Man United eye Bournemouth’s King

It’s crunch time as the January transfer window nears its final hours. Find out when it closes across Europe, view the latest transfers as they happen and keep up to date with the newest gossip below.

Jump to: What do the big clubs need? | Paper Talk

– Sources: Chelsea eye Mertens as Giroud exit stalls
– Sources: Cavani to Atleti off over PSG’s €20m demand
– Barca land Portuguese starlet for €31m in summer
– Arsenal sign Southampton’s Soares on loan

TOP STORY: Man United keen on Bournemouth’s King

Despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s comments at his news conference this morning, Manchester United are still pushing to sign Bournemouth striker Josh King before the January transfer window comes to an end at 11 p.m. GMT/6 p.m. ET today, sources have told ESPN.

Bournemouth are offering him around the Premier League but have turned down a loan offer from United and a subsequent bid of around £26 million.

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Sources said that King is keen to move back to Old Trafford, where he worked with Solskjaer in the reserves, and there is confidence among his entourage that a move will happen. One stumbling block is the fate of Hull forward Jarrod Bowen. United have been made aware that Bournemouth want to sign Bowen to replace King but it looks like he’s on his way to West Ham instead for £20m.

United have also been offered the chance to sign Real Sociedad forward Willian Jose, along with Tottenham, but the Spanish club released a statement claiming that no players would be leaving.

Other names who could come into the frame for United include: Southampton striker Danny Ings, former West Brom and Newcastle striker Salomon Rondon, Real Madrid’s Luka Jovic, Leicester’s Islam Slimani, Valencia’s Maxi Gomez and Fenerbahce’s Vedat Muriqi.

LIVE BLOG

14.01 GMT: Inter Miami’s Jorge Mas to Sky Sports News: “We have had conversations about Edinson Cavani, but I do not want to make any comments further than that based on that he is a PSG player at the time.”

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has refused to rule out a late move for a striker on deadline day, despite the apparent collapse of a deal for Cavani and the arrival of wide forward Yannick Carrasco on loan.

“There are a few hours to go and anything can happen” Simeone said in a news conference on Friday ahead of Saturday’s Madrid derby. “Everything that happens is a consequence of what we’ve talked about and the conditions of the club. The club comes first.”

Atletico have pursued a deal for Cavani throughout the January window but have ultimately been unable to agree on terms with Paris Saint-Germain or the player’s representatives.

13.42 GMT: Olivier Giroud is staying at Chelsea then…

Frank Lampard reports the transfer window is 95 per cent shut for Chelsea and there is no deal for most of the players there have been speculation over, including a move out for Olivier Giroud. #LEICHE

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 31, 2020

13.40 GMT: Manchester United have signed a player.

It’s 20-year-old goalkeeper Nathan Bishop from Southend.

13.35 GMT: Pep Guardiola is speaking at a news conference ahead of Manchester City’s visit to Tottenham on Sunday and the first question was about whether or not he will sign anyone today. “You know the answer,” was his reply. There won’t be any new signings at City today.

Reminder: City are 19 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has also been speaking about his two loan moves for Cedric Soares and Pablo Mari: “We’ve been trying to be active in the market. We’ve found two players we believe can be very useful. We are happy with what we have done.”

Reminder: Arsenal are 10th and are 40 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.

13.30 GMT: You know that big ‘Barcelona bid €85m for Richarlison‘ story the other day?

Everton boss Carlo said at his news conference: “We didn’t receive an official offer for him. He is a really important part of our squad. Rumour is rumour. And even if not rumour, Richarlison is a really important player for us.”

13.19 GMT: Yesterday, Manchester United completed the signing of Bruno Fernandes from Sporting CP in a deal that could be worth up to €80m.

Here’s why he moved.

13.01 GMT: Sheffield United have made another signing and landed Dutch striker Richairo Zivkovic on a six-month loan from Chinese League One club Changchun Yatai.

13.00 GMT: Manchester United have had a £20m bid for Birmingham’s 16-year-old midfielder Jude Bellingham turned down and sources close to the club have told ESPN a deal is unlikely to be reached today.

United are at the front of the queue but Birmingham want more than the offer on the table — which amounts to a structured deal made up of £8.5m up front and a series of add-ons. Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund are two of the other clubs also interested.

12.45 GMT: Manchester United were once reportedly interested in Rochdale’s Luke Matheson, but the 17-year old is at Wolves to have a medical after a deal was agreed for around £1m, says Sky Sports.

