Transfer Talk: Chelsea confident in beating Arsenal to sign Mudryk

With the January transfer window now open around Europe 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: Chelsea confident of signing Mudryk

Chelsea are hopeful of completing a deal for winger Mykhailo Mudryk after holding positive talks with Shakhtar Donetsk, according to the Guardian.

Arsenal remain favourites to sign the Ukraine international, as Mudryk’s favoured option is to join Mikel Arteta’s squad. However, the Gunners have already seen two offers rejected by Shakhtar, with the delay opening up an opportunity for the Blues.

Sources told ESPN earlier this week that Arsenal had a €65 million bid to sign Mudryk rejected, as it fell short of Shakhtar’s €100m valuation of the 22-year-old.

Having met up with Shakhtar officials this week, Chelsea are ready to push on to make a deal happen for Mudryk, who has scored 10 goals and assisted a further eight in 18 appearances across the Ukrainian Premier Liga and Champions League.

Arteta will have to decide whether or not to maintain his interest in Mudryk if the Blues have an offer accepted, although the reality remains that Mudryk would prefer to head to North London, which could still play into any decision making.

Having already signed defender Benoit Badiashile from AS Monaco for €37m, Chelsea are hoping that their financial muscle will bring Mudryk to Stamford Bridge to help lift their form.

That desire will likely be even stronger following their 1-0 defeat against Manchester City on Thursday, as Mason Mount missed out through injury before Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic both exited early with knocks inside the opening 22 minutes.

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20.51 GMT: The Telegraph writes that Aston Villa are looking to sign Real Betis left-back Alex Moreno in a deal that would include a transfer fee of £12m. Unai Emery’s club are said to be confident of concluding a deal, despite having already had one bid rejected by the Seville side.

20.18 GMT: Chelsea are awaiting a response from N’Golo Kante after submitting their most recent contract proposal to the midfielder, Foot Mercato reports. The latest offer would keep the 31-year-old France international’s wages stagnant, but would include a bonus structure that would be weighted by appearances, with Kane enduring a torrid string of injuries that’s seen him miss 81 games since the 2019-20 season.

19.45 GMT: Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are monitoring the contract situation of Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy, according to Sport. The 27-year-old France international’s renewal reportedly is not high on the list of priorities in the Spanish capital, and with both City and PSG struggling to find long-term solutions at left-back, the former Lyon standout could be an ideal signing.

19.12 GMT: Chelsea have opened talks with right-sided midfielder Dion Rankine over a new deal amid interest from across Europe, according to Football Insider. The 20-year-old who’s been part of the Blues’ academy program since 2016 has a contract that expires in the summer, and clubs from England, the Netherlands, Belgium and France are all monitoring the situation.

18.55 GMT: Southampton have signed winger Mislav Orsic from Dinamo Zagreb, the Premier League club announced on Friday. The 30-year-old Croatia international has directly contributed to 21 goals in 27 appearances this season, production that could prove vital for a Saints side with the fourth-fewest goals in the English top flight this season.

Zdravo, Mislav! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/1OplMH5NbH

— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) January 6, 2023

18.39 GMT: Leicester City have their sights set on Lorient attacker Dango Ouattara as they look to reinforce their front line, according to the Mail.
The 20-year-old Burkina Faso international has registered five goals and five assists in 16 Ligue 1 appearances this season, attracting attention from across Europe, and has just 18 months remaining on his contract.

18.06 GMT: Borussia Monchengladbach are in advanced negotiations over a new contract with goalkeeper Jan Olschowsky, according to Sky Sport Deutschland. The 21-year-old Germany youth international has made two Bundesliga appearances this season, and Gladbach are keen to secure his long-term future amid rumours linking current No. 1 Yann Sommer with a move to Bayern Munich this month.

17.33 GMT: Tottenham Hotspur have made signing Sporting CP right-back Pedro Porro a priority in this month’s transfer window, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Portuguese club will only let the 23-year-old once-capped Spain international depart if his €45m release clause is met, although that may change in the summer once they have more time to find a suitable replacement.

17.00 GMT: Chelsea have completed the signing of Vasco da Gama midfielder Andrey Santos, with sources telling ESPN’s James Olley the transfer fee is in the region of £18m. The 18-year-old has agreed a long-term contract at Stamford Bridge in a move announced by the Brazilian club on Friday. Read the full story.

Boa sorte, Andrey Santos!

