Transfer news and rumours LIVE - Barcelona want Reds star in triple swoop

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has confirmed Schalke have approached him about a January transfer from Ajax.

The veteran will retire at the end of the season and had set his sights on a farewell in Amsterdam, but his former club are in dire straits towards the bottom of the Bundesliga and want him to fire them out of trouble.

Huntelaar has said he will sleep on it before making a decision.

West Brom's bid to land Mamadou Sakho from Crystal Palace look set to be dashed by injury.

Baggies boss Sam Allardyce had earmarked Sakho as a key January recruit, but Birmingham Live says the defender is set for a spell on the injury list which will force West Brom to look elsewhere.

Everton signed James Rodriquez on a free transfer from Real Madrid.

The Colombian's stock fell some way from the highs of Real's purchase from Monaco in 2014 for £63m.

He departed the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer for Everton, with Toffees director of football Marcel Brands confirming the capture was a free transfer.

"We signed six new players," Brands said. "Three on a permanent transfer – Allan, Doucoure and Ben Godfrey. One on a free – James Rodriguez."

Arsenal are looking to reach agreement to sign goalkeeper Neto from Barcelona.

As claims the two parties are some way apart at present, but that the Gunners want to keep the lines of communication open.

The Gunners are said to want a loan deal, while Barca's preference is a sale.

Union Berlin are working on a deal to sign Matej Vydra from Burnley.

According to Sky Germany, the Bundesliga club are keen on securing him on a six-month loan - but the Clarets are in favour of a permanent arrangement.

Talks are continuing in a bid to find a solution for the 28-year-old's departure.

Tottenham "are refusing to sanction" the departure of Dele Alli on loan to Paris Saint-Germain.

The England international wants to make the move and he is said to be a priority for PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino, but the Mail's Sami Mokbel claims Spurs chief Daniel Levy does not want him to leave in January.

On top of Levy's stance, an injury to Giovani Lo Celso means Alli may be needed in the second half of the season.

Everton have sent defender Jarrad Branthwaite on loan to Blackburn for the remainder of the season.

The teenager has been a fringe player under Carlo Ancelotti, and the Toffees feel a loan move will allow him to get regular playing time under his belt.

Sassuolo have insisted Manuel Locatelli will not be leaving the club in January.

Manchester City reportedly hold an interest in the emerging midfield talent, but the club will not entertain offers before the summer.

"We have players who are of interest to many, including Locatelli," Sassuolo director, Giovanni Carnevali told Rai Sport. "With important players like Locatelli, we won’t consider any proposal that would involve him leaving mid-season.”

As expected, Ryan Edmondson's spell at Leeds United was a brief one as he completed a loan move to Northampton on Thursday.

He returned to Elland Road following the end of his loan stint in Scotland with Aberdeen.

With no prospect of regular playing time under Marcelo Bielsa, the winger has moved to Northampton until the end of the season.

Fenerbahce director Emre Belozoglu says that Mesut Ozil is “closer than ever” to joining the club. The Gunners midfielder is ready to miss out on £7m in wages to end his contract with Arsenal early and secure a return to football. And that's just as well because Belozoglu says the club will not break the bank to land the 32-year-old midfielder.

Speaking to the Turkish media, Belozoglu said: “We had a meeting with him and his manager. Mesut is closer than ever.

“After the meeting process with Mesut’s club is over, we will hold meetings between ourselves. If Mesut agrees with his club on the terms we want, it won’t stretch our financial limits this year.

“Fenerbahce and other clubs no longer have the power to bring in footballers on €4-5 million contracts. There will be no numbers that would disturb the balance or affect the salaries of other players, we do not have that ability.”

Will it be a matter of minutes over money for Ozil?

Liverpool youngster Adam Lewis has joined Plymouth on loan until the end of the season.

The move suits both parties as top prospect Lewis goes and gets himself some first team football while Liverpool keep him on their books.

The 21-year-old left-back is yet to make an appearance for the Reds, with his spot on full lockdown by Andy Robertson right now, but will fancy himself a long-term replacement for the Scot should he develop elsewhere.

And here's a little more on that.

Presindential candidate Joan Laporte has said that extending Lionel Messi's contract is 'non negotiable' in the run-up to the elections on January 24th.

“We have to extend Messi, it is non-negotiable,” Laporta told Eurosport Spain.

“Messi is a priority and we will try to convince him to continue writing the beautiful history between him and Barca.”

And on Koeman...

“Koeman is the current Barca coach, who deserves respect and who has the same margin as all the coaches,” he said.

Read our full story on Laporta's comments HERE!

Joan Laporta, Victor Font and Toni Freixa are the candidates to become president of Barcelona ahead of the election on Jan 24th.

The election comes after one of the most turbulent summer's in Barcelona's recent history, and could play a huge role in the future of Lionel Messi and manager Ronald Koeman.

Laporta was previously the club president between 2003 and 2010.

Brighton full-back Tariq Lamptey, one of the Premier League's breakout stars this season, is set to sign a new deal with the Seagulls that will double his wages at the club.

