Football
ESPN 4y

LIVE Transfer Talk: Tottenham eye shock move for Giroud

It's go time, as the January transfer window is open. Find out when it closes across Europe, view the latest transfers as they happen and keep up to date with the newest gossip below.

TOP STORY: Tottenham eye shock move for Giroud

Tottenham need a new striker before the transfer window slams shut on Friday, but chairman Daniel Levy has reportedly only given Jose Mourinho £10m to spend.

That presents a problem in the chase for Real Sociedad striker Willian Jose who, sources have told ESPN, is pushing for a move to London but has a €70m buyout clause in his contract. PSV Eindhoven forward Steven Bergwijn has signed for the club, but he's more of a winger than a striker so that leaves former Arsenal man Olivier Giroud on the list.

Giroud has been seeking an exit from Chelsea as he hasn't been getting much playing time and has been closing on a move to Inter Milan. However, Di Marzio claims that Tottenham are ready to offer the Frenchman an 18-month loan deal to play as backup to the injured Harry Kane.

LIVE BLOG

23.14 GMT: That will do it for the latest edition of our LIVE Transfer Talk blog. We hoped you enjoyed following along with us and with the transfer window closing in two days, we remind you to follow this space for all the latest rumours, reports and completed deals. Goodnight!

22.51 GMT: Gareth Bale back to Spurs?

It is not as crazy as it sounds as the London club have reportedly held talks with Real Madrid regarding the Welsh winger. Bale, who played at Spurs between 2007-13, is not happy at Madrid but has been unable to leave due to his high wages.

Sportsmail understands Spurs have explored the possibility of bringing their former star man back to England but the finances involved make it unlikely a deal will get done before Friday's deadline. Bale, who has played 12 times this season in La Liga, currently makes £600,000 a week, making it almost impossible for the Spanish giants to find a taker for him.

It looks as if the Wales star will not get his wish after all. 

22.08 GMT: Crystal Palace are set to land highly-coveted defender Nathan Ferguson from West Brom, according to the BBC.

The 19-year-old is set to have a medical with Palace and will sign for a deal that could rise to as high as £10 million. The youngster, who was also on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur, made his first-team debut back in August and has become a regular for the Magpies this season.

21.37 GMT: Could Aston Villa be set to add a second striker before Friday's deadline?

Villa, who have already signed Mbwana Samatta from Genk, are reportedly leading the race for former Premier League star Daniel Sturridge. Turkish outlet Fanatik claims that Villa are the frontrunners to sign Sturridge, who currently plays for Turkish side Trabzonspor. The report adds that the former Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool forward is available for only £4.2 million.

Former Villa player Alan Hutton is one who would love to see Sturridge at Villa Park: "I think he can be a good addition. He has got a wealth of experience in the Premier League and scored goals at the highest level," Hutton told Football Insider.

"He would be someone that could link up well with the front players at Villa because he has got great ability. It would be a great signing and for the amount of money that we are talking you would be getting an unbelievable player.

"Daniel is still a good age. He is not over the hill and is a proven goalscorer in the league so it would be a great addition if they could get him in."

21.02 GMT: Tottenham have made two signings this winter but will reportedly miss out on striker target Krzysztof Piatek.

The Poland and AC Milan striker is heading for the Bundesliga with Hertha Berlin set to buy him outright for £23.5 million. Piatek, who scored 22 goals in Serie A last season split between Genoa and Milan, has struggled for confidence this season, scoring just four goals in 18 matches.

Could this pave the way for Olivier Giroud to move across London? Hmmm...

20.26 GMT: Spurs have loaned out one full-back today (Kyle Walker-Peters to Southampton) and are closing in on shipping out another.

The Telegraph understands that Tottenham have agreed to loan Danny Rose to Newcastle for the rest of the season for a fee of £2 million. Rose, who had fallen out of favour since Jose Mourinho's arrival, will be keen to impress on Tyneside as he fights to keep his place on England's Euro 2020 roster.

Rose, 29, would be Newcastle's third loanee to arrival this winter, following Nabil Bentaleb (Schalke) and Valentino Lazaro (Inter).

19.59 GMT: Speaking of bids... David Beckham's Inter Miami CF have also made an audacious bid for a South American star.

The player in question is PSG's Edinson Cavani, who is hoping for a move to Atletico Madrid. The move was thought to be in the closing stages but AS, via MLSsoccer.comnow claims that Inter Miami have swooped in late with a hefty bid. 

The expansion club are looking to make a splash in the transfer market ahead of their debut season and the prolific Uruguayan striker would certainly fit that bill!

