Transfer Talk: USA's Yunus Musah on Inter Milan's radar after stellar World Cup

With just a month remaining before the opening of the January transfer window, 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: USA’s Musah on Inter Milan’s radar

United States midfielder Yunus Musah is attracting interest from Internazionale following his string of fine World Cup performances, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

The USA and Valencia midfielder has caught the attention of the Serie A side with his play in Qatar, and Inter are reported to be keen on a potential loan deal starting in January which would include a permanent option clause for next season.

The Nerazzurri are looking to continue acquiring young players for the future, and believe Musah could form a strong foundation in a midfield that includes another promising prospect in 20-year-old Kristjan Asllani.

Musah was a standout performer for the US at the World Cup, where he started all four matches for manager Gregg Berhalter, and it looks as though that has seen suitors begin to emerge for his signature. The 20-year-old, who grew up in England and was part of Arsenal‘s academy, has also attracted interest from Premier League sides.

He has made 11 appearances in LaLiga for Los Che this season.

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21.27 GMT: In addition to an earlier report suggesting that Bayern Munich want Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani, Foot Mercato now write that Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are also looking at the 24-year-old France international. The story also notes that it could take a transfer fee close to €80m to agree a deal with the Bundesliga club, who signed Kolo Muani on a free transfer from Nantes just last summer.

20.54 GMT: Lazio are looking at Sporting CP midfielder and Japan international Hidemasa Morita as they aim to strengthen their midfield in the January transfer window, reports Gazzetta dello Sport. However, their ability to make a move rests on whether they are able to find a new home for midfielder Luis Alberto, with the Roman club yet to receive any interesting requests so far.

20.21 GMT: Neither Barcelona nor Hector Bellerin are looking for the right-back to leave Camp Nou despite a lack of playing time under Xavi Hernandez, according to Mundo Deportivo. AS Roma had been linked with the former Arsenal captain as they aim to offload Rick Karsdorp, but a move is now not seen as viable, while Real Betis are interested but don’t have the financial means to sign the 27-year-old who spent last season on loan at the Benito Villamarin.

19.48 GMT: Sky Sport Italia have stated that Monza are hoping to bring in a defender and winger in January, with Berat Djimsiti of Atalanta identified as the man they want to sign to strengthen their backline — even if they will need to assess his physical condition after he sustained a fractured fibula. For the wing, the Serie A club is looking at Darko Lazovic of Hellas Verona and Josip Brekalo of VfL Wolfsburg, with the former seen as their first choice despite Verona being unlikely to let him leave.

19.15 GMT: The Colorado Rapids have signed winger Kevin Cabral from the LA Galaxy in exchange for $1 million in General Allocation Money split between the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the MLS clubs announced on Thursday. The Galaxy also will receive a percentage of any future transfer fee should the 23-year-old Frenchman move to a club outside MLS.

OFFICIAL: We’ve acquired French forward Kévin Cabral

Welcome to the Mile High City, @KvinCabral!

📝» https://t.co/4kyNBHmAs2 pic.twitter.com/LAw29ZSwEx

— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) December 8, 2022

18.42 GMT: Fabrizio Romano reports that Cristiano Ronaldo has not made a decision on his future and that nothing will be signed before the World Cup ends. Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr’s alleged offer of €200m a year until 2025 is still said to be valid, although the free agent forward is waiting for European clubs to make a move.

18.09 GMT: AC Milan have reached a agreement with Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello, reports Calciomercato, with the 30-year-old’s contract expiring at the end of the season. The signing is scheduled to take place in February, once the winter transfer window has ended, with Sportiello coming in to be the backup option for Rossoneri No. 1 Mike Maignan.

17.36 GMT: Austin FC are in talks to sign free-agent forward Gyasi Zardes, reports MLSsoccer.com, which states that nothing is done yet but the expectation is that a deal will be completed. The move would see the 31-year-old United States international, who last played for the Colorado Rapids, reunite with head coach Josh Wolff after the pair worked together while Wolff was an assistant with the Columbus Crew and the USMNT.

17.03 GMT: Salernitana are aiming to sign Napoli midfielder Diego Demme on loan, according to Sky Sport Italia, which adds that Nadir Zortea of Atalanta is seen as an alternative if they can’t bring in the once-capped Germany international. If Demme does make the move, Napoli will look to replace him with a midfielder who possesses similar characteristics to Stanislav Lobotka.

16.30 GMT: Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix could move on soon.

15.43 GMT: Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino has been offered a new contract, according to Football Insider.

Firmino, 31, has a deal which expires in the summer and he has nine goals in 21 games for Liverpool so far this season.

The report claims the Brazil international has been offered a lower wage than his current salary, reported to be around £180,000-a-week, but that performance-related bonuses will boost it.

