Summary of the day
So, another fairly quiet day in the January transfer window draws to a close, at least as far as this blog (and actual deals being done) is concerned.
Here’s what we’ve learned:
Manchester United have activated contract extensions for three players; while Jadon Sancho is expected to complete a loan to Borussia Dortmund soon
Kylian Mbappé gave a rather ambigious update on his future, though it seems unlikely he will be at PSG come the start of next season
West Ham’s out-of-favour defender Thilo Kehrer is joining Monaco on loan
Another loan move in the pipeline is Ben Brereton-Diaz’s to Sheffield United from Villarreal until the end of the season
Other rumours include: Serhou Guirassy to Newcastle; Eric Dier to West Ham; Atalanta’s Giorgio Scalvini to Man United and Ivan Toney to … well, stay at Brentford
All the latest completed deals in the men’s transfer market can be tracked here on our transfer interactive. Our women’s transfer interactive is here.
I’ll leave you with the latest Football Daily, which has just dropped. Enjoy your Thursday evening! We’ll be back tomorrow morning with more January tittle-tattle.
Ten Hag asked about Sancho and new contracts
Some updates on Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof and Hannibal from Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag, and a not-so-update on Jadon Sancho. There’s also been a hint that United could offer a deal to Anthony Martial (!):
We are talking with Rapha Varane and Anthony Martial, and we triggered the options on Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelöf and Hannibal Mejbri.
I can’t say anything about [Sancho]. We have to wait and see how things are going. When we have news, we will tell you.
[On Ineos talks] Very positive. We had a long meeting, many hours we sat together. On many issues we are on the same page. Very constructive.
Liverpool are going to miss Wataru Endo; he’s underrated.
But could they dip into the January market to fill the gaps in their squad? Midfield and centre back could do with some attention, but don’t bank on it.
Boulaye Dia to West Ham? Latest reports from Italy claim David Moyes is ready to ‘splash out’ £13.8m on the Salernitana striker with the Hammers currently short on striking options.
Eintracht Frankfurt and Napoli are both said to be in the mix for the 27-year-old, who only joined Salernitana in the summer, but was on loan there from Villarreal last season. West Ham have also been linked with Montpellier’s Akor Adams.
More on Mbappé’s PSG future here …
Exclusive: Kylian Mbappe has agreed to forgo €70-80m if he leaves PSG on a free. Agreement is variable and complicated. Not as simple as just discounting his loyalty bonus, although an instalment has already been waived. If Mbappe stays he'll be entitled to this back.🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/bjX7Rok1JC
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) January 4, 2024
One transfer that will soon get over the line is Middlesbrough’s proposed £2.5m deal for Aston Villa player Finn Azaz. The 23-year-old has spent the past 18 months on loan at Plymouth, but Boro’ manager Michael Carrick confirmed the deal was close to being finalised.
“I can say it’s close,” said Carrick. “We’re still waiting on a few things to be finalised but we’re very hopeful it will be done pretty soon.”
Azaz was recalled by Villa with a mind to sealing a permanent sale.
Updated
SJR touches down at OT. Wonder if he was discussing transfers …
🚨🎥 Sir Jim Ratcliffe spotted outside Old Trafford. #MUFC [@UnitedStandMUFC] pic.twitter.com/ADv0t20aiE
— mufcmpb (@mufcMPB) January 4, 2024
Erik ten Hag is due to hold a press conference shortly, by the way.
Manchester United should not be letting Mary Earps leave. They really shouldn’t. OK, that’s just my opinion and the finances may prove otherwise.
But Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona are competing to sign the England goalkeeper according to The Standard, with PSG leading the chase.
Wolves are hopeful of doing some January business, according to manager Gary O’Neil who spoke about potential transfers in today’s press conference ahead of their FA Cup tie at Brentford tomorrow night.
“If we can free up some funds we will being players in,” said O’Neil. “We will try to improve. It’s a tricky month already, it’ll be tough to improve the group. Summer is a better window. January is a tricky transfer market.
Wolves have been linked with West Ham’s Said Benrahma and out-of-favour Aston Villa man Danny Ings, as well as Mario Lemina’s 18-year-old brother Noha and PSG fringe player Hugo Ekitike.
See, Erling Haaland rates Jadon Sancho. And I for one cannot wait for the ‘Man City star aims sly dig at Man United’ articles that come out of this …
Haaland 🤝 Sancho pic.twitter.com/fy6pExCGNs
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) January 3, 2024
What an incredible (double) appointment for lowly League Two club Colchester this is.
