January is just around the corner. Click here to view the latest transfers, and keep up to date with the newest gossip below.
TOP STORY: Premier League trio eye striker Osimhen
Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are all keeping tabs on Lille striker Victor Osimhen, according to Sky Sports.
Nigeria international Osimhen has scored 12 goals in 23 appearances for the French club since joining from Charleroi in the summer. Those strikes include two in the Champions League against Chelsea and Valencia.
Sky Sports reports that the 20-year-old is happy to remain at the club this season in order to continue his development, although a deal could be done if Lille receive an offer that is too good to turn down.
Former Lille assistant coach Joao Sacramento is now part of Jose Mourinho's coaching staff at Tottenham while the Ligue club's sporting director, Luis Campos, has also been linked with taking a similar role at Spurs.
LIVE BLOG
23.30 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!
23.09 GMT: David Beckham's MLS expansion club Inter Miami CF have yet to make the major splash many were expecting.
The Independent has a theory on who the club's first major signing will be: David Silva. The Spaniard's contract at Man City expires this summer and Silva has already stated that this will be his final year at the club. The 33-year-old has tallied 74 goals and 136 assists in over 400 games with City and is reportedly attracted by the idea of playing in the United States and becoming the face of Inter Miami.
The playmaker known as "El Mago" would fit the profile Beckham is looking for; as Silva is a recognizable star globally, a Spanish speaker and a player who still has a lot to give on the pitch. Silva would miss the first three months season if he is to join MLS but we think Beckham and Co. would be more than willing to wait for a player of Silva's ilk and credentials.
22.22 GMT: Jose Mourinho has breathed new life into Tottenham Hotspur but there are still plenty of areas with room for improvement.
The biggest one? Perhaps, left-back. Danny Rose, 29, is nowhere near the level he was at a few seasons ago and there have been rumours that Tottenham could look to find a replacement and upgrade the position. The latest player linked is out-of-favour PSG man Layvin Kurzawa. Foot Mercato suggests that the 27-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the season, could leave in January.
The reports lists Spurs, West Ham and Man United as potential suitors for the France international, who has started only five games this season in Ligue 1. Could Kurzawa be Mourinho's first signing come January? Time will tell...
21.56 GMT: Hull City aren't likely to be in contention to go up to the Premier League so could they be convinced to sell star man Jarrod Bowen?
The 22-year-old forward has been in fine form this season with 15 goals in 22 games and is attracting attention from clubs both at the top of the Championship and bottom of the Premier League. Hull are asking for £20 million for Bowen and Championship leaders West Brom are the frontrunners for the Hull man.
21.19 GMT: Mesut Ozil to Turkey?
The playmaker, who has Turkish ancestry, has had a frustrating season at the Emirates but has recently worked his way back from the wilderness and into the Arsenal team again. With a new manager in Mikel Arteta taking over at Arsenal, Ozil's future is uncertain, which has reportedly signalled to long-time admirers Fenerbahce that Ozil could be available.
According to Turkish newspaper Fotomac, Fenerbahce are 'very close' to reaching an agreement with the 31-year-old. Back in 2015, Ozil's agent, Erkut Sogu, had the following to say about Fenerbahce: "If he were to leave then Fenerbahce would be an option. At the end of the day it is a huge club and I think Ozil would say yes to an offer if it come down to it."
Ozil is still under contract at Arsenal through 2021 and is reportedly making in the neighborhood of £350,000-a-week in wages.
20.41 GMT: Real Madrid spent handsomely this summer on Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic, Rodrygo, Eder Militao and Ferland Medny but if history is any indicator, that won't price them out of strengthening the squad in January.
Spain's AS reports that the Madrid club sent scouts to France to evaluate Rennes' highly-rated teen Eduardo Camavinga on Wednesday against Amiens. The 17-year-old defensive midfielder, who has a staggering £84 million release clause, became the youngest ever goal scorer in Ligue 1 when he scored against Lyon last weekend.
