The transfer window opened in early January, and speculation is heating up about potential deals. Check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.
TOP STORY: PSG offer three-year deal to Ramos
Paris Saint-Germain have offered Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos a three-year deal worth €15 million a season, according to Onda Cero.
Madrid and Ramos appear to be in a stand-off over a new contract, with Los Blancos seemingly unwilling to budge on a two-year-deal that Ramos has deemed unacceptable and PSG are looking to take advantage.
The Parisiens know that Madrid are unlikely to be able to match their three-year offer, particularly when the Spanish club are trying to find a way to finance a move for PSG striker Kylian Mbappe in the next 12-15 months.
Madrid’s two-year offer also comes with a 10% salary reduction, which could see Ramos choose to leave.
Ramos and Florentino Perez are yet to have a direct conversation, though, and so far talks between Ramos’ brother Rene, his representative, and the Madrid president have not gone smoothly.
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– Transfer grades: Arsenal get ‘D’ for Ozil exit
LIVE BLOG
22.30 GMT: That will do it for the latest edition of our LIVE Transfer Talk blog. We hoped you enjoyed following along with us and remind you to check back shortly for the latest transfer rumours, reports and completed deals. Goodnight!
22.30 GMT: Sevilla have finalised their move for attacking midfielder Papu Gomez.
📸 📜 🖊️#WeareSevilla #NeverSurrender pic.twitter.com/rU6AJQqEoB
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) January 26, 2021
The diminutive playmaker joins the Spanish club after a nasty fallout at Atalanta. One of the central figures in Atalanta’s explosion onto the global football scene over the past few years, the 32-year-old arrives at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium on a three-and-a-half-year contract.
Gomez scored 59 goals and added 71 assists in 252 games during his six-and-a-half-year-spell in Bergamo and should provide Sevilla with the creative playmaker they have lacked since losing Ever Banega in the summer.
22.00 GMT: Odion Ighalo’s dream of playing for Manchester United is nearing an end.
The veteran striker, who grow up in Nigeria supporting United and then arrived on a shock loan from Shanghai Shenhua last winter, will see his loan end on Saturday. Ighalo, who scored five goals in 23 games for United, has played just nine minutes this season in the Premier League and was made surplus to requirements following the arrival of Edinson Cavani.
Ighalo said he would “forever cherish” and “be grateful” for his United spell.
“I’m still and would always remain a Manchester United fan,” he said in a Twitter post.
A true testament that if you work hard, your dreams can come true.
21.11 GMT: From a potential MLS arrival to a departure…
ADO Den Haag have signed MLS Cup winner Youness Mokhtar, who spent last season with Columbus Crew SC. The 29-year-old scored four goals and added an assist last season in 27 games last season and previously played in his native Holland with PSV, FC Twente and PEC Zwolle.
20.27 GMT: MLS expansion side Austin FC are set to sign Argentine forward Tomas Pochettino for Talleres, according to Argentina-based journalist Cesar Luis Merlo.
The 24-year-old, who came through the ranks at Boca Juniors, has been at Talleres since 2018, six goals in 60 matches. Pochettino would be just the latest South American to join the ranks at Austin FC with Cecilio Dominguez (Paraguay), Rodney Redes (Paraguay) and Jhohan Romana (Colombia) already on the books for the debutants.
19.41 GMT: Leicester are persistent if anything.
That is because Brendan Rodgers and Co. continue to pursue Burnley centre-back James Tarkowski, the Mirror understands. Despite twice previously being rebuffed regarding the England international, Leicester remain on the trail of the 28-year-old, with a view towards signing him the summer. Tarkowski, who has less than 18 months left on his contract at Turf Moor, has been a target for the Foxes for the better part of two years now.
Burnley continue to be reluctant to sell their defensive lynchpin, though, with West Ham having had a £30 million bid for the player rejected in the summer.
19.03 GMT: PSG are progressing towards a loan move for Tottenham’s Dele Alli but an Alli-Mauricio Pochettino reunion hinges on Spurs first landing a replacement, writes Fabrizio Romano in the Guardian.
Former Spurs star Christian Eriksen is currently unhappy at Inter and remains an option, although the Dane’s hefty wages could prove too tough an obstacle to overcome.
18.30 GMT: Chelsea have made it official… Thomas Tuchel has been hired as the club’s new manager.
Welcome to Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel! ✍️🔵 #WelcomeTuchel
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 26, 2021
The German, who was sacked by PSG just before Christmas, replaces club legend Frank Lampard who Chelsea parted with on Monday. The 47-year-old signs on an initial 18-month contract, having previously been in charge at PSG, Borussia Dortmund and Mainz.
Tuchel oversaw two Ligue 1 titles in his two full seasons in Paris and also led Les Parisiens to the Champions League final last season.
