James GordonThe transfer window opened at the beginning of January and speculation about possible transactions is increasing. Read the latest gossip below and see all the official appointments here.
TOP OF PAGE: Liverpool and Manchester United watch
German Bundesliga clubs are becoming a hotbed of young English talent, led by Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala.
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Musiala, 17, signed for Bayern in July 2019 after leaving Chelsea academy and has made 21 appearances this season.
However, the England under-21 star is in talks for a new contract as he continues to work in the youth sector. Musiala’s contract expires in 18 months and he would like a new contract for around 100,000 euros a week.
If he fails to secure an extra time bonus in Munich, Liverpool FC and Manchester United are interested in signing him, according to the Daily Express.
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10.02 GMT : Norwegian international Maria Thorisdottir is leaving Chelsea for Manchester United on a contract until the end of the 2022-23 season, the clubs confirmed on Friday. Your contract can also be extended by one year.
The 27-year-old defender has made 49 appearances for Chelsea, with her playing time limited by various injury problems.
I’m proud to have joined Manchester United; the club was always important in Norway when I was a kid, so it’s great for me to be part of the women’s team now, she said. I’ve been impressed with the way the team has grown in a short amount of time and I’ve also heard so many good things about Casey that I’m looking forward to working with her and the rest of the staff.
Torisdottir joined Chelsea from Norwegian club Kleppa in 2017 and has 46 caps to his name.
09.52 GMT : Manchester United have rejected the loan of Donny van de Beek, Rob Dawson told ESPN, and will look to retain most of the squad this month as manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer prepares for a three-way battle on three fronts – FA Cup, Europa League and Premier League – for silverware.
Van de Beek, who left Ajax for £40million last summer, has only appeared twice in the Premier League this season from eleven, sparking rumours that the midfielder should look elsewhere for regular game time.
But the Dutch international, along with defenders Axel Tuanzebe and Brandon Williams, who were also in talks as loan players, look set to stay at United as Solskjaer is determined not to miss the chance to win the FA Cup and Europa League this season and claim the Premier League title.
09.30 GMT : Frank Lampard’s struggle to retain his position at Chelsea is being supported by the club’s management, who are trying to find his successor, sources told ESPN’s James Olly.
The 42-year-old is under increasing pressure as the Blues are 11 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United and have won just two of their last seven games.
Although it is acknowledged that Lampard achieved a top-four finish last season despite a FIFA transfer ban and reached the Champions League Round of 16 for the second consecutive season, club officials expected more during this period after spending more than £220m on players last summer.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will decide Lampard’s fate, but sources told ESPN that Abramovich’s board member and director, Marina Granovska, is torn over who should replace him.
0830 GMT: According to El Larguero, Real Madrid do not want to include an exit option in Martin Odegaard’s loan deal with Real Sociedad.
The Basque club have proposed this option, which would have Odegar’s blessing, but Madrid are against it. However, Madrid are willing to loan the Norwegian midfielder to Real Sociedad until June 2022, but have included a clause that could allow them to terminate the loan this summer.
Odegaard, 22, wants to leave Real Madrid in search of playing time to continue his career. He has made nine appearances this season, five of them as a regular. He has played just 367 minutes since returning to Madrid last summer after a successful season on loan at Sociedad.
De Sociedad wanted to keep Odegaard for the 2020-21 season, but Madrid brought the player back into the team as coach Zinedine Zidane was keen to have him in his ranks. Arsenal was also linked to the loan transaction.
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Mark Ogden looks at ESPN FC’s list of worst transfers this season.
PAPER SPEECH (by Harry Kettle)
Southampton rely on Ingsdeal
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl is confident striker Danny Ings will sign a new contract at the club, reports the Daily Mail.
Despite the interest shown by the Premier League, mainly Tottenham Hotspur, and the reports that Ings wants to move to a club that plays in the Champions League, Hasenhuttle said the following about the English player’s next move:
All I can say is that we want him to stay here, the German coach said. We have shown as a club that we want him here, definitely, and he has shown that he wants to stay with us. So I am still convinced that we will be a good couple in the future.
Turin continued Fernandez
Torino are hoping to bring in Gedson Fernandes on loan from Benfica, reports Tuttomercato.
Fernandes moved to North London on loan to Tottenham Hotspur, but has failed to make a place for himself there – suggesting he has been one of Spurs’ worst players in recent years.
The Turin side is hoping to take advantage of this, the report adds, noting that an agreement could be reached in the coming days.
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– West Ham United have stepped up their interest in Sevillian striker Youssef En-Nesiri, talkSPORT reports. Their £27m offer was rejected last week, with Sevilla increasing their demands to around £35m, but as the Hammers seem unwilling to pay that amount, the search for a new striker continues.
– Sky Sports reports that Burnley have entered the race for Bournemouth striker Joshua King. The 29-year-old was out of contract during the summer transfer window, but he could leave this month if the Clarets join West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion in the signing game.
– Calciomercato reports that AC Milan are working on a new contract for defender Davide Calabria. His current contract runs until the summer of 2022, but based on his performances this season, Milan want to extend his stay at the San Siro for at least a year or two.
James Gordon