19.32 GMT: Barcelona have been linked with Chelsea's Willian before and it looks as if the Catalan side have reignited their interest in the Brazilian.

Sky Sports reports that Barca are preparing to make a £20 million bid for the Chelsea winger before Friday's deadline. Barcelona previously bid  £55 million for Willian, now 31, in 2018. Stay tuned...

19.00 GMT: Sevilla have announced the arrival of ex-Liverpool winger Suso from AC Milan.

The Spaniard, 26, joins Sevilla initially on loan with an option to buy (reportedly around €20 million) that becomes an obligation to buy upon certain conditions. The gifted Spaniard joined Milan in January of 2015 and has tallied 24 goals and 31 assists in 153 games for the Rossoneri.

Suso's departure fits in with the current environment at Milan as the club look to clean house and rebuild the squad. Striker Krzysztof Piątek (Hertha Berlin) and full-back Ricardo Rodriguez (PSV) are also expected to depart the club in the coming days.

18.26 GMT: USMNT striker Bobby Wood is a target for MLS side FC Cincinnati, according to the German publication Bild.

The 27-year-old plies his trade with Hamburg in the second-tier of German football but has struggled for minutes. The report claims consultant Volker Struth wants to fly to the US in order to sanction a deal for the forward.

18.01 GMT: Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus' surprise swap deal involving full-backs Layvin Kurzawa and Mattia De Sciglio has stalled, sources have confirmed to ESPN.

Last week, the Italian champions emerged as surprise suitors for the France international and a potential player exchange quickly gathered pace.

However, according to ESPN sources, Juventus started to doubt the benefits for them in signing Kurzawa as they negotiated with PSG over an additional fee for De Sciglio.

With the Serie A leaders no longer convinced that the 27-year-old represents good value for money, the French champions have opted to make him available to coach Thomas Tuchel again.

17.18 GMT: Barcelona coach Quique Setien says the club are still looking to bring in a striker before the transfer window closes after talks for Rodrigo Moreno stalled.

Valencia and Barca were close to reaching an agreement for Rodrigo with the Spanish champions keen to plug the gap left by Luis Suarez, who's out for four months. However, negotiations hit a snag on Tuesday and sources told ESPN it's unlikely the Spanish international will move to Camp Nou this week.

"I am delighted with what we have here," Setien said when asked if Barca would now pursue other targets. "But I won't deny that it would be nice to bring another player in. I'm happy to work with what I have available, but if someone comes in, they would be welcome."

Barca's problem is that time is against them and there are not many options on the market. The one thing they want to avoid is a repeat of last January's signing of Kevin-Prince Boateng, who joined on loan from Sassuolo and left in the summer without contributing a goal in just four appearances.

16.52 GMT: It's the news that you've all been waiting for Manchester United fans!

The club have announced that they have finally agreed a deal with Sporting Lisbon to sign midfielder Bruno Fernandes, subject to a medical.

"Manchester United are delighted to announce it has reached agreement with Sporting Clube de Portugal for the transfer of Bruno Fernandes," a club statement read. "The deal is subject to a medical and the agreement of personal terms."

Sporting posted a video on Twitter, thanking their former captain for his services at the club.

16.38 GMT: David Moyes has acquired his first signing since going back to the London Stadium.

West Ham United have confirmed the signing of Czech Republic international Tomas Soucek on loan from Slavia Prague. The 24-year-old midfielder has won two league titles for Slavia and scored 10 goals in 19 appearances this season. He will be looking to help the Hammers steer clear of the relegation zone from now until the end of the campaign.

16.04 GMT: Rangers Football Club on Wednesday announced the signing of India attacker Bala Devi from Manipur Police Sports Club, subject to international clearance.

The 29-year-old joins the club on an 18-month-deal after a successful spell on trial at Rangers in November. Bala, the current top scorer for the Indian national women's team, netting 52 times in 58 games since 2010, is also Rangers' first Asian international footballer.

15.22 GMT: Manchester United target Bruno Fernandes could be present to watch his prospective new club play at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City on Wednesday night, the Daily Telegraph reports.

United go into the second leg of their Carabao Cup semifinal (stream live at 2:45 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in the U.S.) needing to overturn a 3-1 deficit in order to book their place in the final against Aston Villa in March.

Sources have told ESPN that United have made a breakthrough in their bid to sign the Sporting Lisbon midfielder and a deal is close to being finalised. United are confident the Portugal international will now move to Old Trafford for an initial £46.6m before Friday's transfer deadline, subject to a medical.