12.34 GMT: Hertha Berlin have made €60m of moves this window and are set to keep entertaining us until the German window closes at 17.00 GMT today.

Jurgen Klinsmann’s side have been linked with Mario Gotze, Julian Draxler, Julian Weigl, Granit Xhaka and Konrad de la Fuente to name a few. They landed Lucas Tousart from Lyon, although he was loaned back until the summer, and also VfB Stuttgart’s Santiago Ascacibar and Krzystof Piatek.

But they should sign Leipzig winger Matheus Cunha, 20, for a fee just below €20m before the window closes, says Kicker.

12.21 GMT: Former Manchester United forward Ravel Morrison hasn’t reached his full potential by any means and is set to sign for his 10th club, with a loan to Middlesbrough being reported by the Telegraph.

Morrison, 26, joined Sheffield United in the summer but is set to move on already.

12.13 GMT: Barcelona have struck a deal with S.C. Braga to sign young forward Francisco Trincao for around €31m, which includes a €500m release clause.

Trincao, 20, will join Barca on July 1, when the Spanish champions will make a decision on whether to include him in the first team next season or send him out on loan.

Abel Ruiz is expected to move the other way. The young striker would join the Portuguese side on loan initially before making the move permanent at the end of the campaign.

12.03 GMT: According to RMC Sport, Monaco are negotiating with Real Sociedad for defender Diego Llorente.

Monaco’s vice-president Oleg Petrov hasn’t been quiet about his wish for the club to qualify for the Champions League but with the French team sitting in 13th position in Ligue One, the squad will need a shake up to get close to the qualifying spots.

The 26-year-old Spain international is reportedly interested in a move to Monaco but with time ticking on deadline day, it remains to be seen whether the deal will get over the line in time.

12.00 GMT: Atletico Madrid have confirmed they have re-signed Yannick Carrasco on loan from Dalian Yifang.

11.32 GMT: Lyon manager Rudi Garcia made it clear after his side’s 2-1 win over Nice last night that he is keen to sign a central defender.

“I am waiting for us to sign a central defender. We have just 3 central defenders. Marcelo will soon be suspended. If one of them gets injured, we are going to have to be inventive,” Garcia said at a news conference after the game.

Lyon have already signed midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and striker Karl Toko Ekambi on loan this transfer window.

10.59 GMT: Arsenal have announced the signing of Cedric Soares on loan until the end of the season from Southampton.

The 28-year-old was part of Portugal’s Euro 2016-winning squad and had been a regular starter under Ralph Hasenhuttl at Southampton until he sustained a foot injury at the start of January.

His injury means that he may not be able to start for Arsenal for another three weeks.

He’s our Cedric! ✅

Welcome to London. Welcome to Arsenal.

? @OficialCedric pic.twitter.com/U6SSYKDSJU

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 31, 2020

10.39 GMT: Deadline day started with a bang with the Times reporting that Tottenham were set to make a last minute swoop to bring Gareth Bale back to the club.

But Bale will not make a shock return to Tottenham, sources have told ESPN, while Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has said he is “counting on” the forward between now and the end of the season.

Tottenham would have to dig deep to bring Bale back. When he moved in 2013, it was for a world record transfer fee of £85m and his contract sees him earn £500,000 a week, but the Welshman was spotted training as normal this morning with the Real Madrid team so it’s not happening.

Gareth Bale training as normal with Real Madrid team mates this morning… pic.twitter.com/F84bIxxYKu

— Alex Kirkland (@alexkirkland) January 31, 2020

10.02 GMT: Mauro Icardi‘s loan move to Paris Saint-Germain has largely been a fruitful experience for both the player and club.

While the striker is currently experiencing a bit of a dry spell, he’s scored 17 goals and clocked up four assists in 24 games with PSG.

It makes sense then that Icardi is looking for a permanent move to Le Parc des Princes, as reported by Tuttosport.

The Argentine’s loan deal did include an option to buy clause so it wouldn’t be unreasonable to see him stay in Paris.

10.00 GMT: Ianis Hagi, the son of Romanian football legend Gheorghe, has joined Rangers on loan from Genk until the end of the season.

Hagi, 21, is an attacking midfielder and impressed at the 2019 under-21 European Championships.

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard said: “We are delighted to be able to add Ianis to the squad of players for the second half of the season. We have been scouting him for some time and it was clear that he has the quality to help to make a difference to the team.”

09.39 GMT: Borussia Dortmund are set to announce Emre Can’s loan move to Germany later in the day despite reports in German media that talks have been stopped last night.

