Transfer news live: Arsenal chase £17m Barcelona winger as Monaco disappoint Liverpool and Chelsea on Thomas Lemar
We'll have all the latest transfer news plus gossip and rumours throughout Friday
Sign up to the Independent's betting newsletter for the latest tips and offers
Sign up to the Independent's betting newsletter
With Christmas approaching the excitement does not stop there as the January transfer window is just around the corner.
An embarrassment of big names are out of contract in January so there will be plenty of clubs trying to snatch cut-price deals while the usual suspects will be targeted by the biggest clubs in Europe.
Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal will all be hoping to add to their squads ahead of a tough second half to the season, so stick with us throughout the day for all the latest news and gossip doing the rounds today.
Follow all the live transfer action below…
Please allow a moment for the blog to load…
More reports from Italian sport daily Gazetta dello Sport suggest that Manchester City are monitoring the situation with Leonardo Bonucci.
Rumours are rife in Italy that after AC Milan’s poor start to the season – they are currently eighth in Serie A – the 30-year-old will look to leave the club, only six months after his move from Juventus.
Mario Balotelli has said he would go back to Manchester City for free as he eyes a move back to a “big club”.
The striker has 15 goals so far this season in what is his second successive impressive season at Nice.
“The aim is to go back to a big club. To win something important again. I called (agent) Mino Raiola and asked: ‘What am I doing in January?’ He said he didn’t know. I want to remain, so we’ll see.
“Admittedly, I would like to get back to having a strong squad behind me. I want to play in the Champions League and win something.
“I am certainly not thinking about the end of my career yet. I am 27 years old, so I can play another six or seven years at the top level.
“I love City, the Manchester City fans and the club. I’d happily go back there for free. It was the best year of my life, even if the city is a little difficult to live in. Manchester is not London.”
Manchester United’s nightmare EFL Cup nightmare continued long after their shock defeat to Bristol City on Wednesday night.
Following the last-minute 2-1 defeat at Ashton Gate, United’s flight back to Manchester from Bristol was cancelled due to fog, meaning the team had to travel back overnight on the team bus and arrived back in Manchester at 5am on Thursday morning.
The cancellation followed Jose Mourinho’s side being diverted to Cardiff on Wednesday morning before the game because of the heavy fog, meaning United were subjected to a heavy day of travel both before and after the game.
The squad left the stadium at 10.45pm but were made to wait at the airport until 1.30am before eventually taking the decision to take the 174 mile coach journey home, taking around three and a half hours. The flight would have taken just 50 minutes.
It was not ideal preparation for United for this weekend when Mourinho takes his side on the road again to face Leicester City on Saturday evening.
READ MORE:
Ryan Giggs has claimed that he told Manchester United to sign both Gabriel Jesus and Kylian Mbappe when they were worth just £5m.
“I watched Gabriel Jesus play three years ago,” Giggs told The Times. “I watched Mbappe for a year. I was watching them with the scout and it was a no-brainer. It was just like, ‘get them.’
“It would have been £5m or something — get them, loan them back — and that's where the recruitment could have been better.”
READ MORE HERE:
Monaco have spoken out against the sale of Thomas Lemar amidst £90m interest from Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.
“The sales of important players is not on the agenda,” said Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev. “We have never spoken [to Lemar or his agent] about the possibility of a January departure.
“The team needs stability. We have re-found a positive dynamic. Now is not the time to break it.”
Manchester United’s EFL Cup defeat to Bristol City has caused Jose Mourinho to re-assess his transfer plans, as he has become more concerned about his squad’s depth.
While it had been the case that the club’s funds would be limited this January, with maybe only a left-back like Alex Sandro targeted,The Independent has been told that the Portuguese is now pushing for more signings.
Mourinho was critical of a largely second-string side after the dramatic defeat at Ashton Gate on Wednesday, albeit without naming players directly, and it is understood he now wants to bolster his options while preferably making sales.
More here:
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies