16.27 GMT: Chelsea are struggling right now.
15.40 GMT: Carlo Ancelotti has called Jude Bellingham "a great midfielder" and praised his World Cup performances for England -- as Real Madrid battle Manchester City and Liverpool to sign the Borussia Dortmund star next summer.
ESPN reported on Friday that City have joined the race for Bellingham, 19, who is expected to move for a fee of at least €100m, plus add-ons.
Madrid expect talks for Bellingham to speed up this month, but are reluctant to get into a bidding war with the Premier League giants, with sources telling ESPN last month they wouldn't make a "crazy" offer to sign him.
"Bellingham showed at the World Cup that he's a great midfielder," coach Ancelotti said in a news conference on Friday. "There are a lot of youngsters -- Enzo Fernandez played well, the Spaniards Pedri and Gavi, there are a lot of young midfielders coming up -- and Bellingham is one of them.
"But I'll focus on my midfielders who are very good -- the youngsters (Aurelien) Tchouameni, (Eduardo) Camavinga and (Federico) Valverde -- we have a lot of youngsters here."
15.08 GMT: Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk will be out for "more than a month" with a hamstring injury as he suffers a fresh injury blow, manager Jurgen Klopp said on Friday.
As a result, the Reds are reportedly interested in signing Fiorentina's Nikola Milenkovic, according to 90min.
Milenkovic, 25, can play at centre-back or right-back and was part of the Serbia team at the World Cup in Qatar.
InterLive are also reporting that Inter Milan's Milan Skriniar is on the club's radar, with the 27-year-old Slovakia international, who has previously been linked with PSG, available on a free transfer in the summer.
14.53 GMT: Chelsea have signed Vasco da Gama midfielder Andrey Santos, the Brazilian club have confirmed.
Santos, 18, had also drawn interest from Manchester City, Newcastle United and Barcelona, but the London club moved quickest in a deal which is reported to be worth €20m.
14.36 GMT: Victoria Pelova has become Arsenal's first signing of 2023, the club have announced.
Following on from the departure of Jordan Nobbs on Thursday, the Gunners wasted little time in installing a new midfielder with 23-year-old Pelova arriving from Ajax.
Having caught the eye when she featured for Netherlands under-19s at the 2017 U19 European Championships, Pelova moved to Ajax from ADO Den Haag in 2019, making 66 appearances during her time in Amsterdam.
"I've always admired this club and dreamt of following in the footsteps of some of the great Dutch players who have worn the shirt," she said. "I can't wait to get going and start contributing to the team."
Pelova becomes the fourth signing for Arsenal this season, with much of the reshaping work under head coach Jonas Eidevall completed last year.
Eidevall said: "It's fantastic news that we've signed Victoria. I think she's one of the most exciting young players in the game and she will bring added dynamism and energy to our midfield. I'm looking forward to working with Victoria and I think our supporters are going to love watching her in an Arsenal shirt."
13.50 GMT: Aston Villa midfielder Tim Iroegbunam has Juventus and Borussia Dortmund on his trail, according to TEAMtalk.
Iroegbunam, 19, has done well on loan at QPR this season, making 18 appearances in all competitions for the Championship club.
The England Under-20 international has attracted plenty of interest, with Dortmund especially keen as they aim to replace England midfielder Jude Bellingham with another young star.
13.16 GMT: Ajax would let forward Mohammed Kudus, who is reportedly wanted by Manchester United, leave for around €45m, says The Daily Star.
Kudus, 22, impressed for Ghana at the World Cup and has 10 goals in 22 games for his club so far this season.
United are keen to bolster their attack and Kudus is well known by Erik ten Hag as he managed him when in charge of Ajax.
12.56 GMT: Marcus Thuram is another France international from the Bundesliga to attract big interest from Premier League clubs, sources have told ESPN.
And with only six months left on his contract at Borussia Monchengladbach, he is a very interesting proposition as a free agent in the summer, and could even be available in January for a reduced fee.
Premier League clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Newcastle and Aston Villa, as well as Bayern Munich in Germany and AC Milan in Italy, are all following his progress closely. No offers have been made so far for the 25-year-old, and the player would equally be happy to finish the season with Gladbach as move elsewhere.