Dortmund and Juventus are reportedly still negotiating a salary.

Fabrizio Romano reports that the deal will include an option to buy.

09.08 GMT: Lionel Messi is determined to stay at Barcelona, says Mundo Deportivo, but he only wants to sign one-year contract extensions from now on.

Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu told the Associated Press in November that he was ready to offer the 32-year-old an “indefinite” contract — much like that of Andres Iniesta before he left for Japan. But Messi is happier to keep things simple and stay at Camp Nou on a short-term basis.

09.00 GMT: Bayer Leverkusen are set to take advantage of the United Kingdom’s strict work-permit regulations.

With time running out for a thorough check on Edmond Tapsoba’s eligibility to play in the Premier League, Leverkusen look likely to beat Leicester City to the Burkina Faso defender’s signature, kicker reports.

The 20-year-old centre-back is set to be unveiled at the Bay-Arena today, with Bayer agreeing a fee in the €17m region with Portuguese outfit Vitoria Guimaraes.

08.51 GMT: Sky Sports are reporting that Inter Milan have made a fresh bid for Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud, while Lazio are also interested.

Giroud is keen to leave Stamford Bridge this month, with Tottenham watching developments in case they can’t sign Willian Jose from Real Sociedad.

08.35 GMT: Alexis Mac Allister has notified Boca Juniors of his desire to end his loan deal early in order to return to parent club Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Argentine midfielder received a work permit this month, which allows him to play in the Premier League.

“As it stands now, Alexis has notified us of his wish to leave (the club),” said Boca executive Marcelo Delgado, as reported in Ole. “There’s very little we can do because he is owned by Brighton, it would be different if Boca owned him. The most important thing is that we don’t want Alexis to return to Europe. We want to reach an agreement and for everything to be resolved quickly.”

Mac Allister, 21, signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Brighton from Argentinos Juniors in January 2019 but did not have a work permit. He returned on loan to Argentinos Juniors before joining Boca Juniors on a one-year loan in June.

08.14 GMT: Barcelona target Matheus Fernandes has bade farewell to Palmeiras and confirmed his “dream move” to Europe.

Barca have reportedly paid €11m to Palmeiras to land the Brazilian midfielder, who is expected to be sent out on loan to Real Valladolid for the remainder of the season.

Fernandes, 21, wrote on his Instagram: “I have never been good at goodbyes, but sometimes they are necessary, although difficult. I say goodbye and I thank Palmeiras, a club that trusted my potential, and hired me last year. My thanks also to Botafogo for opening the doors for a boy full of dreams. Very honoured to have worn shirts with so much history of Brazilian football.

“Of course, I cannot forget the greatest supporters of my short career. Father, mother, my family … every time I doubted where I could get you were there. Unconditionally supporting me! Each victory achieved in my career was not mine. It was ours! We suffer and win together! Today came the day to fulfill a dream of playing in Europe. I am grateful to God for all that He has given me. Soon, new challenges, goals and dreams! Let’s look ahead, this is just the beginning.”

08.00 GMT: Atletico Madrid are on the verge of completing a deal to bring former forward Yannick Carrasco back to the club on loan, according to multiple reports in Spain.

The 26-year-old Belgium international joined China’s Dalian Yifang in a surprise move in 2018, leaving Madrid after a three year spell which included scoring in the 2016 Champions League final.

A deal for long-term target Edinson Cavani appears to have fallen through after Atletico failed to reach an agreement with either Paris Saint-Germain or the Uruguayan striker’s representatives.

Atletico — who face Real Madrid in the derby on Saturday — have been desperate to add to their forward line during the January window after struggling to find the back of the net this season. Only five La Liga clubs have scored fewer goals this campaign, and with Diego Costa sidelined since November with a back injury, they have been over-reliant on Alvaro Morata.

WHAT DO THE BIG CLUBS NEED

PREMIER LEAGUE

LIVERPOOL: Nobody. The Premier League leaders are 19 points clear and have a policy of rotation in the cups. There’s nobody who can improve this side right now, but watch out for a couple of moves next summer.

MAN CITY: Pep Guardiola says that nobody is coming in this month. However, they should really get some defensive cover if they have any designs on success this season. Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar has been linked, but don’t expect that to happen. Leroy Sane will most likely depart in the summer but will stay until then.

LEICESTER: The key has been keeping their top players, namely James Maddison and Ben Chilwell, from joining other clubs. That done, there’s a need for defensive cover and Vitoria Guimaraes’ Edmond Tapsoba, Southampton defender Jannik Vestergaard and Brest’s Ibrahima Diallo have been linked.

