James GordonThe final day of the winter transfer window has arrived and speculation about possible deals is rife. For the latest gossip and all official deals, click here.
The deadline for registration is 1. February: Bundesliga (12 p.m. ET) | Serie A (14 p.m. ET) | Premier League (18 p.m. ET) | La Liga (18 p.m. ET) | Ligue 1 (18 p.m. ET)
TOP STORIES Liverpool want to sign Davies, PSG consider loaning Alli, Arsenal want left-back
Liverpool FC are looking to solve their defensive problems with a £2m contract for Preston North End defender Ben Davies, according to ESPN’s Mark Ogden.
Davies, 25, will undergo a medical in Liverpool on Monday before the transfer is finalised. The transfer also involves Anfield’s 19-year-old Sepp van den Berg, who is on loan to the league club until the end of the season.
1 Connected
The Daily Mail reports that Liverpool are also working on a deal for Marseille centre-back Duje Caleta’s car. The Croatian international came close to signing with West Ham this summer, but Marseille now appear to be running out of time to find a replacement, making a switch to Liverpool seem unlikely.
Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli should look out for his transfer to Paris Saint-Germain as club president Daniel Levy has no intention of letting him go, ESPN source James Alli revealed.
Sources have reported that Alli is eyeing a switch and that manager Jose Mourinho is willing to let him go, but Levy appears to be a major obstacle. Tottenham are also expected to attract a replacement, while Inter Milan have linked Christian Eriksen with a return to the club. The 28-year-old was due to leave Inter after his switch a year ago, but it now looks like he will stay after some impressive games recently.
Arsenal are looking to strengthen left-back Kieran Tierney, Southampton defender Ryan Bertrand, Marseille defender Jordan Amavi and Crystal Palace defender Patrick van Aanholt. The Gunners could also loan out Ainslie Maitland-Niles, and according to The Athletic, Leicester City, Newcastle and Southampton are all keen.
– ESPN FC Daily Stream on ESPN+ (US only)
– Live matches and streaming on ESPN+ (US only)
LIVE BLOG
09.11 GMT : Everton goalkeeper Jonas Lossl has made a transfer free move to Midtjylland and signed a contract until 2025.
08.51 GMT : With no one having any money at the moment, there has not been much talk about the future of Neymar, who received 222 million euros in January. But after a year of speculation linking him with a return to Barcelona, the Brazilian has revealed he wants to stay at PSG, now under new coach Mauricio Pochettino, and hopes star Kylian Mbappe will do the same.
I am very happy today, he told TF1. I’m happy. Things have changed a lot, and I can’t explain exactly why… except to me, if anything else has changed.
But I feel good today. I’ve adjusted. I feel calmer here and very happy. I want to stay at PSG and I hope Kylian stays too. This, of course, is the desire of all supporters of the MTP. We want PSG to be a great team and I want to keep doing what I did every day in Paris: play football and be happy. That’s what’s important.
08.40 GMT: Marcos Rojo will undergo a medical in Buenos Aires on Monday before signing a three-year contract with Boca Juniors, Ole reports.
The Argentina international has reportedly ended his contract with Manchester United, which runs until the summer, to join Boca as a free agent. Rojo, 30, has played just two games for United in 14 months.
08.30 GMT : Besiktas have signed Turkish striker Cenk Tosun from Everton on loan for this season.
Çok özlemişiz @CenkTosun_ pic.twitter.com/wwn3S4PMVC
– Besiktas JK (@Besiktas) January 31, 2021
08.28 GMT : Bayern Munich are in pole position to sign RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamekano for his €42.5 transfer fee this summer, but they have competition from two Premier League clubs.
We negotiated the release because the player wanted to take the next step at some point, his business manager Volker Struth told Sport 1 Doppelpass on Sunday. It is quite possible that he will leave Leipzig in the summer.
Bayern met with Struth at the end of last week and the businessman confirmed that the German champions have stressed that they are very interested in Upamecano.
The exit clause is 42.5 million euros, Strutt said. In the crown era, there are many viruses. The summer of 2019 was a different story.
Now that the price is fixed, few clubs can weigh up the pros and cons and the defender’s choice will fall between Bayern or the Premier League, depending on the businessman.