👉 https://t.co/e8BNlDe4lY#VascoDaGama pic.twitter.com/o5zM9z4z6w

— Vasco da Gama (@VascodaGama) January 6, 2023

16.27 GMT: Chelsea are struggling right now.

15.40 GMT: Carlo Ancelotti has called Jude Bellingham “a great midfielder” and praised his World Cup performances for England — as Real Madrid battle Manchester City and Liverpool to sign the Borussia Dortmund star next summer.

ESPN reported on Friday that City have joined the race for Bellingham, 19, who is expected to move for a fee of at least €100m, plus add-ons.

Madrid expect talks for Bellingham to speed up this month, but are reluctant to get into a bidding war with the Premier League giants, with sources telling ESPN last month they wouldn’t make a “crazy” offer to sign him.

“Bellingham showed at the World Cup that he’s a great midfielder,” coach Ancelotti said in a news conference on Friday. “There are a lot of youngsters — Enzo Fernandez played well, the Spaniards Pedri and Gavi, there are a lot of young midfielders coming up — and Bellingham is one of them.

“But I’ll focus on my midfielders who are very good — the youngsters (Aurelien) Tchouameni, (Eduardo) Camavinga and (Federico) Valverde — we have a lot of youngsters here.”

15.08 GMT: Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk will be out for “more than a month” with a hamstring injury as he suffers a fresh injury blow, manager Jurgen Klopp said on Friday.

As a result, the Reds are reportedly interested in signing Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic, according to 90min.

Milenkovic, 25, can play at centre-back or right-back and was part of the Serbia team at the World Cup in Qatar.

InterLive are also reporting that Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar is on the club’s radar, with the 27-year-old Slovakia international, who has previously been linked with PSG, available on a free transfer in the summer.

14.53 GMT: Chelsea have signed Vasco da Gama midfielder Andrey Santos, the Brazilian club have confirmed.

Santos, 18, had also drawn interest from Manchester City, Newcastle United and Barcelona, but the London club moved quickest in a deal which is reported to be worth €20m.

14.36 GMT: Victoria Pelova has become Arsenal’s first signing of 2023, the club have announced.

Following on from the departure of Jordan Nobbs on Thursday, the Gunners wasted little time in installing a new midfielder with 23-year-old Pelova arriving from Ajax.

Having caught the eye when she featured for Netherlands under-19s at the 2017 U19 European Championships, Pelova moved to Ajax from ADO Den Haag in 2019, making 66 appearances during her time in Amsterdam.

“I’ve always admired this club and dreamt of following in the footsteps of some of the great Dutch players who have worn the shirt,” she said. “I can’t wait to get going and start contributing to the team.”

Pelova becomes the fourth signing for Arsenal this season, with much of the reshaping work under head coach Jonas Eidevall completed last year.

Eidevall said: “It’s fantastic news that we’ve signed Victoria. I think she’s one of the most exciting young players in the game and she will bring added dynamism and energy to our midfield. I’m looking forward to working with Victoria and I think our supporters are going to love watching her in an Arsenal shirt.”

13.50 GMT: Aston Villa midfielder Tim Iroegbunam has Juventus and Borussia Dortmund on his trail, according to TEAMtalk.

Iroegbunam, 19, has done well on loan at QPR this season, making 18 appearances in all competitions for the Championship club.

The England Under-20 international has attracted plenty of interest, with Dortmund especially keen as they aim to replace England midfielder Jude Bellingham with another young star.

13.16 GMT: Ajax would let forward Mohammed Kudus, who is reportedly wanted by Manchester United, leave for around €45m, says The Daily Star.

Kudus, 22, impressed for Ghana at the World Cup and has 10 goals in 22 games for his club so far this season.

United are keen to bolster their attack and Kudus is well known by Erik ten Hag as he managed him when in charge of Ajax.

12.56 GMT: Marcus Thuram is another France international from the Bundesliga to attract big interest from Premier League clubs, sources have told ESPN.

And with only six months left on his contract at Borussia Monchengladbach, he is a very interesting proposition as a free agent in the summer, and could even be available in January for a reduced fee.

Premier League clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Newcastle and Aston Villa, as well as Bayern Munich in Germany and AC Milan in Italy, are all following his progress closely. No offers have been made so far for the 25-year-old, and the player would equally be happy to finish the season with Gladbach as move elsewhere.

