The winter transfer window is closed, but now it’s time to look ahead to the summer! Here are the new rumours floating around following the Jan. 31 deadline day.
TOP STORY: Chelsea eye move for Icardi
Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi, who is on loan at Paris Saint-Germain, could be headed to Chelsea this summer, according to FCInternews.
Icardi, 27, has impressed in Paris with 11 goals in 14 starts, and reportedly has a clause in his loan contract which allows the French club to buy him for €65m this summer.
However, his future at PSG was called into question as he was left out of the Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. PSG will be looking to replace Edinson Cavani in a few months, but they will have some competition for Icardi as the report states Chelsea are keen, along with Real Madrid and Juventus.
Chelsea need to bring in a striker to compete with Tammy Abraham, as Olivier Giroud and Michy Batshuayi look set to be sold in the summer.
LIVE BLOG
10.54 GMT: Manchester United newboy Bruno Fernandes has settled in well.
10.04 GMT: Two Polish youngsters are being given a chance to land a contract with Manchester United, reports the MEN.
Defender Radoslaw Sewerys, 16, plays for Korona Kielce in the Ekstraklasa but has yet to make his first-team debut. He is a Poland U16 international though.
Mateusz Lipp, also 16 and also a Poland U16 international, has previously been on trial with Arsenal and Sampdoria. The defender comes from the Akademia “Ruch” Chorzow academy.
09.40 GMT: Lille’s Renato Sanches seems a bit bitter about his failed move to PSG from Bayern Munich in the summer.
The Portugal international told L’Equipe: “I spoke with [then PSG sporting director] Antero [Henrique]. He spoke with my agent, Jorge [Mendes]. We had a good exchange. Everything was ready. I remember being at the restaurant when my agent called me. He told me: ‘Tomorrow, you will fly to Paris.’ I said OK, went home and packed my bags. The next day, at training, my coach [Niko Kovac] said to me: ‘You are not leaving!’ I stayed and I did not play.”
09.03 GMT: Valencia captain Dani Parejo says his club needs to sign a replacement for injured defender Ezequiel Garay.
Garay suffered a ruptured ACL earlier this month and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. Valencia can make an emergency signing (as Barcelona did for Martin Braithwaite) but have yet to do so.
Speaking after Valencia’s 3-0 loss at Real Sociedad on Saturday, which extended Valencia’s winless spell to five games, Parejo said: “We’re having many injuries, especially a very serious one as that of Garay. We have the possibility of signing a defender because the rules allow us to and unfortunately we suffered another defender getting injured with [Eliaquim] Mangala now out. ..at the level that we are playing now every three days and with the number of injuries we are having, I believe it’s necessary to give more importance to this issue.”
Superdeporte reports that Valencia want to sign Real Valladolid central defender Javi Sanchez as Garay’s replacement.
Sanchez, 22, is on loan at Valladolid from Real Madrid and has made just one appearance this season. According to Superdeporte, Madrid and Valencia are negotiating a deal which would see the Spaniard join Los Che on loan for the remainder of the campaign, with a purchase option included in the deal.
08.00 GMT: Barcelona are close to securing the signing of Valencia youngster Hugo Guillamon on a free transfer, Sport reports.
The 20-year-old defender made his senior debut for the club this past weekend and would make his way to Camp Nou for nothing this summer. Although a long contract could be offered, Guillamon would initially join the B team before transitioning into the senior squad.
PAPER TALK (by Harry Kettle)
Roma aim to keep Smalling, Mkhitaryan
Sky Sports News is reporting that Roma manager Paulo Fonseca wants to sign both Chris Smalling and Henrikh Mkhitaryan on a permanent basis.
Both men are on loan from English clubs, in the form of Manchester United and Arsenal respectively, and have made strong impressions in Italy so far. The report indicates that Fonseca has informed the club of his desire to keep hold of both players beyond the summer transfer window.
Smalling has been consistent throughout his time in Rome, and though Mkhitaryan has struggled with injuries, his goal and assist in a runaway win over Lecce on Sunday showed his worth.
Arsenal to try to convince Aubameyang to stay
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that the club will do everything they can to try and convince Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to stay, The Guardian reports.
In the wake of their dramatic 3-2 win over Everton on Sunday, in which Aubameyang had a starring role and scored two goals, Arteta admitted that the Gunners will need to prove to the forward why he should stay at the Emirates and sign a new contract.
Aubameyang’s deal expires in 2021 and he has been heavily linked with a move away to Barcelona or Inter Milan, with the belief being that Arsenal’s hunt for Champions League football could have a huge impact on his eventual decision.
Klopp issues demand to Liverpool targets
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has made his feelings clear to any and all potential transfer targets for the club, the Liverpool Echo reports.
The Reds have been linked with a series of players in the past few weeks, with the latest example being RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner. Alas, while raw talent is obviously an important trait, Klopp has made it clear that he wants players at the club who are willing to fight for their place in the starting lineup.
The German believes that the attitude of the club’s targets is just as relevant as their abilities on the pitch as the club’s stature within world football continues to rise.
Tap-ins
— Juventus are trying to sign Porto youngster Tomas Esteves, primarily as an act of revenge, Calciomercato reports. There is a release clause within the 17-year-old’s contract of around €10m, but the revenge portion of this potential transfer stems from Juve’s desire to beat an interested Borussia Dortmund to the signing after the German side pipped the Old Lady to the post by acquiring Erling Haaland.