✍️ 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐖𝐋𝐄𝐘 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒.
— Colchester United FC (@ColU_Official) January 4, 2024
We welcome Danny and Nicky, with the pair taking charge immediately. #ColU | #WeAreUnited
Kylian Mbappé speaks out on his future
Kylian Mbappé’s PSG future is a topic that never seems to go away. Although there’s zero chance he will be allowed to leave in January, his contract is due to expire in June 2024 and Real Madrid are linked heavily.
The Frenchman, however, has said he’s not yet made a decision on what comes next. He has an option to extend his deal in Paris by a further 12 months.
He said: “First of all, I’m very, very, very motivated for this year. It’s very important. After that, no, I haven’t made up my mind yet.
“But in any case, with the agreement I made with the chairman [Nasser Al-Khelaifi] this summer, it doesn’t matter what I decide.
“We managed to protect all parties and preserve the club’s serenity for the challenges ahead, which remains the most important thing. So we’ll say it’s secondary.”
Manchester United have triggered the one-year extension option in Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s contract. Seems a wise course of action to me. His deal was previously due to run out in June this year, so that’s been pushed back until June 2025.
Widespread reports claim talks over a fresh new deal will be thrashed out at the end of the summer.
Serhou Guirassy is a name we can expect to dominate the transfer column inches this month, with a host of Premier League sides keen on the striker whose low release clause makes him more of a temping prospect. It seems £15m could do the job.
According to The Times, Newcastle are the favourites to land the Stuttgart forward, who has also been linked with Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
Another stellar introduction for another afternoon’s transfer trawl, thank you Daniel.
Let’s get into things.
That’ll be all from me today. I know hand over to the estimable Dominic Booth who’ll see you to the close. Ta for now.
A total ofd 39 players across 17 Premier League clubs (Manchester City, Newcastle and Burnley the exceptions) are off to the African Cup of Nations and the Asia Cup.
But who are they?
Michael Butler has taken the trouble to list them all:
Ivan Toney is expected to stay with Brentford for this January transfer window at least.
That’s according to the Bees’ boss, Thomas Frank, who insists his start striker will remain in west London for the rest of the season.
“He’s a Brentford player, he’s here. We’re miss a few offensive players, I can’t see why we should sell him. I’d love to have him here for a long time,” Frank said.
“It’s not me to discuss that, but if I ever could recommend, it would need to be unbelievable price. He will stay here.”
Frank is open to a handful of changes at the club, especially in defence:
“I expect that will be active [in the transfer window] and it’s pretty clear that we need a left-back.”
Updated
As I trawl the web looking for more transfer news, catch up on Karen Carney’s piece on Wayne Rooney and why he needs time, but has little of it.
That Emre Konak deal is apparently worth £4 million. Forgot to mention and thought you’d want to know. Seems like a steal for such a talented prospect, even though he’s still 17.
Brentford agree deal for ‘wonderkid’ from Turkey.
That moniker comes Sky Sports’ Lyall Thomas who has confirmed the Bees have secured the services of 17-year-old midfielder Emre Konak from Sivasspor, though the deal will only official go through on his 18th birthday in six days’ time.
Konak has played 17 times in the Super Lig this season and was named as one of the Guardian’s 60 best players in the world born in 2006.
Eric Dier is “in charge of his own destiny,” according to his manager, Ange Postecoglou.
The Tottenham boss was speaking ahead of his team’s FA Cup clash with Burnley tomorrow night and was asked about the England international’s future.
“No idea. Not my radar,” said Postecoglou. “I think Eric is contracted to this football club, he’s in charge of his destiny as much as everyone else.”
Spurs now could soon have options at the back as they’re believed to be preparing a bid for Genoa defender Radu Dragusin.
“It’s hard to say because I don’t get involved in that side of it,” Postecoglou said of the potential signing of the Romanian.
“We have some objectives and targets and we are working towards that. People behind the scenes are working towards that.
“Whenever I am sought for guidance or clarity on where we need to go, I provide that.
“January, you don’t expect too much in terms of activity. I’ve said before that what is important is whenever we have the opportunity to improve the squad, we have to take it. “
Updated
Fancy giving your eyes a break and let your ears do some heavy lifting?
Rest your peepers and unwind to the soothing voices of Rushden, Auclair, Ronay and Maguire on the latest Football Weekly Extra:
According to Sky Sports, Newcaslte have joined the race to sign Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City. Tell you what. I can see that happening. And on paper it’s a move that makes a lot of sense for all parties.
Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that Micky van de Ven is back training with the Tottenham first team and could be in the squad tomorrow to face Burnley in the FA Cup. But says it’s more likely he’ll feature against Manchester United on 14 January.
While we’re on the subject of Girona, and while we’re pilfering Fabrizio Romano tweets, I’ve just seen that Aleix Garcia, the solid central midfielder who has been such a key figure this campaign, could be on his way to Barcelona.
Girona’s big boss, Pere Guardiola, has said, “We don’t want him to leave. Barcelona never approached us. We have not received any proposal and our plan is to continue with the same team.”
Of course it’s not just players from smaller clubs that punch above their weight who are snaffled by bigger fish. Managers that impress are also targets for those with deeper pockets and richer histories.
And so it is that Girona’s boss, Michel, who has shocked La Liga by taking his team to joint-first at the half-way point in the season, is now on the radars of larger empires.
⚪️🔴 Girona’s Pere Guardiola on head coach Míchel: “Bayern? In case Bayern send him a proposal, I will take him to Munich by car”.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 4, 2024
“He deserves to be the owner of his future, we’re grateful”.
“In case a top club arrives and he wants to go, he will be free”, told @relevo. pic.twitter.com/feLE2oTdF8
A Rolls Royce or a combine harvester? Which would you prefer. Before you answer, get a load of this cracking email that just landed in my inbox:
“Good afternoon. Enthusiast as I am for a team’s thrilling heroics and players getting a proper stomp on, I can’t help but feel having a dull defender would be preferable to an exciting one. It’s like having a cheese sandwich, solid and predictable, unlikely to cause you harm, unlike a prawn sandwich which might go either way at any moment.”
That’s from Bill Preston. I think the perfect mix is one flash defender and one no-nonsense one. So both, is the answer, Bill. I’d want both.
Sergio Reguilon has said that it was a “privilege” playing for Manchester United after the club officially confirmed that they had triggered a break clause in the player’s loan move, allowing him to return to Tottenham.
He made just 12 appearances fir United but still thanked the club on social media:
“It has been great to play for Manchester United and I just want to say thank you to the club, the fans and my teammates.
“It was a privilege to play for this huge club. I wish all the best for the Red Devils.”
Arsenal are reportedly lining up a move for an Ajax teenager. The 17-year-old Jorrel Hato, who can play at left-back or centre-back, has been hailed as one of Europe’s most exciting young defenders and has played every minute of every game for the Dutch giants.
He’s already made his international debut and has 18 months left on his current contract and Ajax are keen to secure his long-term future at the club.
That hasn’t stopped Arsenal sniffing about though the Gunners will likely bide their time until the summer.
We’re getting closer. That is, Jadon Sancho is getting closer to a return to Borussia Dortmund. In a list that also includes Angel di Maria, Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez, is Sancho the most disappointing United signing from the past decade?
🟡⚫️ Jadon Sancho, just waiting for the green light to travel to Borussia Dortmund training camp in Marbella.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 4, 2024
Manchester United and BVB are closing in on loan deal this morning.
Almost there.
⏳🔙 pic.twitter.com/eeMWRV8LR9
Manchester United set a £51m asking price for Raphael Varane replacement. The French defender isn’t going anywhere just yet, but his days do seem numbered. Which means United need to find a replacement and have – according to the Mirror – taken an interest in Atalanta’s Giorgio Scalvini. But, if Erik ten Hag wants the 20-year-old Italian, they’ll have to pay the equivalent of the most expensive Ferrari ever sold – a 1962 250 GTO that was auctioned off in November last year.
Top work John. Thanks for that. Howdy folks. I’m at the wheel for the next few hours. Any queries, give me a holla.
Right, that’s me stepping away from the market stall. Here’s the excellent Daniel Gallan to mind the shop.
Kehrer joining Monaco on loan
Almost done deal: it’s not quite worked out for the German at West Ham.
🚨⚪️🔴 Thilo Kehrer to AS Monaco, here we go! Deal now agreed as club exchanged documents overnight.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 4, 2024
Kehrer will travel for medical later today.
Understand it’s loan deal worth €500k fee with buy clause to become mandatory for €11m.
All details are now approved by West Ham. pic.twitter.com/251cGuhA2a
Former transfer window mainstay Folarin Balogun has not worked out at Monaco. Let’s go round again?
If Jadon Sancho is headed to Dortmund, then it seems that Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen is, too, as BvB pick off players of talent who have missed their mark at leading/failing Premier League clubs. Another question, he may be Dutch but how many 21-year-olds are called “Ian” these days? A loan is expected. How many of the Boehly generation will be loaned out?
