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Harry Kettle 4y

LIVE Transfer Talk: Manchester United to consider Wilfried Zaha reunion

January is just around the corner. Click here to view the latest transfers, and keep up to date with the newest gossip below.

Manchester United interested in Zaha

According to the Daily Star, Manchester United are still interested in the possibility of signing Wilfried Zaha.

The Crystal Palace star made the jump over to Old Trafford back in 2013, but after a failed tenure in Manchester he eventually wound up re-joining Palace.

Ever since then he's been slowly but surely building his reputation back up, to the point where a series of top clubs across European football are interested in his services.

Whether or not the man himself would want to risk another poor stint with the Red Devils, however, remains to be seen.

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!

23.15 GMT: Erling Braut Haaland is Man United's top priority but what if the Red Devils fail in their pursuit of the Norwegian wunderkind?

The Evening Standard writes that Man United could turn their attention to Everton forward Richarlison as an alternative to Haaland in January. The 22-year-old Brazilian has scored 22 goals in 57 games for the Toffees since arriving for an initial £35 million from Watford in 2018 but would figure to get better service and support at a club like United.

Richarlison is reportedly one of five attacking targets being lined up by the club, with Haaland and Lyon's Moussa Dembele also named. Is Richarlison a player who could put Man United over the top? The jury would still be very much out if that move went through in January...

22.32 GMT: Tottenham are just three points behind Chelsea in the race for the top four, which is something considering where the club was when Jose Mourinho took over. With the January window set to open Spurs have recalled a couple of their loanees and are also monitoring one of their former youth products.

That player is 21-year-old Marcus Edwards, who was sold by Spurs this summer but is thriving in Portugal with Vitoria de Guimaraes. It is unlikely Spurs will bring Edwards back just yet but the club do owe 50% of the player's sell-on rights and SportWitness reports that the Portuguese boss has "been following" the youngster's' progress.

21.49 GMT: Newcastle could use some attacking help with summer signing Joelinton flopping so far (one goal in 19 appearances) and tricky winger Allan Saint-Maximin out injured through at least mid-January.

Reports from France suggest the club have at least made initial enquiries about Gremio and Brazil winger Everton Soares, or simply Everton. The 23-year-old was the breakout star at last summer's Copa America with a tournament-best three goals and looks poised to finally leave his native Brazil for Europe.

Foot Mercato claims that Newcastle would like to initially get Everton on loan with an option to buy at £38.5 million. Everton registered 15 goals and seven assists this season for the Brazilian club and is also reportedly being pursued by PSG and Arsenal.

21.00 GMT: David Beckham's Inter Miami CF are reportedly close to signing a well-known striker for next season.

The Athletic's Paul Tenorio reports that MLS vet and United States international Juan Agudelo is set to sign with the expansion club. The Colombian-born Agudelo, 27, has played for three different MLS sides (New York Red Bulls, Chivas USA, New England Revolution), scoring 46 goals in 215 MLS games.

Last season, Agudelo only managed three goals and one assist for the Revolution.

20.11 GMT: Pedro has become a forgotten man at Chelsea, falling behind Willian and youngsters Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi in the club's wide-player pecking order.

A lack of playing time for the 32-year-old (five Premier League appearances, four starts) has led to speculation that the Spaniard could leave the club in January. Aston Villa have been linked with the veteran but Pedro has said that he would prefer a return to his beloved Barcelona.

"If Barcelona call me, I leave everything," he said to L'Esportieu.

"This pre-season there was a possibility of returning that occurred when Chelsea faced Barcelona.

"I was talking to the coach, but the door closed quickly.

"Now I don't know what will happen."

19.31 GMT: It was a bit of a surprise to see Carlo Ancelotti accept the Everton job, the Italian usually overseeing the finished article rather than the project. 

One explanation? Ancelotti was reportedly promised major investment into the squad by owner Farhad Moshiri, something the Italian will hope begins straight away in January. That report has sparked talk that Ancelotti could attempt to reunite with one of his ex-charges, Lorenzo Insigne.

The Italian winger, 28, has had an underwhelming season so far at Napoli, even temporarily losing his starting spot, and Le 10 Sport suggests he could be open to a move away from the fishbowl his native Naples can be. Insigne and Naples seem poised fo a breakup and with Ancelotti now in charge in Liverpool, that could happen sooner rather than later.