The 20-year-old has attracted interest from a number of top clubs around Europe with his lightning pace and attacking prowess this season, but will commit his future to Brighton and up his wages from £20,000-a-week to £40,000-a-week.

Lamptey is guaranteed first-team football when fit, and Brighton have sorely missed their man since he suffered a hamstring injury in December. With the full-back improving rapidly in Graham Potter's side, the deal appear to suit player and club down to the ground. Lamptey will one day have his eyes on the England setup, and first-team Premier League football can only do him good.

Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic has rejoined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan.

Jovic signed for Real Madrid in 2019 for €60m but has scored just two goals in 31 appearances for Los Blancos.

The 23-year-old was earmarked as a long-term replacement for Benzema but the evergreen Frenchman refuses to give up his place in the side and is having one of his best seasons in a Real Madrid shirt.

Jovic, considered by Marca to be one of the club's worst ever signings, flourished in Frankfurt during his last spell and joins at the perfect moment as the Bundesliga side look to push up from mid-table after a slow start to the season. It appears the move will suit all parties, not least the player who has looked despondent at the Bernabeu.

Johan Mojica is close to signing a loan deal with Elche until the end of the season, report AS.

Mojica is a Girona player on paper, though he has spent the first half of the season on loan at Atalanta.

The left-back will now turn out for an Elche side desperate for reinforcements - the La Liga outfit are seeking to bring in four or five players this January according to the report.

Mojica was part of Colombia’s 2018 World Cup squad and has made a name for himself as a journeyman, utility full-back during a long and varied career.

Media reports emerging from Turkey suggest that Schalke are on the verge of signing Fenerbahce’s Omer Beyaz, dubbed the ‘Turkish Messi’.

Dortmund are also thought to be interested in the 17-year-old who has made just five appearances in the Super Lig for the Turkish giants, but has turned heads all over Europe with his impressive performances from attacking midfield.

Beyaz has also made three appearances for the U21 national side.

Liverpool are prepared for the departure of Georginio Wijnaldum this summer, and have already begun talks with his replacement according to the Daily Express.

Udinese’s star midfielder Rodrgio de Paul could be set to fill that gap left by the Dutchman who has been a vital cog in Liverpool’s relentless midfield engine in recent seasons.

Argentinian De Paul has been earmarked as a ready-made replacement for Wijnaldum, and the Reds could capitalise on Udinese’s financial woes with the player’s cut-price fee a bargain £35m.

Bielsa is also a huge fan of De Paul, but Liverpool can offer trophies and titles, and with a Wijnaldum-sized gap in their midfield De Paul could slip right in, in a move that would appear to suit both sides perfectly.

Barca boss Ronald Koeman wants to add three players to his squad cross the next two transfer windows as Barca aim to rebuld themselves into a true European powerhouse and potentially prepare for life without Lionel Messi.

According to the Daily Mail, Koeman's top targets are Liverpool’s Georginio Wijnaldum and Lyon’s Memphis Depay and the Dutch manager is confident of securing their signatures this summer.

Wijnaldum is out of contract this summer and talks have apparently reached a stalemate, while Depay’s sparkling Lyon form has had him tipped for a return to Europe’s elite following a lacklustre spell at Manchester United five years ago.

Manchester City’s Eric Garcia is also on Koeman’s wishlist and could arrive as early as this January.

Garcia has dropped down the pecking order at the Etihad following the re-emergence of John Stones as well as the signing of Nathan Ake in the summer.

Not strictly a transfer rumour but the Athletic have broken the big news that the Premier League's Director of Football, Richard Garlick, will leave his post later this year and become the new Director of Football at Arsenal.

Garlick has held his post at the Premier League since summer 2018 and prior to that was an executive at West Brom.

He will succeed Huss Fahmy at The Emirates.

Dallas FC full-back Bryan Reynolds will become a Juventus player in the coming days, according to Corriere dello Sport.

Reynolds will play at Benevento on loan until June, or until 2022 as long as Benevento remain in Serie A.

He could even join 22-year-old countryman Weston McKennie, currently on loan at Juventus from Schalke, should the latter’s deal be extended.

Milan are keeping busy this January. On top of securing their best players with new deals, they are also very close to a deal for Torino’s Soualiho, according to Tuttosport.

The report suggests that the French midfielder will arrive in Milan in the next few days to sign his contract. He has become a mainstay in the Torino side for two and a half seasons now, and scored his first goal for the club in August in a 2-2 against Inter, Milan’s most fierce rivals.

Kicker reports that RB Leipzig are still keen on buying Monaco's Benjamin Henrichs. The player is currently on loan at the Bundesliga side, but can be bought for €15m at the end of the season as his contract included an option to buy.

Henrichs has so far failed to make the most of his time in Germany after spending the last two months out injured, but it appears that RB Leipzig are still keen on the 23-year-old left-back who has made five appearances for the national team.

