With only two days left of December – and of 2017 – all eyes look to January as the transfer window is starting to spice up as one of the best in recent memory.
Liverpool FC have already splurged a world-record fee for a defender on Virgil van Dijk from Southampton fc and could continue the spending with Thomas Lemar – although Chelsea and Arsenal are also in the hunt.
After a bumper summer January could be a record-breaker and we will have all the latest news, views, rumours, gossip and done deals for you right here so don't touch that dial.
Without further ado, off we go.
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Alexis Sanchez is on his way to Real Madrid next month, if reports in Spain today are to be believed.
The forward's form has wavered this season but reappeared in style against Crystal Palace this week, scoring two goals just in time for the January transfer window to open. He would prefer a move to La Liga over a chance to reunite with his former coach Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, and Arsenal may be persuaded to cash in now rather than wait until the summer.
Manchester City are set to offer Nicolas Otamendi a new deal at the club, according to ESPN.
The Argentine has moved from strength to strength under Pep Guardiola this season, with the City backline conceding the fewest goals of any team this season.
Otamendi signed a five-year deal when he joined from Valencia in 2015 and is set for talks over an extension.
Guardiola recently praised the defender, saying City would not be in the position they are without him.
"We have a superman in the team, as Nico Otamendi helped us absolutely. Without Nico, it would not be possible, what we have done," Guardiola told a news conference ahead of the New Year's Eve trip to Crystal Palace.
"Everyone speaks about a bit of players such as Raheem [Sterling], like David [Silva], like Kevin [De Bruyne], like Sergio [Aguero], and they deserve it, but if I would like to point to a player who deserves full respect, for what they have done until now, it's Nico.
"Nico has been amazing. He is a guy who even with pain in the ankle, in the knee, in the back, he always fights. He's one the hugest competitors I've ever seen in my life.
Alvaro Morata has dismissed Mauricio Pochettino’s claims over why he rejected Tottenham Hotspur prior to his Chelsea move in the summer and has said he wants to play alongside Harry Kane.
“No it's not true,” Morata told Sky Sports. “I spoke with him and he said he wanted both [of us] to play together, but there was no chance to come to Tottenham.
“For sure I would like to play with Kane, he's a big player, one of the best strikers in the world. But in this moment when I spoke with him (Pochettino) there was no chance to leave Real Madrid.”
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The Southampton to Liverpool route is a well-worn one with Virgil van Dijk following the likes of Adam Lallana, Nathaniel Clyne, Dejan Lovren, Sadio Mane and Ricky Lambert in what is a world-record fee for a defender.
However, the Saints may finally be getting something back.
The Mirror report that Daniel Sturridge will move to the south coast this winter – although not for anything less than £25m.
West Ham will allow David Moyes money to spend in the January window with Newcastle United’s midfielder Jonjo Shelvey high on his wishlist.
The Mirror claim Moyes will look to tempt the 25-year-old and take advantage of Newcastle’s ownership troubles with the club looking to be sold as soon as possible.
Everton manager Sam Allardyce has admitted the club are interested in signing the Turkish striker Cenk Tosun, who is primed to leave Beşiktaş in the New Year. The Toffees are eager to sign a new forward to replace Romelu Lukaku, who was sold to Manchester United in the summer. And new Everton manager Allardyce admitted on Friday morning that the club have a number of targets in mind when the transfer window reopens on January 1.
“We are interested in him and many others,” Allardyce said.“We need a front man if we can find one. We will be actively looking for a front man in this window.
“I need more goals in the side than what we have at the moment.
“If we are to just maintain our position because we have started to struggle to create chances and score goals in recent matches.
“It is still one of the major problems that we have.”
“I need more goals in the side than what we have at the moment.
“If we are to just maintain our position because we have started to struggle to create chances and score goals in recent matches.
“It is still one of the major problems that we have.”
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With the New Year fast approaching, unsettled players will be assessing their options ahead of the January transfer window. January is far from the ideal time for clubs to do business. With the window falling half way through the domestic season, sides are often reluctant to part with their most-prized assets with little time to source replacements.