Madrid will face plenty of competition for Camavinga's signature, as the youngster, who has made 21 appearances this season, is being pursued by all the biggest clubs in Europe.
20.09 GMT: D.C. United's Luciano Acosta has established himself as one of the most exciting players in MLS over the past two seasons but are his days in the league numbered?
Reports from north and south of the border indicate that the Argentine, 25, is closing in on a move to Liga MX side Atlas. The former Boca Juniors man tallied 17 goals and 17 assists over the last two seasons with D.C. and was the subject of a surprise bid from PSG last winter.
19.17 GMT: West Ham have serially underperformed again this season, Manuel Pellegrini's side sitting 15th in the Premier League and only four points above the drop zone.
Recruits could soon be on the way with The Daily Mail writing that the Hammers are one of the clubs monitoring Stoke and Wales playmaker Joe Allen. The Potters figure to cut into their wage bill in January and are holding out for £15 million for the ex-Liverpool man. West Ham do not see eye-to-eye with that valuation and reportedly only want to spend around £8m for the 'Welsh Pirlo'.
Newcastle and Wolves are two other Premier League clubs reportedly in on the 29-year-old midfielder.
18.30 GMT: Wolves have not been afraid to flex their financial muscle since their promotion back to the Premier League in 2018.
The latest example of that comes in a report from French outlet Foot Mercato, which claims the club have made a bid of €50million for Lille defensive midfielder Boubakary Soumare. Soumare, 20, has reportedly been the subject of interest from Manchester United, Tottenham and Napoli, but Lille are holding out for for more than the listed €50m.
17.45 GMT: Italian transfer guru Gianluca Di Marzio writes that Napoli are "on the verge" of signing 25-year-old midfielder Piotr Zielinski to a new contract that will keep him in Naples through 2024.
16.52 GMT: Roma are interested in Fiorentina's 22-year-old midfielder Gaetano Castrovilli and intend to use La Viola interest in Roma's Alessandro Florenzi to secure the Italy international's signature ahead of Juventus, Inter and Napoli, according to Calciomercato.
15.59 GMT: Arsenal are the favourites to snap up Sevilla's Spain U17 starlet Antonio Zarzana, Seville outlet Estadio Deportivo writes.
15.06 GMT: Barcelona and AC Milan are in advanced negotiations over a deal that would send 19-year-old centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo to the San Siro, according to Calciomercato. There are two complications, however: One, Milan would prefer a loan with an obligation to buy, while the Catalan outfit want an outright sale. Two, Barca seek €20m for the France U20 international, but the Rossoneri are hopeful of securing his signature at a discount considering his lack of playing time at the Camp Nou.
14.13 GMT: The Sun reports that if Manchester United are to secure the signing of Erling Haaland in January, they'll need to pay agent Mino Raiola £12m in fees -- in addition to letting the 19-year-old striker return to FC Salzburg on loan for the remainder of the season.
13.20 GMT: Kylain Mbappe has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid. Zinedine Zidane has even confessed that he is "in love" with the Paris Saint-Germain and France striker.
But one former France great thinks there is no reason for Mbappe to leave PSG -- disgraced former UEFA president Michel Platini.
"There is no bigger club than PSG today," Platini told Le Figaro. "Historically, there is Real and Juventus... However, PSG have the same means as these big clubs. Kylian could well spend his career with PSG -- they have taken French football into a new dimension."
12.38 GMT: Manchester United should continue to develop their own young forwards Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford instead of trying to sign Salzburg teenager Erling Haaland, former striker Dimitar Berbatov has said.
Media reports have linked the 19-year-old Norwegian, who has scored 28 goals in 22 matches this season, with a switch to several top European clubs including United but Berbatov said there was no need for them to bring another forward in.
"Haaland is good and he is still young. He's developing and maybe he can get better," Berbatov, who scored 48 league goals in four seasons at Old Trafford, told Sky Sports. "But I've said many times before that Martial and Rashford are, for me, the two main strikers that United need to keep.