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia had the following to say about the club’s hire: “It is never easy to change Head Coach in the middle of the season but we are very happy to secure one of Europe’s best coaches in Thomas Tuchel.
There is still much to play for and much to achieve, this season and beyond. We welcome Thomas to the Club.”
18.02 GMT: Could Jesse Lingard be West Ham bound?
Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth has learned that West Ham are currently in the process of making Said Benrahma’s summer loan move permanent, which would open up the possibility for West Ham to take United’s Lingard on loan. Premier League regulations state that a club can only have two domestic loan players in the squad at one time, and West Ham currently have Benrahma and Craig Dawson under that designation.
Once Benrahma’s move is made permanent, West Ham would be free to take in another domestically-based player on loan. Reports in England have previously stated that West Ham have made an enquiry for the 28-year-old Lingard.
17.28 GMT: Aston Villa’s impressive midfield just got even better, the club announcing they have signed versatile midfielder Morgan Sanson from Marseille.
Good evening, Villans. 😉 pic.twitter.com/qmX6kWrMZO
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 26, 2021
The Frenchman, 26, joins on a four-and-a-half-year contract for an initial fee of £14 million. Sanson joins quite a cast of midfielders at Villa Park, with Jack Grealish, John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Ross Barkley all already at the club.
The former France Under-23 international has made 220 Ligue 1 appearances split between Marseille and Montpellier, scoring 35 goals and adding 33 assists.
17.00 GMT: Would Man City striker Sergio Aguero sign for Barcelona in the summer once his contract expires?
1:08
Gab Marcotti thinks neither Sergio Aguero or David Alaba moving to Barcelona makes any sense.
16.42 GMT: We reported last week that PSV Eindhoven and USMNT youth international left-back Chris Gloster has drawn interest from Newcastle United, but it appears he won’t qualify for a U.K. work permit.
Gloster, 20, will now decide in the coming days if he heads to Danish club SonderjyskE (who have U.S. owners) or if he stays at PSV.
16.31 GMT: RMC Sport reports that Marseille’s Morgan Sanson has landed in Birmingham to complete an €18m move to Aston Villa.
He will sign a four-and-a-half year contract after he underwent a medical in Paris on Monday.
16.25 GMT: Hellas Verona have signed Udinese striker Kevin Lasagna on loan with an obligation to make the move permanent in the summer.
My sauces were correct here (sorry) https://t.co/88veAJdXAk
— Andrew Cesare (@AndrewCesare) January 26, 2021
16.10 GMT: Chelsea are set to turn from Frank Lampard to Thomas Tuchel. Our writers on why the Blues changed managers, where Lampard failed and what the new coach’s to-do list looks like.
Behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge, sources have told ESPN that concerns over Lampard’s handling of key summer signings Kai Havertz and Timo Werner, combined with recent results, ultimately led to the change being made. Both players arrived from Germany (Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen and Werner from RB Leipzig) with reputations as two of the brightest attacking talents in Europe, but both have so far dismally underperformed, with Werner scoring just once in his past 16 games — against League Two Morecambe in the FA Cup.
Lampard has been unable to devise a tactical plan to get the best out of either player, using them both in a variety of positions with little success.
There were also disagreements between Lampard and those in charge. Sources have told ESPN that Lampard’s determination to sign England midfielder Declan Rice from West Ham — a target not universally agreed upon within the club’s power structure — was regarded as a negative by senior players, who saw the interest as evidence of the manager relying on his status as a former player to motivate a young Englishman, rather than attempting to identify a more technical player from overseas.
15.58 GMT: New York Red Bulls midfielder Caden Clark is set to move to RB Leipzig in January 2022, despite playing less than 400 minutes in the first team to date.
The Athletic reports that the 17-year-old will move for around $3m but will stay on loan in New York for a year.
15.23 GMT: USMNT star Weston McKennie has been a great signing for Juventus on loan from Schalke.
1:16
Gab Marcotti explains why Weston McKennie has quickly become such a valuable player for Andrea Pirlo and Juve.
14.21 GMT: Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says there is no deal yet agreed to send Jesse Lingard on loan, but has confirmed Facundo Pellistri could be set for a temporary move before the transfer deadline on Monday.
Lingard, who has featured just three times this season, is wanted by a host of clubs including West Ham, West Brom, Newcastle and Sheffield United.
Sources have told ESPN’s Rob Dawson that one stumbling block could be United’s demand for a loan fee in excess of a £1m for the 28-year-old.
“He is still part of the club, part of the squad and no deal has been struck for any players yet going out,” Solskjaer told a news conference on Tuesday. “There have been many clubs interested in our players so let’s see what happens. It’s important to take our wishes and our plans into consideration.”
Meanwhile, 19-year-old winger Pellistri could be set for a move after playing a number of games for the U23s.
