The January transfer window opens in a matter of days and speculation is heating up about potential deals. Check out the latest gossip below and see all official deals here.
TOP STORY: Spurs monitoring Ramos
Tottenham Hotspur are monitoring Real Madrid centre-back Sergio Ramos' situation, reports The Evening Standard.
The Spain international's contract with the European giants comes to an end in the summer of 2021, which has plenty of clubs around the continent on alert to the possibility of bringing him in for free.
If Ramos leaves Madrid it is likely there will be extreme competition, but Spurs aren't afraid to put their name in the hat, according to the report.
If the proposed move doesn't materialise, Spurs will return to targeting Internazionale defender Milan Skriniar.
LIVE BLOG
22.30 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!
21.55 GMT: Arsenal have been encouraged to sign Brighton's Yves Bissouma to partner with Thomas Partey in midfield.
Former Gunners striker Kevin Campbell believes Bissouma would be a perfect partner for Partey, who was signed in the summer for £45 million. Campell told Amazon Prime Video Sport the following regarding the 24-year-old: "I think Arsenal could do with a player like him for sure. Thomas Partey needs a partner in midfield with energy and he would fit the bill perfectly."
The central midfielder, who has been linked with the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid, was impressive in a 1-0 defeat against the Gunners on Tuesday.
21.01 GMT: Man United have an accomplished front three but don't rule out the Red Devils adding another attacker to the fray.
Mundo Deportivo, via SportWitness, expects United to return in January for Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele. Still just 23, Barcelona are reportedly set to offer the Frenchman a new deal, but United are still well-positioned to sign the player either on loan or a permanent basis, according to the report. Valued at £55 million, United targeted Dembele in the summer as a Jadon Sancho alternative but were unable to get a deal over the line.
Barcelona are hoping to sign a centre-back and Lyon's Memphis Depay in January, so £55m might be enough to convince the Blaugrana to offload the young attacker.
20.14 GMT: Could AC Milan prise young phenom Riqui Puig from Barcelona?
Corriere dello Sport claims that Milan are trying to bring in the young midfielder on loan in January with an option to purchase the youngster. The report suggests that Barcelona are willing to loan out the 21-year-old but are weary of losing the talent on a permanent basis. With a logjam of talented young midfielders -- Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Carlos Alena, etc. -- we'll see if Barca decides Puig is the odd man out.
19.23 GMT: The NWSL's Chicago Red Stars have completed a blockbuster deal to acquire USWNT star Mallory Pugh and midfielder Sarah Killion Woldmoe from Sky Blue FC.
Chicago Acquires Mallory Pugh and Sarah Killion Woldmoe from Sky Blue FC
— Chicago Red Stars (@chiredstarsPR) December 29, 2020
READ MORE: https://t.co/Jx2LM5dp9C pic.twitter.com/KVl8eK7cYe
The Red Stars will part with the fourth and eighth overall selections in the 2021 NWSL Draft, a conditional first-rounder in the 2022 Draft and an international draft slot in both 2021 and 2022 for the duo. Pugh, 22, won the World Cup with the USWNT in 2019 and has played 63 times for her country, scoring 17 goals and adding 13 assists.
Woldmoe, meanwhile, is an NWSL veteran at 28, having amassed over 100 NWSL appearances for Sky Blue FC.
18.51 GMT: From one American right-back to another...
ESPN's Taylor Twellman has learned that FC Dallas youngster Bryan Reynolds is closing in on a deal to join serial Italian champions Juventus.
Pen to paper still remaining... https://t.co/XEQlhJNyTs
— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) December 29, 2020
The 19-year-old, who has excelled since Reggie Cannon's departure to Portugal, has been linked with the likes of Juventus, Roma and Belgium's Club Brugge. Per Twellman's tweet, Reynolds' move will net FC Dallas upwards of $10 million, not a bad return for a player with just 31 first-team appearances!
18.16 GMT: DeAndre Yedlin has spent most of the season glued to the bench at Newcastle but with the transfer window set to open in a matter of days, the American could soon be handed an escape.
CBS Sports' Roger Gonzalez claims that Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor have offered the right-back terms, although Newcastle would have agree to sell Yedlin.
🚨 Turkish club 🇹🇷 Trabzonspor have made an offer to 🇺🇸 DeAndre Yedlin to sign the Newcastle defender on a free transfer, sources tell CBS Sports. They have offered him his terms. Trying to land him in Jan., though Newcastle would have to release him.
— Roger Gonzalez (@RGonzalezCBS) December 29, 2020
The pacy American has started the last three games under Steve Bruce but after sitting out much of the season, Newcastle could elect to move him in order to trim their squad.
17.37 GMT: Former Everton and currently unattached striker Oumar Niasse has made a plea to Sam Allarydce to sign him for West Brom.
The Senegalese told The Beautiful Game Podcast: "I'm always on the phone with my agent. Big Sam is a guy I've worked with and we had a good relationship in his time at Everton.
"When he was appointed West Brom manager, it's kind of something open. Right now the only thing on my mind is, if I get to a team in England, the opportunity to get on the pitch and to do exactly what I've been missing all this time.
