Transfer Talk: Antony's Man United future in doubt

Real Madrid view Pedro Porro as an alternative to Trent Alexander-Arnold, while efforts are being made to bring Vinícius Júnior from them to Saudi Arabia. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors and gossip from the world of soccer.

Transfers homepage | Done deals | Men’s grades | Women’s grades

TOP STORIES

– Klopp defends Red Bull move after German fan backlash
– Amorim says no Man United deal yet as Sporting confirm interest
– Man City rule out top Man Utd candidate Amorim – source

TRENDING RUMORS

– Liverpool‘s Trent Alexander-Arnold is still Real Madrid’s priority for the right-back position and Los Blancos have made their first attempts to sign the 26-year-old, reports AS. Even so, they add that Tottenham Hotspur‘s Pedro Porro is seen as a viable alternative, even if bringing in the 25-year-old with his contract running until 2028 would be difficult.

– Manchester United have put Antony on the transfer list after the sacking of Erik ten Hag, says TalkSPORT. The Brazil winger cost United €95m when he arrived from Ajax in 2022 but has not adjusted to life in the Premier League — scoring 11 goals in 83 games — and the club are now ready to move him on. Turkish club Fenerbahce are reported to be interested, alongside former club Ajax and Brazilian side Flamengo. But United are clear they won’t be able to get much of their initial outlay back.

– There was outrage from Real Madrid that Rodri won the Ballon d’Or ahead of Vinícius Júnior on Monday, but AS now says that Los Blancos could look to sign the Manchester City midfielder. Madrid reportedly feel that their midfield is faltering despite being heavily invested in, while Rodri has been a key figure for both City and the Spain national team. Born just 39 kilometres from the Bernabeu, Rodri has a deal at City until 2027 and the Spanish outlet reports that the 28-year-old has been offered a contract renewal that would put him alongside Phil Foden and Erling Haaland as one of the club’s biggest earners.

– In addition to referencing Antony’s potential departure from Manchester United, TEAMtalk have also suggested that Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelöf and Casemiro could also be offloaded by possible new manager Rúben Amorim. Eriksen and Lindelöf are likely to leave as free agents in the summer while the Red Devils would accept £25m for the Brazilians.

– After Vinícius Júnior didn’t win the Ballon d’Or, Saudi Pro League clubs reiterated its intent to sign the Brazilian to its entourage and stated that its big offer from the summer still stands, reports Sport. Both Real Madrid and the 24-year-old know that economics won’t be an issue, but it all depends on whether or not he is willing to move.

EXPERT TAKE

ESPN writer Mark Ogden talks about Manchester United’s chase to land Sporting CP boss Rúben Amorim.

OTHER RUMORS

– Juventus are planning to permanently sign winger Francisco Conceição from Porto for €30m. (Nicolo Schira)

– Tottenham are set to let Germany forward Timo Werner leave at the end of the season. The club have a £15m option to sign him from RB Leipzig after his loan but won’t take it up. (GiveMeSport)

– Real Sociedad are eyeing a move for Barcelona defender Eric García, who has fallen out of favour at Camp Nou. (Superdeporte)

– Barcelona are looking at signing a new long-term goalkeeper with a shortlist that includes: Mio Backhaus of Werder Bremen, Guillaume Restes of Toulouse, Bart Verbruggen of Brighton and Diogo Costa of Porto (Relevo).

– Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea want to sign Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres for around €60m next summer. (Florian Plettenberg)

– Newcastle, Liverpool and Arsenal are interested in Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo at around £50m. (Newcastle Chronicle)

– Several top clubs are showing an interest in Virgil van Dijk with the 33-year-old Liverpool centre-back’s contract ending in the summer. (Florian Plettenberg)

– Tottenham want to sign a new centre-back in the January transfer window. (Football Insider)

– Newcastle are tracking Sao Paulo attacking midfielder William Gomes, 18, who has two goals in 15 games so far this season. (Globo Esporte)

– Manchester City are rejecting approaches to loan forward Claudio Echeverri, including from his former club River Plate. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Napoli want to extend Romelu Lukaku’s contract until the 2028-29 season, with the striker’s current deal ending in 2027. The 31-year-old has recorded four goals and five assists across all competitions this season. (Ekrem Konur)

– Negotiations are underway between Alex Meret and Napoli regarding a new contract for the goalkeeper. It will either be a deal that runs until 2027 with the option for an extra year or simply run until 2028. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Depending on whether Bayer Leverkusen go for youth or experience, they are likely to move for Köln’s Jonas Urbig or Manchester City’s Stefan Ortega as they look to sign a new goalkeeper in the summer. It is also likely that Matěj Kovář will depart. (Sport Bild)

– Due to Borussia Dortmund underperforming, it’s possible that Donyell Malen, Emre Can, Julian Brandt, Niklas Süle and Marcel Sabitzer are all among the players who could depart in the summer. (Sport Bild)

– Atalanta have tried to sign Sassuolo winger Domenico Berardi since the summer of 2022 and could finally bring in him during the January window. The 30-year-old would be available for under €10m. (Calciomercato)

– Atlético Madrid are interested in signing Mallorca defensive midfielder Samú Costa, although they feel that a valuation of €20m for the 23-year-old is high. (Ekrem Konur)

– In negotiations regarding Khvicha Kvaratskhelia‘s proposed new Napoli contract, the representatives for the 23-year-old winger have asked for an €80m release clause while Gli Azzurri are not willing to include a clause or will at least demand that it is a higher figure. Negotiations will also need to be made for the salary. (Sky Sports Italia)