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          LIVE Transfer Talk: Manchester United turn to Hoffenheim's Christoph Baumgartner

          • ESPN
          Jan 27, 2021, 04:16 PM

          The transfer window opened in early January, and speculation is heating up about potential deals. Check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.

          TOP STORY: Man United eyeing move for Baumgartner

          The Sun is reporting that Manchester United are considering a move for Hoffenheim's talented midfielder Christoph Baumgartner.

          The 21-year-old has impressed in the Bundesliga this campaign and is being monitored by a number of clubs, but United are reported to be preparing a bid for the summer after having kept tabs on him all season.

          Baumgartner's contract ends in 2023 but a deal could be struck around £16 million, though that fee is expected to rise if he continues in his form.

          The Austria international has climbed the ranks in recent years to become one of the side's stars after joining Hoffenheim aged 16 in 2017. He has scored three goals and registered five assists in 17 league appearances so far this season.

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          LIVE BLOG

          22.00 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!

          21.39 GMT: It took two windows but Yannick Bolasie looks set to finally get his move to Middlesbrough.

          Boro boss Neil Warnock confirmed reports that Boro are in for the ex-Crystal Palace ace, who has not appeared for Everton since 2017-18. Warnock is hopeful that a deal for the DR Congo international will get done on Thursday, with Boro having failed to land Bolasie on deadline day in the summer.

          "I hope it'll get done," said the Boro boss. "I spoke to him, and he was going to go to Turkey. But he spoke to me and I said, 'Look, just come and enjoy yourself for a couple of months - you can always go to Turkey and places like that later.'''

          "He owes me anyhow, because I did well for him at Crystal Palace. He's looking forward to it, I think, and hopefully everything will be done in the next 24 hours."

          Warnock plans to give Bolasie, who has played on loan at Aston Villa, Anderlecht and Sporting Lisbon in recent years, a look up top and compared his versatility and playing style to West Ham's Michail Antonio.

          21.00 GMT: Thomas Tuchel has only been Chelsea boss for a matter of days but it is never too early to start thinking about reinforcements.

          While the bookies tip West Ham's Declan Rice to be the manager's first signing, the Mirror suggests that the German will return for a pair of his former PSG charges in the summer. The outlet suggests that Tuchel's arrival will only increase the chances that the Blues reignite their interest in Brazilian defender Marquinhos, while ex-Everton central midfielder and Tuchel favourite Idrissa Gueye could also be on the shopping list.

          Chelsea drew 0-0 with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday in Tuchel's first match in charge.

          20.27 GMT: Stoke City have slapped a £15 million price tag on in-demand teenager Nathan Collins, TEAMtalk has learned.

          The 19-year-old, who is equally adept playing centre-back or right-back, has been a standout for the Potters this season. Collins' rise has not gone unnoticed as half-a-dozen Premier League clubs, including Arsenal are reportedly watching the player.

          Stoke previously turned down a £5m bid from Burnley for the Irishman and according to a club source, would want at least £15m to even begin transfer discussions.

          19.53 GMT: Turkish outlet Fotospor suggests that Leeds left-back Ezgjan Alioski could join Galatasaray at the end of the season.

          The 28-year-old has been an ever-present since joining Leeds in 2017-18, having made 152 appearances for the Whites and played such an important role in the club's first promotion to the Championship in 16 years.

          While the North Macedonian has been a regular in the Premier League this season under Marcelo Bielsa, his contract is set to expire at the end of the season and there is a lot of speculation that Alioski has refused to renew his deal at Elland Road. Fotospor claim that is because Alioski has an agreement with Galatasaray to join the Turkish giants in the summer. Stay tuned...

          19.11 GMT: Bayer Leverkusen have signed young right-back Jeremie Frimpong from Celtic for a reported €11 million.

          The speedy 20-year-old had previously handed in a transfer request to the Scottish giants and had reiterated he would not be signing a new contract with the club.

          "In Jeremie Frimpong, we have been able to sign a player with a great facility to develop and this again is a forward-looking transfer for Bayer 04. He's technically strong, incredibly quick and has the desire to go forwards," declared Bayer sporting director Simon Rolfes.

          "Over the last year and a half, Jeremie has proved himself at an absolute top club in the physically very challenging Scottish league and in European competition. That important experience at Celtic, but above all his footballing ability, make him a very attractive young player."

