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: Wijnaldum wants Premier League return with Arsenal
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum could be set for a move back to the Premier League, with Sky Sports reporting that he is keen on the idea of joining Arsenal.
Wijnaldum, 31, is reportedly keen to return to England's top flight, just six months after leaving Liverpool for PSG on a free transfer as he has endured a mixed season in Ligue 1 and struggled to hold down a regular place in Mauricio Pochettino's midfield.
Rather than resettling on Merseyside, though, the Netherlands international is said to want to join the Gunners, the club he admired as a boy. And with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta looking to strengthen his midfield in north London, there could be an opportunity for Wijnaldum to make that dream a reality.
PSG, however, do not want to lose the midfielder mid-season, and Wijnaldum isn't expected to publicly push for a move away.
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22.00 GMT: Paris Saint-Germain are losing hope of securing Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele this month, reports Le Parisien. Despite talks of a potential loan deal, the 25-year-old's salary package worth €1m a month has been a crucial factor in talks slowing in recent days.
21.43 GMT: Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has joined Sevilla on loan, the clubs announced on Tuesday. The deal is a loan for the remainder of the season, with no option to make the move permanent and no fee, with Sevilla covering Martial's salary after he agreed to a wage cut. Read the full story.
🚨 OH YES! 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 to #SevillaFC, @AnthonyMartial! 🇫🇷
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) January 25, 2022
21.27 GMT: D.C. United is set to transfer midfielder Kevin Paredes to Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg for a fee of more than $7m, sources confirmed to ESPN's Jeff Carlisle. Paredes, 18, is set to fly to Germany for a medical, and if he completes that step, the deal will be made official. The South Riding, Virginia native has been in DCU's first team for the past two seasons, making 41 league appearances, scoring three goals. He was named to the U.S. men's team camp last December, but had to withdraw due to injury. Read the full story.
21.10 GMT: ESPN Brasil has learned that scouts from Manchester City, Real Madrid and French club Stade Rennais were in Brazil at the Palmeiras-Santos match to watch Endrick, Palmeiras' newest wunderkind.
Only 15 years old and the star of the team that won the Copa Sao Paulo de Futebol Junior for the first time, Endrick was the best player of Tuesday's final at Allianz Parque, being responsible for the first goal of the match - which ended with a score of 5-0 for Palmeiras. In addition, the youngster was elected the best player of the tournament and had one of his goals chosen as the most beautiful of the championship.
No proposal has been forwarded to Palmeiras yet, mainly because Endrick is a juvenile and has not even signed his first professional contract yet.
20.54 GMT: Kaio Jorge is set to be loaned out by Juventus in a bid to garner more playing time, writes Calciomercato. With reports of Dusan Vlahovic being set to join a forward line that already includes Paulo Dybala and Moise Kean, the Bianconeri hierarchy believe that the 20-year-old won't receive the regular minutes he needs in Turin, and so will look to find him a new club for the remainder of the season with bottom side Salernitana linked.
20.37 GMT: Tottenham Hotspur have had a €45m bid for 25-year-old winger Luis Diaz rejected by FC Porto, according to the Guardian. The Colombia international reportedly has an €80m release clause and has attracted interest from the likes of Manchester United, meaning Spurs will need to return with an improved offer if they're to beat out the competition and secure Diaz's signature.
20.21 GMT: The Evening Standard reports that Barcelona are looking to complete a double swoop of Chelsea defenders Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta. Both have contracts that expire this summer, and neither has agreed terms to remain at Stamford Bridge beyond the 2021-22 season, allowing them to negotiate pre-contracts with overseas clubs ahead of a free transfer in July.
Christensen, 25, is also of interest to Bayern Munich, while 32-year-old Azpilicueta is not expected to decide on his future until after the international break. It's said that there is a degree of confidence at Camp Nou that they will be able to add both defenders on free transfers this summer.
20.04 GMT: Neymar has recalled the reasons behind his attempt to leave Paris Saint-Germain to return to Barcelona in 2019 in the Netflix documentary "The Perfect Chaos."
"When I made the decision that I wanted to leave Paris Saint-Germain, it wasn't because of fans or club," he said. "It was because I realised that I felt better back in Barca."
