Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Yara El-Shaboury, Stuart Goodwin and Taha Hashim

January transfer window: Angeliño heads for Roma, Al-Hamadi signs with Ipswich – as it happened

Lucas Bergvall FC Barcelona
Angeliño arrives in Rome after a flight from Istanbul for his medical before a move to Roma
Angeliño arrives in Rome after a flight from Istanbul for his medical before a move to Roma. Photograph: TELENEWS/EPA

Alright, this is where I leave you. Here’s a roundup of today’s news, transfer or otherwise (mostly otherwise, it has been a slow one):

And remember, don’t miss out on our men’s and women’s transfer interactive guides for updates on the latest deals across Europe’s top leagues.

Thanks for tuning in and join us tomorrow!

Aston Villa will remain in the Conti Cup despite being handed a three-point deduction by the FA after fielding an illegible player during their 7-0 win over Sunderland meaning that Manchester United will fail to advance.

Villa brought on Noelle Maritz as a substitute in the second-half. Maritz, who joined the club in January, played for Arsenal three times in the cup this season, contrary to competition rules.

In a statement, the FA said:

An independent tribunal have deducted three points from Aston Villa for fielding an ineligible player during their FA Women’s Continental Tyres League Cup group stage fixture against Sunderland on Wednesday 24 January 2024.

The FA alleged that the player was ineligible for this game, as she had previously featured in the competition for her former club, which constitutes a breach of Cup Rule 8.19. Aston Villa admitted this charge and acknowledged the breach had occurred. The independent tribunal ordered that the points deducted from Aston Villa be awarded to their opponents Sunderland, while the 7-0 scoreline is to be expunged from the record.

As a result, Sunderland will finish as Group A Winners, with Aston Villa progressing to the quarter-finals as one of the two best-placed runners-up alongside Tottenham Hotspur.

With Villa and Sunderland now progressing, Manchester United will no longer advance as one of the best second-placed sides. In a statement, United said:

We are very disappointed with this outcome, and do not understand its rationale. We feel that it undermines the integrity of the competition, and of the women’s game. We are considering our options in response.

And here’s Football Daily for you. Barry Glendenning takes you through the magic of the FA Cup.

Playing their seventh game in this season’s FA Cup, Maidstone ensured they’ll get an eighth by beating Ipswich, despite the two clubs being separated by 98 places in the pyramid. In a textbook giant-killing, the National League South side comprised of part-timers rode their luck with the kind of fierce tenacity not seen since AP McCoy hung up his whip and saddle, scored the only two chances to come their way and defended like dervishes – with some woodwork assistance – to earn their place in the last 16 and the disappointingly unglamorous tie away at Coventry or Sheffield Wednesday that goes with it.

A fun watch: George Elokobi’s team talk to his players before Maidstone’s historic win, which made them the first club outside the top five tiers of English football to reach the FA Cup fifth round since Blyth Spartans in 1978.

An exclusive from Fabrizio Romano:

Roberto De Zerbi is keeping a tight lip on Brighton possibly signing the Leicester midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall before the window closes. Brentford have also been linked with the 25-year-old.

De Zerbi, who has a close relationship with the Foxes manager, Enzo Maresca, says Dewsbury-Hall has “great quality” but refused to fuel any speculation.

I don’t know anything about him. I know him as a player. He has great quality but it’s not my business speaking about other players, especially because Enzo Maresca is my friend and I want to be correct with him.

The Brighton manager was much more open talking about it his own players, specifically João Pedro. The Brazilian is the club’s top scorer but De Zerbi wants the player to push himself to be more consistent over 90 minutes.

João Pedro’s DNA is of a top player. He’s becoming amazing as a striker because his quality to play in ball possession, to play in between the lines, to make assists were important but in terms of goals, he’s improving a lot.

The last step to become a great, great player is to play 90 minutes in the same way. Sometimes he starts the game not pushing off his best and I would like at the beginning of the game until the end of the game the same mentality.

It would be a “sad day” if Michael Olise left Crystal Palace admitted the manager, Roy Hodgson.

Despite injury issues, Olise has netted five goals in nine Premier League appearances for Palace this season and is rumoured to have attracted the attention of Manchester United and Chelsea.

On Olise possibly leaving, Hodgson said:

It would be a sad day for the club. Like everyone else I was delighted when he signed a long-term contract and I’m certain that’s what the club would like him to honour and we’d like to improve and build the team around players of his quality, and [Marc] Guéhi and [Joachim] Andersen and [Cheick] Doucouré.

We need these players to make the team stronger, not lose them to other Premier League clubs who may be putting some money on the table.