The Spanish clubs in question are currently unable to do so. It is no secret that two Premier League clubs are interested, he added. A decision will be made and announced in the coming weeks.
play
1:16
Mark Ogden is evaluating where Dyot Upamekano will end up this summer when he leaves RB Leipzig.
08.11 GMT : Billy Gilmore, a Chelsea teenager, is in talks to move to Southampton, reports the Daily Mail.
The 19-year-old has yet to join new coach Thomas Tuchel’s team and needs a chance to play for Scotland at Euro 2020.
08.05 GMT : King Joshua and Shane Long want to switch clubs, reports Athletic.
The Bournemouth king has been loaned out for the summer and is looking for a new club, which Southampton can obviously get their hands on, allowing Long to go in a different direction.
The report states: The deal sees Norwegian striker King, who has scored 48 goals in 161 Premier League games and 17 goals in 51 games for his country, join Southampton on a permanent basis for a small transfer fee, while Republic Long’s attacker will be loaned to the league runner-up with an option to buy.
07.58 GMT : ICYMI – Manchester United have loaned winger Facundo Pellistri to Alaves for the rest of the season. Pellistri, 19, moves to La Liga to gain first-team experience, having already made a number of appearances for United’s U-23 squad last summer.
0730 GMT: Newcastle United are under pressure to sign Joe Willock, on loan to Arsenal, according to the Daily Mail.
Willock has not found his feet in the Gunners’ first team this season. With the Magpies in need of reinforcements against relegation, the 21-year-old could be a breath of fresh air.
07:22 GREENWICH TIME: Sky Deutschland reports that Hertha Berlin have belatedly signed Milot Rashika from Werder Bremen. If an agreement is reached in the closing stages, it will come with a purchase commitment, which could take effect once the season is over.
07:10 GMT: OMC Sport reports that FC Barcelona defender Jean-Claire Thodibault is facing another loan move, this time to Nice.
Todibo is currently on loan to Portuguese club Benfica, but is fighting for playing time in the starting eleven. If there are no problems at the next medical, he will return to France with Nice.
0700 GMT: According to the Daily Mail, Celtic will contract Everton defender Jonjo Kenny until the end of the season. The Scottish giants have failed to make a name for themselves in the league. And as they prepare to present their crown to the Rangers, the plan seems to be that they will do their best until it becomes official – and Kenny seems to be part of that effort.
0700 GMT: Good morning and welcome to transfer day. It’s January and generally quieter than summer, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be drama at night. Stay tuned for updates throughout the day.
DAYPROGRAM OVERVIEW
play
0:54
Matteo Bonnetti of ESPN FC told how Brian Reynolds of FC Dallas came to Rome.
Are there any US players connected in Europe?
Chris Richards: Bayern Munich and the American defender are set to join Hoffenheim on a six-month loan, a source told ESPN’s Tom Hamilton. The decision means Richards can play again under former Bayern reserve team coach Sebastian Hoeneß, who is now in charge at Hoffenheim.
Brian Reynolds: Gypsy will sign from right to left with FC Dallas, sources told ESPN’s Tom Hamilton. Juventus and Club Brugge are interested in the 19-year-old, but Roma are now in pole position. Roma agreed to a deal to initially loan Reynolds out, but have agreed to contract the player for €7m plus extras, according to sources.
Aaron Long: A few days ago, the New York Red Bulls and USMNT center back was linked with a move, but sources told ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle that he is now on Liverpool’s radar. Long, 28, was named MLS Defender of the Year in 2018 and could be a cheap option for Jurgen Klopp, although a loan to an unnamed league club has been rejected.
Chris Gloucester: The PSV Eindhoven left-back and USMNT youth international is in the running for Newcastle United, a source told ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle. However, a move to the Premier League club would be contingent on him obtaining a work permit in the UK, which seems unlikely. Instead, he could join Danish club SonderskE (which has American owners) or stay at PSV.
DeAndre Yedlin: The American right-back is close to a switch from Newcastle to Galatasaray, sources told ESPN’s Tom Hamilton. Yedlin, 27, is expected to travel to Turkey to see a doctor after the two clubs agreed a transfer fee for his signature.
