Manchester United have reignited their interest in Jarrad Branthwaite while Liverpool prepare a January swoop for a midfielder. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumours, and gossip from the world of soccer.
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TRENDING RUMORS
– Manchester United are one of several clubs considering a move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, the Daily Mail reports. The Red Devils are long-time admirers of Branthwaite, having had a bid for the player turned down in the summer. However, with Everton currently unable to offer the 22-year-old a new deal, they could be tempted into letting him go sooner than they had hoped. Branthwaite’s contract expires in 2027.
– Liverpool are set to scour the market for a new central midfielder in the January transfer window, reports Football Insider. Money is set to be made available to head coach Arne Slot after the club missed out on signing Real Sociedad’s Martín Zubimendi in the summer. Ryan Gravenberch has made the No. 6 position his own this season, but Liverpool are said to be keen on providing some competition for the young Dutchman.
– Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman is “one to watch” for the winter transfer window, reports Florian Plettenberg. The 26-year-old has been heavily linked with several Premier League sides this season following a breakthrough 2023-24. Lookman could be available for as little as €25 million to €30m in January, as the player looks to “take the next step” in his career.
– Bayern Munich have joined the ever-growing list of clubs closely monitoring Sporting CP forward Geovany Quenda, Record reports. Quenda,17, has made 16 appearances for Sporting this season, including four in the Champions League. He has also been linked with Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Juventus, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen.
– Dani Ceballos will not be allowed to leave Real Madrid in the summer — despite strong loan interest from Real Betis and Real Sociedad. The 28-year-old has played only 108 minutes for Los Blancos this season, and the suggestion was he could move on when the window reopens. But Diario Sport says Carlo Ancelotti doesn’t want to reduce his midfield options and cannot move on before the summer.
EXPERT TAKE
Rob Dawson, ESPN’s Manchester United correspondent, gives his view on a possible move to Old Trafford for Jarrad Branthwaite.
Manchester United were keen to sign Jarrad Branthwaite in the summer and wouldn’t have signed Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich had Everton dropped their price tag down from £75m.
Everton are not under immediate pressure to facilitate a move because he has a contract until 2027, but the 22-year-old has indicated he’s unlikely to sign a new deal — meaning they will have to consider their options sooner rather than later.
Young, English left-footed centre-backs are hard to find, which is one of the reasons why United were so interested in the first place. They’re pretty well-stocked in the centre of defence — important if Ruben Amorim implements his preferred 3-4-3 system when he comes in — but the futures of Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire are up in the air. Lindelof and Evans are out of contract in the summer. Maguire is too, although the club have an option to extend his deal until 2026.
Sporting director Dan Ashworth will have a lot of work to do next summer to build a squad which is capable of meeting Amorim’s demands and it would be no surprise to see interest in Branthwaite reignited, particularly if Lindelof and Evans both leave.
OTHER RUMORS
– West Ham are fearful their technical director Tim Steidten could choose to join Arsenal as Edu’s replacement as sporting director. The German joined West Ham from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2023 but has been under pressure of late due to his transfer track record. (Daily Telegraph)
– Victor Osimhen has declared he intends to see out the season with Galatasaray. The Nigeria international joined the Turkish outfit on a season-long loan from Napoli but there was talk he could move elsewhere permanently in January. (TMW)
– Juventus have been told that Lille striker Jonathan David will be available for £15m-20m in January as he moves into the last six months of his contract. However, Juve will not be able to find that money in the winter window, meaning Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United could steal on march for the 24-year-old Canada international. (Tuttosport)
– Barcelona are certain to trigger the extra year in Robert Lewandowski‘s contract. The player is also willing to discuss lowering his salary in return for a fifth year, to cover the 2026-27 campaign, though there is no rush to find an agreement. (Diario Sport)
– Eintracht Frankfurt will demand a transfer fee of €60m for striker Omar Marmoush. Bayern Munich and Liverpool are both linked with the Egypt international, who has 29 goals and 15 assists in 55 appearances. (Fussball News)
– Paris Saint-Germain have no interest in signing Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyökeres in January, while the Ligue 1 club are also concerned about the pressure a transfer fee of €75m to €100 would place on the prolific striker. (Le Parisien)
– While not interested in Gyökeres, PSG could move on fellow striker Randal Kolo Muani in January. The France international is attracting interest from English and German clubs. (RMC Sport)
– Manchester United forward Amad wants to sign a new contract with the club. “I’m happy to be here,” the Ivory Coast international said. “I’m happy to play for this club, and yeah, I want to stay here for a long, long, long time to make history with this club.” The 22-year-old is into the last year of his deal.
– Wolverhampton Wanderers could sack manager Gary O’Neil if they fail to beat fellow strugglers Southampton this weekend. (Daily Telegraph)
– Bayern Munich midfielder Paul Wanner, who is on loan at Heidenheim, is being eyed by two clubs. RB Leipzig see the 18-year-old as a replacement for Xavi Simons next summer, but he is also interesting Bayer Leverkusen — and Bayern could use Wanner as a makeweight in a move for Florian Wirtz. (Christian Falk)
– Santos have contacted Neymar‘s staff about the possibility of the player returning to the club next summer. The Brazil international’s contract with Al Hilal expires in June. (TNT Brasil)
– River Plate are looking to sign Benfica captain Nicolas Otamendi in the winter transfer window. Otamendi’s contract with Benfica expires at the end of the season and he has previously expressed an interest in playing for River. (Record)
– West Ham are set to join the race to sign Galatasaray defender Victor Nelsson. The 26-year-old Denmark international, who has 15 caps, is also wanted by Sevilla, Fiorentina and Lille. (Ekrem Konur)
– Inter Milan defender Yann Bisseck is set to sign a new contract with the club, just a few months after turning down the chance to join West Ham. The 23-year-old is already committed through to 2028, and will now stay for a further year. (Tuttosport)