"I played with Martial in Monaco, I know how good he can be. Now he's in the place he can develop and become a world star. Everyone knows how good Rashford can be ... they need to stick with these two players."
Rashford has scored 14 goals in all competitions this season while Martial, who is back in the starting side following a hamstring injury, has seven.
"They need to stick with these young players because they have so much talent," added Berbatov. "Nurture them, show them the right way and they'll be fantastic."
11.59 GMT: Could Zlatan Ibrahimovic be headed to Everton? The Swedish striker has been linked with a shock move to Goodison Park. ESPN FC's Shaka Hislop gives his view.
10.49 GMT: Gianluigi Buffon says he will continue to play at least until the summer. The veteran goalkeeper spoke after equalling Paolo Maldini's record of 647 Serie A appearances following Wednesday's 2-1 win at Sampdoria.
Buffon, 41, told Sky Italia: "Emotions like this one are the reasons why I continue to play. I feel well physically and it's right that I continue to play. Until when? At least until the summer."
Buffon returned to Juve last summer after a season at Paris Saint-Germain, joining as a backup to Wojciech Szczesny. He had been linked with a move to Argentine giants Boca Juniors last year.
"I accepted the role as an understudy because despite playing less, I feel I'm a reference in the changing room and have great responsibility," the 2006 World Cup winner said. "It's a role that makes me happy and is gratifying regardless of how many games I play. It's right that I play less having in front of me one of the three best goalkeepers in the world."
10.02 GMT: Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has told the London Evening Standard that the club is "not scared" to sell players to Premier League rivals.
Spurs stars Christian Eriksen, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are all out of contract in the summer, meaning the January transfer window will be the last time the club could cash in on them before they become free agents.
Eriksen has previously been linked with a move to Manchester United, and Levy insists that the prospect of strengthening a rival club would not necessarily preclude a sale.
"We are honestly not scared to trade with our rivals," Levy said.
He added: "My view is really simple. For a player to sign a new contract, not only have the conditions got to be right but the player has got to want to do it. It is up to those players whether they want to stay at Tottenham and we'll see.
09.31 GMT: Bayern Munich have reportedly entered the race for Benjamin Henrichs, a target for Bundesliga title rivals RB Leipzig, according to kicker.
Monaco right-back Henrichs is considering a return to the Bundesliga to impress Germany coach Joachim Low ahead of the 2020 European Championship.
Kicker reports that Bayern are looking to strengthen their defence and create an option for Germany star Joshua Kimmich to permanently move up to holding midfield.
Leipzig are also believed to be in talks with former Leverkusen man Henrichs, 22, are currently holding out for a transfer fee in the region of €30 million.
08.59 GMT: Valencia owner Peter Lim has given the go-ahead for the club to sign Manchester City right-back Joao Cancelo on loan in the winter transfer window, according to Superdeporte.
According to the Valencia-based outlet, the Spanish club is in the market for an experienced right-back after Thierry Correia failed to impress in the first-half of the season.
Correia, 20, had made just two league appearances for Los Che since joining from Sporting Lisbon in the summer and is expected to be loaned in January in search of more playing time.
Cancelo, 25, played two and a half seasons at Valencia before joining Inter Millan on loan. He was sold to Juventus in June 2018 and then moved to Manchester City in the summer.
The Portugal international has made 14 appearances in all competitions with the Premier League club.
Valencia are also monitoring Norway international Jonas Svensson, who is on the books of AZ Alkmaar, should they fail to lure Cancelo to the Mestalla stadium.
08.27 GMT: Mikel Arteta has agreed to become Arsenal's new manager and will sign a three-and-a-half-year deal as soon as the paperwork is finalised, sources have told ESPN.
The club is hoping to announce his appointment on Thursday and his first game will be the Premier League test against Everton on Saturday at Goodison Park, where he played between 2005 and 2011.
As reported on Monday, Arteta was the only candidate the club wanted to replace Unai Emery and take the place of interim head coach Freddie Ljungberg.