Paul Arriola: Swansea are keen to add the Washington United loaned winger to their squad, sources told ESPN. The Championship contenders have already loaned Jordan Morris from the Seattle Sounders and are now interested in another American star. According to some sources, there is a 50/50 chance of a deal being reached before Monday’s deadline, with Swansea and D.C. United in talks.
play
0:46
Gab Marcotti explains why a Paul Pogba stay at Man United would be a major coup for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
What else do great teams need?
EREDIVISIE
UNITED MAN
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE: Amad Diallo (£19m, Atalanta)
OUT : Ethan Laird (on loan, MK Dons), Timothy Fosu-Mensah (£1.75m, Bayer Leverkusen), Jesse Lingard (on loan, West Ham), Tahit Chong (on loan, Club Brugge), James Garner (on loan, Nottingham Forest), Facundo Pellistri (on loan, Alaves).
After the arrival of 18-year-old Amad Diallo, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes he is missing two or three more players, but the newcomers – most likely a central defender and a striker – 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 was loaned to Alaves, where he has only played U-23 games since signing in the summer, Jesse Lingard was loaned to West Ham, but the club turned down requests from Donny van de Beek. Sources told ESPN that Manchester United are willing to wait for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, while Borussia Dortmund striker Jadon Sancho remains a target. — Rob Dawson
LIVERPOOL
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE: No: Liam Millar (on loan, Charlton), Adam Lewis (on loan, Plymouth).
The central defender was pushed into the window, Alaba and Upamekano were in talks, and with Joel Matip injured, one of them will come in. Lille centre-back Sven Bothman is on the radar of several English clubs, including Liverpool, sources told ESPN, while Ajax’s Perr Schuurs is also being considered. But Klopp had to get creative due to money constraints and worked out a £2m deal for Preston North End defender Ben Davies, sources told ESPN.
Brighton midfielder Bissouma is being closely watched by Liverpool, sources told ESPN, with manager Klopp tracking him as a potential replacement for Wijnaldum, whose contract expires this summer. Derby’s The Miracle Kid Kaid Gordon, 16, is also in first place. — Mark Ogden
MANNESSTADT
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE: Filip Stevanovic (GBP 7 million, Partizan Belgrade)
OFF : Morgan Rogers (loaned, Lincoln), Mix Diskerud (unnamed, Denizlispor), Daniel Arzani (loaned, AGF).
Manchester City are resigned to losing Barcelona Garcia either before the €3 million deadline or for nothing in the summer. Pep Guardiola did his best to convince the 20-year-old to sign a new contract at the Etihad Stadium, but Garcia made it clear that he wanted to return to Spain and that this would happen. Guardiola says he does not expect any new acquisitions this month, but the focus will be on the arrival of an established centre-back – regardless of what happens to Sergio Agüero’s contract, which expires in 2021 – in the summer. — Rob Dawson
TOTTENHAM
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE: No: Jubril Okedina (loaned, Cambridge United), Jack Clarke (loaned, Stoke), Mauricio Pochettino (unnamed, Watford).
Jose Mourinho said on Wednesday that he expected Tottenham Hotspur to start work only on Monday. Sources told ESPN that Dele Alli would like to join Paris Saint-Germain, but president Daniel Levy does not agree with the departure of the player who had so much influence at the club. Levy is playing his hand late in the window, so nothing can be definitively ruled out, but Mourinho is happy with his squad and the club’s long-term goals – including a central defender and a new right-back – are likely to drag on into the summer. Harry Winks has been linked with a move to Valencia, although the English midfielder is expected to stay in North London. Mourinho’s sparing use of Gareth Bale, on loan from Real Madrid, has also surprised some Tottenham Hotspur players, sources told ESPN. -James Ollie
CHELSEA
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE: No: Charlie Brown (unknown, MK Dons), Lucas Piazon (free, Braga), Danny Drinkwater (on loan, Kasimpasa), Fikayo Tomori (on loan, AC Milan), Baba Rahman (on loan, PAOK)
New manager Thomas Tuchel will have his own plans, and Chelsea were keen to contract Rice before the dismissal of Frank Lampard. However, according to sources, the 42-year-old was at the helm of the Blues job of English international while club officials demanded a high price – the Hammers asked £80million last summer – for the former academy graduate. Chelsea have also been monitoring the progress of Monaco midfielder Aurélien Chouameny, sources told ESPN’s Julien Laurent, 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 Gilmore could be out for a while, as he wants to get more playing time. — Mark Ogden
ARSENAL
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE: Matt Ryan (on loan, Brighton), Martin Odegaard (on loan, Real Madrid)
OUT : William Saliba (on loan, Nice), Sid Kolasinac (on loan, Schalke), Matt Macey (free, Hibernian), Sokratis (free), Mesut Özil (free, Fenerbahce).