          18.42 GMT: Tottenham want to find a replacement before loaning Dele Alli to PSG and one target is Borussia Monchengladbach's Floridan Neuhaus, according to the Mirror.

          Jose Mourinho is reportedly a fan of the 23-year-old midfielder, who scored on his debut for Germany back in October. Neuhaus is in his third season as a regular in the Bundesliga, and has tallied five goals and six assists this season over all competitions for the fourth-placed Bundesliga side.

          Christian Eriksen was also thought to be an option, but Inter manager Antonio Conte revealed on Tuesday that the Dane would not be leaving Milan this window following his Coppa Italia heroics.

          18.06 GMT: Sticking with Chelsea, former Blues midfielder Ramires is out of contract and contemplating his next move.

          KickOff.com claims that the 33-year-old, who played for Brazil's Palmeiras last season, is considering a move to South Africa's Premier League (PSL), in addition to offers from Qatar and Turkey. Ramires, who won the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup during his five-and-a-half seasons at Stamford Bridge, also amassed 52 caps for Brazil between 2009-2014.

          17.21 GMT: Baba Rahman, remember him? While he's still technically a Chelsea player he has just been loaned out for the fifth time, this time to Greek outfit PAOK.

          The 26-year-old defender has managed just 23 appearances to date for the Blues, all of them coming in his debut season with the club in 2015-16. Since then, the Ghana international has played on loan in Germany with Schalke 04, France with Reims and Spain with Mallorca.

          Signed from Augsburg in 2015 for an initial £14 million, Rahman flopped after arriving at Stamford Bridge with so much promise.

          16.53 GMT: Tying up one loose end from earlier... Lazio have now finalised their move for centre-back Mateo Musacchio.

          The 30-year-old joins Lazio from AC Milan on an initial six-month deal with an option for two further years tied to various appearances and objectives. Musacchio made 75 appearances for the Rossoneri in three years at the club and previously spent time at Villarreal in Spain and River Plate in his native Argentina.

          16.14 GMT: Philadelphia Union midfielder Jose Martinez has agreed a new contract through 2022 with club options through 2024, the club announced.

          Martinez, 26, joined the Union ahead of the 2020 MLS season from Venezuelan club Zulia FC.

          "Jose's passion and physicality gives us an extra edge every time he steps on the field," sporting director Ernst Tanner said in a club statement. "He has proven to be dominant in our midfield, vital in the transition on attack and we are looking forward to seeing his continued development and contributions."

          15.51 GMT: Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte praised midfielder Christian Eriksen after his last-gasp winner against AC Milan in the Coppa Italia quarterfinals but said the ex-Tottenham Hotspur man is "shy."

          Eriksen joined Inter from Spurs last January but has struggled for game time and has often found himself not featuring at all in matches. However, after Eriksen's 97th-minute free-kick put Inter 2-1 ahead and settled an intense derby, Conte said he hopes this could be the start of a new chapter at Inter for the Denmark international.

          15.31 GMT: Luka Modric's contract at Real Madrid expires in the summer, but it appears he's close to agreeing a renewal.

          Fabrizio Romano reports that the 35-year-old midfielder has agreed terms on extending his stay.

          14.58 GMT: Manchester City have a shortage of strikers, but do they even need one right now?

          14.40 GMT: Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta said Paris Saint-Germain's public pursuit of Lionel Messi is "disrespectful" to the Spanish club and urged FIFA to intervene.

          Messi, 33, is out of contract at the end of the season and, since Jan. 1, has been free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with other clubs. Manchester City led the chase for Messi last summer when he told Barca he wanted to leave but PSG have been making the most noise in recent months.

          Neymar said in December he hopes to play with his former Barca teammate again next season and PSG sporting director Leonardo confirmed the club are interested in Messi earlier this month.

          Laporta -- who was Barca president between 2003 and 2010 and is the favourite to return to the role when elections are held on March 7 -- has warned that the lack of governance at the Catalan club is putting Messi's future in jeopardy.

          "The club must be capable of making a good proposal that Messi is willing to accept," he said in a news conference on Wednesday. "That depends on the club. I would understand any answer [from Messi], but he needs to know what the proposal is; that requires urgency. It is getting more complicated all the time to make a convincing proposal. He's free to negotiate with other clubs now and Barca are still without a president.

