LIVE: Barca, Real join Man City in Sane chase
The winter window opened Jan. 2, and as always, Transfer Talk has its finger on the pulse when it comes to all the latest rumours and gossip. See the latest deals here.
TOP STORY: Barca, Real Madrid join the race for Sane
Leroy Sane won high praise from Pep Guardiola in November for his fine performances at Schalke, with the Catalan coach’s approval possibly explaining why Manchester City have been so heavily linked with the 19-year-old midfielder. City may be targeting Sane as a welcome gift for Guardiola this summer, but German magazine kicker reports Barcelona and Real Madrid are joining the chase for the Germany under-21 international.
The Clasico duo are reportedly in the hunt, with Schalke “increasingly unlikely” to hold on to Sane amid talk of a huge January bid from City. While the Bundesliga club may be able to keep the promising player this month, any bids around the ¬50 million mark are likely to seal a deal. Meanwhile, Yaya Toure’s agent Dimitri Seluk has rolled out the welcome wagon for Guardiola by claiming his own grandfather could have achieved Pep’s success in Spain and Germany.
Looks like Yaya may be off this summer…
LIVE
08.43 GMT: Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Harvard Nordveit, 25, has entered the final six months of his contract. He said “no decision has been made yet” but hinted at a Premier League move: “For every Scandinavian, England is the big deal, I have to say that clearly.” Hs been linked with Arsenal and United by Bild and sporting executive Max Eberl said: “We can’t compete with Premier League money.”
08.27 GMT: Bild claims Liverpool have contacted Schalke about a possible deal for Sidney Sam. The 27-year-old winger has rarely been seen on the pitch, and has disappointed since joining as a Germany international from Leverkusen in 2014, but maybe Jurgen Klopp thinks he can revive him.
08.05 GMT: Liverpool are to recall goalkeeper Danny Ward from loan at Aberdeen six months early, the BBC has reported.
The 22-year-old was due to remain at Pittodrie until the summer but the arrangement allowed for him to be recalled from Jan. 1, an option that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has now decided to exercise, the report stated.
07.30 GMT: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We start Monday’s live Transfer Talk blog at Arsenal, where Nacho Monreal could be set to sign a new deal. The left-back is a key member of Arsene Wenger’s XI and had been linked with a move to Athletic Bilbao last summer.
PAPER ROUND
Pato to Anfield?
Alexandre Pato has made European clubs well aware he wants a return to the continent this winter, and multiple British newspapers have picked up on Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla suggesting that the Brazil striker has turned down a massive offer from China to agree an £11 million move to Liverpool this January. With the long-term Anfield futures of both Daniel Sturridge and Christian Benteke in doubt under Jurgen Klopp, Pato would represent a reasonably cheap forward gamble who, at just 26, could still conceivably have his best years ahead of him.
Elsewhere at Anfield — Klopp is a manager to stand by his players through thick and thin, but Adam Bogdan once again tested the Liverpool coach’s patience again on Friday as he let in a goal direct from a corner as the Reds drew at Exeter. With Simon Mignolet also struggling to fully convince as first-choice keeper, BBC Sport reports that Klopp will recall Danny Ward from his loan spell at Aberdeen. The 22-year-old said in December he has his eyes on the Anfield No. 1 jersey, and may get that chance soon enough.
Bale plays down exit talk
Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale called it “disappointing” to see Rafa Benitez sacked as coach, and although he is already feeling happy under the reign of his boyhood hero, Zinedine Zidane, he is not looking too far ahead when it comes to his future.
Bale was the star of Zidane’s first game in charge on Saturday with a hat trick in a 5-0 win against Deportivo, though reports last week suggested the sacking of Benitez had the former Tottenham player pondering a Premier League return next summer, with Manchester United said to be considering making a world record £120 million-plus bid for his services.
However, Bale said after the game: “I had a very good relationship with Rafa, obviously it was a big disappointment to see him go. But things like this happen in football, you’re professional and you get on with it and carry on. I feel good at the moment, I feel fit and I’m just trying to enjoy my football.”
Van Gaal U-turn?