Neymar's father, on the other hand, made his opinion clear. However, as his son's manager, he also worked to get the deal with Barcelona done.
"I didn't want my son to leave PSG," he said. "But for whose interest do I work?"
19.48 GMT: West Ham United will need to offer a £20m transfer fee to Marseille if they are to sign Duje Caleta-Car, according to Talksport. It is reported that the Ligue 1 club are not interested in a loan move if they are to part ways with the 25-year-old centre-back, which could force David Moyes' side to meet their demands if they cannot find an alternative.
19.15 GMT: Fiorentina are preparing an €18m offer for striker Arkadiusz Milik, according to Corriere Fiorentino. With Dusan Vlahovic reportedly on the verge of joining Juventus, the Florence side have identified the 27-year-old Poland front man -- on loan from Napoli at Marseille, who have an obligation to make the deal permanent in the summer -- as a potential replacement.
18.42 GMT: Aston Villa are preparing to make another splash in the transfer market as they finalise a bid for Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, according to Football Insider. The Villans reportedly will make an offer in the region of £18m for the 24-year-old Uruguay international, who is said to be keen to make the switch to Villa Park, but before any arrangement is concluded the Bianconeri first will need to find a replacement.
18.09 GMT: Fabrizio Romano reports that Crystal Palace and Valencia have both made loan approaches to Manchester United for Donny van de Beek. The 24-year-old midfielder is keen to leave Old Trafford in search of regular gametime, but interim manager Ralf Rangnick is reluctant to sanction the deal. Should an agreement be reached, the Red Devils will ensure that there is no option to make the move permanent, with intentions of having the Netherlands international as part of the team for next season.
17.36 GMT: Newcastle United see Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby as a dream signing, according to Telefoot. The 22-year-old France international has caught the attention of teams across Europe this season, with emphatic form that has seen him score 11 times while contributing to 19 total goals from 25 starts.
17.03 GMT: Burnley are in advanced negotiations with Dinamo Zagreb for Mislav Orsic, according to Sky Sports. Sean Dyche's side were reported to have been tracking the 29-year-old winger throughout the window as they look to add more pace to the side while they find a replacement for forward Chris Wood.
16.30 GMT: Could PSG end up persuading Kylian Mbappe to sign a new contract? Or will he leave for free next summer?
16.05 GMT: Fabrizio Romano reports that Inter Milan are in advanced talks with Atalanta over the signing of left-back Robin Gosens.
Gosens, 27, has impressed in Serie A and shone for Germany at Euro 2020 this summer, but is keen on a new challenge at club level this month.
Newcastle have also been trying to negotiate a deal but the defender's preference is to move to Inter.
15.46 GMT: Hang on, though, because SIC Notícias journalist Pedro Sepulveda says that Tottenham are actually going after another winger.
FC Porto star Luis Diaz has been the subject of a reported €45m bid from Spurs, with the Portuguese club given just 48 hours to respond.
Diaz starred for Colombia at the Copa America over the summer, ending as the tournament's joint-top scorer alongside Lionel Messi, and has 16 goals for Porto this season.
However, his release clause is €80m, so Spurs clearly think they can get a cheaper deal this month.
15.18 GMT: Wolves winger Adama Traore looks set to leave the club, with Tottenham closest to signing him, claims The Independent.
Traore, 26, has been linked with a host of clubs including Barcelona, but Tottenham are ready to offer around £20m to land the Spain international.
14.57 GMT: Arsenal look set to miss out on Dusan Vlahovic to Juventus, and will turn to Espanyol star Raul De Tomas instead, says AS.
De Tomas, 27, scored 23 goals in LaLiga last season, and has 11 from 20 games so far this campaign.
West Ham, Leeds and Leicester have also been linked with the Spain international striker, who has a €70m release clause.
14.25 GMT: Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno is pushing for a January move, says Football.London.
Leno, 29, has dropped behind Aaron Ramsdale in the pecking order and wants to leave the club, with Newcastle United reportedly ready to offer him a loan move until the end of the season.
The Germany international began the season as No. 1 choice but has only played seven times across all competitions so far as Ramsdale has impressed.