“There have been talks and quite a few clubs interested in Facundo to go out on loan and maybe it’s something we’ll let him do,” said Solskjaer. “We want him to have football at a high level.”
13.44 GMT: Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has said himself and the squad have all played their part to help ease the club’s financial crisis.
Barca’s annual report, dated August 2020, surfaced earlier this week and revealed the club’s long-term gross debt has risen above €1 billion.
In addition to money owed to creditors, the accounts also revealed the club still owed over €320m for players they have signed in recent years, including Philippe Coutinho (€69.2m owed) and Frenkie de Jong (€64m).
To help ease the club’s cash crisis, Koeman and the players have agreed to a number of wage reductions and deferrals to relieve the strain on the accounts.
“I think Barcelona are one of the big clubs, in terms of COVID-19 and empty stadiums, that is suffering more than other clubs,” Koeman said in a news conference on Tuesday. “No tourism affects the club’s situation a lot as well. All big clubs’ numbers are not good at the moment, it’s not just here, but I don’t think it affects the players. They’re focused on their jobs. That’s all we can do, focus on winning games. We know it’s a complicated situation and we have all helped the club with salary reductions.”
13.30 GMT: Arsenal are closing on a loan move for Real Madrid midfielder Martin Odegaard. An announcement is expected soon.
1:28
Gab Marcotti feels Martin Odegaard may hinder the development of some of Arsenal’s youth players.
12.38 GMT: According to ESPN sources, Matias Almeyda and the San Jose Earthquakes are in advanced negotiations to acquire Mexico defender Miguel Layun from Monterrey.
Layun, 32, has 60 appearances for Monterrey since 2019 and 72 apps in total for the Mexico national team. He is interested in moving to MLS to try a new challenge, but Monterrey have yet to agree terms on his departure.
12.21 GMT: Dayot Upamecano is Bayern Munich’s main transfer target for the summer when the RB Leipzig defender will be available for his €42m release clause and can make the step up to the next level, but Bild reports there may be an issue.
While Bayern have been outspoken about their interest in the 22-year-old centre-back, Thomas Tuchel‘s appointment as manager of Chelsea could see the Blues move ahead of Bayern.
According to the outlet, Upamecano’s French friends at Paris Saint-Germain (where Tuchel last managed) have spoken highly of the German coach and this, as well as the fact that he could link up with his old Leipzig teammate Timo Werner, could swing his thoughts towards a Premier League move.
11.47 GMT: Manchester United opted to sign defender Victor Lindelof over Virgil van Dijk, according to the Dutchman’s former Southampton teammate Charlie Austin.
“I remember at the back end of his Southampton career we were on the bench together at Chelsea away, I asked him, ‘come on Virg, what’s going on? Surely Man United must have been in for you?” Austin told talkSPORT. “He told me, ‘you know what, Chaz, in the summer it was between me and Lindelof, and they signed Lindelof’.
“I was like, ‘you are joking!’
“I don’t know if anyone knows that. I couldn’t believe it, I was gobsmacked. There was talk in the summer that he was going to go there, but they’ve gone and taken Lindelof instead.”
Van Dijk went on to sign for Liverpool for around £75m.
11.15 GMT: Erling Haaland reportedly has a €75m release clause in his contract at Dortmund, which could see him go in 2022. But will the club lose him before then?
1:45
Archie Rhind-Tutt and Steve Cherundolo discuss Erling Haaland’s future if Dortmund fail to qualify for the Champions League.
10.31 GMT: Borussia Dortmund will add to their stars of the future by announcing Julian Rijkhoff’s transfer from Ajax this month.
The attacker turned 16 on Monday and can now make the move across the border. Sources have told ESPN’s Stephan Uersfeld that Rijkhoff, who names Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski as his role models, will initially join the club’s U17 side, but they expect him to make the senior squad rather sooner than later.
Dortmund will pay compensation to sign the attacker.
09.56 GMT: Manchester City midfielder Daniel Arzani has moved on loan to AGF in Denmark.
Arzani, 22, had been on loan with Dutch side FC Utrecht for the first half of the season. The Australia international signed for City from A-League club Melbourne City in 2018 but has yet to play for them and spent a two-year loan spell with Celtic but tore his ACL in his first senior appearance and departed them in May 2020.
AGF chief Jacob Nielsen said: “Arzani is a talented and exciting player who can perform both in the offensive part of midfield and on a wing. He is a technically strong player, rounded by the Australian mentality, as we know well in AGF, where it is healthy virtues and a good work mentality that characterise their football players. So he will fit well into our squad in the Spring, where we enter a period with many matches.”
09.41 GMT: AC Milan and US Cremonese have reached an agreement over the loan of striker Lorenzo Colombo.
Colombo, 18, has one goal in 11 senior games for Milan and will try his luck in Serie B for the rest of the season.