14.44 GMT: Christian Eriksen has sent a message to Tottenham fans following the completion of his move to Inter Milan.

Denmark international midfielder Eriksen, 27, ended his six-and-a-half-year spell at Spurs on Tuesday after scoring 51 goals and registering 62 assists in the Premier League.

In a post on Twitter, Eriksen said he had "so many unbelievable memories" from his time in north London, but "sometimes you just want to try something new!"

14.23 GMT: Hertha Berlin attacker Salomon Kalou, who has found himself out of favour under new boss Jurgen Klinsmann, has hit out at the former United States coach. The Ivory Coast star has been demoted by Klinsmann and was not part of Hertha's winter training camp in the U.S..

With the European transfer window closing this week, the 34-year-old former Chelsea player told Berliner Kurier: "I have not been here for five days or months, but rather nearly six years and I have always scored my goals. I don't need any special treatment. It's about respect. And the massive lack of it."

Kalou has scored 48 goals in 151 league games for Hertha since joining in 2014, but it is unlikely he will add to it. "I have never experienced anything like it. Not even at the big Chelsea FC," he added.

13.56 GMT: Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo is set to complete a loan move to Estudiantes, his hometown club where he began his career, sources have told ESPN.

Rojo will move to the Argentine side, whose chairman is former United midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron, until the end of the season as he looks for more regular first-team football.

The 29-year-old, who moved to Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon for £16m in 2014, has been restricted to just nine appearances with season and has not featured since the 3-0 win over Partizan Belgrade in November. He has 18 months left on his contract, and the option of another year, after signing an extension in 2018.

With Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof established as manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's centre-half pairing, Rojo is keen to play more games in a bid to earn a place in Argentina's squad for this summer's Copa America.

13.32 GMT: Flamengo centre-back Pablo Mari has completed a loan move to Arsenal, ending what turned out to be a topsy turvy transfer deal that initally stalled and saw the defender return to Brazil. He is due to return to London now that the deal is agreed and become Arteta's first signing at Arsenal.

The clubs seemingly agreed to the deal last weekend, with Mari traveling from Rio de Janeiro to London to undergo a medical and sign with the Premier League side. However, negotiations suffered a setback on Monday with Mari then returning to Brazil. Nonetheless, the deal now sees Mari reunite with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. 

Mari, 26, was on Manchester City's books between 2016 and 2019 -- where Arteta served as an assistant for Pep Guardiola -- but never actually played for the first team.

13.07 GMT: Sporting Lisbon shares have been suspended from trading on Wednesday ahead of a club announcement. Sporting are set to sell captain Bruno Fernandes to Manchester United before the transfer window closes on Friday but the deal could be completed on Wednesday.

A statement from the Portuguese Securities Market Commission read: "As per Articles 213/b/2 and 214 of the Securities Code, the Management Board of the CMVM has suspended the trading of Sporting Clube de Portugal - Futebol, SAD, shares, awaiting disclosure of relevant information."

Sporting shares rose high on Tuesday with reports from Spain that Barcelona had joined the race to sign the Portugal international. Reports in Portugal claim Fernandes has travelled to England to undergo a medical ahead of his move to Old Trafford. United will reportedly pay Sporting €55m, plus €10m in add-ons and another €15m if certain objectives are met.

12.41 GMT: Arsenal are closing on the €5m signing of Flamengo defender Pablo Mari, and the Brazilian club have posted a Twitter message saying goodbye to the 26-year-old.

12.37 GMT: Soccer Link reports that PSG want Andrea Pirlo's son Niccolo, with sporting director Leonardo and chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, discussing the topic over dinner recently.

12.21 GMT: Roma captain Alessandro Florenzi is on the verge of sealing a loan move to Valencia, according to reports in Spain and Italy.

Corriere dello Sport reports that the Italy international will move to Valencia until the end of the season with no purchase option included in the deal.

Florenzi, 28, is expected to arrive to Valencia on Wednesday evening to undergo a medical. Valencia were looking for a right-back to strengthen their squad and have chosen Florenzi, who has fallen out of favour at Roma this season.

12.07 GMT: Borussia Dortmund's plans to sign Emre Can from Juventus have taken a blow, says kicker, after Barcelona ended all talks with Valencia over a transfer of Rodrigo.

BVB had hoped this would open the door for Paco Alcacer to return to his former club and free up some money to land Germany international Can, but this deal seems dead.

11.53 GMT: Last summer, Bayern Munich were set to sign Manchester City's Leroy Sane for €100m, but the Germany international suffered a knee injury in what could have been his last match for the club.

