Transfer News LIVE updates: All the latest on Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, the Premier League, La Liga and more as the January window opens.
Monday, January 1
8:40am: Gareth Bale will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season.
The former Tottenham talisman has been heavily linked with a Bernabeu exit in recent months.
And according to Spanish transfer outlet Don Balon, Bale has an agreement with Florentino Perez to leave Real in the summer.
The say the Wales international wants to quit the Bernabeu and return to the Premier League.
Don Balon add that United have tabled an offer for the injury-prone winger, 28.
The Red Devils are only willing to pay around £53m for Bale, despite Real demanding around £80m for their star man.
7:15am: Real Madrid have told Zinedine Zidane they will NOT be pursuing a move for Chelsea star Eden Hazard, and instead insisted that he make do with Marco Asensio.
French boss Zidane is a huge fan of the mercurial Belgian.
And Hazard is reportedly putting off signing a new deal at the Blues in case the Champions League winners register their interest.
But Chelsea fans will be able to breathe easy after Marca revealed that Real have pulled out of the race.
According to the Spanish publication, the club are putting full faith in their 21-year-old Asensio.
10:45pm: Lionel Messi has asked Barcelona to sign Dele Alli.
That is according to Diario Gol.
The Englishman has struggled for form this season.
But the Spanish outlet claim Messi believes Alli is one of the best young players in the world.
10:30pm: Chelsea star Willian has denied reports he is ready to leave the club.
The Brazilian has been linked with a reunion with former boss Jose Mourinho.
However, speaking to ESPN Brazil, Willian has admitted he is happy at Stamford Bridge.
"There was never a contact made with Palmeiras, that’s why I decided to reply politely," he said.
"I just want people to make sure that they know I am very happy at Chelsea."
9:30pm: Premier League clubs have been put on red alert due to reports Barcelona star Rafinha has handed in a transfer request.
Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have all been linked with the midfielder.
And according to Mundo Deportivo, Rafinha wants to leave the Nou Camp due to his lack of first team minutes.
8:45pm: Jose Mourinho has remained coy over his transfer plans.
Manchester United got back on track by beating Everton 2-0 at Goodison Park.
But speaking after the game, Mourinho refused to be drawn on his January plans.
"I don't know about transfers. In this moment we are in trouble, in two to three weeks time maybe we recover and we breathe in a different way,"he told Sky Sports News.
"Can we improve now or do we wait util the summer? I cannot say.
8:00pm: Sam Allardyce admits Everton have tried to sign Cenk Tosun.
The Besiktas striker has been a target for numerous Premier League outfits.
And speaking after tonight's 2-0 defeat against Manchester United, Allardyce told Sky Sports: "We've done all we can to try to secure the player - whether that is enough, only time will tell in the next 24 hours."
7:30pm: Claude Puel wants to keep Riyad Mahrez at Leicester.
The Algerian was on yet again today, as the Foxes beat Huddersfield 3-0.
Mahrez has been linked with fellow Premier League clubs such as Arsenal and Chelsea.
But speaking this evening, Puel admits he wants the winger to stay.
"I like this player and I'd like to keep our best players," he said.
"We will ask him the question, for me I am happy to play with the team with Riyad, with Jamie Vardy and others.
7:00pm: Manchester United are looking to sign Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes.
The former Valencia man has failed to hold down a first-team place at the Nou Camp.
And according to Il BiancoNero, United are ready to beat Juventus to his signature.
The Serie A side tried to sign the midfielder before he moved to Barcelona.
The publication also report United have already had one bid of £30m turned down.
5.40pm: Jose Mourinho has been criticised over his signings for Manchester United by ex-Liverpool striker Paul Walsh.
“His signings, a lot of them haven’t been good enough,” Walsh said on Sky Sports.
“Lindelof I’m yet to be convinced of massively. Mkhitaryan it looks like he doesn’t fancy.
“Luke Shaw is in there, I think he wants him out.
“I’m even looking at the line up the other day thinking ‘is he putting people in the shop window to try and move him on in January?’, some of them. Definitely Mkhitaryan, and Luke Shaw.
“I think he thinks Luke Shaw is a bit of a softie, is what I think and he’s questioned certain players about what they will and won’t play with injury-wise.
“Mkhitaryan has been a massive disappointment and Lukaku, from his blinding start, has suddenly hit the buffers and everyone is looking to criticise him and tell us all what he can’t do.
“I think he needs a better supply chain in terms of creating chances to play to his strengths to make him a better player or they are just going to end up diving into the transfer market again and solving it with money.”
4.50pm: Real Madrid have told Zinedine Zidane they will NOT be pursuing a move for Chelsea star Eden Hazard, and instead insisted that he make do with Marco Asensio.
French boss Zidane is a huge fan of the mercurial Belgian.
And Hazard is reportedly putting off signing a new deal at the Blues in case the Champions League winners register their interest.
But Chelsea fans will be able to breathe easy after Marca revealed that Real have pulled out of the race.