12.00 GMT: Are we judging Harry Kane based on Erling Haaland?

11.13 GMT: Djed Spence is increasingly likely to leave Tottenham Hotspur on loan this month in search of first-team football, sources have told ESPN.

The 22-year-old right-back signed from Middlesbrough last summer for £19m but has made just five substitute appearances across all competitions, totalling 32 minutes this season.

10.05 GMT: Monaco defender Axel Disasi is on the radar of Manchester United, says The Daily Mail.

Disasi, 24, has been linked with Premier League clubs including West Ham and Tottenham, and travelled with France for the World Cup in Qatar.

Disasi joined Monaco from Reims in 2020 but, with “ongoing uncertainty over the long-term future of Harry Maguire,” United are reportedly keen to bring him in as defensive cover.

10.38 GMT: Manchester United have signed goalkeeper Jack Butland on loan for the remainder of the season from Cystal Palace, the club has announced.

Butland is set to arrive from Palace after Newcastle United recalled Martin Dubravka from his season-long loan at Old Trafford.

The 29-year-old England international joined Palace in 2020 where he made 10 appearances and will join United as a back-up to first-choice David de Gea.

“Martin was recalled and we need three experienced goalkeepers,” United boss Erik ten Hag told a news conference when asked about Butland’s arrival. “I’m really happy with David. It’s quite clear he’s our No. 1. He’s a really good performer but there’s always something that can happen with David as well and you have to be prepared for that so you don’t have one.”

09.33 GMT: Randal Kolo Muani is attracting interest from many Premier League clubs, including Man United and Chelsea, sources have told ESPN, but the France striker is keen on finishing the season with Eintracht Frankfurt before assessing his options in the summer.

The German club, who will face Napoli in the Champions League round of 16, want to keep the 24-year-old for the remainder of this campaign before perhaps allowing him to leave in the summer if a suitable offer is received.

Their desired transfer fee for the Parisian, who arrived on a free transfer last summer from Nantes, is likely to be up to €90m as he will still have four years left on his contract and, sources have told ESPN, he doesn’t have a release clause.

09.02 GMT: Manchester City are planning to revamp their midfield in the summer but will wait to learn whether Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan are set to stay before deciding on the level of investment required, sources have told ESPN.

City are interested in signing Jude Bellingham he leaves Borussia Dortmund, but the Premier League champions will face competition from Liverpool and Real Madrid, while the England midfielder will command a transfer fee of over £100 million, plus some hefty add-ons.

There is also acceptance they may need to bring in more than one new midfielder if both Silva and Gundogan leave.

08.00 GMT: Bayern Munich signed veteran Netherlands defender Daley Blind on Thursday to cover for the injured Lucas Hernandez.

Blind was a free agent after parting ways with Ajax Amsterdam by mutual consent last week with six months left on his contract. He joins Bundesliga champions Bayern on a short-term deal until the end of the season after completing a medical examination in Munich.

“We’re delighted that Daley is joining our team,” Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic said. “Daley is a versatile defender. He has great international experience and leadership qualities. I’m sure he’ll help us.”

PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)

– Paris Saint-Germain have earmarked Michael Olise and are monitoring the Crystal Palace midfielder’s situation, according to the Daily Mail. They are set to continue watching the 21-year-old throughout the season, although his contract doesn’t end until 2026.

– Napoli are aiming to get ahead in the race to sign Angers midfielder Azzedine Ounahi after his impressive displays at the World Cup with Morocco, reports Sky Sports Italia. A negotiation has been set up with competition expected from the Premier League and other European clubs, although Napoli have only offered €15m with Angers asking for between €20m and €25m.

– Southampton are looking into the possibility of signing Everton centre-back Michael Keane on loan as they fight to stay in the Premier League, according to the Athletic. The Saints feel his leadership skills and top-flight experience could be used at the heart of their back three, while Mislav Orsic is also set to sign from Dinamo Zagreb.

– Three LaLiga clubs are monitoring the situation of Barcelona reserve striker Victor Barbera, according to Ekrem Konur. The 18-year-old’s contract is set to end in the summer of this year, while he has scored 11 goals in 17 appearances across Spain’s third tier and UEFA Youth League this season.

– Rico Lewis‘ contract situation will soon become a topic of discussion for Manchester City, who want to keep bringing players through the academy and into the first-team, reports Fabrizio Romano. The 18-year-old has made 10 senior appearances this term and has a contract that is due to end in 2024.