09.18 GMT: Sevilla president Pepe Castro has confirmed his club is in advanced talks to sign Argentine forward Papu Gomez from Serie A club Atalanta.
The Andalusian club sold Spanish striker Carlos Fernandez to Real Sociedad earlier this week and is looking for a replacement.
“He is a player that interests us,” Castro said of Gomez. “Negotiations are very advanced but the documents have yet to be signed.”
Gomez, 32, has a contract with the Bergamaschi until June 2022 and is expected to arrive to Seville on Tuesday to complete his permanent transfer. He has scored four goals and set up two more in 10 league appearances this season.
Sevilla have offered Atalanta €8m to sign the veteran striker, who is in his seventh campaign at Atalanta.
08.33 GMT: The biggest news in the soccer world on Monday involved the manager change at Chelsea. Club legend Frank Lampard was sacked, and sources have told ESPN’s James Olley that former Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel is lined up to come in to revamp the struggling Blues, who are ninth in the Premier League at the halfway point of their 2020-21 campaign.
With a lot to unpack around the seismic switch at Stamford Bridge, ESPN’s reporters James Olley, Mark Ogden, Julien Laurens, Gab Marcotti and Tom Hamilton break down the story.
– Why Chelsea sacked Lampard, where he failed, Tuchel’s to-do list
1:32
Julien Laurens and Gab Marcotti both have doubts that Thomas Tuchel is the right man to lead Chelsea.
08.00 GMT: Europe’s elite football clubs are expected to miss out on over €2 billion ($2.43bn) in revenue by the end of the 2020-21 season due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Deloitte’s Football Money League.
The report published on Tuesday said the figure includes amounts missed in 2019-20 when the top 20 highest-earning clubs in Europe earned €8.2bn of combined revenue, which was down 12% on the previous season. That drop in income of €1.1bn was primarily down to the deferral of broadcast revenue into the financial year ending in 2021, with all the major leagues brought to a standstill in March last year due to the pandemic.
With the majority of games being played without spectators since June, matchday revenue for top European clubs is likely to remain close to zero until the end of the 2020-21 season.
The Money League standings for 2019-20 remained broadly consistent with previous years as Barcelona held the top spot with an annual revenue of €715.1m.The Catalan outfit, however, suffered the second largest revenue fall among the clubs featuring on the list, having delivered a record-breaking year in 2018-19 when they became the first club to break the €800m revenue barrier.
Real Madrid reported an 8% increase in commercial income to retain second spot in the rankings (€714.9m), while European champions Bayern Munich moved up to third (€634.1m) following a Treble-winning campaign. Manchester United (€580m) and Liverpool (€558.6m) make up the top five with Liverpool moving up from seventh last year, replacing Paris Saint-Germain.
1:26
Janusz Michallik is convinced Bayern Munich have won the Bundesliga after their stunning 4-0 win over Schalke.
PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd)
Neuhaus eyed by Spurs and Dortmund
Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund are among the clubs looking to sign Borussia Monchengladbach sensation Florian Neuhaus, according to Sport1.
Many of Europe’s top sides have been watching the 23-year-old midfielder, though financial constrictions could hurt Dortmund’s attempts to sign him, especially if they fail to quality for the Champions League.
Bayern Munich are also interested in the player, who reportedly has a €40m release clause in his contract. Spurs could be set to lose Dele Alli on loan to PSG, while Javi Martinez will leave Bayern this summer, meaning both clubs are in the market for midfield reinforcements.
Arsenal, Napoli and Crystal Palace are interested in signing Marseille left-back Jordan Amavi, say L’Equipe.
The 26-year-old has resumed training this week after sustaining a calf injury, but talks about a prolonged stay at the club beyond the end of the season appear to have stalled.
Amavi’s representatives have been in discussion with club head of football Pablo Longoria, but they appear to be at a dead end. Amavi is free to find a new home for next season and Napoli and Crystal Palace have expressed an interest, while Arsenal appear to be late entrants into the race for his signature.
The former Aston Villa defender has impressed when he’s played this season, making a high number of interceptions and attacking forward runs.
Tap-ins
– Liverpool are closing in on signing Derby County wonderkid Kadie Gordon, according to the Liverpool Echo. The 16-year-old’s style has drawn comparisons with both Mohamed Salah and Mason Greenwood, and Liverpool appear to have beaten off interest from Tottenham and Manchester United to land the youngster. Derby’s Academy Player of the Season last year will cost an initial fee of £1m, which could rise to around £3m.
– Marseille youngster Marley Ake could soon join Juventus, according to Calciomercato. Ake has agreed personal terms and so only a medical appears to be blocking his move from Ligue 1 to Serie A. Juventus have already let youngster Franco Tongya move to the French club in the other direction, and it is now hoped that winger Ake can push for a first-team spot under Andrea Pirlo.