According to the Spanish publication, the club are putting full faith in their 21-year-old Asensio.
The Premier League’s 15 most expensive transfers - when Liverpool sign Virgil van Dijk
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4.05pm: Barcelona stars Luis Suarez and Paulinho have demanded the club sign Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool this month.
The Catalan club have been linked with the Brazilian ever since they sold Neymar to Paris St-Germain in the summer.
But Liverpool held firm in the last transfer window as Coutinho stayed at Anfield despite handing in a transfer request.
Now Spanish outlet Don Balon claim Suarez and Paulinho want the 25-year-old to force an exit from the Merseyside club.
But Coutinho is said to be hesitant after his decision to try and make a transfer happen to Barcelona in the summer backfired.
3.10pm: Tony Cottee does not believe Philippe Coutinho will leave for Barcelona during the January transfer window.
“Personally, I can’t see Coutinho leaving until the end of the season,” he said.
“I think if he was going to go he would have gone at the start of this season.
“People do it, they make mistakes, or someone had a bright idea or whatever.
“I can’t see him going, I cannot see him going in this window, I really can’t.
“I think he will go at the end of the season. I can’t see him going.”
2pm: Manchester United have made contact with Paris St-Germain about the possible signing of Lucas Moura.
Jose Mourinho is keen to bring in reinforcements this month as the Red Devils desperately try and move closer to Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
And French outlet Le 10 Sport claim United have made contact with PSG over Moura.
However, no official offer is said to have been tabled with the Ligue 1 side demanding massive money for the 25-year-old.
United could face competition for Moura though with Chinese Super League side Hebei Fortune also interested in the winger.
1.15pm: Liverpool have dropped a major hint Philippe Coutinho could be off to Barcelona in their 2018 calendar.
The Reds star has been linked with the Catalan club ever since they sold Neymar to Paris St-Germain in the summer.
Liverpool managed to cling on to Coutinho in the summer but Barcelona still want to sign the Brazil international.
And the Reds have hinted in their new calendar that the 25-year-old could be off to the Nou Camp.
Coutinho has been placed on the January page which could signal Liverpool are not expecting him to be at the club later this year.
The midfielder is not shown on the front cover of the 2018 calendar either which will only further intensify speculation linking him with Barca.
12.10pm: Manchester United have been cut into 7-4 (from 3-1) by bookies Coral to sign Antoine Griezmann as Jose Mourinho is rumoured to be set to splash the cash this month to help his side improve on the pitch.
Barcelona remain favourites to secure the Atletico Madrid player, while the French international is 4-1 to return to Ligue One to join PSG.
“Although Barcelona are still the favourites to land Antoine Griezmann, Manchester United fans should be encouraged by this latest move in the betting as the odds on the Frenchman moving to Old Trafford have almost dropped in half in the last 24 hours,” said Coral’s John Hill.
11.30am: Virgil van Dijk has completed his move to Liverpool and is excited about his Anfield career.
He said: "Well, fantastic obviously. I am happy to be here and I can’t wait to get started.
"I think the most important thing is the size of the club, the culture of the club, the players, the manager and obviously the fans, who make the club this special.
"With the history at the club and everything around it – even the training ground and stuff – it is just a perfect, perfect match for me, and for my family as well.
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11am: Jose Mourinho wants Antoine Griezmann to save Manchester United’s season.
Mourinho is ready to pay the French star £300,000-a-week to snub Barcelona and move to Old Trafford instead.
United are out of the title race following three draws in a row and facing a battle just to finish in the top four.
To make matters worse Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been ruled out for a month with a knee problem, while Romelu Lukaku will miss the next two games after suffering concussion following a clash of heads against Southampton on Saturday.
United tried to sign Griezmann last season but failed to strike a deal with Atletico Madrid and turned to Lukaku in a £90m deal instead.
But Mourinho remains a huge fan of the attacking midfielder and believes he can still hijack Griezmann’s likely move to Barcelona if United meet the buy-out clause of £100m in the January transfer window.
10.30am: Chelsea and Manchester United target Alex Sandro could be on the move with Juventus lining up Bayer Leverkusen full-back Wendell.
Antonio Conte tried to sign the Brazilian left-back in the summer but was unable to get a deal over the line before the transfer window closed.
United have also put Sandro on their wish list as they look to invest in a new defender, according to the Mirror.
Juventus has reportedly told the 26-year-old he would have to wait until the end of the season to make a move away from the Serie A club.
But as they have now stepped up their interest in Wendell, Sandro could be allowed to leave this January if the Turin club receive the right offer.
10am: Arsenal will renew their interest in Monaco sensation Thomas Lemar, Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol claims.
The France international snubbed a move to the Gunners in the summer, with Liverpool also chasing the winger.
However, Solhekol says Arsenal are ready to go back in for the highly-rated Monaco star.
Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: "At the moment, it could be resurrected, Arsenal could be interested."
Manchester United and Chelsea have also been linked with a move for Lemar in recent weeks.