Things finally looked like they were going right for Louis van Gaal after he survived a potential Christmas sacking from Manchester United, but even progress in the FA Cup — courtesy of a late Wayne Rooney penalty against Sheffield United on Saturday — seems to have got the club’s hierarchy worried again.
With one United fan appearing to fall asleep at Old Trafford on Saturday due to the tedium of the match, the Star reports that United’s owners, the Glazer family, have “performed a dramatic U-turn” and are now considering letting the Dutch coach go “after seeing their patience tested to the limit.” While Van Gaal was initially afforded time to turn around United’s poor form, a “significant shift in stance from Old Trafford’s powerbrokers” could see the former Barca and Bayern boss dumped this month in order to save United’s top four hopes.
Meanwhile, United right-back Matteo Darmian insists his future lies at Old Trafford despite reports linking him with a loan move to Juventus, with the Italy international saying: “I am happy here with the team, the staff and the city. I am happy here so I just try to ignore the rumours. I want to continue on my way and that’s it.”
Monday’s Daily Star back page: United U-turn over Van Gaal #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers #mufc pic.twitter.com/b8h6CTriCE
– Nick Sutton (@suttonnick) January 10, 2016
Magpies splashing the cash
Jonjo Shelvey’s clash with Swansea supporters after their shock FA Cup exit at Oxford will have done him no favours with the club, and the Mail reports that Newcastle will look to capitalise with a £10m offer for the English midfielder this week.
The Magpies may be splashing the cash this winter with the Mail also reporting that Steve McClaren is interested in West Brom striker Saido Berahino, with a club-record £18m bid still on the table. The paper suggests a failed summer offer remains active should the Baggies wish to take them up on that, so Tottenham may have some work to do if they’re going to land the 22-year-old ahead of Newcastle.
Loftus-Cheek the answer to Chelsea blues?
Chelsea are likely to have a huge shortlist for January transfers after their poor season so far, but Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s fine goal-scoring display in Chelsea’s FA Cup win over Scunthorpe may just have made Guus Hiddink’s search for a combative midfield presence that little bit cheaper.
“We have these youngsters and I know them now after three to four weeks,” Hiddink said. “I know their abilities, and when it’s a possibility, an option, I don’t hesitate to bring them in. [Loftus-Cheek] can be of big value now. We’re in a difficult situation to finish in fourth place in the Premier League, so I say ‘OK, give them [the younger players] a try.'”
Tap-ins
– The Mirror reports that Federico Fazio is nearing a Tottenham exit having failed to impress at White Hart Lane, with former club Sevilla a likely destination. That departure could be bad news for Kevin Wimmer though — the defender hasn’t featured in the league for Spurs this term, but Mauricio Pochettino may keep the 23-year-old as backup for the second half of the season instead of loaning him out to the likes of Marseille or Stuttgart.
– Young Australian right-back Scott Galloway has been attracting interest from Europe, according to ELF Voetbal. The 20-year-old is currently playing at Melbourne Victory, but could reportedly leave the A-League with Dutch side Feyenoord and Germans Hamburg interested in the Olyroos defender, with a ¬1m release clause mooted.
– Former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant says that he will stay in Singapore as long as it takes to secure a contract with S.League side, Tampines Rovers.
– Having watched a number of high-profile summer signings succumb to injuries, there was better news for Bournemouth on Sunday as the Cherries announced the signing of striker Benik Afobe from Wolves on a four-and-a-half-year deal for around £10m.
– Aston Villa’s disastrous 1-1 FA Cup draw with League Two side Wycombe resulted in Remi Garde calling Micah Richards “brave” for confronting angry fans after the final whistle, and the Mirror reports that owner Randy Lerner has called a “crunch transfer summit” in New York to try and stop the club’s downward spiral.
– Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores is unconcerned about Arsenal’s reported interest in Troy Deeney and is confident his captain will remain at Vicarage Road.
– Peter Crouch helped book Stoke’s place in the fourth round of the FA Cup at Doncaster on Saturday, but then said he could move on from the Potters because of a lack of first-team football.
– Sunderland are confident of completing a £500,000 loan deal for Senegal and Trabzonspor striker Dame N’Doye — formerly of Hull — this week, according to The Sun.
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