Manchester United have added FC Salzburg winger Nene Dorgeles to their shortlist, while there could be a swap involving Bayern Munich's Mathys Tel and Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors and gossip from around the globe.
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TOP STORIES
- Sources: Arsenal lead Liverpool in Zubimendi race
- Sources: Bayern interested in Chelsea's Nkunku
- Source: Napoli star Kvaratskhelia nears PSG transfer
- Barcelona's Laporta admits talks over Araújo future
TRENDING RUMORS
- Man United have added FC Salzburg winger Nene Dorgeles to their list of options for the January or summer transfer window, reports Fabrizio Romano. Initial talks to get information about the fee and salary package that would be required to bring in the 22-year-old, who has six goals and six assists from 27 games this season, have taken place and will continue before the Red Devils make their decision on whether to make a move for him as a replacement for the outgoing Marcus Rashford. Tottenham Hotspur are keen on signing Rashford on loan and have investigated whether a deal could be possible, reports the Independent, which adds that West Ham United are the only other interested Premier League club. There are still eyes on the 27-year-old from abroad, with Florian Plettenberg reporting that Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan still hold a concrete interest.
- Chelsea have spoken to Bayern Munich and have asked to be informed about the situation of Mathys Tel, reports Fabrizio Romano, who adds that the striker has held talks with manager Vincent Kompany as he wants to succeed with Bayern. Sport Bild added that Chelsea are considering letting forward Christopher Nkunku move to Bayern in exchange, with the 27-year-old already having had chats with the Bavarians.
- Arsenal are set to beat Liverpool and Manchester City to the signing of Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad in the summer, says The Daily Mail. Zubimendi is considered one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe and has a release clause of €60m in his contract. Liverpool and City had shown the most interest in the Spain international but the Gunners are reported to have swooped to secure his signature, with a deal "virtually completed" for the end of the season.
- Real Madrid have started talks with LaLiga 2 side Elche about signing midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza, reports Relevo. Elche don't want to let the 19-year-old go easily but his contract expires in 2026. Los Blancos will try to play on that fact in negotiations but are aware that they will face plenty of competition to sign him.
- Liverpool have already contacted FC Nürnberg about a move for Stefanos Tzimas, reports Sky Sports Deutschland, which adds that unnamed Bundesliga clubs, Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa are also interested. The 19-year-old forward is currently on loan from PAOK, but Nürnberg want to activate a clause to sign him for €18m before completing a €25m departure.
CONFIRMED TRANSFERS
- Colombia international James Rodríguez has signed with Liga MX's León. Recently a free agent after terminating his contract with Rayo Vallecano -- who initially signed James in August -- the 33-year-old will now join a León side that kicks off their 2025 Clausura run on Jan. 18. Read
- River Plate have signed Argentina defender Gonzalo Montiel from Sevilla in deal worth $4.5m deal. Read
EXPERT TAKE
ESPN's resident scout Tor-Kristian Karlsen explores Chelsea's interest in Bayern's 19-year-old prodigy Mathys Tel.
Chelsea's search for a centre-forward has become the norm in the recent transfer windows. Tel is just the latest name and as much as swap deals are exceedingly complex, on the surface it does look a win-win situation for both clubs.
While Tel's talent is undisputed -- his record at youth level for France is exceptional and he became Bayern's youngest ever goal scorer (17 years and 126 days) when he hit the net in a cup game just a few weeks after his €20m switch from Rennes in the summer of 2022 -- he has struggled to make a consistent mark for the German giants. One reason for that is obviously the presence of Harry Kane as a No. 9, another being the perpetual dilemma over his future position: will he ever mould into an out-and-out centre-forward? Or does is he intrinsically a winger (as his heatmap suggests)? At only 19, such considerations are part of a player's natural development but it's problematic when a lack of playing time is thrown into the equation.
Whether he'd see more minutes in an abundant Chelsea frontline is another question, but if coach Enzo Maresca feels he can rely on Tel and the player responds, the move could be a stroke of genius. The Frenchman has everything in the locker to become one of the top forwards in European football. He's wonderfully athletic -- strong and fast with the acceleration to stretch defences. He also has excellent control and excels in attacking 1v1s through bursts or dribbling.
There's a reason why his youth performances drew comparisons to Kylian Mbappe, but those impressive skills have only been witnessed in flashes at senior level. A change of environment to build confidence can prove wonders though. If (and it's a big "if") Maresca can reinvigorate the teenager, they might well have a €100m player on their hands.
Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens question if Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, another winger, is a smart signing for PSG.
OTHER RUMORS
- Tottenham have submitted an offer to sign PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani, 26, on loan with an option to move permanently in the summer. (L'Equipe)
- Florentino Perez will hold a "crisis meeting" with Carlo Ancelotti and director general José Ángel Sánchez over the next few days to discuss how to respond to Real Madrid's 5-2 Supercopa defeat to Barcelona. According to the newspaper, Madrid will "reconsider" whether to move in the January transfer market, while top target Trent Alexander-Arnold "is still alive" as an option. (Marca)
- Madrid are now actively considering January signings, while underperforming midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is "in the eye of the hurricane" and could move on, with Liverpool interested next summer. (AS)
- AC Milan and Inter Milan want to sign Manchester City defender Kyle Walker, 34, and the club could allow him to depart for free. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
- Liverpool could use winger Ben Doak, whose transfer is valued at £30m, as a makeweight in a £50m deal to sign Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo. (Northern Echo)
- Manchester United left-back Tyrell Malacia, 25, could leave on a loan this month after struggling with injury issues. (Fabrizio Romano)
- Tottenham are keen on Lecce full-back Patrick Dorgu but face competition from Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. (Caught Offside)
- Chelsea are eyeing a move for Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens and he could move in the summer if the German giants miss out on Champions League qualification. (GMS)
- Juventus are the latest club to take an interest in Empoli attacking midfielder Tino Anjorin. Napoli have already made a move for the 23-year-old with the view to bringing him in ahead of next season, while Atalanta also like the former Chelsea player a lot. (Calciomercato)
- Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka will depart on loan this month, with Borussia Dortmund and Strasbourg interested. (Fabrizio Romano)
- Nottingham Forest could let striker Emmanuel Dennis leave this month, with clubs in the Championship, Serie A and LaLiga showing interest. (Sky Sports)
- Galatasaray and West Ham are looking at a loan move for struggling Marseille striker Elye Wahi, with the option of a permanent deal in the summer. (L'Equipe)
- Palmeiras are hoping to sign Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira. The Brazilian club have made a €20m offer to Fulham and have agreed personal terms with Pereira's entourage, but have yet to see their bid accepted by the club. (Globoesporte)