LIVE: January Transfer Window

Manchester United hope to give Erik ten Hag some new signings in the January transfer window, while Arsenal and Liverpool could strengthen their Premier League title bids. Man Utd suffer blow if Liverpool face Palhinha

KEY EVENTS

• Man City joined Liverpool and Bayern in the Palhinha race
• Varane wants contract extension
• Nuno ‘in contact’ with Forest
• Spurs start Tobido talks
• Man Utd’s secret Saudi talks

READ MORE: TOP FOOTBALL TRANSFER NEWS

The January transfer window is less than two weeks away, with clubs in the Premier League and around Europe scouring the market for any season-boosting deals.

Manchester United, set to be guided by incoming shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, have targeted Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo but now face competition from Tottenham.

United’s focus on signing a new centre-back comes amid Raphael Varane’s uncertain future, with the defender out of contract in June 2024 and football director John Murtough recently flying to Saudi Arabia in the hope of selling him.

Meanwhile, Arsenal is keen on bringing in Ivan Toney from Brentford, although boss Mikel Arteta has identified Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke as a cheaper and more attainable option.

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Title rivals Liverpool could strengthen, too, but will need to fend off Manchester City and Bayern Munich if they’re to complete a move for in-demand Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha.

Spurs start Tobido talks

Tottenham has opened negotiations with OGC Nice over a potential deal for defender Jean-Clair Todibo, per football London.

Ange Postecoglou is known to want a central defender in the January transfer window with his options in that area currently restricted due to injuries.

Todibo was linked with Manchester United in the summer and is expected to attract further Premier League interest in the New Year.

Leicester to snub Cannon suitors

Leicester plans to hold onto young striker Tom Cannon in the face of numerous loan bids this season.

The striker moved to the East Midlands in the summer from Everton in a £7.5m move. A back injury has limited him to just two appearances.

According to The Sun, a number of clubs are interested in acquiring his services on loan, but Leicester is determined to keep him. No transfer for him.

Man Utd’s secret Saudi talks

Manchester United’s football director John Murtough flew to Saudi Arabia earlier this month to try to sell some of the club’s under-performing players.

It’s claimed Murtough made his way to Riyadh to speak to Saudi Pro League chiefs about the possibility of selling Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane, Anthony Martial and Casemiro

United’s transfer boss is thought to have left the country without striking a deal.

It will be difficult for many Saudi clubs to bring in fresh talent in January after filling their overseas quotas during the summer, when the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane and Ruben Neves moved there.

But it’s not impossible.

Murtough is said to have established some new relationships with Saudi chiefs that could pave the way for transfers to be agreed in the future, perhaps next summer.

United are still expected to try to offload the quartet in January, even if Saudi clubs aren’t keen.

Bunny Shaw’s importance

That Khadija Shaw is only in her third season of the Women’s Super League, risks feeling like an optical illusion.

The Manchester City striker, based solely on vibes, feels entrenched. A league-wide institution. Where life is filled with theoretical guarantees and constants–life, death, taxes, Emma Hayes lifting trophies – there is now also Bunny Shaw.

Midway through the 2022-23 season and following a second hat-trick in three games, Shaw leads the Women’s Super League goalscoring charts with nine goals in nine games, with two assists too.

The 26-year-old is two goals clear of her closest competition in Brighton’s Elisabeth Terland, Chelsea’s Lauren James and Tottenham Hotspur’s Martha Thomas. And she’s the first-ever player to record three hat-tricks in a calendar year.

Sunderland appoint Beale

Sunderland have appointed Michael Beale as their new manager.

The former QPR and Rangers boss arrives at the Stadium of Light on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

Beale said: “It’s a huge honour to be joining the Sunderland family… The existing coaching team deserve huge credit for the way they navigated the interim period and like all of the staff at the club, they will continue to be vitally important moving forward alongside the incredible fans that make SAFC such an historic and unique club.

“It’s clear there is some excellent work being done at senior and academy level and I’m excited to support those efforts and implement my own ideas, as we build on the strong identity already established within the club.”

Madrid eye January transfer fix after huge injury blow

Carlo Ancelotti may be forced to bring in a new centre-back in January after Real Madrid star David Alaba suffered a season-ending injury on Sunday.

Austrian international Alaba was forced off just 35 minutes against Villarreal on Sunday, with veteran Nacho taking his place. Los Blancos still claimed all three points, with Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Brahim Diaz and Luka Modric all on target in a 4-1 win, but the loss of Alaba is concerning.

Ancelotti confirmed midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni will serve as his “emergency” option at the heart of the defence, with Alaba joining fellow ACL injury victims Eder Militao and Thibaut Courtois on the sidelines.

With Alaba set to miss the business end of the Champions League and the Spanish title race, though, reinforcements are likely to be required.