The 2022 January transfer window is closed, but there’s still plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Monaco set transfer fee for Tchouameni
AS Monaco will not accept any offers under €50 million for the transfer of Aurelien Tchouameni, according to Foot Mercato.
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This is due to the the clause in the midfielder’s initial transfer from Bordeaux, which would will receive 20% of any future funds.
Real Madrid are particularly keen to sign the 22-year-old France international, with Los Blancos hoping to strengthen a midfield that includes veterans Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Paris Saint-Germain are also looking at Tchouameni — having previously signed Kylian Mbappe from Monaco — while Liverpool are looking for new talent behind Jordan Henderson and James Milner.
Chelsea are also to be interested but the pending sale of the club will likely prove difficult for any transfers until the new ownership is settled.
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13.33 GMT: Atletico Madrid have made an offer to Sergi Roberto to join on a free transfer when his contract at Barcelona expires this summer, according to Sport.
The midfielder, who can also play at right-back, is one of Barca’s captains and coach Xavi would like to keep him, but the 30-year-old’s high salary has made renewal negotiations complicated.
Atleti will be in the market for a right-sided defender this summer after Kieran Trippier left for Newcastle United in the January window.
They brought in Daniel Wass in January, who suffered a knee injury on his debut, and have since been using both Marcos Llorente and Sime Vrsaljko in the position.
12.36 GMT: Manchester United have been linked with interest in two goalkeepers as they look to strengthen their options for next season.
The Sunday Mirror reports that United have been watching Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, known as ‘Bono,’ for several months. The Canada-born Morocco international has a €30m release clause in his contract, which runs until 2024.
The 29-year-old, who caught the eye last season when he scored a late equaliser at Valladolid, has helped Sevilla keep the meanest defensive record in LaLiga this season with just 19 goals conceded.
Meanwhile, United are also interested in signing Dundee United’s Benjamin Siegrist, according to The Sun on Sunday.
The 30-year-old Swiss goalkeeper is out of contract in the summer and United scout Tony Coton has reportedly been monitoring him as a potential alternative to West Brom’s Sam Johnstone, who is also a free agent at the end of the season.
11.42 GMT: Xavi Hernandez has said the door will always be open for Lionel Messi at Barcelona for as long as he is the coach.
Messi left for Paris Saint-Germain last August because Barca could not afford to renew his contract, while Xavi, Messi’s former teammate at Camp Nou, returned as coach in November.
It’s been a difficult first year for Messi in Paris, where he has scored just two league goals, which has led to him being jeered by his own supporters last weekend after the Champions League exit to Real Madrid.
“I think Messi’s the best ever,” Xavi said in a news conference on Saturday when asked about LaLiga president Javier Tebas’ interview with ESPN in which he said he would like to see the Argentina forward back in Spain.
“The door will always be open and, while I am coach, if he wants to come every day to watch training or to speak with the manager, [then no problem].
“He’s owed a huge homage from the club. That’s how it should be because everything he has given us has no price. But he has a contract with PSG so I can’t say much more.”
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10.46 GMT: Newcastle United could target Everton defender Ben Godfrey this summer as they aim to continue strengthening their defensive options, the Sunday Mirror reports.
England international Godfrey, 24, joined Everton from Norwich City in 2020 in a £25m transfer, since when he has made 50 Premier League appearances.
The centre-back helped Everton keep a clean sheet in their 1-0 win over Newcastle on Thursday.
09.51 GMT: Perth Glory have sacked coach Richard Garcia and his assistant Steven McGarry following a horror run of results for the A-League Men club.
The news came 15 hours after Glory suffered a 4-1 home loss to the Brisbane Roar in a result that extended the club’s winless run to seven matches and left them on the bottom of the ladder.
Former Sydney FC, Newcastle Jets and Glory midfielder Ruben Zadkovich will take over as coach for the remainder of the season, with Chris Coyne appointed as his assistant.
Garcia’s tenure at Glory was heavily affected by COVID-19 challenges, with the team forced to spend most of its time interstate.
But it was the recent run of poor results upon the team returning home that marked Garcia’s cards, with Glory snaring just one point from their string of four consecutive home matches.
09.00 GMT: Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino has said he and his staff have what it takes to help the club win their first Champions League title one day, despite their recent collapse against Real Madrid.
PSG won the first leg of their round-of-16 tie 1-0 at home before losing 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu in the return leg, another remarkable failure following past meltdowns against Barcelona and Manchester United.
After Pochettino joined more than a year ago, they reached the Champions League semifinals but lost the Ligue 1 title to Lille while showing a lack of character and playing style.
“We are competitive by nature. This kind of challenge is an exciting one to take on… To give the possibility to fight again for this [Champions League] title, it’s exciting,” Pochettino told a news conference on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s Ligue 1 trip to Monaco.
“Beyond the sadness, to give PSG the possibility to fight to fulfil their objectives is always a great challenge. And yes, we feel capable of it. Afterwards, it’s a question of exchanges. We will have to sit down with the club to exchange. To find the best formula. To see the vision, the future, the ideas, the project.”
Whether Pochettino will be the coach leading PSG to another bid for the Champions League title is uncertain, though, as speculation is mounting that he could be replaced at the end of the season. Sources have told ESPN he is wanted by Manchester United.
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PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)
– Juventus hope that Manchester City’s pursuit of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland will allow them to move in and sign Gabriel Jesus, according to The Daily Star. The Serie A side expect a transfer to be worth around £65m and believe that a move to Italy could be tempting for the Brazilian ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
– Internazionale and Juventus both want to sign Conor Gallagher, who is on loan at Crystal Palace from Chelsea, according to The Sun. Scouts for the Italian clubs were on hand for Palace’s match against Manchester City, although Gallagher is said to want to return to Chelsea and fight for spot at Stamford Bridge.
– Benfica want €80m for talismanic striker Darwin Nunez, reports Ekrem Konur, with the Uruguayan having scored 26 goals and assisted two in 33 matches across all competitions this term. The 22-year-old has been linked with the likes of Manchester City, Barcelona and others at times this season.
– Bayern Munich have not been in the race to sign Antonio Rudiger since January, but the Chelsea defender has been approached by at least three clubs in recent weeks including Juventus, reports Fabrizio Romano. With Rudiger’s contract ending in the summer, Juventus are pushing to sign him as a free agent but the Germany international has still not decided on his future club.
– Divock Origi has told Liverpool that he wants to leave during the summer, according to Football Insider, due to the Belgian slipping further down the pecking order since Luis Diaz’s arrival from Porto in January. Liverpool are expected to allow the forward to leave, with AC Milan said to be interested in signing him.