          "It is disrespectful to Barca that clubs like PSG publicly say they are going to sign Messi. This coming from a club-state that have bypassed the rules. We cannot allow clubs and states the luxury of destabilising another club.

          "In that sense, we will have to speak with UEFA and FIFA to avoid such actions. PSG must abstain from [talking about Messi]. It is out of place for another club to speak about him. And, at the moment, there is no president in place to respond to this lack of respect."

          14.16 GMT: The Daily Telegraph asserts that "Thomas Tuchel must convince N'Golo Kante that his future remains at Chelsea."

          Kante, 29, has two and a half years left on his contract and has been linked with numerous clubs, including Tuchel's former side PSG. Indeed, there are concerns that the France midfielder has grown unhappy with the amount of upheaval during his five years at Stamford Bridge and could be keen to move on.

          New Chelsea boss Tuchel has a number of things on his agenda, and this could certainly be one of them.

          14.00 GMT: Is it just us, or does new Fenerbahce signing Mesut Ozil look sad?

          13.27 GMT: The battle for Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho was one of the major transfer sagas of 2020, as Manchester United were not willing to splash out €120m to sign him in the summer.

          However, things have changed now and as Dortmund have struggled in the league, Sancho has struggled too.

          Although the 20-year-old has improved and now has six goals and 13 assists this term, Dortmund's demise both from a sporting and financial standpoint could force the German club to lower their expectations as they hope to cut their COVID-19 related losses, which are expected to be at around €75m.

          Missing out on Champions League would make things worse and Bild reports they may consider letting stars like Sancho, Gio Reyna and Raphael Guerreiro depart for less than they would have last year.

          13.11 GMT: Tottenham have been linked with a move for Napoli centre-back Nikola Maksimovic, according to Spazio Napoli.

          Maksimovic, 29, is a Serbia international and is out of contract at the end of the season.

          Sources told ESPN that Spurs were interested in signing Inter Milan centre-back Milan Skriniar in the summer but the Serie A club are holding out for a fee of €60m.

          12.45 GMT: Dele Alli is facing an anxious wait over his proposed move to Paris Saint-Germain with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy reluctant to let the midfielder leave, sources have told ESPN's James Olley.

          The 24-year-old has been frozen out of the first-team picture under head coach Jose Mourinho and former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is keen to reunite with Alli in France.

          Sources said that Alli is keen on the move and Mourinho is willing to let him go but Levy is proving to be the major stumbling block. PSG have shown a willingness to negotiate regarding the possibility of inserting an option to buy in any agreement and are willing to offer a loan fee, but Levy is yet to give them a final answer despite being aware of their interest for some time.

          12.33 GMT: Marcos Rojo will become Boca Juniors' first signing in the transfer window with the Argentinian defender having reached an agreement to end his contract with Manchester United, according to TyC.

          Boca could reportedly make his signing official this weekend, with the 30-year-old set to sign a two-year contract with an optional third with the Argentinian giants.

          Rojo has a contract with United until June 30 but is free to negotiate with other clubs. He reportedly turned down an offer from Spanish club to return to Argentina and has played just two games in 14 months for United.

          12.18 GMT: French forward Marley Ake is in Turin for a medical ahead of a move from Marseille to Juventus, says Goal.

          The 20-year-old, who has one France under-19 cap, has made nine appearances for Marseille in Ligue 1 this term, while he also featured in four Champions League group matches.

          Italy youth international Franco Tongya, 18, will move in the opposite direction.

          12.02 GMT: Roma will move for veteran Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud should Edin Dzeko leave, according to Corriere dello Sport, but everything will now depend on new manager Thomas Tuchel.

          Dzeko did not feature during Roma's 4-3 win over Spezia on Saturday following a reported falling out with manager Paulo Fonseca.

          Corriere dello Sport report Roma are looking to sell Dzeko in January and would like to bring in Giroud as a replacement. However, newly appointed Chelsea manager Tuchel will likely have the final say on whether Giroud would be allowed to move in January.

          11.40 GMT: Cologne have confirmed the signing of former Schalke midfielder Max Meyer, who was a free agent after leaving Crystal Palace.