Arsenal are hoping to sign a left-back before Monday. They have yet to make contact with Southampton over Ryan Bertrand and have minimal funds; Marseille defender Jordan Amavi is under consideration but no formal bid has been made at this stage and they have also been linked with Crystal Palace’s Patrick van Aanholt. Ainsley Maitland-Niles can be loaned out, but only if another fullback comes in.
Most things have been done: Martin Odegaard and Matt Ryan were loaned out, while Mesut Özil, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Ced Kolasinak left the Gunners in an attempt to reduce the payroll. Director Mikel Arteta will continue to revamp the team in the summer. After the departures of Shkodran Mustafi and Calum Chambers, a central defender is one of his priorities, while they should try to contract Brentford goalkeeper David Rae, who failed in his attempt last summer.
Hussem Aouard’s long-term pursuit has been hampered by the fact that the Lyon midfielder wants to await interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona this summer before deciding on a new start. Emile Smith Rowe has made a big impression after joining Arsenal’s first team, but it is premature to talk about a new contract, sources told ESPN. -James Ollie
play
1:48
According to Gab Marcotti, Lionel Messi’s leaked contract looks like a ploy to revive his desire to leave the club.
EUROPA
BARCELONA
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE: No: Alena Karls (on loan, Getafe)
Since there is no money for relocation, the association must appeal to young people. There is a vague possibility that they will spend 3 million euros on Man City defender Garcia if they can get it, but no decision can be made without a chairman or board of directors. A source at the club told ESPN that they were hoping for Neto and Junior Firpo, the latter of whom is in interest from AC Milan and West Ham United, and would consider reasonable offers from Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann. But no club has the money to sign the duet. The arrival of Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay or even an unlikely purchase of Agüero will have to wait until the summer, as will the future of Messi. But a lot will change in five months. — Sam Marsden.
PROPERTIES MADRID
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE: No: Takefusa Kubo (loan, Getafe), Luka Jovic (loan, Eintracht Frankfurt), Martin Odegaard (loan, Arsenal)
With the Bernabeu having no money to spend, there will be no new acquisitions, although Karim Benzema and Mariano Diaz are the only two strikers in the team. In the long term, according to sources revealed to ESPN, the club wants to bring in Kylian Mbappe and Eduardo Camavanga, but they will be very expensive and Madrid have bigger problems at the moment. A free transfer for Bayern star David Alaba seems likely this summer, but the future of captain and legend Sergio Ramos is yet to be decided as PSG and Man City are also interested in getting him for free. Luka Modrić will sign a new contract, but it looks like Lucas Vazquez will not, while central defender Eder Militao was linked with a move, but will stay this month. Sources told ESPN that Odegaard felt disappointed by Madrid for not giving him the chance to play in the first team before he was loaned out to Arsenal. — Alex Kirkland
ATLETICO MADRID
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE: Moussa Dembele (Ready, Lyon)
OUT : Manu Sanchez (on loan, Osasuna), Ivan Saponjic (on loan, Cadiz), Diego Costa (released)
After Atletico won the transfer window last weekend with the loaned transfer of Luis Suarez from Barcelona, they needed a replacement for Diego Costa and did so with the loan of Moussa Dembele from Lyon. Vitolo could leave, while Lucas Torreira has been a fringe player since his loan from Arsenal last summer and Monaco have shown interest. The club want to extend the contract of coach Diego Simeone until 2024. — Alex Kirkland
MUNICH BAVARIA
IMMIGRATION: No.