CHELSEA: A striker is key, especially if Tammy Abraham is injured, although the rumoured £150m spending spree hasn’t materialised. A new left-back (Chilwell) and a replacement for Eden Hazard (Jadon Sancho) will have to wait until the summer, but a back-up striker is possible if they can land Napoli striker Dries Mertens.

MAN UNITED: Having landed Bruno Fernandes to bolster the midfield, a backup striker is also required at Old Trafford. If they can’t land Bournemouth’s Josh King, a loan option is most likely, with Real Madrid’s Luka Jovic, Leicester’s Islam Slimani, Valencia’s Maxi Gomez and Fenerbahce’s Vedat Muriqi reportedly on the list, with Mertens too.

TOTTENHAM: Seeing a theme here? Harry Kane is injured, so Spurs need a backup after already signing forward Steven Bergwijn and letting Christian Eriksen leave for Inter. Giroud is a possibility, though the main target is Real Sociedad’s Willian Jose. No, Gareth Bale is not an option. A full-back would also be useful, but Jose Mourinho seems happy to dip into the club’s youth team for cover there.

ARSENAL: Defensive cover arrived in the form of former Man City defender Pablo Mari, but the struggling Gunners are still short. Southampton’s Cedric Soares has provided more cover at full-back on loan, but there won’t be anything major spent as the club are saving for their summer overhaul.

SELECTED EUROPEAN CLUBS

ATLETICO MADRID: PSG’s Edinson Cavani is the answer to Atletico’s scoring woes, though negotiations seem to have broken down. Former forward Yannick Carrasco looks set to return from China, while flop Thomas Lemar will likely stay put until the summer, despite links to Arsenal and Tottenham.

BARCELONA: Luis Suarez’s injury means Barcelona need an attacking player. They’ve reportedly had an €85m bid rejected for Everton’s Richarlison, seen Ajax rebuff them for Dusan Tadic, and are keen to sell Philippe Coutinho to raise funds. Chelsea’s Willian has been a long-term target, as has Inter’s €111m rated Lautaro Martinez, while a deal for Valencia’s Rodrigo Moreno looks dead and it’s unlikely they will sign anyone now. They will get Braga’s Francisco Trincao and Matheus Fernandes from Palmeiras in the summer.

INTER MILAN: So many signings, so many former Man United players … Antonio Conte is keen on adding Giroud to play as backup to Romelu Lukaku but Inter are being linked with almost every misfit under the sun. They beat off competition to land Eriksen from Tottenham for around €20m but need a target up front. Ex-Tottenham striker Fernando Llorente has been linked. A swap deal which included Matteo Politano for Roma’s Leonardo Spinazzola fell through, while Matteo Darmain’s move seems to have done the same after Victor Moses and Ashley Young arrived.

PAPER TALK (by Harry Kettle)

Man United will let Pogba go in the summer

Clearly, with a new attacking midfielder in the shape of Bruno Fernandes arriving at Old Trafford, Man United don’t need old Paul Pogba anymore. In fact, barely 24 hours after Bruno’s arrival, the Sun claims that United are already ready to ship out Pogba in the summer.

Real Madrid have a longstanding interest and turned down the chance to get Christian Eriksen because they wanted to wait for Pogba, while Juventus are also keen to bring the Frenchman back to Turin.

We’ll have to wait until the summer for this saga to end, but it looks pretty nailed on now.

Juventus, Dortmund near €30m deal for Can

Juventus and Borussia Dortmund have finally reached an agreement regarding the transfer of Emre Can, according to Goal.

With one day left in the transfer window, the Germany international will undergo a medical to finalise the deal.

The former Liverpool midfielder has been heavily linked with a switch over to the Bundesliga, but it was believed that Dortmund needed to free up some space financially before making a deal happen.

Now, after some intense negotiations and the German side’s Thursday €25m sale of Paco Alcacer to Villarreal, it appears as if they’re finally going to get this one over the finish line. Can will initially leave on loan with an obligation to buy with the Old Lady set to pocket nearly €30m.

Tap-ins

– Wigan Athletic left-back and United States international Antonee Robinson is set to join AC Milan, according to Sky Sports Italia. Robinson, born to an American father in England, rose up in the Everton youth ranks and joined Championship side Wigan last summer after an initial loan spell. He has also done a loan stint with Bolton Wanderers from 2017-18.