TRANSFER MARKET
Live Update on transfer deadline day deals
Latest news and highlights from top soccer leagues on transfer deadline day on Friday (times GMT, transfer fees either disclosed or as reported by media):
1240 ARSENAL BOSS ARTETA NOT RULING OUT NEW SIGNINGS
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has refused to rule out any new additions to the team after the signings of Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori and Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino .
Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling has been linked with a move to Arsenal.
“Let’s see,” Arteta told reporters about potential signings. “It’s always possible. The last 24 hours in the transfer window, never rule anything out.
“You know I can’t talk about any player (not at the club). I’m not going to be talking about this kind of thing.
“It’s clear we have lost Karl (Hein) as our third goalkeeper and we have lost Aaron (Ramsdale) and you have to replace both.”
1240 TEN HAG EXPECTS SANCHO TO STAY AT MANCHESTER UNITED
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag expects winger Jadon Sancho to remain at Old Trafford despite links with fellow Premier League club Chelsea and Italian giants Juventus.
The 24-year-old England international made just three appearances for United last season, spending the second half of the campaign on loan at Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund after his relationship with Ten Hag soured in September.
“As I know, yes,” Ten Hag told reporters when asked if he thought Sancho would stay at United. “He is in our squad and we are happy with him. We need a good squad, we need depth. We have to play many games until January. After the break we play every third day so we need options.”
1146 SOUTHAMPTON SIGN KEEPER RAMSDALE FROM ARSENAL
Southampton have signed 26-year-old England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale from fellow Premier League club Arsenal on a four-year contract, the newly-promoted south-coast side announced.
Financial details were not disclosed by either club but British media reported that the deal was worth around 25 million pounds ($32.95 million).
“I’m looking forward to this year, just getting back to what I do best and having a big smile on my face while doing it here,” said Ramsdale, who lost his starting spot to Spaniard David Raya at Arsenal last season.
Aston Villa have signed Yeimar Mosquera from Colombian side Orsomarso and the 19-year-old will immediately join Real Union in Spain’s third tier on loan.
1015 EVERTON HAVE BEEN AS ACTIVE AS THEY COULD – DYCHE
“We’ve been as active as we could be with the signings and trying to bring in players who can operate immediately and also grow into the club in the Premier League,” Everton manager Sean Dyche told reporters.
“That’s a big challenge. We want them to do that, and obviously the players that have been here before…
“The added players coming in, we want them to get that feeling and attachment to the club and the same work ethic to go and deliver.”
0915 LIVERPOOL BOSS SLOT DOES NOT EXPECT MORE SIGNINGS
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot does not expect the Premier League club to sign any more players after the signing of Georgian soccer goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and Italian forward Federico Chiesa.
“Not expecting anything but if we see an opportunity, we could act,” the Dutchman told reporters ahead of his side’s clash against bitter rivals Manchester United on Sunday.
0900 JOHNSTONE JOINS WOLVES FROM PALACE
England goalkeeper Sam Johnstone has joined from Crystal Palace on a four-year contract, Wolverhampton Wanderers said.
0900 MARSEILLE SIGN MAUPAY ON LOAN
Olympique de Marseille said they had signed Everton forward Neal Maupay on loan with an option to buy. The 28-year-old Frenchman spent the last season on loan at Brentford.
-Reuters
There are strong indications that Super Eagles and AC Milan winger, Samuel Chukwueze, could exit the Guiseppe Meazza this summer following interest from Turkish Super Lïg side, Besiktas JK.
The 25-year-old joined the Rossonerri from Villarreal in the summer of 2023 but has never really settled in at Milan as he’s largely been a bit part player at the San Siro.
The AFCON 2023 silver medal winner with Nigeria has played paltry 82 minutes since the new manager, Sergio Conceicao, took over as Milan’s head coach, worsening his story with the seven-time UEFA Champions League winners.
According to Europa Calcio, Chukwueze’s future seems increasingly distant from Milan. The player’s agents have suggested him to Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s side, Besiktas, who have immediately started contacts to bring him to the Turkish Süper Lig.
The 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner was linked with a move to Alex Iwobi’s Fulham in January, but time disparity in the transfer market didn’t allow the move to materialize.
Additionally, Milan’s technical director, Geoffrey Moncada, revealed his side were delighted the Super Eagles winger didn’t make a deadline-day transfer to Fulham.
The former Manchester United boss has given the green light to the deal, as he considers Chukwueze to be a valuable reinforcement in the attacking department.
The Turkish club are currently working on a loan-with-obligation-to-buy proposal, and are hopeful their strategy will convince Milan, who intend on recuperating the fees to secure Chukwueze from Villareal two years ago.
Chukwueze on the other hand, is seriously considering a move to Besiktas as he’s aware that he is not part of Milan’s long-term plans. With few opportunities under Sergio Conceicao, the former Villarreal player could accept the Turkish destination to re-establish himself.
Additionally, one of Chukwueze’s best friends, Victor Osimhen, has had nothing but good things to say about the Turkish Super Lig as he enjoys his loan spell with Galatasaray.
In conclusion, a move away from Milan would be a win-win situation for all parties, allowing the Rossoneri to free up space in the squad and for the player to regain the form which saw the Italian side snap him up initially.
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TRANSFER MARKET
Man Utd sign two and lose 10 players as disastrous window for Ruben Amorim slams shut
In spite of their awful season, Manchester United have offloaded 10 players, including Marcus Rashford, on loan while making just two new signings as the winter transfer market closed on Monday night.
The once-great team now sits 13th on the log of the Premier League table and the graph tends to slope downward rather than looking upward as the season progresses.
Any thought of European football next season is more of a mirage. Some more signings would potentially have gone a long way to getting them back on track.
Attacking recruits in particular would have been very useful given United’s goalscoring troubles this season. But it is in defence where United chiefs have chosen to strengthen this time around.
They have signed Lecce defender, Patrick Dorgu who significantly is the first signing since Amorim’s arrival. Manchester United have paid £29.2million for his signature and he has signed a contract until 2030.
The Danish left-back was also joined by another young defender Ayden Heaven, who moved in from Premier League rivals, Arsenal.
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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim insisted there was no need to panic in the final days of the January transfer window, despite his side slipping to another home defeat on Sunday.
Following their 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, United have now lost seven of their first 13 league home matches this season, their joint-most at this stage of a league campaign, along with 1893-94.
Goals have been hard to come by for United, with only Everton and the bottom three finding the net on fewer occasions in the Premier League.
With one day to go until the January window closes, Amorim said there would be no panic in the transfer market.
“We are trying everything to improve the team without doing (the transfer) mistakes of the past,” Amorim said. “And trying to balance the urgency of the moment, we know all of the aspects of our club in the moment but we are trying everything.
“When the window closes we will see the players, I’m focused on improving the team as a group, we need to win more games and we will try to do that, this season is like that.
“We need small improvements, try to win points, win the momentum, then we had setbacks and we go again.”
Amorim is yet to pick up back-to-back league wins since taking charge in November but believes the performance against Palace did show signs of improvement.
“The performance improved. Not a lot, but I think we played better than the other games, even against Southampton, we played better today,” he added.
“But when you continue to lose, especially at home, you have that feeling it’s nothing, the small improvement of the team. Let’s go again and see the next game.”
- Reuters
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