The 2022 January transfer window is closed but there's still 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: Rice tops Chelsea's summer wish list
Chelsea are pursuing a trio of players to sign in the summer and West Ham United's Declan Rice is atop the list, reports The Athletic.
The report claims that the Blues are eyeing a move for Rice, AS Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni and Jules Kounde of Sevilla at the end of the season, though there is said to be heavy competition for all three from other clubs.
Thomas Tuchel opted against strengthening his side in the first-team department in January, despite injuries, with the aim of making improvements at the end of the season.
Rice, 23, has been a long-term target for the Blues ever since Frank Lampard was at the helm at Stamford Bridge. The England international has impressed, going on to captain West Ham as well as becoming an important player for the senior national team.
A move for the midfielder may come at a price though, with David Moyes previously claiming that a value of £100 million for him was a "bargain."
Tchouameni is another in the midfield department that has impressed for Monaco at a young age. The 22-year-old has been linked with Chelsea as well as a number of other clubs, with the promise of being a top prospect.
Given the Blues' aging midfield, the duo could be brought in with an eye on future prospects as well as competing in the present.
As for Kounde, the centre-back was reportedly close to a move to London last year, though it never materialised. The 23-year-old is said to have a release clause of £68m at Sevilla, who are still value him at that figure.
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22.00 GMT: Luis Diaz to Liverpool. Dusan Vlahovic to Juventus. Ferran Torres to Barcelona. Robin Gosens to Internazionale. Julian Alvarez to Manchester City. All great transfers that could also impact future deals involving stars like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Ousmane Dembele, and Paulo Dybala.
How so? Because those incoming players are what ESPN's Gabrielle Marcotti deems "leverage transfers." Read his analysis on how some of Europe's biggest teams bolstered their depth while also hedging their bets.
21.30 GMT: What's in store for Edinson Cavani at the end of the season? According to Fabrizio Romano, it won't likely won't a move to River Plate for the Manchester United striker.
Cavani has been at Old Trafford since 2020, but the Uruguay striker is seriously considering a move to LaLiga after his contract ends in May. Amid reports that he could be in line to replace Manchester City's new signing Julian Alvarez at the Buenos Aires club, it seems the ex-Napoli and PSG star prefers to stay in Europe.
20.45 GMT: Everton boss Frank Lampard looks to fill his coaching staff and is eyeing a couple former Premier League stalwarts -- Ashley Cole and Tim Cahill.
According to the Liverpool Echo (among other outlets), Lampard hopes to convince his former Chelsea teammate Cole to join at Goodison Park. Cole is currently the Under-16s manager for Chelsea.
As for Cahill, the Everton great could be in line for a part-time role with Lampard's staff.
20.00 GMT: A couple more MLS moves as Minnesota United has signed Jamaica international defender Oniel Fisher through the 2022 season with an option for 2023. Financial terms of the contract were not announced by the team on Wednesday. Fisher, 30, made 12 appearances (five starts) last season with the LA Galaxy. Fisher has also had stints with the Seattle Sounders, D.C. United and the Galaxy.
Former Newcastle midfielder Kyle Scott will also be in search for a new club as his deal with FC Cincinnati was mutually terminated He signed with Cincinnati on Aug. 31 and played 91 minutes over four appearances the remainder of the 2021 season.
19.30 GMT: ICYMI - New England Revolution coach Bruce Arena expects Matt Turner's transfer to Arsenal will soon be complete, a deal that will move the goalkeeper to England next summer.
"If it hasn't been fully executed, it will be," Arena said Tuesday as the Revolution began preseason training in Los Angeles ahead of the 2022 Major League Soccer season.
Turner is with the U.S. national team in St. Paul, Minnesota, ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Honduras on Wednesday night.
A source told ESPN's Jeff Carlisle last week that the fee for Turner's transfer is $6 million up front and could be as much as $10m with add-ons. The Revs also get 10% sell-on percentage if Turner moves on from Arsenal.
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18.30 GMT: Manchester City has signed James McAtee to a three-year extension, which will keep the highly rated prospect at the Etihad through 2026.
The club announced the deal on Tuesday, putting to end speculation that McAtee would be leaving at the end of hisprevious deal in 2023. Various Premier League clubs were reportedly eyeing the 19-year-old playmaker.
McAtee made his Premier League debut earlier this season and featured in the FA Cup win at Swindon.
17.45 GMT: Lyon are looking to bring back Alexandre Lacazette from Arsenal, according to the French club's sporting director Vincent Ponsot.
Speaking to reporters after presenting newly signed players Romain Faivre and Tanguy Ndombele, Ponsot said Lacazette remains in constant contact with Lyon.
