It is no secret that Arsenal are in talks with Shakhtar Donetsk with a view to signing Mykhaylo Mudryk and the league leaders, held at home by Newcastle on Tuesday, have submitted a low-ball offer of £53m which is almost certain to be rejected by the Ukrainian club. While the Emirates Stadium remains the most likely destination for the 21-year-old, Chelsea are waiting in the wings, ready to hijack the deal should negotiations collapse.
Chelsea’s main target in the current window remains Enzo Fernández and, contrary to rumours suggesting otherwise, the Argentinian midfielder did report back for duty with Benfica after his fortnight of celebrations in the wake of Argentina’s World Cup win. According to sleep-deprived Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the midfielder has told Benfica head coach Roger Schmidt he wants to go to Chelsea and negotiations between the two clubs are continuing. His release clause is just north of £105m and a deal could be rubber-stamped in the next 48 hours if the two clubs can reach an agreement on how best it should be paid. Benfica want the money in one lump sum, while Chelsea would rather stump up in a series of instalments.
Caglar Soyuncu looks a dead cert to sign for Atlético Madrid but the main question surrounding his move is whether he will swap Leicester for the Spanish capital now or in the summer. The Turkish central defender is out of contract in June and is believed to be close to signing a pre-contract agreement with Atleti, whose manager, Diego Simeone, would rather his club pay a fee so they can assimilate Soyuncu into their ranks immediately, if not sooner.
Festive rumours that Memphis Depay could be on his way to Newcastle or Manchester United seem well wide of the mark, as Barcelona’s manager, Xavi, has said he does not want the Dutch centre-forward “or any other player” to leave Barcelona in January. Despite rumours to the contrary, there is no evidence to suggest the Magpies have made any sort of approach for the Dutch international.
Newcastle have also been linked with the Real Madrid full-back Ferland Mendy and the Brighton winger Leandro Trossard. On Tuesday, the Seagulls triggered an option to extend Trossard’s contract to the summer of 2024, in a move that is not meant to warn off potential suitors but will jack up the asking price for any interested parties in the current window.
Aston Villa are open to offers for Danny Ings, who hasn’t pulled up a huge number of trees since joining the club for a reported £25m back in August 2021. The striker’s struggling former clubs Southampton and Bournemouth are both believed to be interested in a potential reunion. Busy plotting how best to avoid relegation, Southampton are also after the Dinamo Zagreb winger Mislav Orsic and the Racing Club central midfielder Carlos Alcaraz.
Illan Meslier is a young goalkeeper in big demand, with Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Newcastle all believed to be interested in securing his scrawl even if Leeds are not inclined to sell him.
And finally, the Freiburg winger Kevin Schade is on his way to Brentford in a deal worth up to to £22m. Reports suggest the 21-year-old has already coughed successfully for the doctors at the Gtech Community Stadium and an unveiling alongside a beaming Thomas Frank is imminent.