          Meyer, 25, made a total of 56 appearances for Palace since moving in 2018.

          "The deal was only made possible because Max was extremely accommodating to us financially," said Cologne managing director Horst Heldt. "He can be used in midfield in several positions, is a very intelligent player, very secure on the ball and likes to finish off chances himself. That's what Max wants to bring to us until the end of the season, proving his qualities in the Bundesliga again."

          11.35 GMT: Arsenal have completed a loan deal for Real Madrid midfielder Martin Odegaard, it was announced on Wednesday.

          The Premier League side faced competition from La Liga duo Real Sociedad and Sevilla but secured the signing of the 22-year-old which does not include an option to sign the player permanently at the end of the season.

          "I like the club and I always liked the way that the club wants to play. Everything about the club and now how the manager wants to play, I think it's a club that really suits me well. So I think it's a good match," Odegaard said.

          11.23 GMT: Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font has said Eric Garcia is prepared to go unpaid until the end of the season if it helps push through a move before the transfer window closes on Feb. 1.

          Font added Manchester City would accept €3m for the defender but Barca are without an executive board and acting president Carles Tusquets does not have the authority to make signings. Tusquets met with the three candidates for the presidency -- Font, Joan Laporta and Toni Freixa -- earlier this month and it was agreed that, due to the club's financial situation, they would wait until the summer to sign Garcia, when his contract expires with City.

          However, Font has made a late attempt to get the club to change their mind and push through a signing that coach Ronald Koeman has requested.

          "We're asking the acting board to sign Eric Garcia," he said in a news conference on Wednesday. "Koeman's asked for him, our sporting structure [if we're elected] support it and the player wants to come because there's a European Championships this summer.

          "He [would be] fundamental in the fight for three trophies this season. We know City would accept €3m plus add-ons and we wouldn't have to pay until next season -- that's a lot less than Barça offered four months ago. The player's also ready to make a big effort and not be paid a salary until the end of the season."

          11.02 GMT: Argentina central defender Mateo Musacchio is close to finalising his move from AC Milan to Lazio.

          The 30-year-old, who joined Milan as part of a huge summer spending spree in 2017 from Villarreal, has struggled with injuries in recent seasons.

          Musacchio will initially join on loan until June, but the deal could be extended for two seasons. He arrived in Rome on Wednesday and will undertake a medical before completing the move.

          10.20 GMT: Galatasaray have made an offer for USMNT and Newcastle United right-back DeAndre Yedlin, sources have told ESPN's Tom Hamilton.

          The Super Lig side have offered Yedlin, 27, a three-and-a-half-year deal and are pushing for an answer from the defender.

          Yedlin's Newcastle contract is up in June, and he has previously expressed his desire to extend his stay at the Premier League side. However, sources said he is now weighing up the offer from Galatasaray.

          10.01 GMT: Bryan Reynolds' move to Roma from FC Dallas is edging closer with both parties putting the finishing touches to the paperwork, sources have told ESPN's Tom Hamilton.

          ESPN reported on Friday that Roma had become front-runners for the young American right-back following interest from Club Brugge, Juventus and an unnamed other club. At stages in the transfer window both Club Brugge and Juventus were optimistic of landing Reynolds, but Roma have now emerged as the most likely destination.

          Roma are set to pay Dallas a fee in the region of €8m for the 19-year-old, with Reynolds likely to join on loan with an obligation to buy.

          09.20 GMT: Martin Odegaard completed a medical on Tuesday ahead of his move to Arsenal, reports Sky Sports.

          The Norway star has agreed to join the Gunners from Real Madrid until the end of the season, and the deal is expected to be announced in the next 24 hours.

          Odegaard is hoping to get more first-team football under Gunners' boss Mikel Arteta, having played just nine games in all competitions at Real Madrid this season.

          Arsenal appear to have successfully beaten off interest from Real Sociedad who were keen to re-sign the player following his successful loan spell at the club last year. Real Madrid preferred to send him to a club outside of La Liga.

          Odegaard scored seven goals and registered nine assists last season. He will become Arsenal's second signing of the January transfer window, after Socceroos goalkeeper Mat Ryan joined from Brighton.

          09.12 GMT: Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli has skipped training for the past two days as he has tried to push through a loan move to Paris Saint-Germain, the Daily Telegraph reports.

