January is just around the corner. Click here to view the latest transfers, and keep up to date with the newest gossip below.
TOP STORY: Silva could join Beckham’s Miami project
David Silva is set to join David Beckham‘s Inter Miami MLS project when his contract expires in the summer, reports the Mail.
Silva is preparing for life away from Manchester City for the first time in nine years and the Mail reports he’s expected to join Inter Miami as one of the big-name stars Beckham hopes will help attract supporters to the new franchise. Beckham is hoping the Spaniard will appeal to Miami’s Hispanic community in particular as the club embarks on its first season in MLS in 2020.
Silva joined City in 2010 and has won 14 trophies since, including four Premier League titles and three FA Cups. He was voted Players’ Player of the Year in 2012.
It had been mooted that Silva might return to his native Spain next summer, but a bumper payday under Beckham in Miami could prove more tempting.
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21.30 GMT: Rangers manager Steven Gerrard hopes that on-loan striker Jermain Defoe will remain with the Scottish side for another full season. The Times states that Gerrard is keen on having the veteran leadership of Defoe, 37, at the Ibrox as the club tries to keep up with league leaders Celtic. Defoe, on loan from Bournemouth until May, has been a welcome addition for Gerrard, having spent some formative time together as England national squad teammates.
18.30 GMT: Chelsea have made their first signing since having their transfer ban lifted by bringing in a teenage Norwegian striker (no, not that one), according to The Sun.
The Blues had their FIFA-imposed embargo reduced on appeal recently, allowing them to bring in new players in the January transfer window.
But he club has moved even quicker than that, with The Sun reporting that they have added Norway U17 international Bryan Fiabema following a successful trial.
Fiabema, 16, already has first-team minutes under his belt, having played for Tromso in the Norwegian top flight.
17.26 GMT: Amid reports that Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang — only recently appointed captain — is unhappy and wants to leave, ESPN FC’s Shaka Hislop believes the Gunners must keep hold of him and that new manager Mikel Arteta must find a way to play him and Alexandre Lacazette together in the same team.
16.15 GMT: The Columbus Crew announced Friday that they have acquired Argentine midfielder Lucas Zelarayan from Tigres UANL of Liga MX.
The transfer free, reported to be more than $7 million, is the largest in franchise history.
Zelarayan joins the Crew as a Designated Player. He is slated to fill the midfield spot of the departed Federico Higuain.
The 27-year-old recorded 23 goals and 14 assists in 139 matches across all competitions in four seasons with Tigres.
15.14 GMT: Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo has warned potential suitors off making a move for forward Adama Traore amid reported interest from Tottenham.
Traore has seen his development progress significantly this season with four goals and six assists for Wolves so far this term. The most recent of those strikes came in last weekend’s 2-1 loss to Tottenham, and the Daily Mirror reports that Spurs players have since urged Mourinho to try to sign the 23-year-old.
“He has a contract with the club and he’s happy here,” Nuno told a news conference. “He puts a lot of energy, dedication, into things and wants to improve. Things that happen outside, we cannot control.”
14.10 GMT: French club Bordeaux have emerged as rivals to Inter Milan for the January signing of Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud, according to the Daily Mail.
Giroud, 33, has scored just one goal in seven appearances for the Blues this season, while he has netted four times in six games for France.
France coach Didier Deschamps has urged Giroud, his starting centre-forward during Les Bleus‘ victorious 2018 World Cup campaign, to move in January to ensure he plays regular football in the run-up to the 2020 European Championship.
13.17 GMT: Newly appointed Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told players that he will be watching their “attitudes and body efforts” in Saturday’s match at Everton from the stands, sources told ESPN.
Arteta, who attended Goodison Park on Saturday but does not officially start work until Sunday, sent a strong message to his players in his first meeting with them in the club’s dressing room just days before ht ejanuary transfer window opens.
“I will be in the stands tomorrow [Saturday] at Everton. I want you to know that I will be watching your attitude, your efforts, your body language. I will see what you do when we lose the ball, what your attitude is. Also, what you do when we have the ball,” Arteta told Arsenal players, according to sources.
Arteta has played alongside some of Arsenal’s veterans such as Mesut Ozil, Calum Chambers, Hector Bellerin and Emiliano Martinez. Per Mertesacker, who used to sit next to Arteta in the dressing room and was his vice-captain, was also in attendance for the meeting.
12.24 GMT: Paul Pogba wants to stay at Manchester United, where he feels at “home,” his agent Mino Raiola has told the Daily Telegraph.
The France international is a transfer target for Real Madrid with boss Zinedine Zidane a known admirer.
However, Raiola said Pogba enjoys a strong relationship with manage Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who looked after the midfielder at youth level in his first spell at United.
“I think that Paul really went home,” Raiola said. “Paul could have gone elsewhere.
“But he really chose with his heart, to go home. Paul is a very, very nice person. For example, he’s not able to be angry at Ole because Ole treated him so good when Ole was an older player and Paul was a younger player and the respect and the love that he received from Ole means he cannot get angry at Ole.”
11.34 GMT: Carlo Ancelotti has been named the new manager of Everton, the club have confirmed. Ancelotti moves to Goodison Park on a deal until the 2023-24 season.
Ancelotti was sacked by Napoli earlier this month after a high-profile falling out with club chairman Aurelio de Laurentiis.