On possible incomings this January, Hodgson added:

There’s no sense of desperation at all. I think the squad is good. I think getting players back from injury now is going to make a vast difference to the team we put on the field and even to the way we play. I’ll be grateful for any players that the club manages to bring to us but I’m not prepared to say that our chances in the league depend upon getting more players in. It will be more of a bonus than a complete necessity.

Hodgson is under thin ice at the club. During the club’s 5-0 defeat against Arsenal banners were raised by fans protesting against the direction of the club.

Remember that you can follow along with every transfer made across Europe’s top five leagues in the men’s and women’s game with our interactive guides.

You have the ability to sort by league, transfer fee and even check out the club-by-club guide to keep up with all the signings your club have made.

From South America to south Wales – Swansea have signed Ronald from Grêmio Anápolis for an undisclosed fee, subject to international clearance and visa approval.

The 22-year-old’s new contract runs through to the summer of 2027, which includes the option of an additional 12 months.

A new Football Weekly to tide you over on this Monday afternoon. Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Fadugba, John Brewin and Andy Hunter to discuss Jürgen Klopp and all the weekend’s FA Cup action. Plus: high-profile football players in nightclubs and restaurant chains that make the best steak.

The Luton captain Tom Lockyer returned to the club’s training ground for the first time since his cardiac arrest during the Premier League match at Bournemouth in December.

On his return, the Luton manager, Rob Edwards, said:

It was amazing to see him back. It was a nice presentation; it was a special moment and great to see. I managed to hold it together but it was emotional. It’s been a really difficult time for his family first and foremost, but for us it was great to see him. He’s an unbelievably brave man and someone who has an unbelievable handle over all of it. I wouldn’t be how he is. He’s such an impressive and focused person. There’s a rehabilitation process but he’s taking it slowly, he’s got a baby on the way and that’s his main focus.

Last year, Al-Hamadi spoke to the Guardian about his unconventional route to football, and the inspiration he has taken from his parents. At the age of one he fled Iraq with his then teenage mother to join his father, who was granted asylum in Liverpool after being imprisoned by Saddam Hussein for protesting against the dictator’s regime.

Read more here.

The fee for Al-Hamadi is the “highest amount received in the AFC Wimbledon era, and includes future incentives which could see the transfer become a record amount at League Two level” according to the striker’s now former club.

While Ipswich have not disclosed the fee for the Iraqi striker, AFC Wimbledon said in their news statement that the transfer is “a significant deal for club and player”.

The League Two’s side head of football operations, Craig Cope, said:

We wish Ali all the best in his future career, we thank him for the impact he made and support his progress from afar as we retain a vested interest.

The plan was to sell Ali in the summer. This would have been our strong preference. However, Ipswich tabled a strong offer to both parties, and we totally understand the potential opportunity for Ali to play Premier League football next season.

Although disappointed to lose him in January, I see this as a great success for the Club. The work across the football department over the past 12 months has provided a platform for him to improve and thrive, becoming the hottest prospect in the division.

Ipswich sign Ali Al-Hamadi from AFC Wimbledon

And the confirmation is here: Ipswich have signed the Iraqi striker Ali Al-Hamadi from AFC Wimbledon for an undisclosed fee.

The 21-year-old will link up with the club this week after Iraq’s exit from the Asia Cup. His contract runs until the summer of 2028.

On his new club, the forward said:

Ipswich is a club on an upward trajectory, with a manager who is known for developing players, so at this point in my career I feel like I am ready to make the step up and this feels like the perfect fit for me.

Everyone I have spoken to has given the club unbelievable reviews so I’m just excited to get to work when I get back. Whenever I’ve watched Ipswich it’s attractive football with high intensity and energy, which fits my characteristics well, so I’d say I’m a good fit.

I am hungry to score goals and understand it’s a step up to the Championship where players are better and sharper, but I’m confident in my ability, I am hungry to learn and am looking forward to joining up with the squad.

The Ipswich manager, Kieran McKenna, said:

He’s had a really good first 12 months of regular senior football and has had a significant impact at AFC Wimbledon. He fits our recruitment profile of being a young, hungry, athletic and technical player who we feel can have an impact in the squad straight away, but also has room to grow and develop for the future.

Bayern Munich refute rumours that Thomas Tuchel made himself available for Barcelona job

With the news regarding Jürgen Klopp and Xavi leaving their clubs at the end of the season, this window has very much turned into a manager speculation carrousel.

Top clubs will be keen to keep their head coaches, including Bayern Munich and the German giants have hit out at suggestions that Thomas Tuchel has touted himself as a replacement for the outgoing Xavi.

The day after Xavi announced his departure from Barcelona, Tuchel apparently spoke about his ambition to work in Spain at a fan event, prompting claims he was keen for the post soon to be vacated by Xavi, much to the annoyance of his current employers.