18.53 GMT: Zlatan is back!

As expected, free agent Zlatan Ibrahimovic has signed a six-month contract to return to AC Milan, where he played from 2010-12. The 38-year-old Swede, who scored 53 goals in 58 games over the past two years with MLS' Los Angeles Galaxy, arrives with Milan in a disappointing 11th place in Serie A.

 

Ibrahimovic made 85 appearances and scored 56 goals during his time with Milan between 2010-12 and significantly contributing to the club's 18th Scudetto win. 

"I'm coming back to a Club I hugely respect and to the city of Milan I love. I'll fight together with my teammates to change the course of this season. I will do everything to make it happen," Ibrahimovic told the club's website.

On social media, though, Zlatan was his usual self tweeting out the following graphic:

Never change, Zlatan.

18.14 GMT: Patrick Cutrone only signed with Wolves this summer but with rumours swirling that he could be heading back to Italy, Wolves could be in the market for a backup striker.

German outlet Hamburger Morgenpost claims that Wolves have already agreed a £23 million deal with Red Bull Salzburg for forward Hwang Hee-chan. The 23-year-old South Korean consistently caught the eye in the Champions League this season and Wolves reportedly sent scouts to watch him earlier this month against Liverpool.

The attacker has bagged nine goals and added 14 assists in 22 games this season and could be the second Salzburg starlet to leave Austria for England this window, following Takumi Minamino, who recently agreed to terms with Liverpool.

With teenage phenom Erling Braut Haaland also in the shop window, Salzburg could lose their entire attacking trio in one month!

17.31 GMT: Tottenham have announced the early recall from loan of several players, including U.S. international Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Carter-Vickers, 21, made 15 appearances for Championship club Stoke City in the first half of the season, but the defender has had that spell cut short and will return to Spurs in Jan. 2.

Also returning will be Jack Clarke, the 19-year-old winger who was signed from Leeds United in the summer and then immediately loaned back to them. However, unlike last season when he impressed as a first-team regular, this term he has made just three appearances for Marcelo Bielsa's side.

Kazaiah Sterling, the 21-year-old forward, is the third player to be recalled after playing four games and scoring one goal for League One side Doncaster Rovers.

16.56 GMT: Paris Saint-Germain's young defender Tanguy Kouassi is set to leave the club in favour of a move to German club RB Leipzig, according to Le Parisien.

Kouassi, 17, is yet to sign professional terms with PSG despite making his first-team debut earlier this month as a substitute in the 3-1 win at Montpellier.

The versatile centre-back, who has represented France at various youth levels, is instead considering a move to Bundesliga leaders RB Leipzig, Le Parisien claims.

16.12 GMT: FC Salzburg striker Erling Haaland has got the world at his feet. The 19-year-old is wanted by a host of Europe's top clubs including Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund. ESPN FC's Gab Marcotti has issued a warning for the Norwegian star in the making to choose his next move carefully.

15.36 GMT: Jurgen Klinsmann's Hertha Berlin are reportedly hoping to persuade not one but two World Cup winners to the German capital in the winter transfer window as well as Arsenal's Granit Xhaka (see 11.26 GMT).

With money injected by an investor, Lars Windhorst, who brought in former U.S. head coach Klinsmann, the club is now giving their future a much-needed positive spin. Three years after getting fired by the USSF, he is back in the mix selling his vision of a "Big City Club" for the mid-table side.

German outlet Bild claims that Mario Gotze, scorer of the winning goal for Germany in the 2014 final is a January target, and that Hertha are willing to pay a fee for him next month rather than wait until his Borussia Dortmund contract expires in the summer.

Meanwhile Julian Draxler, another member of that victorious squad in Brazil five years ago, has been linked by French paper Le Parisien with a move from Paris Saint-Germain.

14.58 GMT: Paris Saint-Germain are ready to offer Kylian Mbappe a huge new contract in order to ward off interest from Real Madrid, according to AS.

Mbappe, 21, is a long-term target for Madrid, with Bernabeu coach Zinedine Zidane going public with his "love" for the France striker.