"I know with Big Sam I have a good relationship, like I said. He knows how I am, he knows me personally. That can be a very good thing and, to be honest, I'm open."
Niasse, who largely struggled at Goodison Park, scored three goals and added two assists in 16 games under Big Sam.
17.00 GMT: Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos will surely be leaving the club in the January transfer window.
Sokratis, 32, was left out of both Premier League and Europa League squads this season, while his contract expires in the summer.
Fenerbahce are interested, says Fanatik, and the Greece international defender has reportedly already spoken to teammate Mesut Ozil about them.
16.10 GMT: The winter window is usually expensive and good value is hard to find, yet the summer market saw some standout signings that clubs will be hoping to replicate next month. Here's a look from Tor-Kristian Karlsen at some of the most impressive new arrivals and what teams may be able to learn from them going into January.
The big money move: Ruben Dias
The hidden gem: Wesley Fofana
The veteran: Edinson Cavani
15.45 GMT: Philadelphia Union and USMNT defender Mark McKenzie is attracting interest from Rangers and Genk, sources have told ESPN.
Celtic had been linked in the summer but the 21-year-old looks set to move elsewhere for a fee in the region of $4m.
15.02 GMT: Is Lionel Messi considering a move to MLS?
14.20 GMT: Former Arsenal and West Ham midfielder Jack Wilshere is training with Championship side Bournemouth to maintain his fitness levels, the club have announced.
Wilshere, who is a free agent after his contract with West Ham was terminated, returns temporarily to Bournemouth where he spent the 2016-17 season on-loan.
The former England international helped the south coast side reach ninth-place in the Premier League in his lone season with the club.
However, it is reported that there are no plans for any permanent deal for the midfielder, with Wilshere training with Jason Tindall's side in a similar way that former players Charlie Daniels and Marc Pugh did after they had left.
14.00 GMT: FC Dallas defender Bryan Reynolds is wanted by Juventus, Roma, Club Brugge and Marseille, sources have told ESPN.
Reynolds, 19, has been tracked by European clubs for some time but it's looking more likely that he will move in January now.
13.40 GMT: Zinedine Zidane has said he hopes Real Madrid can announce new deals for Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric "quickly" to avoid speculation about their futures becoming a distraction.
The contracts of Ramos, Modric and Lucas Vazquez -- all regulars in Madrid's recent winning streak of six games in a row in competitions -- expire in June 2021 and they would be free to negotiate with other clubs outside Spain from Jan. 1.
"We've talked about it and you know what I think about it," Zidane said in a news conference on Tuesday ahead of Real Madrid's La Liga match at Elche. "I want all my players to stay here, because for me they're the best. Of course I want it to be sorted out for the good of everyone, and quickly."
Talks have been slowed by Real Madrid's delicate financial situation -- with the club posting a small €313,000 profit for 2019-20 in accounts approved earlier this month -- and the veterans will have to accept reduced terms compared to what they would have expected to receive before the coronavirus pandemic hit.
13.31 GMT: Can PSG even afford to sign Barcelona legend Lionel Messi?
12.45 GMT: The Athletic reports: "Arsenal are currently unlikely to rekindle their interest in Lyon's Houssem Aouar when the transfer window reopens at the start of January."
Arsenal made contact with Lyon over Aouar in the summer but opted to sign Atletico Madrid's Thomas Partey for €50m instead.
They still need a creative midfielder -- preferably one that will have the same impact as Bruno Fernandes has had at Man United -- but the time for Aouar might be gone.
12.00 GMT: Diego Costa has left Atletico Madrid after the striker's contract was terminated by mutual consent.
The club announced on Tuesday that Costa's deal -- which only had six months left to run, until June 2021 -- had been rescinded. It means Costa will be able to join a new club on a free transfer, while Atletico significantly reduce their wage bill, allowing them to reinforce the squad during the January window.
Costa, 32, re-joined Atletico from Chelsea in January 2018 for €66m after spending three-and-a-half seasons at Stamford Bridge. However, if he now joins a La Liga rival (Barcelona, Real Madrid and Sevilla) or a Champions League club, he will be liable to pay Atletico €15m due to the terms of his exit.
Arkadiusz Milik has been linked with a move to Atletico to replace him, with Napoli reportedly asking €15m to let the striker leave next month.
11.48 GMT: On first glance, Joan Jordan sounds like he should be a hero in Marvel comic. Or at least the mild-mannered alter-ego of an eventual hero who saves the day.
Arsenal could do with a superhero right now, given their poor start to the Premier League season, and Sevilla midfielder Jordan is on their radar, according to The Sun.
The 26-year-old has actually been watched by the Gunners for the past few years, while the report reads: "Sevilla have put a £55m buy-out clause on the all-action midfielder but the La Liga side are ready to listen to offers of around £32m."
11.03 GMT: Previously linked with Tottenham in the summer, Eintracht Frankfurt striker Bas Dost is moving to Belgium in January.
It's official! 🤩 #WelkomBas
— Club Brugge KV (@ClubBrugge) December 29, 2020
MEER: https://t.co/sQxtUJS7Z8 pic.twitter.com/ejFf8uUo37
10.33 GMT: Chelsea wing-back Marcos Alonso could join Atletico Madrid on loan in January, according to AS.
The newspaper says it has confirmed reports in The Independent that talks are already underway between Alonso, 30, and the La Liga club.