According to both the BBC and Athletic, USMNT goalkeeper Zak Steffen is leaving Manchester City for Colorado Rapids in MLS.
“The agreement is for three years with an option for a fourth. Steffen will not occupy a designated player slot,” says The Athletic’s Tom Bogert.
Liverpool have recalled forward James Balagizi has returned to the club from his loan spell at Wigan Athletic. The 20-year-old initially moved on a season-long deal, but only made seven appearances for the League One side, and a further loan move would seem a heavy possibility. Liverpool have a few forwards. Unless he’s cover for Mo Salah, that is.
James Balagizi has returned to Liverpool after being recalled from his loan at Wigan Athletic:
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 4, 2024
Burnley, where Vincent Kompany has plans for the transfer window: ‘I have definitely sat down with the recruitment team and the chairman and we are definitely looking at every possible option, but I can’t say much more than that.
“There is nothing obvious at the moment that stands out - that could drastically change our season. But, if there is, we are doing our homework and our research for sure.”
The Rumour Mill is here
And it’s a special one…
Those who speak advanced Fabrizio may read into this that Jadon Sancho’s return to Borussia Dortmund moves ever closer.
🟡⚫️⏳ #BVB https://t.co/21826ownJb
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 4, 2024
Mark Thomas gets in touch: “Get a real job, John.”
I celebrate 25 years in the business next month, Mark. Never work a day in your life and all that…
Gopesh gets in touch: “As a casual fan who doesn’t pore obsessively over club finances (except the one I support of course), it always seemed to me that clubs manage to get around FFP restrictions by delaying the piper until a future transfer window.
“It seems to me that the time to cut back for a lot of big clubs is now as I read FFP restrictions being cited as the most prominent reason for a lack of transfer activity. Chelsea excluded of course.”
That’s my reading, too.
Brereton-Diaz to Blades is imminent
Ben Brereton-Diaz’s loan to Sheffield United should be completed today.
The former Blackburn striker moved to Villarreal on a free transfer last summer but he hasn’t had many opportunities in Spain this season.
The Chile international was prolific for Blackburn in the Championship.
Updated
Big transfer-related story from Will Unwin. As Everton’s plight shows, the authorities are being most vigilant.
West Ham are loaning Thilo Kehrer out to Monaco with a view to a more permanent view.
🚨⚪️🔴 Thilo Kehrer to AS Monaco, here we go! Deal now agreed as club exchanged documents overnight.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 4, 2024
Kehrer will travel for medical later today.
Understand it’s loan deal worth €500k fee with buy clause to become mandatory for €11m.
All details are now approved by West Ham. pic.twitter.com/251cGuhA2a
The aforementioned winter break does seem to have disrupted the market, just as it has the market.
Dyche has echoed the view of Everton’s director of football, Kevin Thelwell, that this will be a quiet transfer window for a club in the midst of a proposed takeover by 777 Partners. Everton’s financial problems could make them vulnerable to a big money offer for a player such as Jarrad Branthwaite or Amadou Onana, though Dyche would be reluctant to break up a team fighting to avoid relegation.
The Saudi market has been quiet this January, as discussed on Wednesday.
Hear Steven’s cry:
“We need to show in this window, and also the summer window, that we mean business and we want to be competitive at the top of the league, and not where we are at the moment. It’s a collective thing – the players here and now need to give more, and people need to step up, and, at the right time, we will hopefully be able to make significant changes to the team and the squad. Hopefully, at the back end of January, you will see a different, stronger and more competitive squad.”
A lot of talk about Timo Werner and his being available for a loan at Manchester United from RB Leipzig. To say he was less than prolific at Chelsea would be putting mildly but just putting it out there. To be fair, he can run, the lad. Seems United’s FFP situation is going to mean their January business is likely to be loans alone.
Here’s Wednesday’s transfer roundup. Feels like there’s a project happening at Hadjuk Split.
Preamble
Good morning. It’s fair to say Wednesday was a quiet one, and with a few clubs taking it easy in FA Cup week ahead of the Premier League’s mini-break, then perhaps that’s no surprise. We await movement on Jadon Sancho and it appears Arsenal may be targeting a left-back, but it may be loans and odd deals like Nikola Kalinic joining Hadjuk Split that keep us fed and warm today. As ever, one big move can trigger the rest.
We’re here all week, so join us. And email us, too.