PSG will reportedly table a new five-year deal worth €32m a year to keep hold of their star player, who has scored 18 goals for them so far this season.

Mbappe is ranked No. 3 among the world's forwards in ESPN's FC 100, behind only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

14.29 GMT: Borussia Dortmund wunderkind Youssoufa Moukoko, 15, is set to make the next step towards world fame as the Bundesliga club have set the legal framework for the attacker to train with the senior squad.

Only promoted to the BVB U19 side this summer, Moukoko has bagged 26 goals in 21 competitive appearances for the Dortmund youth team. With a total of four goals in the UEFA Youth League, he is the youngest ever to score in the competition.

Moukoko's name has already travelled around the world and Barcelona star Lionel Messi sent him gifts for his 15th birthday earlier this year.

German outlet Bild now reports that Moukoko will now be able to train with the senior squad as the club now has the insurance cover required for the attacker's sessions with the first team.

Under contract until 2022, Moukoko, however, will not be able to make his competitive debut until August 2021.

14.04 GMT: France striker Olivier Giroud has been linked with several clubs as he aims to get more game time in order to keep his starting place for Les Bleus at next summer's European Championship. But will there be any takers for the 33-year-old? ESPN FC's Gab Marcotti gives his verdict.

13.32 GMT: Real Madrid have prioritised the signing of Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz in the summer, according to AS.

Spain international Ruiz, 23, is also being monitored by Madrid's La Liga rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid as well as Premier League champions Manchester City.

According to AS, the Spain international has repeatedly turned down offers from Napoli to extend his contract beyond 2023 and has his heart set on moving to the Bernabeu at the end of the season.

The only thing keeping him in Serie A for the remainder of this term is his desire to be sure of regular appearances in the run-up to Euro 2020.

12.59 GMT: Thursday's 2-0 defeat to Southampton left Chelsea manager Frank Lampard facing questions on whether he needs to add creative players in the January transfer window.

"I learn about the players, and I learn about the players particularly in games like that," Lampard told reporters when asked if the loss at Stamford Bridge had nudged him in a certain direction on transfers.

Chelsea have been cleared to sign players in January after the Court of Arbitration for Sport this month halved a transfer ban imposed on the club.

The Blues have since been linked with moves for a host of attacking stars including Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho (who is half a year into a two-season loan at Bayern Munich), Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho, RB Leipzig's Timo Werner , Paris Saint-Germain's Julian Draxler and Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha.

12.24 GMT: Trent Alexander-Arnold mimicking Kylian Mbappe's trademark goal celebration has got Liverpool fans dreaming that the Paris Saint-Germain star is on his way to Anfield.

Alexander-Arnold  stole the show in Thursday's 4-0 win at Leicester as he claimed two assists, scored one goal for himself and took the corner which won the penalty converted by James Milner.

The right-back celebrated his goal in eye-catching style, mimicking Mbappe's trademark pose by the corner flag after finishing in a manner that the PSG striker would be proud of, and it didn't take long for Liverpool fans on social media to put 2 and 2 together and get #Mbappe2020.

It couldn't happen... could it?

11.53 GMT: Manchester City have joined the race to sign Villarreal defender Pau Torres, according to Superdeporte.

The Spanish centre-back has impressed in 18 league appearances for the La Liga outfit, attracting attention of top European clubs.

Barcelona are reportedly monitoring Torres, who is tied to Villarreal until June 2024.

Torres, 22, spent last year on loan at Malaga before earning a regular spot at Villarreal this season. He earned his first cap for Spain in Oct. 2019.

11.26 GMT: Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has told the club he wants to leave and join Hertha Berlin in January, his agent has said. The 27-year-old was dropped and stripped of the club captaincy in November following an angry reaction to being booed by his own fans after he was substituted during the Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.

Sources close to Hertha told ESPN last week that talks between the Bundesliga club and Xhaka were ongoing and the Switzerland international's agent has now said is client is looking to leave the Emirates.

"Let's say it like it is: we have agreed terms with Hertha Berlin and would like to go there," Jose Noguera told Swiss outlet Blick. "That's what we told Arsenal club boss Raul Sanllehi and sporting director Edu Gaspar, as well as the new manager Mikel Arteta."