The defender is keen to leave Stamford Bridge after receiving few opportunities under coach Frank Lampard, with his last Premier League appearance coming in September.
Atletico are looking to strengthen at left-back to provide competition for Renan Lodi, while Alonso would suit the 3-5-2 system that Diego Simeone has often favoured this season.
10.10 GMT: Arsenal and Tottenham have been linked with a move for RB Leipzig midfielder Marcel Sabitzer.
09.17 GMT: Isco has "chosen Sevilla" as his next club, Diario AS reports -- but the Real Madrid playmaker will be on the move next summer, rather than in January, with coach Zinedine Zidane unwilling to weaken his squad midway through the season.
According to AS, Isco wants to link up with his former boss with Madrid and Spain Julen Lopetegui, "the coach who has gotten the best football out of the Malaga-born player."
The 28-year-old's contract at the Bernabeu runs until 2022, but the newspaper claims Madrid would be willing to accept between €15m-€20m for a player who has only started three league games this season.
08.49 GMT: West Ham captain Mark Noble admits that he does not know if teammate Declan Rice will stay at the club amid long-term interest from Chelsea.
Sources told ESPN's James Olley in the summer that Chelsea manager Frank Lampard had targeted the midfielder, and that interest has remained since.
Noble told talkSPORT: "He's still learning his trade, he'll get much better with experience. "I'm hoping it's here [at West Ham] but in this game you never know. I'm sure he'll be a top, top player and an even better player in years to come."
Manchester United have also been linked with the 21-year-old, who Noble believes can be a future England captain.
"With Dec I don't have to say too much," he said. "He's such a great kid, got a great family, he's a top, top player. "There are two or three things that I've been on him about in the last two seasons to change in what he does. "I do believe that if he progresses then he'll captain England one day. That's the sort of player he is. "He's such a level-headed kid. You've got to remember he's still only 21."
- Karlsen: Chelsea see Rice's potential as one of Europe's best
08.00 GMT: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said that Manchester United have every intention of extending Edinson Cavani's contract at Old Trafford.
Cavani signed a one-year deal in October with the option of another season -- and the 33-year-old has impressed Solskjaer so much that the club are already exploring the possibility of extending his stay.
"At the moment, it looks like he has a few years left in him so I wouldn't say anything else," Solskjaer said. "He has made a great impact when he has come here.
"Let's focus on improving everyone but he has a few years left in him. He is so meticulous and professional, his habits and everything about him, shows why he has had the career he has. Even at the age he is now he is one of the fittest players we have got."
Cavani has scored four goals in 13 appearances since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain. He has been restricted to just four starts while he builds up his fitness after a summer spent training on his own but Solskjaer said the Uruguay international, the latest to take on the club's No. 7 shirt, is more than just an impact substitute.
"He is definitely a starter," he said. "You don't classify a player of that quality as anything else.
"He will probably start more games than he will not start. The first thing he asked me when I spoke to him was if he could wear the No. 7. When you think of the history of his career and the experience he has had, his personality from the chat I had with him and when I watched him before, it wasn't in doubt that he could handle the No. 7 shirt."
Gab and Juls discuss the possibility of Lionel Messi playing in MLS after the forward expressed his interest.
PAPER TALK (by Danny Lewis)
Milan want Zaha
AC Milan are looking to sign Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, reports The Sun.
Milan sit top of the Serie A table by a point and are keen to stay there, seeing the January transfer window as an opportunity to help them solidify that position.
They view the Ivory Coast international as another key piece of the puzzle and have been impressed by his performances in a central role.
The belief is that the Palace man, who scored in Palace's 1-1 draw with Leicester on Monday, can provide the firepower to help Milan earn their first Scudetto since 2010-11.
Talk swirling around Costa
Since it was first reported that Diego Costa had asked to have his contract with Atletico Madrid terminated, there has been a flurry of rumours about him.
First, AS suggested that Arsenal are among the clubs who want to sign the 32-year-old if he is allowed to leave the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
The same outlet has suggested that Costa's departure would see Atleti move for Napoli outcast Arkadiusz Milik.
Meanwhile, La Cadena SER has claimed that Real Betis' Lorenzon Moron is the man who is being targeted to replace Costa should he leave the La Liga leaders.
Tap-ins
- Sassuolo are willing to listen to offers for 21-year-old striker Gianluca Scamacca, reports Calciomercato. The Italy U21 international has impressed so much during a loan spell with Genoa that AC Milan are considering signing him in the summer. Sassuolo will reportedly start from a base valuation of €17m and will discuss the idea of recalling the striker from Genoa to then let him go if an offer comes in January.
- Lyon have not given up on the idea of signing Islam Slimani from Leicester City, reports Foot Mercato. There are massive doubts around Memphis Depay's future, while Moussa Dembele is out through injury, meaning the French outfit is keen on signing another attacker. Slimani has played just 19 minutes of football for the Foxes so far this term, but that has not put Lyon off moving for the Algerian.