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Transfer rumours: Lingard finally on the way home to West Ham, Barcelona rocked by COVID and Lukaku still a Blue - for now

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4th January, 2022
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As day 4 of the January transfer window came to a close, new Barcelona signing Ferran Torres tested positive for COVID-19.

After the Spanish club had outlaid £54.7 million for his services, a few days of recovery will do little to damper their excitement at his arrival, despite the similarly concerning news that Pedri had also become infected.

With the club struggling and sitting fifth on the LaLiga ladder at the mid-way point of the season, both will be required back on deck as soon as is humanly possible, should Barcelona hope to secure a Champions League spot that has been almost assured in recent times.

There appeared to be better news for the Catalan giants just 24 hours ago, with Álvaro Morata seemingly likely to join on loan in what could have been a significant boost to any potential late charge in the championship race.

However, despite the 29-year-old having been somewhat inconsistent at Juventus, it now appears more likely that he will stay in Turin for the short term. A potential summer move still looks possible, should his parent club Atlético Madrid be keen to move him on after a more consistent end to season 2021-22.

With West Ham United’s squad appearing as fodder for some big spending rivals, the east Londoners are also looking to improve. Flamengo’s Gabriel Barbosa is desperately in search of some top-flight football to prove to the Brazilian selectors that he should be part of the attacking unit that ventures to Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Discussions are apparently ongoing and an announcement imminent, barring any concerns that arise at the 11th hour.

West Ham do need a little more up front, with even lone striker Michail Antonio admitting so in recent days. Yet, things have also been difficult down back with injuries forcing much instability in David Moyes’ starting 11 on a week to week basis.

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A reported interest in Everton’s Lucas Digne could well be motivated by some of those absences and subsequently set the Hammers up well for a run at the top four over the final third of the season.

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In some of the Premier League’s biggest news, a return to London Stadium for Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard is slowly becoming a reality. Hammers fans have waited patiently for the news and with limited opportunities arising at the Red Devils, the best thing for the player himself would be to return to the club where he has played his best football in recent times.

Brighton’s Leo Ostigard appears almost certain to head to Bologna in a move necessitated by the return of Lars Dendoncker from St Johnstone in Scotland. Kacper Koslowski should also be joining Graham Potter’s squad in the next fortnight, with the Pole destined to one of the most exciting young players in the Premier League.

The drama around Romelu Lukaku and his admission that his public comments questioning the approach of the manager were simply nothing but very, very poor errors of judgement, appears to have been settled.

(Photo by Mark Leech/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

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After a series of internal meetings, where tensions apparently ran high, the Belgian striker now looks almost certain to stay at Chelsea for the short-term future and Thomas Tuchel will be pleased should the big man return with a positive attitude.

In more good news for the Blues, Thiago Silva has signed on for another season, however, negotiations appear to have advanced when it comes to a potential summer move for Antonio Rüdiger, with Tottenham, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Juventus all having confirmed their interest in the 28-year-old German.

With Kieran Trippier’s arrival at Newcastle United growing more certain by the day, the club’s other key target is proving a more difficult proposition. Reports suggest that Lille could well be asking in excess of £60 million to part with Sven Botman, with the club still keen to finish off what remains a busy season in numerous competitions.

Arsenal looms as a potential new home for Real Sociedad’s Alexander Isak, with the Swede keen to test his skills at the game’s elite league. Whilst Barcelona has also expressed interest, Gunners legend Thierry Henry has apparently played a key role in negotiations and the Swedish international looks almost certain to be heading to London in the near future.

Things have certainly ramped up over the last 24 hours and expect that pattern to continue as the European heavyweights begin to make their moves.

Keep following The Roar for all the deals, rumours and drama as the January transfer window nears the end of its first week.

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