Arsenal transfer news and rumours: Alexis Sanchez to Manchester City latest, club weigh up Kerem Demirbay move
A round-up of the latest transfer stories surrounding The Emirates
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Arsene Wenger has said Arsenal are yet to receive any offers for Alexis Sanchez and has reiterated the club’s desire to keep hold off the forward, along with German midfielder Mesut Ozil.
Both players are out of contract in the summer, meaning they are free to negotiate with new clubs this winter.
Sanchez has been repeatedly linked with a move to Pep Guardiola’s table-topping Manchester City, but Wenger has said that Arsenal are yet to receive any formal offers for the pair.
"We have not been contacted by anyone," he told reporters on Tuesday. "This club has lost many big players and responded well.
“But you want to keep your best players. I want them to stay. Why should I be scared?"
Wenger also insisted that even if the stars were to depart this summer, the club will sign more than adequate replacements.
"It will depend as well on the players out of contract in June. We have to take that and respond to it," he said.
Transfers: Players that are out of contract in 2018
Show all 43“We have not lost them yet and [if we do], we will respond by bringing in players of top quality.
“We have not been contacted by anybody.”
One potential arrival is Hoffenheim midfielder Kerem Demirbay.
The 24-year-old has been in fine form and was recently called up to the German national team, and has previously been linked with a move to Everton.
But on Tuesday morning Newsmondo claimed Arsenal are readying a bid for the Bundesliga midfielder.
More Arsenal transfer news and rumours:
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Mourinho plans to being active this January:
Jose Mourinho has hinted Manchester United may be in action in the January transfer market after all following a spate of injuries.
The Portuguese was missing a host of players for the New Year's Day win over Everton, including strikers Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with Ashley Young also beginning a three-game suspension to further limit his options.
Only last week Mourinho had admitted it was unlikely there would be any incomings at Old Trafford this month but a stretched squad appears to have altered his stance.
"We will compete always, we competed and we didn't have I think nine players," he said.
"Nine players were not here. I always say that I like my guys very, very much. We have a fantastic relationship, we give our best, we try to do well always and when we don't we stick together and fight.
"If somebody comes, welcome, if nobody is coming we are going to fight with the players we have.
"I had not one more player to select, even Chris Smalling was on the bench but he could only play in an emergency situation."
Anthony Martial, playing up front due to the absence of Lukaku and Ibrahimovic, and Jesse Lingard were both on target in the second half at Goodison Park - the latter scoring for the 10th time this season, seven of which have come in his last nine games.
It is a significant total for a player who managed only half of that across all of last term and further evidence that, shortly after turning 25, Lingard is coming of age as a United player.
Yet the England international has revealed his goals target for the campaign was greater than just simply getting to double figures.
"I have still got a target in mind and I'm working towards that," he told MUTV. "I just want to assist and score goals to help the team - it's good for me and that's my aim.
"(The target) is secret! But I'm working towards it and I'll keep working hard to help the team. It's always good for us to score as attacking players and to help the team get the three points."
A clean sheet for United meant Everton have now scored just once in their previous four games.
Toffees boss Sam Allardyce is desperate to recruit a new striker this month and is still hopeful a deal for Besiktas' Turkish international Cenk Tosun will materialise.
"Our deal is in, our deal is there, it's up to them whether they accept our deal or not," Allardyce said.
"We've done all we can. I would presume we will know in the next 24 hours whether we've been successful or not.
"Obviously we need a bigger goalscoring threat than we've got at the moment. That may help us in many ways to achieve more results and certainly will if whoever we get scores goals.
"I can't guarantee whoever we get in is going to score goals straight away, I just hope he does when we do."
Walcott to return to St Mary's?
Theo Walcott could be heading to Southampton on loan, according to the Daily Mail.
The 28-year-old has been on the fringes of the Arsenal first team this campaign and previously played for the Saints, with Mauricio Pellegrino eager to bolster his attack, the paper reports.
When will Van Dijk make his Liverpool debut?
Jurgen Klopp has admitted that Virgil van Dijk is desperate to make his Liverpool debut in the FA Cup Merseyside derby against Everton on Friday.
A defensive error saw Liverpool fall behind in their 2-1 win over Leicester on Saturday as Van Dijk watched from the stands and despite him being eligible to play against Burnley, Klopp had previously indicated that he will ease the centre back in.