Ancelotti’s arrival is a coup for Everton. In his previous roles at AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, he won four league titles and the Champions League on three occasions — twice with Milan and once with Real Madrid, ending their 12-year wait for a coveted tenth European Cup.
? | Introducing the new manager of Everton Football Club, @MrAncelotti! #WelcomeMrAncelotti pic.twitter.com/zNNoix8H5R
— Everton (@Everton) December 21, 2019
11.15 GMT: Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho has urged Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen to follow Toby Alderweireld‘s lead by signing a new contract.
Alderweireld ended speculation about his future on Friday by committing to the club until 2023, with his previous deal due to expire in the summer.
Vertonghen and Eriksen are both in the same situation, and can from next month talk to foreign clubs about a free transfer at the end of the season unless they sign new contracts.
When asked directly if he wanted Vertonghen to stay, Mourinho told a news conference on Friday: “Yes. I think a player will sign a contract when the club wants — I am the club, Mr [chairman Daniel] Levy is the club — when the player wants, when the family wants, when the agent wants.
“If one of these parts doesn’t want it is very difficult to make it happen unless the player changes agent and gets an agent who also wants. But again, the most important thing is what Toby told [the club]: ‘I couldn’t be happier in another place.’ Amazing.”
Regarding Eriksen, who has been linked with interest from Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus in the past, Mourinho added: “The only thing I will tell you about Christian is that I would like him to sign a new contract. Apart from that I’m not going to tell you anything.”
10.27 GMT: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has played down the prospect of Erling Haaland joining Manchester United in January despite reports on Friday the FC Salzburg striker is flying into Manchester for talks.
Sources have told ESPN that United made an enquiry over Haaland, who has also been linked with moves to RB Leipzig, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund and Solskjaer has travelled to Salzburg to meet with the 19-year-old’s advisors. However, speaking at a news conference, Solskjaer tried to cool talks of imminent negotiations.
“I don’t think he’s en route here,” Solskjaer said. “I can’t comment on other team’s players. It’s just one of those things. In this job there are so many speculations.
“He’s not coming to Manchester. I know the boy and his friends and he’s on a Christmas holiday. You can’t fly anywhere from Stavanger, you need to go via.”
09.30 GMT: Former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka is in talks with Hertha BSC over a January move to the Bundesliga side, sources close to the Premier League club have told ESPN.
In 2016, Xhaka joined Arsenal from Borussia Monchengladbach for €45m. However, three years on a fee in the region of €20m to €30m is being discussed.
The 27-year-old was installed as club captain at the beginning of the campaign. However, following a dispute with the club’s fans in the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in October, the captain’s armband was handed to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
PAPER TALK (by Nick Judd): PSG and Juve discuss Can-Paredes swap deal
Former Liverpool midfielder Emre Can could be Paris-bound this January as the French champions look to bolster their midfield options, according to the Mail.
Can is lacking game time under Juventus boss Maurizio Sarri and has played only seven times this season, while Paris Saint-Germain are keen to add his physical presence to their midfield. The Ligue 1 giants are looking for a bargain while negotiating a new deal with striker Kylian Mbappe.
Can, who has been linked with several European clubs since the summer, joined Juve in 2018 but finds Aaron Ramsey, Adrien Rabiot, Miralem Pjanic, Sami Khedira and Blaise Matuidi all ahead of him in the pecking order.
Any deal could see Leandro Paredes leave in the opposite direction to Turin as a potential makeweight. The former Zenit midfielder joined PSG in January, but has made just 20 appearances so far in 2019.
Pep plots four signings
It’s all change at Manchester City following the exit of Mikel Arteta to Arsenal and many sources are suggesting Pep Guardiola is contemplating his own future. However, the Mail reports the Spaniard is in fact preparing for next season already and could begin adding players to his squad in January with a view to extending his own stay.
The Mail suggests Guardiola is eyeing four new signings with a centre-back a top priority. And with the aforementioned David Silva also leaving in the summer, a central midfielder could also feature quite highly.
City had been linked with Leicester City’s Jonny Evans, who plays at the Etihad on Saturday. However, Pep has distanced himself from the former Manchester United defender and instead appears to be casting his net a bit wider.
Tap-ins
– Borussia Dortmund are keen to snap up Napoli’s Belgian star Dries Mertens who is currently stalling on a new contract, says Calciomercato. Mertens is believed to favour staying in Naples, but Dortmund are desperate for a striker in January as a result of the absence of injured Paco Alcacer. The German side are still in the title race and in the last 16 of the Champions league, but they need reinforcements.
– Andres Iniesta is contemplating a move to Argentina from Japan, according to Argentine network TNT Sports. Iniesta has a year left on his contract, but reports from Argentina suggest the former Barcelona hero could move to Estudiantes de la Plata in the Primera Division in 2020. Estudiantes are managed by Iniesta’s former teammate Gaby Milito and also boast former Barca hard man Javier Mascherano on their payroll. A Barca reunion is on the cards.
– Mario Mandzukic could end one of the longest-running transfer sagas of 2019 by moving to Qatar in January, reports Calciomercato. The Italian site suggests the Croatian forward, linked with Manchester United among others since the summer, is Qatar-bound in the new year. Mandzukic has spent most of this season on the bench after having scored 44 goals in 162 appearances for the Bianconeri, and it is rumoured he could land a bumper contract in the Middle East.