14.11 GMT: Christian Eriksen is training with Ajax's youth teams this week, according to the Dutch club.
Eriksen, 29, had his contract terminated by Inter Milan following his cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark at Euro 2020. The midfielder was fitted with a heart-starting device, something that prevents him from playing in Italy, and he has been on the lookout for a new club ever since being given the medical all-clear to resume his career.
Sources told ESPN that Brentford are in talks to sign Eriksen on an initial six-month contract, but so far no deal has been announced.
14.00 GMT: USMNT and New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner could be an Arsenal player soon.
13.36 GMT: Sky Italia reports that Alvaro Morata's agents have arrived in Italy to talk to Juventus about his future.
Morata, 29, was told he would not be allowed to cut his loan move from Atletico Madrid short in order to join Barcelona this month, but now Juve's move for Vlahovic has the club rethinking that stance.
Sources told ESPN in December that Barcelona had made Morata their top target for January following the signing of Ferran Torres for €55m from Man City.
Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez has been pushing for Morata's signing and the club have already held initial discussions over a loan deal with an option to make the move permanent in the summer.
13.13 GMT: Goal are reporting that Juventus have reached an agreement with Fiorentina to sign striker Dusan Vlahovic.
Vlahovic, 21, has scored 17 Serie A goals this season and is rated as one of the best young strikers in Europe.
A €75m bid has reportedly been accepted, with Juve keen to land the Serbia international before a tug-of-war for his services begins in the summer.
12.56 GMT: Sevilla defender Diego Carlos is a man in demand, with Newcastle and Tottenham keen to sign him.
Carlos, 28, has been in talks with Newcastle over a potential €45m move but Sevilla have yet to come to an agreement with the Premier League club.
Tottenham are now in preliminary talks and are prepared to include midfielder Giovani Lo Celso in any deal to lower the overall fee, according to Football Insider.
12.34 GMT: PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo is being tracked by Liverpool and Manchester City, says Voetbal International.
Gakpo, 22, has 10 goals and 11 assists in 28 games across all competitions this season and saw interest from Bayern Munich before the campaign began.
Liverpool and City are reportedly keen to bring him in, but with his contract expiring in 2025 they would have to part with a hefty transfer fee.
11.55 GMT: Andres Guardado has committed his future to Real Betis by putting pen to paper on a new deal until 2023, according to ABC Sevilla.
Guardado, 35, was out of contract at the end of the season but Betis have decided to prolong the midfielder's spell at the club as he remains a key player for manager Manuel Pellegrini.
The Mexico international follows the path of other players to sign new Betis deals in recent weeks like Sergio Canales and Nabil Fekir.
11.48 GMT: Ivan Morales has bade farewell to Colo-Colo ahead of completing a move to Liga MX side Cruz Azul.
The 22-year-old forward's contract with the Chilean team was set to expire in June and Cruz Azul have taken advantage of the situation to secure his services in a $400,000 deal.
11.37 GMT: Valencia have signed Switzerland international defender Eray Comert from FC Basel on a contract until June 2026.
Comert, 23, has 140 appearances for Basel since moving to the club in 2018 and made his international debut in November 2019.
11.22 GMT: Is Anthony Martial's loan move from Man United to Sevilla a good one?
10.45 GMT: Real Madrid have turned down an approach from Swiss side FC Basel for young centre-back Rafa Marin, Marca reports, believing the academy product is a potential first-team player.
Marin, 19, has frequently trained with Carlo Ancelotti's first-team squad this season as well as impressing for the club's B-team, Real Madrid Castilla.
According to Marca, Basel spoke to the player's agents about a possible move to cover the departure of defender Eray Comert, who is joining Valencia, but Madrid instantly rejected the idea of a departure.
10.04 GMT: Fabrizio Romano reports that Fiorentina have submitted an opening bid to FC Basel to sign striker Arthur Cabral.
Cabral, 23, would be a replacement for Dusan Vlahovic, who is closing on a potential €60m move to Juventus amid interest from Arsenal.
Fiorentina have offered €14m plus €2m in add-ons for the Brazilian, who has impressed in Switzerland with 27 goals in 31 games.
Meanwhile, racist and threatening banners aimed at Vlahovic appeared outside Fiorentina's Artemio Franchi stadium on Tuesday following reports the Serbia forward is set to move to Turin.
