Transfer Talk: Messi to leave PSG for Barcelona in January?

The summer transfer window is closed for the major leagues in Europe. However, with an eye on January, there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: Messi to Barcelona in January?

Barcelona are hoping to make a sensational move to re-sign Lionel Messi from Paris Saint-Germain in January, according to Diario Sport.

Club president Joan Laporta has already discussed his desire to bring Messi back to Camp Nou, stating that he hopes the Argentina legend to have a “beautiful ending” with the Blaugrana.

There have been previous reports that Barcelona will try to bring the 34-year-old back in the summer when his PSG contract is set to end (though the French club hold an option of another year), but they are now set to bring jumpstart their attempts.

However, this will be difficult for various reasons, mainly that PSG don’t want Messi to leave mid-season ahead of a pushing for their first ever Champions League title.

There is also PSG’s unwillingness to do Barcelona any favours due to the relationship between the two clubs. Finally, it has been widely reported that Messi is currently focused on his season with PSG and playing at the World Cup with Argentina.

The report states that the ambitious move would seem impossible and that Barcelona are yet to have made any direct contact with Messi. The Blaugrana are aware that time is against them, as a deal this significant should have advanced by now if it is to be completed in January.

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10.46 BST: Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo has been attracting interest, but the club won’t let him leave for less than £85m, says The Daily Mirror.

Caicedo, 20, joined from Independiente del Valle in 2021 for around £4m before moving on loan to Beerschot for six months. The Ecuador international has since gone on to establish himself as a first-team regular and has seen the likes of Liverpool, Man United, Chelsea and Newcastle linked with a transfer.

However, Brighton have recouped large fees recently in letting defender Ben White join Arsenal for £50m and left-back Marc Cucurella move to Chelsea for £62m. So they are holding out for even more for Caicedo, given his age and potential.

10.02 BST: Marco Asensio‘s performances in recent weeks have forced Real Madrid to reconsider their stance on the forward’s future, Marca reports, with a contract renewal offer now likely.

Asensio, 26, was expected to leave the Bernabeu next summer when his current deal is due to expire.

According to Marca, the Spain international’s role as an impact substitute this month — scoring against Elche and creating the crucial second goal in Madrid’s 3-1 win over Sevilla last weekend — has led the club to reassess his situation.

A contract offer “is not yet on the table” the newspaper says, but Madrid will notify agent Jorge Mendes in the next few days that they want Asensio to stay, and the player’s future is now in his own hands.

09.34 BST: Cristiano Ronaldo’s first club Sporting CP are ready to strike a deal with Manchester United to bring the Portugal forward back, says The Daily Mirror.

Ronaldo, 37, began his career at Sporting before moving to Man United in 2003. With further spells at Real Madrid and Juventus, Ronaldo became one of the greatest players in the world but the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has found himself out of favour at United this season.

Sources have told ESPN that the United hierarchy, led by American owners the Glazer family, have been willing to offload Ronaldo on a free transfer since he made it clear in the summer that he wanted to leave the club.

United, who re-signed Ronaldo in a €15m deal from Juventus in August 2021, have not sought a fee for the player in the hope that another club would be prepared to take on his £500,000-a-week contract.

09.00 BST: Jesse Marsch said he and the Leeds United board have been “unified” over his long-term future after Crysencio Summerville’s 89th minute goal sealed a 2-1 win at Liverpool and silenced the American’s critics at the club.

Leeds supporters had turned on Marsch during defeats against Fulham and Leicester City, which saw the team drop into the Premier League relegation zone following a winless run dating back to mid-August.

Chants calling for Marsch to be sacked, as well as songs for previous manager Marcelo Bielsa, had placed the former RB Leipzig coach under huge pressure ahead of the trip to Anfield. But after goals from Rodrigo and Summerville clinched a first Leeds win at Liverpool since April 2001, Marsch said he was calm about his future.

“Everybody’s made a big deal about firing me, but the board and I have been unified and we’ve stuck together,” Marsch said. “We’ve been playing well, but not getting points. But this win was necessary to stop the bleeding for us and I want the players to enjoy the moment, but we have to use this to launch ourselves.”

PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)

– Despite links with Barcelona, Manchester City have no intention of letting Bernardo Silva leave mid-season and will instead offer the Portugal international a lucrative new five-year contract to stay put, as reported by Football Insider. His current deal, said to be worth around £150,000-per-week, runs out in 2025 and City will offer the midfielder a pay rise as well as an extension with the entire package set to be worth around £46m in total.

– Barcelona are hoping to reach an agreement with Athletico Paranaense ahead of a move to sign 17-year-old Vitor Roque next summer, reports Mundo Deportivo. Real Madrid and Juventus are also looking at the striker while Athletico want a fee of between €35m and €40m for the Brazilian teenager.

– AS Monaco are monitoring Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi, reports Ekrem Konur, who adds that the Ligue 1 club sees the Nigeria international as a possible replacement for Aleksandr Golovin. Iwobi has thrived in the Toffees’ midfield this term, recording a goal and six assists in 14 matches across all competitions.

– Nice coach Lucien Favre doesn’t want to keep summer signing Kasper Schmeichel or Fulham loanee Joe Bryan past January, according to Foot Mercato. There are also players who have been at the club longer that he wants to offload, with Melvin Bard, Mario Lemina, Lucas Da Cunha and Morgan Schneiderlin all on that list.

— Bodo/Glimt forward Ola Solbakken will join AS Roma on a four or five-year contract in January, reports Calciomercato. He will be moving upon the culmination of his contract with the Norwegian club, rather than in November as Roma boss Jose Mourinho had requested.