Here are 50 players out of contract in the New Year...
Mark Hughes has issued a hands-off warning to rival Premier League clubs interested in Joe Allen and outlined his own plans to strengthen Stoke's squad in January. Former Liverpool midfielder Allen has impressed this term despite the Potters' struggles and recent reports have linked the 27-year-old with a switch to West Ham.
"There is nothing definite at the moment, but it is clear that we are too stretched and ideally we would like to rectify that," said Hughes on the club's official website.
"We all know that January isn't the ideal time to get deals done, but there are opportunities and we would like to be active - we feel there are areas that we need to strengthen."
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Leonardo Bonucci’s agent has insisted the defender will be going nowhere this January – despite interest from Chelsea and Manchester City. The Italy international moved to AC Milan from Juventus last summer in a £40m deal, but has found life at the San Siro tough going.
“Leonardo is a Milan player, and he chose to play for Milan and will continue to pursue his objectives there,” Bonucci’s representative, Alessandro Lucci, told Sky Sport Italia.
“He's a great professional, a leader, and he wants to get out of this situation and help the club reach the objectives they deserve.”
Tottenham Hotspur don’t have a game this weekend but Harry Kane is still a doubt for Tuesday’s match with Swansea, said Mauricio Pochettino, who also insisted that the striker “doesn’t have a price”. Kane is in red hot form after back-to-back hat-tricks took his goal tally in 2017 to an astonishing 56 – two more than Lionel Messi managed.
“I think Harry doesn’t have a price. We want him here. I think we can talk about many things, but at the end it’s talk for talk, because it’s impossible to put a price. He’s out of the market.”
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Will Pep Guardiola be entering the transfer market?
When asked about any potential deals in January, Guardiola said: “I am so happy with the players I have. I don’t know what is going to happen. If I have to live until the end of the season with the players and the young players I have, we will.”
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Jose Mourinho does not expect Manchester United to enter the transfer market in the upcoming January window, despite his recent claim that the club must spend more to compete with rivals Manchester City. After Boxing Day's 2-2 draw with Burnley at Old Trafford, Mourinho said United's level of spending was “not enough” to challenge City, who currently sit 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
However, when asked on Friday whether United will enter the winter market, Mourinho simply said: “I don’t think, I don’t think.”
“Please, don’t misinterpret my words, don’t say my club doesn’t support or doesn’t want to spend,” the United manager said. “Two years my club paid lot of money for Paul, last summer paid a lot of money for Lukaku.
“Please, don’t misinterpret my words, don’t say my club doesn’t support or doesn’t want to spend,” the United manager said. “Two years my club paid lot of money for Paul, last summer paid a lot of money for Lukaku.
“I’m pretty sure next year is going to pay a lot of money for one player but we are doing these things with some balance because it’s the profile of the club. We do it with some balance.”
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Antonio Conte will go back in for Ross Barkley in what would be a cut-price deal according to the Daily Telegraph.
Barkley was at Chelsea’s training ground on deadline day in the summer only to have a last-minute change of heart but he is still yet to sign a new deal at Everton and consequently is out of contract in the summer.
Manchester United are looking to next season as they prepare for life without Michael Carrick and, probably, Marouane Fellaini.
The Manchester Evening News claim the Old Trafford club are tracking Napoli midfielder Jorginho for the deep-lying playmaker role that Carrick has filled so well for so many years.
There are also doubts over the futures of fellow midfielders Juan Mata, Ander Herrera and Daley Blind, who are all out of contract this summer – despite having a one-year extension should United want to exercise it.
A transfer window wouldn’t be complete without Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly pushing for a move away from Real Madrid, would it?
The Daily Record claim that the former Manchester United forward has asked Real to set a ‘realistic’ price-tag of £89m so clubs aren’t put off the 32-year-old’s £1bn release clause.
Good morning everyone and welcome to today's Independent transfer live blog.
The winter transfer window is now just days away with some of world football's biggest names possibly on the move.
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