09.53 GMT: Aston Villa have announced the loan signing of midfielder Jill Scott from Manchester City.
Scott, 34, has over 150 senior caps for England and won the Women's Super League title with City in 2016.
Villa manager Carla Ward said: "When we heard of Jill's availability it was a no-brainer. To have the chance to acquire one of England's most decorated footballers is a chance we couldn't turn down. Jill will bring so much to this group, not only on the pitch but I see her having a huge impact off it, too. We have some hugely exciting young talents coming through, so for them to learn from someone of Jill's stature will be massive."
09.34 GMT: Former England coach Roy Hodgson is set to be announced as the new Watford manager, sources have told ESPN's James Olley.
Hodgson, 74, is due to sign a six-month contract at the struggling Premier League club. He will replace Claudio Ranieri, who was sacked as manager on Monday after just 14 matches in charge.
Sources have told ESPN that Hodgson will be joined by long-time assistant coach Ray Lewington, with the duo charged with keeping the club in the Premier League this season amid a disastrous run of form that spelled the end of Ranieri's time in charge. Sources added that Hodgson was at Watford's training ground on Monday evening ahead of official confirmation of his move.
09.26 GMT: Anthony Martial is expected to arrive in Seville in the next 24 hours after Manchester United agreed to loan the player until the end of the season, according to Estadio Deportivo.
Sevilla will not pay a fee for Martial's loan but will spend €5m as part of the player's wages. United have reportedly agreed to also pay part of Martial's salary.
The French striker has reportedly lowered his wages to facilitate his temporary move to Sevilla, is expected to train with them on Thursday.
Last week, Sevilla signed Mexico winger Jesus "Tecatito" Corona from FC Porto but are still keen to add another attacking player.
08.46 GMT: Tottenham Hotspur have made an enquiry over the availability of Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, the Daily Mail reports.
The Morocco international, who is away with his national team at the Africa Cup of Nations, has failed to settle at the Stadio Artemio Franchi since his €20m move from Club Brugge in January 2020.
Amrabat, 25, has made just 11 league appearances for La Viola this season, meaning that both the player and his club could consider a transfer to Spurs.
08.00 GMT: Manchester City are close to sealing a deal for River Plate forward Julian Alvarez, sources have told ESPN's Rob Dawson.
City believe they have seen off competition from AC Milan for the 21-year-old Argentinian with the final details to be ironed out before an agreement is reached. Sources have told ESPN the overall cost of the transfer could be less than £20m.
It is likely that Alvarez, who has already been capped five times by Argentina, won't move to the Etihad Stadium until next summer at the earliest but sources have told ESPN he would be considered a first-team signing.
Until he is ready to move to England, City will consider loaning him back to River Plate or arranging another loan elsewhere.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)
- Juventus will make contact with Dusan Vlahovic in the coming days, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 21-year-old Fiorentina striker has been linked with a move away from La Viola since the start of the season, and it looks as though he can expect to receive contact from Turin as they look to make a case to secure his signature ahead of Arsenal.
- The future of FC Salzburg striker Karim Adeyemi is becoming clearer, with Sky Germany reporting that he has decided on Borussia Dortmund as his next destination. The Bundesliga club have reportedly already started talks over a permanent transfer for the 20-year-old Germany international.
- Calciomercato writes that Theo Hernandez has agreed to a new contract with AC Milan. The 24-year-old left-back has been on the radar of a number of clubs around Europe -- most notably PSG, Manchester City and Chelsea -- but he has instead chosen to remain at San Siro until 2026 in a deal worth €4m-a-year in wages.
- Hull City are plotting a move for former Liverpool star Ryan Babel, according to Hull Daily Mail. The 35-year-old has mainly featured as a substitute for Galatasaray this season, but with his contract set to expire in the summer, Hull are said to believe they can reach an agreement with the Dutch winger who is open to a return to England.
- L'Equipe reports that Lille left-back Reinildo Mandava is in Spain and will sign a pre-contract with Atletico Madrid. The 28-year-old Mozambique international has been a key part of the Lille's recent success, making 25 appearances this season after helping his side to the Ligue 1 title in 2021, and will sign a deal that will see him move to the Spanish capital on a free transfer at the end of the season.