"He left a mark at this club,"Ponsot said. "He has a profile that interests us and we're always been in contact with him,"
Lacazette broke through Lyon's academy ranks to play seven seasons with the senior side, scoring 100 goals in 203 Ligue 1 appearances. The links of a return comes amid reports that he will not be offered a new contract at Arsenal after his current deal expires in June.
16.46 GMT: American breakout striker Trinity Rodman has signed a deal to stay with the Washington Spirit, which makes her the highest-paid player in the National Women's Soccer League.
According to reports, the 19-year-old Rodman signed a four-year $1.1 million deal that puts her base salary above the likes of stars Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe.
Rodman caught attention before her debut season as the youngest player to ever be drafted into the league after leaving college at age 18, and she is also the daughter for former NBA great Dennis Rodman. But she quickly made a name for herself, becoming the NWSL's Rookie of the Year for 2021 and winning the league championship with the Spirit.
15.44 GMT: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has said he expects the club to sign new players before the start of next season, after they did not make any additions to their senior squad in the January transfer window.
Madrid remain focused on signing striker Kylian Mbappe this summer, when his Paris Saint-Germain contract is due to expire.
"I was honest, I said there won't be any movement now," Ancelotti told a news conference ahead of Thursday's Copa del Rey quarterfinal (stream LIVE at 3:25 p.m. ET on ESPN+ (U.S.)). "It would be strange to talk about the summer. There will be [activity] for sure."
14.56 GMT: Liverpool remain hopeful of securing a deal to sign Fulham's Fabio Carvalho without the need for a tribunal to determine a fee, sources have told ESPN's James Olley.
The two clubs agreed a package totalling £8m including add-ons late on Monday but failed to complete the necessary paperwork before the deadline passed.
Liverpool are keen to secure Carvalho's signing as soon as possible to beat competition from a host of overseas clubs including Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla.
Although Carvalho cannot be registered as a Liverpool player until the end of the season, talks are continuing, and sources have told ESPN that Liverpool still believe a compromise can be reached, although his valuation remains a sticking point.
The midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season and has rejected at least one offer to sign an extension.
14.00 GMT: Inter Miami have acquired U.S. men's national team defender DeAndre Yedlin on a free transfer, the Major League Soccer club announced on Wednesday.
Yedlin, 28, was acquired via the league's allocation ranking, which serves as a right of first refusal for players who are either returning to the league after stints abroad, or who are U.S. internationals. His contract runs through the 2025 season with a club option to extend to 2026.
Yedlin spent parts of the last nine seasons overseas with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland, Newcastle United and Galatasaray. In that time he made 189 league and cup appearances, scoring four goals.
He began his professional career with his hometown team the Seattle Sounders. In 2013, he was signed as Seattle's first homegrown player, and went on to make 69 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals.
At international level, Yedlin has made 71 appearances for the USMNT, and was part of the squad that played in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
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13.02 GMT: Juventus could offer USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie to Roma as part of a bid to sign Nicolo Zaniolo, according to reports in Italy.
Corriere dello Sport claims that Zaniolo is keen to stay at the club and manager Jose Mourinho sees the 22-year-old as the key man he wants to build his team around but the Friedkin ownership group have yet to give the green light on contract talks.
And Tuttosport suggest Juve are monitor his situation and would be prepared to include McKennie as part of any deal for the Italy international.
Zaniolo burst onto the scene when he joined Roma in 2018 but he has been hampered by back-to-back ACL injuries in recent seasons and missed Italy's Euro 2020 triumph but has shown glimpses of his best form again in recent weeks,
12.18 GMT: Thomas Tuchel has asked Chelsea to sign Eder Militao from Real Madrid next summer, Diario AS reports.
The Premier League club will be looking to replace centre-backs Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, whose contracts are both due to expire in June.
According to AS, Chelsea were keen on Militao, now 24, before he joined Madrid from Porto in 2019.
While Chelsea are aware a deal would be "very complicated," the fact that the Brazil international is currently one of the lowest-paid members of the Real Madrid squad could work in their favour, the newspaper says.
11.32 GMT: Defending A-League Men champions Melbourne City have announced their second signing of the January transfer window with Japanese attacking midfielder Tsubasa Endoh joining on a six-month contract.
The 28-year-old will add further depth and versatility to Patrick Kisnorbo's squad after former England international defender Carl Jenkinson joined late last month.
Tokyo-born Endoh was selected ninth overall by Toronto FC in the 2016 MLS draft after four years at the University of Maryland in the U.S., and scored 10 goals in 80 appearances for Toronto across all competitions.
He was part of the Canadian club's treble-winning squad in 2017 and started in the 2019 MLS Cup Final against Seattle Sounders FC.
10.50 GMT: Barcelona have confirmed the signing of Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on a free transfer.
The clubs had been locked in talks ahead of the transfer deadline, with the 32-year-old flying into Catalonia on Monday in an attempt to push through a deal.