          Alli, 24, has only made four Premier League appearances for Spurs this season as he has fallen out of favour with manager Jose Mourinho.

          The England international reportedly has an offer from PSG to reunite with his former coach at Tottenham, Mauricio Pochettino,

          According to the Telegraph, the final decision rests with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to sanction the move.

          08.33 GMT: Sevilla president Pepe Castro has revealed his club has turned down several offers from English clubs, including reportedly a €38m bid from West Ham, for their Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri.

          En-Nesyri is leading La Liga's goal-scoring charts along with Luis Suarez with 12 goals, and he has scored 16 goals in 27 appearances in all competitions for Sevilla this season. The performances of the 21-year-old, who joined Sevilla in in January last year from Leganes on a contract that runs until June 2025, have not gone unnoticed.

          "There have been interests from English clubs to sign En-Nesyri, but we have no intention of selling," Castro said: "There was a €33m offer plus €5m in variables but there hasn't been more official offers that I know of. The player himself has said clearly, he is delighted here. He wants to continue to grow at Sevilla. He believes this is a big club. He is going to continue to triumph here and that is what we hope and what we desire. We are delighted as we don't want him to leave."

          - Africans Abroad: En-Nesyri eclipses Messi

          08.00 GMT: Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said a deal has not yet been reached to send Jesse Lingard on loan but has confirmed Facundo Pellistri could be set for a temporary move before the transfer deadline.

          Lingard, who has featured three times this season, is wanted by a host of clubs including West Ham, West Brom, Newcastle and Sheffield United. On Sunday, Solskjaer agreed to a loan move with the final decision resting with the club's board.Sources have told ESPN that one stumbling block could be United's demand for a loan fee in excess of a £1m for the 28-year-old.

          "He is still part of the club, part of the squad and no deal has been struck for any players yet going out," Solskjaer said on Tuesday. "There have been many clubs interested in our players so let's see what happens. It's important to take our wishes and our plans into consideration."

          Meanwhile 19-year-old winger Pellistri could be set for a move after playing a number of games for the under-23s.

          "There have been talks and quite a few clubs interested in Facundo to go out on loan and maybe it's something we'll let him do," Solskjaer said. "We want him to have football at a high level."

          PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd)

          Spurs in for Di Maria

          Tottenham Hotspur have approached Paris Saint-Germain about a move for Angel Di Maria this summer, reports L'Equipe.

          Di Maria has been a key player for Mauricio Pochettino since the Argentine coach's arrival earlier this month, but his contract runs out in the summer.

          Pochettino would like to keep the winger at Parc des Princes and talks have begun about a possible extension to his contract, but Spurs are hoping they can tempt the 32-year-old to London.

          Di Maria, who is hoping for a two-year extension, has been offered a pay cut in his new deal, and while talks appear to be stalling, he could use Tottenham's interest as a bargaining tool. He has scored 86 goals and added 102 assists in 243 appearances for PSG.

          Zirkzee set to leave Bayern

          Everton and Parma appear to be battling it out for the signature of Bayern Munich youngster Joshua Zirkzee, according to Sky Sports Germany.

          Both clubs have made offers for the 19-year-old, with both keen to take the player on loan until the end of the season with the option to sign him in the summer for a fee of around £9m.

          Tap-ins

          - Christian Eriksen's match-winning free kick for Internazionale against rivals AC Milan on Tuesday night could see him stay in Italy, if Antonio Conte's postmatch quotes are anything to go by. Talking after Inter's dramatic 2-1 win, Conte said: "Nobody will arrive, nobody will leave. We are working with Eriksen on a tactical level to find an alternative for [Marcelo] Brozovic, because we don't have someone like that in the squad."

          - Bayer Leverkusen have agreed terms with Leicester City's Demarai Gray according to Sky Sports, though the German side are just one of a handful of clubs keen to sign the 24-year-old. Gray's contract expires at the end of the season and he is keen to secure more playing time.

          - Uruguayan winger Brian Rodriguez could be on his way to Europe. Talking to journalist Martin Charquero, Rodriguez said that he prefers a move to Europe rather than a return to LAFC. Cagliari lead a host of Italian clubs keen to sign the 20-year-old, and they include Fiorentina, Genoa, Lazio and Sampdoria.