In a statement issued via Bayern’s official website, the chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen and the sporting director Christoph Freund said:

Our head coach Thomas Tuchel was asked by supporters on Sunday as part of a fanclub visit about his coaching career and his previous experiences abroad at Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, and naturally provided information about this during the discussion.

He also answered general questions from fans about Spain as a footballing country. He never spoke about Xavi Hernandez and his successor, as was falsely claimed afterwards.

We will no longer accept such non-factual statements directed against our coach, which always come from the same source.”

Hello all! Stuart, I admire your optimism regarding £100m+ moves this window. We’ll start at the club where a statement signing like that is most likely to happen in the coming days: Sheffield United.

United are bottom of the Premier League table and Chris Wilder has said that the club is working “frantically” to improve their squad.

So far, the club have signed the Chile striker Ben Brereton Díaz and the former Atlético Madrid goalkeeper Ivo Grbic but Wilder is keen on players with more experience to bolster his squad.

We have been linked and it is vital that we have someone who has played in the division or at a level which is equivalent to the Premier League. We want players that make us better as a group and we feel we have done that with Igo and Ben. We wanted to bring players in who strengthen the group and push players. We are working frantically to improve our group and hopefully we do that before the window shuts.

There have been quiet whispers that the club captain, Anel Ahmedhodzic, has interest from sides in Italy, but Wilder denied that there were any “concrete” bids for the 24-year-old.

There have been really loose inquiries, mostly loans which we have turned down, nothing concrete to say we are in discussions and we are in negotiations.

Martin Braithwaite to Chelsea or Manchester United? Another day, another forward linked to Mauricio Pochettino’s side. Marca are also suggesting that Erik ten Hag may be interested in the Espanyol forward.

It does feel slightly fanciful that either would turn to a 32-year-old currently playing in Spain’s Segunda División to bolster their striking options, but then I think a fair few of us were surprised to see the Danish forward sign for Barcelona a few years ago.

Incidentally, the Barça contract he signed back then was actually due to expire this June. He left the club almost a year and a half ago.

That’s the end of my tumbleweedy bridging stint. Here’s Yara El-Shaboury for, I’m sure, a sackful of surprise £100m+ moves. Thanks for reading and good day!

Mikel Arteta non-development news: the Spaniard has poured a three-litre bottle of dandelion and burdock on smouldering chatter that he has been lined up to replace Xavi at Barça this summer.

At his press conference in the lead-up to Arsenal’s visit to Nottingham Forest tomorrow, Arteta said:

That’s totally fake news. I don’t know where it is coming from – It is totally untrue. I am really upset about it. I could not believe it … there’s no source, it’s got nothing.

I’m in the right place with the right people. I feel really good about it.

Updated

Diego Costa to Palmeiras? The former Chelsea and Atlético Madrid forward, now 35, is continuing his gradual career wind-down. After his impact-bereft spell at Wolves, he spent last season at Botafogo but next up could be heading approx 1,400 miles north-east – Fabrizio Romano reports that his camp are in discussions over a move to the Brazilian Serie A champions.

Bit more Xavi content for you, following Sid Lowe’s blog today. The former midfielder insisted Barcelona needed a “change of direction” and that, as a fan of the club himself, he felt that leaving was “the best thing” …

Ali al-Hamadi to Ipswich? Profoundly mixed news for the 21-year-old forward. Iraq’s last-16 Asian Cup tie has just finished 3-2 to Jordan, with two ultra-late goals (90+5, 90+7) proving decisive. He has gone unused in that match, but could be cheered by news that the Championship side are closing on a move for him.

He reportedly passed a medical for the club while in Qatar over the weekend and his exit from AFC Wimbledon now seems a formality. Al-Hamadi was the PFA fans’ player of the month for League Two in both November and December and his arrival could bring a bit of feelgood factor back to Portman Road after their stunning FA Cup exit at the hands of Maidstone on Saturday.

Jordan, incidentally, will next face Tajikistan in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Greetings all. I am here, I promise. Thought I’d give it a minute for a BLOCKBUSTER move to get over the line.

Hopefully Cher Ndour to Braga on loan from PSG does it for you. Here’s the Portuguese club’s reveal vid, soundtracked by the really quite terrible Patty Cake by Quavo and Takeoff.

That’s enough from me – here’s Stuart Goodwin to keep things going.

All a touch quiet at the moment, so why not tune in for the latest happenings at Manchester United.

Here’s a roundup from the weekend’s WSL action. I was on the MBM for Chelsea’s win against Brighton and Lauren James was pretty spectacular, pulling off two cracking finishes.