Arsenal were keen to offload Aubameyang's wage -- which starts at £250,000 a week -- after a deterioration in his relationship with manager Mikel Arteta, having been stripped of the captaincy in December following a series of disciplinary issues before being left behind as the first-team squad traveled to Dubai for a winter training break at the end of January. But after talks threatened to collapse on Monday, the two sides later found a compromise to secure a deal.
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Aubameyang, who had 18 months remaining on his Arsenal contract, has not played for the club since Dec. 6 and was sent home from the Africa Cup of Nations after medical tests had shown he had cardiac lesions. He had previously tested positive for COVID-19 upon arriving in Cameroon for the tournament.
Sources previously told ESPN that Juventus striker Alvaro Morata, on loan from Atletico Madrid, was Barca's primary target, but Aubameyang became an option after a deal for the Spain striker did not materialise.
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10.15 GMT: Real Madrid would only be willing to spend up to €45m to land 15-year-old Brazilian wonderkid Endrick -- the same fee they paid to sign Vinicius Junior -- according to Diario AS.
Endrick -- recently named player of the tournament in the 'Copinha' Sao Paulo youth competition -- will turn 16 next July, when he'll be able to sign his first professional deal.
Reports in Brazil suggest his club Palmeiras would like to include a €100m release clause in that contract, although he couldn't move to Europe until he turns 18 in any case.
AS claims that such a clause would put him beyond Madrid's reach, despite splashing out €30 million for Reinier Jesus, €40m for Rodrygo Goes and €45m for Vinicius in recent years.
09.28 GMT: Arsenal paid Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang almost £7m in order to cancel his contract, which still had 18 months to run, The Times reports.
The Gunners announced on Tuesday that they had terminated their former club captain's £350,000-a-week deal by mutual consent, after the 32-year-old had been frozen out for several weeks by manager Mikel Arteta.
Aubameyang, who has been pictured training with Barcelona ahead of his expected free transfer to the Spanish club, posted a farewell message on Instagram after the news of his departure from Arsenal was confirmed.
08.42 GMT: Joao Cancelo has signed a new contract at Manchester City, the club confirmed on Tuesday.
Cancelo, who moved to City from Juventus in 2019, will stay at the Etihad Stadium until 2027 after penning a long-term extension.
The 27-year-old has made 106 appearances since arriving at the club and played a key role in the Premier League title success in 2021, earning a place in the Professional Footballers' Association Premier League team of the year.
08.00 GMT: Manchester United have asked wantaway players including Paul Pogba to delay decisions on their futures until the club have picked a new manager, sources have told ESPN's Rob Dawson.
United hope their choice of manager might convince Pogba to extend his contract at Old Trafford rather than walk away for free in the summer.
Anthony Martial and Donny van de Beek, who both left on loan in the January transfer window, have also been asked by football director John Murtough to wait until a new manager is appointed before deciding where they want to play next season.
Sources have told ESPN that Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag are on a five-man shortlist for the job. Interim boss Ralf Rangnick is also not ruling out the possibility he could stay on in the role for another year.
Pogba has so far refused to sign an extension and, if fresh terms are not agreed, will be a free agent on June 30.
Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain have all registered their interest but sources have told ESPN the France midfielder, who also has an offer on the table from United, has not made a decision about his next club.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Luke Thrower)
- Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus are interested in AS Roma attacking midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo, says Calciomercato. The 22-year-old is out of contract in 2024, though talks over a new deal have stalled and have opened a potential opportunity for other clubs to land him. Spurs' Director of Football Fabio Paratici is reported to be a particular fan of the player.
- The LA Galaxy have offered a contract to winger Douglas Costa until December of 2022, with the option of another season, according to Nicolo Schira. Sources had confirmed to ESPN last week that the 31-year-old was being pursued by the MLS side, with his loan at Brazilian club Gremio being cut short due to them being relegated to the second division.
- Napoli are eyeing a move for Adnan Januzaj to replace the outgoing Lorenzo Insigne at the end of the season, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. Insigne, 30, has already signed a pre-contract with MLS side Toronto FC, which will see him leave the Azzurri in the summer. Real Sociedad winger Januzaj is viewed as a potential replacement, with the Belgium international's deal at the LaLiga club expiring at the end of the season.
- AC Milan are eyeing a potential double swoop in the summer for Lille players Renato Sanches and Sven Botman. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Rossoneri view the pair as replacements for players who are coming to the end of their deals with the club in both Franck Kessie and Alessio Romagnoli. Botman was heavily linked with a move to Newcastle United, though the deal never went through.
- Two clubs have made offers to sign former Chelsea striker and free agent Diego Costa, reports Nicolo Schira. The 33-year-old recently left Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro, with Antalyaspor and Corinthians both offering contracts. Antalyaspor are said to have offered a six-month deal, while Corinthians have made an offer until December, though neither have reached an agreement on salary yet.