When quizzed on whether Van Dijk could feature against Everton later this week, Klopp kept his cards close to his chest but admitted that the defender is keen to feature.
“I don't know,” the German said. “We made a few tests. No rush. He is on fire, really wants (to play), but we have to make sure he can perform.”
Read more:
Real keen on Hazard?
Chelsea's Eden Hazard could be one step closer to the Stamford Bridge exit door after Real Madrid put in a £120m bid for the Belgian international, The Sun reports.
The deal - if it went ahead - would eclipse the current record for a transfer involving a British club, which stands at the £89m Manchester United paid for Paul Pogba.
Lijnders leaves Liverpool
Pepijn Lijnders has left Liverpool to take over as head coach of Dutch side NEC Nijmegen.
Lijnders, who arrived at Anfield in 2014 to take charge of the club's Under-16s, was appointed first team development coach during the summer of 2015 and then elevated to new boss Jurgen Klopp's staff later that year.
Klopp told the club's official website, http://www.liverpoolfc.com: "It's such a strange mix of emotions talking about Pep leaving us.
"Firstly, I am gutted to be losing such a valuable member of our coaching team and such a brilliant person from our group.
"But that is tempered by the fact I am very excited for him to have this opportunity and as much as we would have loved for him to remain with us, we cannot stand in his way for what is a fantastic opportunity.
"There will be no greater supporter of NEC Nijmegen in Liverpool than me and I know this is the very start of a long journey for Pep - one where he will undoubtedly become a success."
United still keen on Griezmann:
Jose Mourinho is ready to pull out all the stops to sign Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid in January, report the Daily Star.
It was thought Manchester United would not return for the Frenchman after he opted not to join them in the summer, but the club’s recent struggles in front of goal – they have drawn their last three games – has urged Mourinho to go back in for Griezmann as a matter of priority, the newspaper claims.
Wenger promises 'quality' replacements if star duo leave
Arsene Wenger has pledged to bring in top-class replacements if Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil decide to leave Arsenal.
Wenger said they are yet to be contacted by any interested clubs but insisted the Gunners will not suffer if the duo depart.
Sanchez and Ozil are yet to extend their contracts, which expire in the summer, and are now free to speak to foreign clubs in January.
Wenger will be on the lookout for new signings too this month, but admitted he will adjust his plans depending on Sanchez and Ozil's situation.
"We are out there and look of course to do some things," Wenger said.
"We will do but when is very difficult to say because that does not depend only on us. We are open to any position for the exceptional player that can give us a plus. It depends a little bit on the injuries as well.
"On the other hand it depends if we manage to extend the contracts of the players who are at the end of their contracts in June.
"It will depend on that as well. We have to take the consequences of those decisions and respond to it.
"How we cope with that, first of all we have not lost them yet, and secondly we will respond to that by bringing in players of top quality.
"This club has lost many, many big players and has always responded well. Massive players have left this club and the club will always be in a strong position on that front."
Wenger, however, dismissed speculation linking Arsenal with moves for Chelsea defender David Luiz and Monaco forward Thomas Lemar.
He said: "I don't want to think about any special names, but these reports are wrong."
Arsenal host Chelsea in the Premier League on Wednesday as they attempt to regain momentum following Sunday's 1-1 draw at West Brom.
Wenger and his players were left incensed by referee Mike Dean's decision to award a late penalty for a Calum Chambers handball, as Jay Rodriguez converted to rescue West Brom a point.
"It was very disappointing," Wenger said. "What is more frustrating for me is it happened many times this season - at Stoke, Watford, Man City, now West Brom.
"It is a concerning coincidence for me. That is why as well I was not at all happy with the movement the referee made as to why he gave the penalty. It did not correspond at all with what happened.
"On that front it's a bit worrying. He saw what he wanted to see."
Sead Kolasinac limped off against West Brom after taking a knock to his ankle and the defender is now expected to be out for a minimum of two weeks.
Laurent Koscielny is also still struggling with an Achilles injury, with Wenger rating the Frenchman's chances of facing Chelsea at 30 per cent. Ozil, who has a knee problem, has a "small chance" and will be assessed.
Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud are both out with hamstring injuries, along with Nacho Monreal who has an ankle problem.
Diego Costa returns to Atletico bearing high expectations:
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone finally has his favorite striker back at the club.