OUTPUTS: No
Not much will happen in January, but Alaba will leave the club in the summer because he has not signed a new contract. A replacement could be Upamecano of RB Leipzig, and they are also looking for Florian Neuhaus of Gladbach to replace Xavi Martinez, who will also leave at the end of his contract. A new contract for young star Jamal Musial is on the horizon, while Bayern remain interested in contracting Frenkie de Jong, but sources have told ESPN that the Dutch midfielder’s chances of leaving Barcelona are minimal, despite the Catalan club’s financial problems. The young American right back Chris Richards might be loaned out to Hoffenheim. -Stephen Wersfeld
DORTMUND
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE: No: No
The priority was to retain key stars such as Sancho, Haaland and Gio Reina and this has been achieved. They have been linked with Sassuolo midfielder Manuel Locatelli and Borussia Monchengladbach’s Florian Neuhaus, although the latter’s €40m transfer clause is now too expensive for Dortmund. Mo Dahoud could leave if he receives a suitable offer, while sources have told ESPN that 16-year-old Julian Ridgehoff will sign for Ajax and be with the U17s. -Stephen Wersfeld
PSG
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE: No: He (released), Marcin Bulka (loaned, Castle)
New coach Mauricio Pochettino wants to borrow Alli from Tottenham and is also linked with another former Eriksen player, but PSG’s priority is signing new contracts for Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. The club’s sporting director Leonardo said he was interested in signing as his contract at Barcelona expires this summer. Sources told ESPN that they have approached Bayern’s Alaba and would be interested in Real Madrid’s Ramos – both of whom are on transfer targets. Winger Julian Draxler and Angel Di Maria will stay until the summer despite their foreign ties, as Di Maria has opened negotiations on a new contract. — Julien Lawrence
JUVENTUS
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE: Marlies Ache (‘8 million, Marseille), Nicolo Rovella (’18 million, Genoa)
UOC : Stefano Gori (loan, AC Pisa), Franco Tonya (€8m, Marseille), Manolo Portanova (€10m, Genoa), Elia Petrelli (€8m, Genoa), Nicolo Rovella (loan, Genoa).
Juventus is focusing on attracting players for the future. Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca could come in for around €25m, while highly-rated midfielder Nicolo Rovella has joined the club from Genoa but will return on loan. Juve’s main objective is to lower the age of the team: Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Cristiano Ronaldo will eventually have to be replaced. Sami Khedira could also move to Hertha Berlin.
Paulo Dybala and Federico Bernardeschi were among the players proposed for Manchester United, while Juventus wanted a deal for Paul Pogba from the start, sources told ESPN’s Rob Dawson. However, it now seems certain that Pogba will stay until the summer. — Andrew Cesare Richardson
INTER-MILAN
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE: No: Radha Nainggolan (loan, Cagliari), Sebastiano Esposito (loan, Venice), Giacomo Pozzer (loan, Lucches), Axel Bakayoko (loan, Red Star)
Inter should remain quiet in their quest for their first Serie A title since the 2009/10 season, when they won the hat-trick, but a loan deal for Dzeko and Sanchez could be awarded to Roma. Eriksen was considered a potential outsider, with director Beppe Marotta confirming him on the transfer list in December, but Tuesday’s recent win in the Coppa Italia could give him respite, with director Antonio Conte saying after Tuesday’s game that the club were working on a new position for the Danish international. Inter’s priority remains to get striker Lautaro Martinez, who has already met his business manager, to sign a new contract. — Andrew Cesare Richardson
AS-MILAN
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALISATION SERVICE: Mario Mandzukic (free), Fikayo Tomori (loan, Chelsea), Sualijo Meite (loan, Torino)
OUT : Andrea Conti (on loan, Parma), Leo Duarte (on loan, Istanbul Basaksehir), Lorenzo Colombo (on loan, Cremonese), Mateo Musacchio (unnamed, Lazio)
AC Milan were busy in January, bringing in three players. They probably would have contracted Strasbourg’s Mohamed Simakan for around €15 million if he hadn’t been injured, but instead they have been loaned Tomori from Chelsea. Defender Mateo Musacchio has joined Lazio and Milan have made a bid for Junior Firpo’s left winger, Moises Llorens told ESPN. New contracts (see above) for the main trio are also on the agenda. — Andrew Cesare Richardson
James Gordon