According to Bild, Sane is upset with Bayern for not pursuing a transfer this month and won't be too happy when he read comments from Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge to TZ, when he said: "I don't want to comment on a player who is still under contract at Manchester City for the next one-and-a-half years. Should we still have interest -- what I don't rule out -- we will talk to the club first to create a friendly atmosphere from the very beginning."

11.34 GMT: German outlet SportBild claims that Erling Haaland's buyout clause at Borussia Dortmund has been at €75m. The Bundesliga club beat the likes of Manchester United and Juventus to the Norwegian wunderkind's signature in late December as they triggered his €20m release clause at RB Salzburg.

The striker has since scored five goals for Dortmund in his first 57 minutes and SportBild now reports that Haaland's representatives, his dad Alf-Inge and agent Mino Raiola, first wanted the release clause at Dortmund to be as low as €50m, but Dortmund only agreed when the bar was raised to €75m.

11.18 GMT: Manchester United are close to signing a player!

But it's not Bruno Fernandes. It's England U20 and Southend United goalkeeper Nathan Bishop. The 20-year-old has impressed for the League One club and, according to the BBC, he's set to move to Old Trafford.

11.04 GMT: AC Milan striker Krzysztof Piatek has been linked with Tottenham, Chelsea and Man United, but the Daily Telegraph reports that Hertha Berlin are "prepared to meet AC Milan's £25m asking price."

following Zlatan Ibrahimovic's arrival in Milan, the 24-year-old has struggled to play and Jurgen Klinsmann's side are ready to pounce.

10.49 GMT: Sky Sports reports that Manchester United could defender Marcos Rojo to join Argentinian side Estudientes on loan this month.

Rojo, 29, almost joined Everton in the summer but has been frozen out of the first-team.

10.30 GMT: Tottenham have completed the signing of Steven Bergwijn from PSV Eindhoven for a fee of €31 million plus another €4m in add-ons.

The forward becomes the third signing for the club this month after they sealed deals for Gedson Fernandes and Giovani Lo Celso.

10.01 GMT: Yesterday he was being linked with Man United, while he's previously been subject of interest from Liverpool, so today's news that Genk midfielder Sander Berge is set to join Sheffield United for £27m is a bit of a comedown.

Berge, 21, has put in some good performances in the Champions League and the Norway international is certainly one to watch. But we wonder if Chris Wilder's side will be getting a few offers in a year or so if it all works out?

09.55 GMT: Manchester United have plans for a summer move for Jack Grealish, says the Birmingham Mail.

09.35 GMT: Tottenham full-back Kyle Walker-Peters is set to move on loan to Southampton, says Sky Sports.

Crystal Palace were keen, but Southampton moved quicker to tie him down to a season-long loan.

09.24 GMT: Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said he will hold talks with several players who have entered the final 18 months of their contracts at the Allianz Arena.

Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, Thiago Alcantara, Javi Martinez, Jerome Boateng and David Alaba are all under contract until 2021 and have yet to agree to new deals.

"We will now at some point hold talks and listen to what they want to do in the future. And then will make decisions," Rummenigge told Munich outlets Munchener Merkur and TZ. "They all have rendered great service to the club. We'll hold those talks with great sensibility."

While Martinez and Boateng could leave the club in the summer, and Bayern are willing to let Thiago leave if the price is right, the other three -- Neuer, Muller and Alaba -- could remain at the Allianz.

However, SportBild reported that Muller has yet to decide whether he will stay on at Bayern with reported interest from both Serie A and Premier League making the in-form forward consider his options. "I won't comment on this now. You won't get a quote from me," the 30-year-old told the outlet when questioned about his future.

08.50 GMT: Sevilla have reached a preliminary agreement with AC Milan to sign Spanish winger Suso, Cadena Cope reports.

According to the Spanish radio station, Suso will join on loan until June 2021 with a €20m purchase option included in the deal.

Suso, who has scored one goal in 16 league appearances for the Rossoneri, will undergo a medical today before putting pen to paper on his contract.

08.20 GMT: ICYMI - Manchester United have enquired about signing Ivan Rakitic from Barcelona, sources have told ESPN.

United are looking at options to bolster Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's threadbare squad ahead of Friday's transfer deadline and have been made aware of Rakitic's availability.

However, an agreement is not thought to be close and Rakitic's desire to keep his family in Spain is another potential stumbling block.

08.00 GMT: Manchester United have made a breakthrough in their bid to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes and a deal is close to being finalised, sources have told ESPN.