Talks between Arteta and his former club, whom he played for between 2011 and 2016, have gone on since Sunday and a final agreement was found on Wednesday.
His final interview with Josh Kroenke on Tuesday went very well. The 37-year-old Manchester City coach got reassurances on the direction of the club as well as a transfer budget.
08.00 GMT: Liverpool have confirmed the signing of FC Salzburg forward Takumi Minamino.
Minamino will officially join for £7.25mwhen the January transfer window opens on Jan. 1. His debut for the Premier League leaders could come against Everton in the FA Cup on Jan 5.
Sources told ESPN how Liverpool beat Premier League rivals Manchester United to the Japan international's signature by triggering the 24-year-old's release clause following their Champions League victory against Salzburg last Tuesday.
And with the Austrian Bundesliga having closed down for its winter break, Minamino completed his medical at Liverpool on Wednesday ahead of the move.
We can confirm an agreement has been reached with @redbullsalzburg for the transfer of Takumi Minamino 🙌
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 19, 2019
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PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd): Sane keen on Bayern move
Leroy Sane is keen to return to Germany and has reportedly told Manchester City officials that he'd like to leave in January, Bild reports.
The German newspaper writes that Bayern Munich is Sane's favoured destination, and that the Bavarians are expected to reignite their interest after failing to land the winger in the summer as a result of the serious knee injury Sane sustained in August.
The 23-year-old last played in the Bundesliga with Schalke before he moved to Manchester in 2016, and would favour a return to Germany if it meant first-team football and an improved chance of being part of the Germany first team at next summer's Euros.
City boss Pep Guardiola is hoping to have his man back for the end-of-season run-in, with Sane expected to return to fitness in February, although he may not get the chance if the winger gets the move he reportedly seeks.
Giroud could be forced to stay put
Olivier Giroud could be forgiven for packing his bags, such is the striker's reported desire to leave Chelsea in search of first-team football, and the number of clubs interested in his services.
However, Italian website Tuttosport suggests that the France international might have to stay put, with two of the leading clubs believed to be interested in his services, AC Milan and Inter, suggesting he's too expensive.
Giroud is just one of several strikers on Milan's wanted list, but the Rossoneri believe that the 30-year-old is earning far too much for his age, which has seen him drop down their wanted list. Inter, meanwhile, were said to be looking for a second striker behind Romelu Lukaku, but they've cooled their interest thanks to the form of Sebastiano Esposito.
Grealish sale could help Villa avoid FFP sanctions
If Aston Villa are to avoid becoming the first Premier League club to fall foul of financial fair play regulations, they'll need to raise millions from player sales or slashes in wages before the summer, according to the Mail. And if there's one player whose sale could offer some financial reprieve, it's Jack Grealish.
The report suggests that had Villa not sold Villa Park and land near their Bodymoor Heath training ground, that the club would've breached the EFL's profit and sustainability rules -- and that was before they spent £90 million following their promotion, without banking any significant funds through sales.
Grealish is said to have a buyout clause of £45m in the contract he signed in September 2018. The 24-year-old was the subject of prolonged interest from Tottenham in the summer before signing his new deal; regardless of whether Spurs maintain and interest in the Villa captain, there will undoubtedly be a market for the most fouled player in the Premier League this season.
Aston Villa won't be forced into sales in January, so potential sales of Grealish or anyone else aren't imminent, but the books will need to be balanced by the summer, leaving the Midlands club needing to get their affairs in order in the months to come.
Tap-ins
- Lyon are interested in signing Kevin Gameiro from Valencia, reports L'Equipe. The French title reveals that Lyon are desperate to fill the void left by the injured Memphis Depay, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season because of a knee injury. Used sparingly at Valencia since arriving from Atletico Madrid in summer 2018, Gameiro could be the perfect alternative for Lyon.
- Roma are keeping their striker options open this January, with the Giallorossi said to be interested in Genoa's 20-year-old forward Andrea Pinamonti, according to Corriere dello Sport. The striker has scored four goals and contributed three assists in a struggling Genoa side.