RB Leipzig have made a name for themselves in recent seasons as a provider of top class talent, but as other clubs have taken their star men before, they are looking to replenish their talent stream by securing prospects such as Henrichs. Henrichs, meanwhile, will no doubt want to be part of a side that is now regularly featuring in the Champions League and challenging for the Bundesliga title.

Commisserations Manchester United fans because AC MIlan defender Hakan Calhanoglu is set to renew his contract at the San Siro.

Gazzetta dello Sport report that a 4.5 million euro-a-year contract is waiting for him, with a decisive meeting to be held with his agent next week.

Calhanoglu is one of the top-rated centre-backs in Europe and had been linked with a move to Old Trafford as well as a number of other top sides across Europe. But with his long-term future in Milan now, admirers will have to watch from a distance.

Arsenal starlet Folarin Balogun has been offered deals by '15 clubs' according to Italian sports journalist Fabrizio Romano.

19-year-old Balogun is considered one of the hottest prospects at The Emirates and has chipped in with two goals in five games this season, but contract talks have stalled over a lack of minutes.

The England youth international is free to talk to other clubs having entered the final year of his contract, and it appears he's not short of potential suitors with RB Leipzig among them.

"Folarin Balogun has received more than 15 bids as a free agent for next summer," Romano tweeted.

"His contract situation with Arsenal is stalling, still complicated because he wants to play."

Mesut Ozil will give up £7m in order to terminate his Arsenal contract early, according to The Athletic.

The Gunners playmaker could be set for a move away from north London this January. The German World Cup winner was left out of Mikel Arteta's Premier League and Europa League squad, and his involvement has been reduced to just training in recent months.

Currently earning £350,000-a-week, Ozil is a drain on Arsenal finances, while the best part of his football career is slipping away as he misses out on minutes. A move away would appear a no-brainer of Ozil is happy to sacrifice his massive wages. He has come under fire for taking money for nothing in recent years, but it's a braver man than me who'd suggest they wouldn't do the same.

If it's now a minutes over money, a move away in January would appear to suit both parties.

Mauricio Pochettino won his first trophy with Paris Saint-Germain after just seven days after his side beat Marseille to win the French Champions Cup.

But the Argentine is under no impression that PSG are already the finished product, and Téléfoot La Chaîne reporter Simone Rovera says that he is still keen for a reunion with Spurs midfielder Dele Alli.

"Pochettino's priority is Dele Alli," said Rovera. "Dele Alli wants to come to Paris. The opportunity could come in this transfer window but it must be a really good opportunity."

A January move to PSG and some gametime in the French capital could be vital for Alli who may still harbour hopes of a last minute push to make England's Euros squad this summer. He's been out of sight and out of mind under Jose Mourinho at Tottenham, and will surely be desperate for a chance to flourish again under Pochettino.

Hot off the press this one. We can report that West Ham are ready to pay Reims £15 million for forward Boulaye Dia.

The Hammers are in desperate need of a striker and are cash rich since offloading record signing Sebastian Haller to Ajax for £20.2m. After casting an eye over Chelsea's Olivier Giroud, RB Salzburg’s Zambian forward Patson Daka, and Bounremouth's Josh King, 24-year-old Dia has emerged as the number one target for a spot upfront at the London Stadium.

We reported in December that West Ham were interested in the Frenchman, and after making initial contact on Wednesday they are expected to go ahead with an offer. Dia has scored 12 goals in 17 Ligue Un appearances so far this season, and is thought to be a much better fit to West Ham and David Moyes' style of play than Haller.

Read our full report on the move HERE!

Freddie signing in here to bring you a bit of news from the Spanish coast that may interest the red half of north London. Valencia are interested in a January move for Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira and have made contact with Gunners sporting director Edu, report Spanish outlet AS.

Torreira was sent on loan to Atletico Madrid at the beginning of the season after he was pushed down the pecking order by Thomas Partey, who went the other way on a permanent deal.

But AS report that Arsenal are unhappy with the number of minutes Torreira has been given in the Spanish capital - he's played just 11 games so far across all competitions - and Valencia offer the promise of more minutes.

The move would appear to suit all three parties. Torreira could certainly help bolster a struggling Valencia a side toying with relegation this season, Arsenal seem keen to keep the Uruguayan on their books while he develops, while Atletico appear so far indifferent to his involvement given his limited appearances.

Good morning, transfer fans. Freddie will be with you from 9am but just to kick things off, there's a line in the Liverpool Echo about Jurgen Klopp having decided on the man he wants to strengthen his defence. Brighton's Ben White is the player in question and could be a "big summer signing" for the Reds.

As reported by The Echo: "Liverpool scouted the centre-back extensively last season during his loan spell with Leeds, with talent spotters regularly dispatched to Elland Road to watch him in action in the Championship. Despite positive reports, there was always an acceptance that White would need more seasoning at the top level.

"Scouts are believed to place their findings into one of four categories marked A to D at Anfield, although it is unclear what grade will have been given to White as his maiden season in the Premier League enters the second half. It is the clarity this forward planning provides that enables the club to move quickly and decisively if and when a target's availability become realistic."