United are set to seal a deal worth an initial £46.6 million for Fernandes with another £8.5m in add-ons if certain targets are met, including Champions League qualifications and appearances. The deal would also include another £12.7m in add-on relating to individual achievements by the player.

United are confident the Portugal international will now move to Old Trafford before Friday's transfer deadline, subject to a medical.

Barcelona had also been interested in Fernandes, but they appear to have been beaten to the Portugal international by United and that have had a knock-on effect. The negotiations between Barca and Valencia for striker Rodrigo are on the verge of collapse, sources close to the Catalan club have told ESPN.

The talks between the La Liga sides intensified on Tuesday in a complicated deal that would have also involved the transfer of Sporting Lisbon midfielder Fernandes. In that scenario, Barcelona would have signed Fernandes and loaned him to Valencia for the rest of the season, with Rodrigo then arriving from the Mestalla to Camp Nou. The deal -- orchestrated by agent Jorge Mendes -- now seems impossible.

PAPER TALK (by Richard Edwards)

Bayern enter race for Lemar

Things haven't gone according to plan since Thomas Lemar's move to Atletico Madrid, and the France international has been linked with moves to all three of Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal this month. And, according to France Football, Bayern Munich have thrown their hat into the ring.

The report notes the Bavarians' long-term interest in Leroy Sane, but adds that a deal for the Manchester City winger is still far from complete. And the inconsistency of Serge Gnabry and fragility of Kingsley Coman leave Bayern in need of wide attacking threats.

The sticking point, as is so often the case in such matters, will be price. Los Rojiblancos are said to demand €60 million for Lemar, a price Bayern are unwilling to play.

Will that asking price come down as the minutes tick down to the close of the January transfer window?

Barca eye Ajax's Tadic after Rodrigo deal falters 

Barcelona will turn their attention to Ajax's Serbian star Dusan Tadic in a bid to boost their striking options, following the collapse of their deal for Valencia striker Rodrigo Moreno.

The Valencia man had been widely expected to make the switch to the Nou Camp but sources told ESPN that the deal fell through after makeweight Bruno Fernandes' breakthrough with Manchester United.

In that would-be deal, Fernandes would sign with Barca from Sporting Lisbon and then be loaned to Valencia -- allowing Rodrigo to make the move to Barcelona. 

That hasn't stopped Barcelona, with Marca reporting that Tadic is the man they're looking to bring in. The Spanish outlet states that Tadic's agent will travel to Spain on Wednesday to discuss a move for one of Europe's most prolific marksmen.

That said, Barca will have to move as quickly as an Ajax counter-attack to complete the move for the ex-Southampton man, given the window slams shut on Friday.

Man United make Maxi No. 1 target ... for the summer

For months, Manchester United have been said to be seeking reinforcements for the No. 9 position. Marcus Rashford's back injury only exacerbated that. But fear not, Red Devils fans, there is a new name on the top of United's wish list -- if they can wait for the summer.

Spanish outlet Cadena SER reports that United have identified Valencia front man Maxi Gomez as the man to supplement their front line for next season. The club have sent scouts to see Maxi on multiple occasions, including Sunday's match vs. Barcelona, when the Uruguay international scored both goals in Los Che's win.

The 23-year-old only moved to Mestalla in the summer from Celta Vigo for €14.5m and Santi Mina. The Old Trafford outfit won't get quite such a deal, with Valencia installing a €140m release clause in a contract that won't expire for another four-and-a-half years.

Adebayor to make shock Premier League return?

It might be one of the strangest moves of an otherwise quiet transfer window but it seems as though former Arsenal legend Emmanuel Adebayor could be on his way back to the top flight -- at the age of 35.

The Sun report that the free agent, who left Turkish club Kayserispor last month, is surpisingly wanted by a clutch of top flight clubs.

The report names Aston Villa, Newcastle and Brighton as the three clubs chasing a man who is just three goals shy of 100 Premier League goals. A friend of the player also told the paper that he has another burning ambition to achieve before the former Arsenal, Manchester City, Spurs and Crystal Palace man finally calls it a day -- namely Didier Drogba's tally of 104 Premier League goals. If he manages to top that total then he will become the top scoring African player in the league's history.

He might make a particularly nice early gift from Newcastle's new Saudi owners if their Toon takeover comes to fruition.

Tap-ins

- The Sun reports that Sheffield United are set to land Dutch striker Richairo Zivkovic, who is playing his football in China. He has flown to Yorkshire for talks and a medical from Changchun Yatai, where he has been in typically prolific form. 

^ Back to Top ^