Now expectations are high in the Spanish capital that Diego Costa can again make Atletico a title winner.
Costa helped the team win the 2013 Copa del Rey before topping that the following season with the Spanish league title — making Atletico the only team other than Barcelona or Real Madrid to win the competition in the last 13 years.
Costa also led Atletico to the first of two Champions League finals in the last four years, but he was forced to abandon the 2014 final early on due to injury and Atletico lost 4-1 in extra time to Madrid.
In the three years Costa was at Chelsea, Atletico only won the minor 2014 Spanish Super Cup.
Costa faces a challenge to win more silverware immediately. Atletico failed to advance from the Champions League group stage and, although it is second in the Spanish league, it trails leader Barcelona by nine points. Its best chances are in the Copa and Europa League.
"We were eliminated from the Champions League, which was bad luck, but we still have a lot to do this year and we are going to fight for everything we can achieve," Costa said at his presentation on Sunday before being greeted by more than 25,000 fans at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
His immediate goal will be to recover his full fitness after not playing since last season when he helped Chelsea win the English Premier League but fell out of favor with coach Antonio Conte.
Six months have passed since Costa played his last official match, scoring in a 2-1 win for Spain over Macedonia. He has been training hard with Atletico since the Spanish club agreed to a transfer fee reportedly worth 60 million euros ($72 million) in September.
"I am feeling a lot better than when I arrived," Costa said. "I have prepared well and I am anxious to play and do what I need to do, which is to help the team and score goals. I have been waiting a long time for this moment. I am tired of training, I want to play."
His first opportunity will likely come Wednesday when Atletico visits Lleida in the Copa del Rey's round-of-16. Next up is a league match against Getafe on Saturday.
Costa and fellow winter reinforcement Victor "Vitolo" Machin weren't allowed to play for Atletico until 2018 when the club's one-year ban on fielding new players expired. The ban was imposed by FIFA after the club broke rules regarding youth players.
Simeone is hoping that the 29-year-old Costa is still the same caliber as when he scored 20 goals to lead Chelsea to the EPL title.
The Brazilian-born striker will rejoin a team that maintains its pillars from 2014. Center back Diego Godin and left back Felipe Luis feature in defense, Jorge "Koke" Resurreccion and Gabi Fernandez are fixtures in midfield, and most importantly Simeone still stalks the sideline.
Costa's goals, physical play and "bad boy" attitude that rattles rivals are the perfect fit for Simeone's emphasis on hard work and a united
team.
Atletico tried several times to find a replacement for Costa. But neither Mario Mandzukic nor Jackson Martinez panned out, and current striker Kevin Gameiro has only given Atletico goals in bursts.
Costa will slot in beside forward Antoine Griezmann, the team's most creative player and its top goal scorer in recent campaigns who is reportedly being pursued by other clubs, including Barcelona and Manchester United.
In theory, the two should make a deadly force.
"We have worked very hard to get Costa and Griezmann together. I hope we can enjoy them for a long time," Simeone said Saturday. "We have two forwards coming to the team and the competition is good for Atletico."
Atletico has also strengthened its attack with Vitolo, who is similar in his large build to Costa. Vitolo spent the first half of the season on loan at Las Palmas after Atletico lured him away from Sevilla in the offseason.
The additions of Costa and Vitolo may mean Atletico will look to move one or more of its forwards. Besides Gameiro, Atletico's attack also includes Fernando Torres, Yannick Carrasco, Angel Correa and Luciano Vietto.
Costa also has a lot to play for individually. His spot on Spain's World Cup squad is in jeopardy after he was dropped by coach Julen Lopetegui given his hiatus from football.
"If I start scoring goals and the team plays well, it will be easier for me to make Lopetegui's list," Costa said. "I am ready to give it my all and later the coach will decide."
N'Zonzi interest:
Everton target Steven N'Zonzi is set to hold talks with Sevilla over his future at the La Liga club, the Liverpool Echo reports.
The midfielder clashed with former manager Eduardo Berizzo but Vincenzo Montella, the side's new boss, has insisted N'Zonzi remains a "very important" player.
Sam Allardyce has expressed interest in being reunited with him having spent time together at Blackburn Rovers in 2009.
Here's more on the story that Jose Mourinho now appears far more willing to dip into the January transfer window:
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