Opinion
As day four of the January transfer window began, Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino had well and truly dug in his heels in regards to the future of Kylian Mbappe in the French capital.
Whilst the 24-year-old is technically able to depart PSG at any time, the club seem to be playing some sort of curious game in admitting that it “knows his situation”, while also citing a hope that he finds a desire to stay at the club for many years to come.
It appears one of the worst kept secrets in football is that Mbappe is not against a move and Real Madrid’s desire to assemble a frontline that includes the Frenchman and Erling Haaland, could well provide, along with a stack of currency, all the reasons PSG needs to agree to terms and set the young star free.
Napoli sit third on the Serie A ladder and are reportedly close to securing a mid-season loan deal for Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe.
Currently at Villa on loan, the move only adds more weight to the growing rumours that Old Trafford stands to be one of the most talked about clubs during the January window, with plenty of players jettisoned and some serious talent brought in to compensate.
One player Ralf Rangnick is apparently determined not to see leave United is Edinson Cavani. Despite ageing legs at 34, the experience and professionalism he displays on the pitch has been in stark contrast to some of the inept performances put up by many younger and supposedly promising United players this season.
(Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Up north in Scotland, Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou continues to rebuild his squad. Cameron Carter-Vickers could well become a permanent member of it and another player Tottenham Hotspur must cut loose in order to fund the superstars rumoured to be announced at the club over the coming weeks.
Already on loan, discussions are well underway to ensure Carter-Vickers wears the hoops on a permanent basis from 2022 onwards.
Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger was not a name many thought they would be discussing during the transfer window, yet in the middle of a stellar season, the German felt slighted at the offer made to him by the Blues.
Apparently there is some way to go before the two parties could even come close to meeting, in terms of what the club feel Rudiger is worth and what the player himself sees as his true value. This one looks likely to get very ugly.
The Blues 2021/22 Premier League pursuit of Manchester City looks even more unlikely to succeed with captain Cesar Azpilicueta also a potential departure, although such a situation does look more likely to occur in the coming summer, with the 32-year-old Spanish international certain to be in high demand.
West Ham United’s recent form has them at the mercy of clubs looking to poach its best talent – the jewel in the crown of which is midfielder Declan Rice.
Manchester United have obvious interest in him, yet clubs right across Europe would be silly not to throw their hats in the ring. Rice is a player many believe could one day captain his country.
Hammers attacker Jarrod Bowen continues to be linked to Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp on the record stating clearly that he is a fan. The amount of money being rumoured for any prospective Bowen deal is enormous and with West Ham in search of a key defender or two to stabilise things at the back after a spate of injuries, the Reds may not be wasting their time.
That defensive acquisition at the London Stadium could well be Adama Traore, with the Wolves defender most likely to shine at a more competitive club and the new ownership structure at West Ham could well see them in the market for additional players over the next three weeks.
Adama Traore has become a beast for Wolves this season. (Photo by Andrew Kearns – CameraSport via Getty Images)
The strongest news flying around the football world as the third day of the window developed, was a reported swap deal between Barcelona and Manchester United, involving Ousmane Dembele and Anthony Martial.
The numbers being discusses are significant and the outcome uncertain, yet the expectation around the proposed deal defines all the excitement of the transfer window.
Tomorrow will bring another array of rumours and unreliable comments from managers and the players themselves, with the best means of establishing the truth a game of patience.
Be sure to stick with The Roar for all the updated deals and rumours, as the biggest clubs in Europe move and shake their way towards better squads.
The real concern comes down to football's growing trend of big corporations taking up slices of the world game at the expense of smaller teams.
Round 25 was a weekend of football that had plenty of action. There were five games due to the Central Coast Mariners vs Adelaide…
Arsenal fans were outraged that Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson got off scot-free for this challenge in the Gunners' 5-0 win.
Kai Havertz has scored twice against his former team and Ben White also got a brace as Arsenal brushed aside a dismal Chelsea side…
Goalkeeper Jamie Young: 2-1 win for Melbourne City against Western Sydney Wanderers. Full game played, seven saves, 29/47 passing. Young had a very strong…
Central Coast Mariners' star striker Angel Torres has been stood down from playing in the A-League Men after he was charged with sexual assault. …