14.27 GMT: Fabrizio Romano reports that Palmeiras forward Endrick will join Real Madrid in 2024.

Endrick, 16, has been tipped for a bright future after breaking through this season and Real Madrid will reportedly pay Palmeiras a €60m transfer fee, plus €12m taxes, to sign him.

The Brazilian will join in July 2024, when he turns 18 and is allowed to leave his homeland, but Madrid will complete all the documents in December.

14.14 GMT: Real Madrid want to sign Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho, according to Relevo.

Garnacho, 18, has broken into the Man United first team this season and has two goals and two assists this season. United have reportedly already met with his representatives over a new contract, with a salary of £50,000 a week and terms until 2027 on the table.

But Real Madrid reckon they might be able to persuade him to join before then.

13.35 GMT: The Qatari Royal Family is not interested in buying Liverpool despite reports suggesting it is in the running to purchase the Premier League club, sources have told ESPN.

Last month, Liverpool chairman Tom Werner said American owner Fenway Sports Group (FSG) was exploring the possibility of selling the club, 12 years after it completed a £300m ($358m) takeover of the Merseyside outfit.

Sources believe Liverpool could attract offers of more than the £2.5 billion that Roman Abramovich received for the sale of Chelsea to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital earlier this year, and there were suggestions the Qatari Royal Family — which already owns Paris Saint-Germain — could be interested. But sources have dismissed those reports, saying that Qatar Olympic Committee president Sheikh Jooan Al Thani is not in talks to buy Liverpool.

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamas Al Thani, owns PSG through Qatar Sports Investment (QSI), the country’s state-run sovereign wealth fund, and sources have said QSI is fully focused on the Ligue 1 side.

Under UEFA rules, two Champions League clubs cannot be directly or indirectly controlled by the same entity.

12.44 GMT: Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani is being linked with a move to Bayern Munich, says AZ.

Kolo Muani, 24, only moved from Nantes on a free transfer over the summer but has eight goals and 11 assists so far.

Rewarded with a call up to the France national team for the 2022 World Cup, Bayern are keen. But the fact his contract expires in 2027 means he won’t come cheap.

12.00 GMT: Can we believe Cristiano Ronaldo?

10.55 GMT: Manchester United are working on a deal to sign Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer on a free transfer next summer, sources have told ESPN.

Sommer is set to leave Borussia Monchengladbach when his contract expires at the end of the season.

United are already looking at the possibility of adding the 33-year-old to Erik ten Hag’s squad and will be able to make contact with his representatives from Jan. 1.

Ten Hag is looking to refresh the goalkeeping department ahead of next season. Martin Dubravka, signed on loan in the last summer window, is expected to return to Newcastle at the end of the campaign having made just one first team appearance at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, Dean Henderson, who is spending the season on loan at Nottingham Forest, is due back at United in the summer after the club refused to include a buy clause in his temporary move to the City Ground.

Interest in Sommer, who was part of the Switzerland squad that reached the round of 16 at the World Cup in Qatar, will raise further doubts about David de Gea‘s long-term future.

10.22 GMT: Spain U21 coach Luis de la Fuente is the No. 1 candidate to replace Luis Enrique at the helm of the national team, according to Cadena Ser.

Luis Enrique is under fire following Spain’s round-of-16 exit from the World Cup after losing on penalties to Morocco on Tuesday.

The former Barcelona coach said he would meet up with the Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales next week to discuss his future, but reports in Spain claim a decision on that could be made in the next 48 hours.

De la Fuente, 61, has been at the helm of the U21 side since 2018 and guided them to European championship success in 2019 as well as a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

09.48 GMT: Iran forward Mehdi Taremi is in no hurry to sign a new contract with FC Porto, according to A Bola.

Taremi, 30, has scored 11 goals and set up seven more in 18 appearances in all competitions for Porto. He is under contract until June 2024, but the club are already looking to offer him an improved deal.

However, the player, who scored two goals and set up one more in three appearances for Iran at the World Cup in Qatar, does not want to commit his future to Porto.

Taremi’s dream is to play in the Premier League and Chelsea are among the clubs that are closely monitoring his performances. Inter Milan are also reportedly in the race to sign him.

09.17 GMT: Wolverhampton coach Julen Lopetegui has confirmed his club are interested in signing Brazilian pair Matheus Cunha and Felipe from Atletico Madrid in the January transfer window.

“We have many open options,” Lopetegui said: “At the moment we have nothing closed. If we can complete them as soon as possible, the better. Both Cunha and Felipe are options to sign in the January market, they are to our liking. The important thing is to create a good group.”

Cunha, 23, has failed to score in 17 appearances for Atletico this season and the striker has been placed on the transfer list.

Veteran defender Felipe has only made three appearances for the Rojiblancos this season and is keen to leave in search of regular playing time. The 33-year-old becomes a free agent in July. and is a target of Besiktas.

