested in signing the attacking midfielder.

A source close to Coutinho’s camp added that talks with all interested parties are still at a very early stage and that “no [club] is being ruled out at this stage.”

“It’s all to do with the football project more than anything else,” the source added.

Another source revealed that Everton are one of the clubs who have held talks over a deal for Coutinho, who spent five years at their Merseyside rivals Liverpool before joining Barca for a club record €160m fee in 2018.

However, there is an internal debate at Goodison Park, with owner Farhad Moshiri keen on doing a deal for Coutinho, while coach Rafa Benitez is not yet on board.

– Vickery: Could Villa salvage Coutinho’s World Cup hopes?

PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)

– Lyon will face a fight to hold on to midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, with the Evening Standard reporting that three teams from the Premier League are engaged in a battle for his signature. Arsenal, Everton and Newcastle United are all keen to land the 24-year-old Brazil midfielder, who has been a standout performer in the Ligue 1. It is reported that a fee of €40m will be required for teams to discuss personal terms, with Lyon contracted to allow 20% of the fee to go to former club Athletico Paranaense.

– Sky Sports reveals that Newcastle United have made an official bid of £22.5m plus Sean Longstaff to acquire Everton left-back Lucas Digne. The 28-year-old has been heavily linked with an exit from Goodison Park since the start of the transfer window, and it looks as though Eddie Howe’s side are moving quickly to reinforce the squad as they are close to acquiring right-back Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid as their first signing under the new ownership.

– Nicolo Schira writes that Real Madrid are looking to seal two free transfers, and already have readied a six-year contract for Kylian Mbappe as they look to tempt the 23-year-old PSG forward to the Santiago Bernabeu. The LaLiga club have also made an official approach for Antonio Rudiger, with the 28-year-old looking more and more likely to be in his final season at Chelsea.

– Alessio Romagnoli‘s contract situation is beginning to draw attention from the Premier League, according to Ekrem Konur. The 26-year-old centre-back has expressed his desire to stay at AC Milan in recent months, but with no movement made on a €120,000-a-week deal that is expiring in the summer, he could soon receive contact from some teams in England’s top flight.

– Gianluca Di Marzio writes that Krzysztof Piatek is set to return to the Serie A after agreeing a move to Fiorentina. The 26-year-old striker heads to Florence from Hertha Berlin after last featuring in Italy’s top division for AC Milan, though it’s unclear whether he has been brought in to prepare for an imminent departure of Dusan Vlahovic, who has been linked with an exit since the summer.

– Marcelo Brozovic was reported to be close to signing a contract extension at Internazionale in recent months, but despite a meeting set to take place between the club and his representatives, more clubs have begun monitoring the situation. That’s according to Sport Italia’s Rudy Galetti, who reveals that Tottenham Hotspur, Atletico Madrid and Juventus are tracking the 29-year-old midfielder, who is available on a free transfer in summer 2022, and they will be carefully awaiting the outcome of the meeting. But with Brozovic’s deal due to expire, teams outside Italy are now allowed to make official approaches in a bid to tempt him away from San Siro. And while no move has been made so far, the first could spark a bidding war, with Paris Saint-Germain also closely monitoring him for a number of months.