Noguera said that, despite Arteta's public backing of Xhaka, the new Arsenal boss told the ex-Borussia Monchengladbach man he is not part of his plans beyond the summer. Noguera added that Arsenal are aware of Xhaka's desire to return to the Bundesliga and the clubs must now decide on a fee for a player who joined Arsenal for €45 million in 2016.

10.58 GMT: Atletico Madrid target Edinson Cavani will try to force his way out of Paris Saint-Germain in the winter transfer window, according to Cadena SER.

The Uruguay international has not signed a contract extension with PSG, with his current deal ending next summer.

According to the Spanish radio station, Cavani has spoken to Atletico coach Diego Simeone and his priority is to join Atletico in January, having previously considering remaining with the French giants until the end of the season.

Atletico have struggled in attack and are without Brazilian forward Diego Costa, who is sidelined with a back injury until late February.

Cavani, 32, is in his seventh campaign at PSG and is keen to play in La Liga.

10.13 GMT: Liverpool have cut short defender Nathaniel Phillips' season-long loan at German second-tier club Stuttgart.

"Liverpool FC requested because of the tight squad situation in the coming weeks to prematurely end the 22-year-old's loan," Stuttgart confirmed in a press release.

Liverpool added in a statement that Phillips, who made just 11 competitive appearances for the former Bundesliga champions, will return to the club at the start of next month and will be eligible for the Premier League leaders' FA Cup third-round tie against Everton on Jan. 5.

09.47 GMT: Pep Guardiola said he has no plans to replace David Silva when the midfielder leaves Manchester City at the end of the season.

The Spain international has already announced his intention to call time on his career at the Etihad Stadium in the summer after 10 years in the Premier League.

"I don't think we're going to do anything in this position, I don't think we will sign anyone," said Guardiola, ahead of the trip to Wolves on Friday.

"Maybe I will change my mind, it depends on the next six months, but I have other priorities and I don't think I'm going to buy because I have enough," Guardiola said.

"Bernardo [Silva] can play there, Phil [Foden] is there, we have [Ilkay] Gundogan, we have Kevin [De Bruyne], so I don't think we will do anything in this position. That is my thought today; we will see at the end of the season."

09.00 GMT: Welcome to another festive edition of Transfer Talk! Kicking things off today is a pretty big one: AC Milan will sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a free transfer after the former Sweden international left LA Galaxy earlier this year, according to Sky Sport Italia 

Ibrahimovic spent two years at Milan from 2010 to 2012 and sources have told ESPN he had to lower his wage demands in order to seal a return. A formal announcement is expected later on Friday.

The Swedish striker has added fuel to the speculation by posting an image of himself with red eyes on his Instagram story.

Schick's future to be decided in summer

Patrik Schick's future will be determined during next year's summer transfer window, Calciomercato reports.

The youngster is enjoying a successful loan spell with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig from Roma, with many wondering what his next step in the game will be. Alas, it appears as if Roma themselves will have the final say on whether or not to give Schick another chance.

Leipzig continues to fire on all cylinders so far this season, with many wondering whether or not they could become the next great German superpower. If so, Schick will be integral to making that happen.

Wolves' Cutrone may return to Italy

Wolves striker Patrick Cutrone is interested in the prospect of joining Fiorentina, Sportitalia reports.

The forward hasn't had the best of luck in the Midlands since arriving during the summer transfer window, and in the wake of interest from his homeland, Cutrone is willing to entertain the idea of trying something fresh during the January transfer window.

Prior to joing Nuno Espirito Santo's side at Wolverhampton, Cutrone came up through the AC Milan academy and spent two seasons with the Rossoneri's senior side. 

Tap Ins

-- Real Madrid are circling the wagons around Brazilian youngster Reiner Carvalho, according to Portuguese outlet SporTV. The 17-year-old Reiner has had a truly breakout year with Flamengo, who won the Brazilian league, Copa Liberatores, and finished runners-up to Liverpool in the Club World Cup. 

-- Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson believes the club needs to try and sign four or five new players during the January transfer window, Daily Mail reports. Despite the Eagles being situated in the top half of the Premier League table, Hodgson wants a few new faces to come through the doors of Selhurst Park in order to try and secure their spot in the top flight.

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