Huddersfield sack Darren Moore

Some Championship news – Huddersfield have let manager Darren Moore go with the club currently 21st. “We have to make this decision to give us the best chance of maintaining our Sky Bet Championship status come the end of the season,” said the club chairman Kevin Nagle.

“Darren is a fantastic man, and he has worked tirelessly since taking the job back in September. I know I speak for everyone at the club in wishing him the very best for the future.”

The Angeliño at the airport pics have dropped. The former Manchester City left-back has been pictured in Rome ahead of his reported loan move to Roma. His parent club is RB Leipzig, but he’s been on loan at Galatasaray this season.

Lewis Miley signs long-term Newcastle deal

Newcastle have announced that their wunderkind, 17-year-old midfielder Lewis Miley, has signed a long-term contract at the club. “I’d like to acknowledge the role of the club’s academy in Lewis’ development,” said Eddie Howe. “He is a shining example of the club’s talent pathway and he can hopefully inspire our younger players to follow in his footsteps.”

Van Dijk unsure about Liverpool future

Well, here’s something. With Jürgen Klopp heading away from Anfield, a new era beckons at Liverpool and their star centre-back hasn’t made it clear if he’ll be part of it. Andy Hunter has the story.

On the subject of Xavi, here’s Sid Lowe on the impending departure of the midfield legend.

Just going back to the news of Xavi leaving Barcelona – Mikel Arteta has been linked with that job but Sky Sports News have reported that the Arsenal manager isn’t heading anywhere at the end of the season. Arteta, of course, came through the youth system at Barcelona at the turn of the century but didn’t play first-team football there.

Please stop what you’re doing and watch this transfer reveal from Fenerbahce. Just a bit OTT, I reckon.

Soyuncu joins Fenerbahce on loan

Here’s a blast from the past (sort of): former Leicester centre-half Caglar Soyuncu has joined Fenerbahce on loan for the rest of the season from Atlético Madrid.

In case you missed it, there were some poor scenes at the Hawthorns yesterday, with crowd trouble casting a shadow over Wolves’ 2-0 win over West Brom. Peter Lansley was there to report on the game – and the ugly stuff.

Jürgen Klopp’s long goodbye began with a victory over Norwich yesterday. Naturally, speculation will continue over who will replace him when he steps down at the end of the season, with Xabi Alonso the current favourite. With Xavi leaving Barcelona there are going to be some high-profile managerial moves in the coming months – who should take that job?

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe’s been speaking – he’s surprised at the noises surrounding Callum Wilson, indicating that the striker isn’t going anywhere. Also seems like they won’t be making any moves without someone having to leave.

Updated

Here’s the Rumour Mill – let’s see what’s in here … Oooh. Joshua Kimmich to Spurs? That’d be fun. Brentford look like they’re going to nab the Norwegian teen Antonio Nusa, who I will now have to get a close look at on YouTube through ‘Welcome to Brentford | Insane Runs, Goals, Skills, Assists (HD)'.

Here are some Cup hot-takes for you. What a thing, by the way, to see Maidstone do their thing. The dramatic celebrations after their first goal, still in the first half and with so much work still to do, were sort of moving, really.

Preamble

Hello, hello, hello and welcome to the beginning of the end. Yes, the transfer window is into its final week, and here’s something for you from our man Fabrizio: Barcelona are closing in on the signing of the 17-year-old Sweden midfielder Lucas Bergvall. He turns 18 this week – that’s going to be a rager.

Feel free to drop me a line with your thoughts/questions/views on the weekend’s FA Cup action/how you get through Mondays, whatever you fancy.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Cher Reveals the "Fiasco" That Ensued When She Performed for Princess Margaret in 1965: "I Was Mortified"
"It was like a bad dream that we couldn’t get out of; we just had to stand there and wait for it to be over."
Marie Claire
Marie Claire
From frozen to feast, how to safely defrost your Thanksgiving turkey
Experts have recommended three different methods to defrost your turkey for Thanksgiving dinner
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
“One of the most important guitars in rock and roll history”: George Harrison’s Futurama smashes auction estimate and sets a new record with staggering $1.27 million sale
The oddball electric – which was used during the Beatles’ early years, and saw action in over 300 historic shows – becomes the most expensive electric guitar formerly owned by a Beatle to sell at auction
Guitar World
Guitar World
Keke Palmer: I'm living life on my own terms
Keke Palmer has revealed that she feels proud to be living life "on [her] own terms".
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun buys $6 million banana—and plans to eat it unless Elon Musk wants to send it to space
Sun outbid six others for the iconic work.
Fortune
Fortune
Paul Simon names the fan-favorite song he’ll never perform again
The folk rock icon said his hearing loss has limited the songs he can perform live
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play