12.00 GMT: Are we judging Harry Kane based on Erling Haaland?
11.13 GMT: Djed Spence is increasingly likely to leave Tottenham Hotspur on loan this month in search of first-team football, sources have told ESPN.
The 22-year-old right-back signed from Middlesbrough last summer for £19m but has made just five substitute appearances across all competitions, totalling 32 minutes this season.
10.05 GMT: Monaco defender Axel Disasi is on the radar of Manchester United, says The Daily Mail.
Disasi, 24, has been linked with Premier League clubs including West Ham and Tottenham, and travelled with France for the World Cup in Qatar.
Disasi joined Monaco from Reims in 2020 but, with "ongoing uncertainty over the long-term future of Harry Maguire," United are reportedly keen to bring him in as defensive cover.
10.38 GMT: Manchester United have signed goalkeeper Jack Butland on loan for the remainder of the season from Cystal Palace, the club has announced.
Butland is set to arrive from Palace after Newcastle United recalled Martin Dubravka from his season-long loan at Old Trafford.
The 29-year-old England international joined Palace in 2020 where he made 10 appearances and will join United as a back-up to first-choice David de Gea.
"Martin was recalled and we need three experienced goalkeepers," United boss Erik ten Hag told a news conference when asked about Butland's arrival. "I'm really happy with David. It's quite clear he's our No. 1. He's a really good performer but there's always something that can happen with David as well and you have to be prepared for that so you don't have one."
09.33 GMT: Randal Kolo Muani is attracting interest from many Premier League clubs, including Man United and Chelsea, sources have told ESPN, but the France striker is keen on finishing the season with Eintracht Frankfurt before assessing his options in the summer.
The German club, who will face Napoli in the Champions League round of 16, want to keep the 24-year-old for the remainder of this campaign before perhaps allowing him to leave in the summer if a suitable offer is received.
Their desired transfer fee for the Parisian, who arrived on a free transfer last summer from Nantes, is likely to be up to €90m as he will still have four years left on his contract and, sources have told ESPN, he doesn't have a release clause.
09.02 GMT: Manchester City are planning to revamp their midfield in the summer but will wait to learn whether Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan are set to stay before deciding on the level of investment required, sources have told ESPN.
City are interested in signing Jude Bellingham he leaves Borussia Dortmund, but the Premier League champions will face competition from Liverpool and Real Madrid, while the England midfielder will command a transfer fee of over £100 million, plus some hefty add-ons.
There is also acceptance they may need to bring in more than one new midfielder if both Silva and Gundogan leave.
08.00 GMT: Bayern Munich signed veteran Netherlands defender Daley Blind on Thursday to cover for the injured Lucas Hernandez.
Blind was a free agent after parting ways with Ajax Amsterdam by mutual consent last week with six months left on his contract. He joins Bundesliga champions Bayern on a short-term deal until the end of the season after completing a medical examination in Munich.
"We're delighted that Daley is joining our team," Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic said. "Daley is a versatile defender. He has great international experience and leadership qualities. I'm sure he'll help us."
PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)
- Paris Saint-Germain have earmarked Michael Olise and are monitoring the Crystal Palace midfielder's situation, according to the Daily Mail. They are set to continue watching the 21-year-old throughout the season, although his contract doesn't end until 2026.
- Napoli are aiming to get ahead in the race to sign Angers midfielder Azzedine Ounahi after his impressive displays at the World Cup with Morocco, reports Sky Sports Italia. A negotiation has been set up with competition expected from the Premier League and other European clubs, although Napoli have only offered €15m with Angers asking for between €20m and €25m.
- Southampton are looking into the possibility of signing Everton centre-back Michael Keane on loan as they fight to stay in the Premier League, according to the Athletic. The Saints feel his leadership skills and top-flight experience could be used at the heart of their back three, while Mislav Orsic is also set to sign from Dinamo Zagreb.
- Three LaLiga clubs are monitoring the situation of Barcelona reserve striker Victor Barbera, according to Ekrem Konur. The 18-year-old's contract is set to end in the summer of this year, while he has scored 11 goals in 17 appearances across Spain's third tier and UEFA Youth League this season.
- Rico Lewis' contract situation will soon become a topic of discussion for Manchester City, who want to keep bringing players through the academy and into the first-team, reports Fabrizio Romano. The 18-year-old has made 10 senior appearances this term and has a contract that is due to end in 2024.