Cunha, who joined Atletico from Hertha Berlin in August 2021 in a €26m transfer, is currently Atletico’s fifth-choice striker. He is under contract with Atletico until June 2026.

08.53 GMT: Barcelona sporting director Jordi Cruyff believes it’s “almost impossible” that the club will be able to sign players in the January transfer window because of financial fair play regulations.

“The president has said it publicly, yes, that it is almost impossible,” Cruyff said. “It is not simply that one player leaves and another enters, I wish it were like that but it is not like that. It is a subject that must be studied, the market begins in approximately a month. It is obvious that in our field you always have Plan A, B, C, D prepared according to what is possible or not, but if it is not possible, then to continue with what we have, in the end there are 17 World Cup players and that means that the squad it’s good.”

Cruyff, meanwhile, has ruled out putting Memphis Depay on the transfer list in January. The Netherlands forward becomes a free agent next summer and has not signed a new deal with the Catalan outfit.

“In the end we also have to think about [Barca forward Robert] Lewandowski having a three-match ban,” Cruyff said. “If a Barça player leaves to bring another you can consider it. But if that is not going to give you the ‘fair play’ either, then why [would you do it]? It has no sense. Today we are not thinking about departures but about having a competitive team for the second round… and Memphis, if he recovers from injury, and he is showing it in the national team, he is a player who can help a lot in any club in which he is.”

Cruyff also spoke about Frenkie de Jong, who turned down an €85m move to Manchester United in the summer. Barca had tried to offload the midfielder to United to balance their books, a move that was not welcomed by the Netherlands international.

“Obviously when there are negotiations not everyone is happy, it’s part of the game,” Cruyff added. “The reality is that he is here, he has been respected. He is loved, and the player has had many minutes and ended up starting before going to the World Cup, which also means that the club is turning the page. As long as we are all here we want things go as well as possible. Even the better each player plays, the more benefit it is for the club and for the coach.”

08.00 GMT: Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has said he is “not going to hide” the club’s interest in Jude Bellingham and added it would be harder to sign Cristiano Ronaldo.

Borussia Dortmund’s Bellingham has been one of the key players in England’s run to the World Cup quarterfinals in Qatar. Last month, sources told ESPN that Liverpool are leading the chase for Bellingham despite Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Real Madrid also tracking the 19-year-old. Dortmund’s chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said the midfielder can leave in the summer transfer window, and Al-Khelaifi said he would be interested in signing him.

“What a player. Honestly, England are lucky to have him … and he’s one of the best players in the tournament,” he told Sky News. “Amazing and you see his first World Cup — calm and relaxed and confident. Everyone wants him. I’m not going to hide it. But I respect he’s in his club and, respect if we want to talk to him, we talk to the club first.”

Al-Khelaifi also downplayed any chances of Portugal captain Ronaldo joining Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in the French capital. Ronaldo is a free agent after he mutually agreed to terminate his contract with United in November following a controversial interview before the World Cup.

“The three players that we have [Messi, Neymar and Mbappe], it’s very difficult, but I wish him all the best,” Al-Khelaifi added. “He’s fantastic and he’s still an amazing player.”

PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)

– Jude Bellingham‘s representatives have told Real Madrid that Liverpool are the favourites in the battle to sign him, according to Bild. The 19-year-old midfielder’s performances at the World Cup for England have seen interest in him grow further, but the report indicates that it is Jurgen Klopp’s side who have priority. Recent reports have suggested that Borussia Dortmund value his transfer at a fee as high as €150m.

– The race to sign Sofyan Amrabat is heating up with multiple clubs keen on Morocco star’s signature, reports Foot Mercato. The 26-year-old Fiorentina midfielder’s representatives are understood to have met Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp, with plans of a second meeting taking place after the World Cup. There is also interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan, who are keeping close tabs on his situation.

– AS Roma have entered talks with the representatives of Memphis Depay, reveals Sport. Jose Mourinho’s side are hopeful of landing the 28-year-old Netherlands international forward on a free transfer, but Barcelona are looking for a fee worth €2m. Depay has made just two starts in LaLiga this season, but so far has scored twice for the Oranje at the World Cup.

– AC Milan have cooled their interest in Hakim Ziyech, according to Calciomercato. The 29-year-old attacking midfielder was a high priority in the summer, but the Rossoneri believe they don’t have the budget to be able to land him. Ziyech has made just one start for Chelsea this season in the Premier League, though his performances for Morocco at the World Cup have caught the attention of potential suitors this January.

– Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has provided the green light for the club to meet the valuation of Palmeiras forward Endrick, according to the Evening Standard. The Brazilian side will receive an initial €61m from Los Blancos, with a further €11m in add-ons. Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain had been linked with the 16-year-old talent, but it looks as though he is now destined for a move to Madrid in 2024 when he turns 18.