Transfer news LIVE: Manchester United confirm Alexis Sanchez signing as Henrikh Mkhitaryan joins Arsenal

Follow the latest from the January transfer window

Premier League transfer round-up: Latest deals from the January window

Will today be the day when Manchester United and Arsenal fans can finally welcome their new stars in the January transfer window?

The Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan transfer is likely to go through today after the players completed their respective medicals on Sunday with all the promotional pictures taken. But will Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang follow to the Gunners?

Liverpool are still in the market for a Philippe Coutinho replacement after his Barcelona departure while Tottenham Hotspur are still chasing Malcom. Also, where will Chelsea’s search for a back-up striker take them next? Don’t touch that dial…

Follow all the latest transfer news below…

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Key Points

• Watford sack Marco Silva and hire replacement Javi Gracia hours later
• Alexis Sanchez films himself boarding the plane to Manchester United
• Arsenal still have a way to go before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joins

[22 January 2018 09:00 · Jack Austin]

Manchester United are set to confirm the signing of Alexis Sanchez imminently - but at the age of 29, is his biggest challenge actually adapting his body to the rigours of age?

Perhaps. And here's what he can learn from how Cristiano Ronaldo did it...

READ MORE BELOW:

[22 January 2018 09:15 · Jack Austin]

Arturo Vidal has insisted there is “no chance” of him leaving Bayern Munich for Chelsea this January.

The Chilean has a contract until June with the Bundesliga champions.

"I'm still here until June and I'm happy," he said after the Bundesliga leaders' 4-2 win over Werder Bremen.

"I hope to win the Champions League and then we'll see what happens, but at this moment I am 100 per cent at Bayern and there is no chance of changing teams."

[22 January 2018 09:30 · Jack Austin]

What is it with footballers sharing videos of themselves jumping onto planes?

Alexis Sanchez did it on Sunday prior to his move to Manchester United and now it is Arsenal and Tottenham target Malcom who is at it.

Is he hinting at a move away from Bordeaux?

[22 January 2018 09:45 · Jack Austin]

Chelsea have targeted Fernando Llorente, Andy Carroll, Peter Crouch and Ashley Barnes and are now looking at Leicester City striker Islam Slimani, according to the Daily Mail.

The Blues are desperate for a tall and physical centre forward to give Alvaro Morata the back-up he needs to excel.

[22 January 2018 10:00 · Jack Austin]

Manchester United are back to the familiar position of worrying about David De Gea.

The goalkeeper refused to confirm he would sign a new contract when questioned recently and although there is still a year and a half to run on his contract with the option of another year after that.

And now Real Madrid could turn their attentions back to De Gea after Athletic Bilbao’s No 1 Kepa rejected the European champions.

[22 January 2018 10:20 · Jack Austin]

Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge could be moving away from the Premier League as part of a loan deal, the Daily Mail reports.

After no time on the pitch since early December, the 28-year-old is eyeing a spell at Sevilla in order to improve his World Cup chances, the paper says. The LaLiga side are said to be willing to pay the striker's wages until the end of the season.

[22 January 2018 10:40 · Jack Austin]

Arsenal will welcome Henrikh Mkhitaryan to the club imminently with the deal set to be announced on Monday after Alexis Sanchez was caught pictured in a Manchester United kit on Sunday.

The pair are the subject of an extraordinary swap deal between the two Premier League giants as Arsenal look to reinvigorate their front line.

And another player believed to be key to that is Borussia Dortmund’s wantaway forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Gabon international was disciplined by the club last week after missing a team meeting and has not played for Dortmund since before their winter break as a result.

He is a £53m target for Arsenal and although Arsene Wenger insisted on Saturday that, while the Gunners were interested, there were still “nowhere near” a deal.  

However, they might have been getting a little bit closer come Sunday after chief executive Ivan Gazidis was spotted in Dortmund in an attempt to push the deal for Aubameyang through before the 31st January deadline.

[22 January 2018 11:00 · Jack Austin]

Manchester United are expected to announce the signing of Alexis Sanchez imminently.

Sanchez completed a medical at United’s Carrington training ground on Sunday afternoon before travelling to Old Trafford to film promotional footage for his unveiling. An image appearing to show the Arsenal forward posing in a United shirt subsequently leaked on social media.

[22 January 2018 12:00 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

Robin van Persie completes Rotterdam return

Dutch striker Robin van Persie has completed his return to his first club Feyenoord on an 18-month deal after 14 years away.

The Rotterdam side confirmed on their website on Monday morning that 34-year-old former Arsenal and Manchester United man had passed a medical and would train with coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst - his former Holland team-mate - and his new colleagues for the first time later in the day.

It was announced on Friday that a deal had been reached for Van Persie, with Turkish club Fenerbahce agreeing to release him from his contract.

Technical director Martin van Geel told the club's website: "We have always said that Robin is more than welcome at Feyenoord and we are very happy that he now joins the squad.

"It is beautiful and special that, after Dirk Kuyt and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, among others, (another) icon returns to Feyenoord.

"With his enormous experience and great qualities as a player, he can definitely be of great value to the team."

Van Persie left to join Arsenal in 2004, going on to score 132 goals for the Gunners, winning the FA Cup in 2005.

He signed for Manchester United in summer 2012, and was the crucial factor as Sir Alex Ferguson's side snatched the Premier League title back from Manchester City.

Van Persie, who won 102 caps for Holland and scored 22 times for Feyenoord in his first spell, had been in Turkey since leaving Old Trafford in 2015.

[22 January 2018 12:03 · Vithushan Ehantharajah]

BREAKING: PEP SACKED

(No, not that one.)

Pep Clotet has been sacked by Oxford after less than seven months in charge of the Sky Bet League One club.

The Spaniard was appointed on July 1 as successor to Michael Appleton and departs the Kassam Stadium with the U's 10th in the table, eight points adrift of the play-off positions.

However, the former Swansea and Leeds assistant oversaw an ignominious 7-0 thrashing at home to league leaders Wigan just before Christmas and a surprise 2-1 defeat against rock-bottom Bury proved the final straw.

Assistant head coach Derek Fazackerley has been placed in temporary charge.

A statement on the club's website said: "Oxford United Football Club has today parted company with its manager, Pep Clotet.

"The board has taken the decision after much consideration, and in the best interests of Oxford United FC.

"Pep has worked extremely hard throughout his time at Oxford. The board thanks him for his efforts and wishes him every success for the future.

"Derek Fazackerley will take charge of the first team until further notice, and the search for a permanent replacement has already begun. The board is focused on maintaining a challenge for promotion to the Championship and will make an announcement regarding a new manager as soon as possible."