Opinion
As the first week of winter transfer action neared a close, Thursday saw things intensify and some serious wheeling and dealing take place.
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The most sought after asset in European football has been categorised as gettable by Barcelona President Joan Laporta.
Erling Haaland is the name on everybody’s lips as the month of January hots up in the trade period.
Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images)
While interested, the question remains as to whether the Catalonians have the funds to manage a deal to draw the Borussia Dortmund star to Spain, with at least six other clubs also keen to land a player seemingly destined to be a significant one over the next decade.
PSG’s interest in Ousmane Dembele has apparently firmed, with Barcelona potentially happy to let the 24-year-old attacker depart to make room for the host of stars rumoured to be on its hit list.
Similarly, the financial squeeze at Barcelona has the club keen to jettison Phillipe Coutinho, with at least five Premier League clubs in the hunt to acquire his services.
Coutinho is reportedly sick of the uncertainty and keen to make a decision by the weekend, yet until his home club receive an offer that is met with agreement from the Barcelona accountants, the player may well have to wait a little longer to know his future.
Aston Villa manager Steve Gerrard’s effort to make personal contact with Coutinho could well be a game changer, should the club have the money to land what would be an enormous fish capable of helping them remain in the top flight in the short term future.
West Ham’s interest in Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa has apparently waned, with an 18-month loan deal not high on manager David Moyes’ wish list.
Despite the setback for the talented Barbosa, his management have apparently been instructed to look further afield and find a deal that brings the Brazilian attacker more into the eye of the national selectors, who will ultimately decide whether he has a role to play in the 2022 World Cup.
With many fans becoming increasingly frustrated at reports linking Newcastle United with just about every player up for grabs during the transfer window, there will be some satisfaction for many in hearing the news that Everton’s Lucas Digne has made it abundantly clear that the Magpies will not be his new club.
That potentially opens the door for Chelsea to move in on the man they have been interested in for some time, yet others will remain keen on a player with immense talent and potential.
Never fear Newcastle folk, a backup plan involving an attempt to lure Ajax star Nicolas Tagliafico to St James’ Park is well underway and appears to have some chance of success considering the money required to make the deal happen.
With continued reports of unrest at Old Trafford and a host of players likely to leave over the next six months, Ruben Neves has increasingly become a player of interest for the new manager Ralf Rangnick.
With excellent form at Wolves, the 24-year-old Portuguese midfielder has been impressive this season and when a target of Manchester United describes the club as “great” it becomes quite clear that his interest is matched by theirs.
Expect this deal to happen sooner rather than later.
In big Chelsea news, Antonio Rudiger now appears likely to stay at the club in the short term after Real Madrid withdrew from negotiations and Romelu Lukaku has begun the process of mending relationships with the Blues’ fans after withdrawing critical comments about his manager and has suddenly become re-committed to the cause.
Lyon midfielder Bruno Guimaraes has apparently caught the eye of both Arsenal and Newcastle United, with the Brazilian reportedly worth somewhere in the vicinity of £40 million, should either club be serious about poaching him from France.
Lazio’s interest in Liverpool’s Divock Origi is no secret and with rumours that the players’ view on the potential trade is supportive, expect more to develop in terms of negotiations between the two clubs.
Porto’s Luis Diaz appears well and truly on the radar of Liverpool’s recruitment team and Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey is looming as a massive financial windfall the club, with Tottenham seriously considering the £50 million price tag above his head.
Things have certainly escalated in the transfer window over the last day or so. Be sure to stay abreast of all the deals done and speculation on the Roar.com as the major European clubs ramp up their efforts to sign the targets they have identified.
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