It’s go time, as the January transfer window is open. Find out when it closes across Europe, view the latest transfers as they happen and keep up to date with the newest gossip below.
TOP STORY: Arsenal agree deal for Shakhtar’s Matviyenko
Arsenal have agreed a deal to make Shakhtar’s Mykola Matviyenko their first signing since manager Mikel Arteta took charge last month, according to reports in Ukraine.
The centre-back has featured 14 times in the Ukrainian Premier Liga for Shakhtar this season, as well twice facing Manchester City in the Champions League.
Sources told ESPN Brasil on Tuesday that Arsenal’s deal to sign Flamengo defender Pablo Mari has collapsed, opening the door to sign Matviyenko.
Mari, 26, arrived in London on Saturday to complete a transfer to the Emirates but the defender is now set to stay at Flamengo.
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15.10 GMT: Spurs are on the verge of signing PSV winger Steven Bergwijn in €31m deal plus €4m in add-ons, sources have told ESPN.
Bergwijn is in London completing a medical at the club before joining on a four-and-a-half-year deal.
15.00 GMT: Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho has signed a new contract, keeping him at the club until 2021.
🔥2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣1️⃣🔥
Another year of @fernandinho!!!
🔵 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/rrEEKTHC5x
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 28, 2020
14.20 GMT: Manchester United target Bruno Fernandes could move to Barcelona as part of a deal for Valencia’s Rodrigo, sources have told ESPN.
Barca are pushing for an initial loan for Rodrigo with an obligatory purchase clause included for the summer, sources said, while Valencia would prefer to sell now, not at the end of the season.
The clubs are also discussing a more complicated scenario, which could see Sporting Lisbon’s Fernandes come into the picture, sources added.
Fernandes, who has close links to Rodrigo’s agent Jorge Mendes and is a January target for United, would sign for Barca before joining Valencia on loan immediately, with Rodrigo moving in the other direction.
14.00 GMT: Tottenham need a replacement for injured striker Harry Kane, with AC Milan’s Krzysztof Piatek reportedly a target of the club. ESPN FC’s Stewart Robson weighs in.
13.50 GMT: Napoli have announced the signing of Matteo Politano from Inter Milan.
ESPN sources understand that Inter can now sign either Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud or Napoli’s Fernando Llorente as a replacement.
We are delighted to announce that we have exercised the option to convert the loan of @LoCelsoGiovani from Real Betis to a permanent transfer.
✍️ Gio has signed a contract with the Club until 2025. #THFC ⚪️ #COYS
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 28, 2020
13.35 GMT: West Ham are close to making their first signing of the January transfer window with Slavia Pargue’s Tomas Soucek set to have a medical at the club, according to Sky Sports.
The Czech international has scored 12 goals in all competitions this season, two of which came against Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
13.25 GMT: Chelsea have identified Leicester defender Ben Chilwell and Ajax midfielder Hakim Ziyech as priority summer transfer targets, sources have told ESPN, but the club are facing defeat in their attempts to sign Napoli forward Dries Mertens.
Manager Frank Lampard has been given the green light to rebuild his squad in the summer, with substantial funds available following the lifting of the club’s two-window transfer ban.
Sources have told ESPN that Lampard had been keen to sign Belgium striker Mertens this month, but the 32-year-old has shown little appetite to leave Napoli, who have placed a prohibitive £40m price tag on the striker.
13.12 GMT: Spurs have announced the signing of Giovani Lo Celso on a permanent deal until 2025.
We are delighted to announce that we have exercised the option to convert the loan of @LoCelsoGiovani from Real Betis to a permanent transfer.
✍️ Gio has signed a contract with the Club until 2025. #THFC ⚪️ #COYS
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 28, 2020
13.00 GMT: Christian Eriksen has completed a move from Tottenham to Inter Milan, bringing an end to his six-and-a-half year spell in north London.
The Denmark international’s future had been up in the air at Spurs season and he has put pen to paper until 2024 at the San Siro.
🚨 | ANNOUNCEMENT
Milano: your elegance is about to meet its match.
👉 https://t.co/5NPAw5M3Xj#WelcomeChristian #NotForEveryone ⚫🔵 pic.twitter.com/on6q0fIVvP
— Inter (@Inter_en) January 28, 2020
11.20 GMT: Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has suggested a move to the United States is a genuine possibility when he leaves the Etihad stadium.
Gundogan is under contract at City until 2023 and will be 33 when his deal expires. The Germany international said he wants to assess where he is at once he reaches that age and then decide on his next move.
“If I were to say I want to leave and continue playing at a high level, only Spain or Italy would be an option for me,” Gundogan said. But if I were to say the sporting challenge might not be that high anymore, then things like the U.S. are definitely an alternative, also because of the life there and the other opportunities you have.”
10.35 GMT: ESPN sources revealed on Sunday that Tottenham were set to sign PSV Eindhoven forward Steven Bergwijn.
Jose Mourinho has been in the market for reinforcements in the January transfer window with striker Harry Kane ruled out for the forseeable future.
It is now being reported in Netherlands that Bergwijn has been given the go ahead to travel to London to complete the transfer after being given permission to miss training on Tuesday.
10.11 GMT: Will Bruno Fernandes sign for Manchester United in January? Don’t ask Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The United boss refused to be drawn on transfer speculation regarding Fernandes’ arrival at Old Trafford at a news conference on Tuesday.
“I haven’t got any updates for you on transfers,” Solskjaer said. “I think it was a waste [of a question)] — I gave you the option [not to ask it].
“I haven’t got anything to say now. My mind is just on the game.”
09.55 GMT: Real Valladolid have signed French winger Ben Arfa for the remainder of the season, the La Liga club announced on Tuesday.
Ben Arfa, 32, had been without a team since leaving Rennes last summer before joining Valladoild, who are owned by Brazilian legend Ronaldo.
The former Newcastle, Hull City and Paris Saint-Germain player strengthens a Valladolid side that is 16th in La Liga, five points clear of the relegation zone after 21 games.
😱💜 ¡Ben Arfa!
👉🏻 https://t.co/S7bdX8cqQe#pucela #RealValladolid pic.twitter.com/4qvvifZPeg
— Real Valladolid C.F. (@realvalladolid) January 28, 2020
09.34 GMT: Real Madrid would not be willing to allow Dani Ceballos to join Valencia on loan, according to Marca.
The midfielder is unhappy at a lack of minutes at Arsenal under coach Mikel Arteta, and would favour a move back to La Liga ahead of this summer’s European Championship.
Ceballos made his first Arsenal appearance since picking up a hamstring injury in November on Monday night, coming off the bench in a 2-1 FA Cup win at Bournemouth.
The 23-year-old knows Valencia coach Albert Celades well, having played for him regularly with Spain’s under-21 side.
However Marca report that Real Madrid would not want Ceballos to strengthen Valencia, who are competing for a top four spot in La Liga and remain a possible opponent in both the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.
09.15 GMT: Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo is edging closer to a return to Argentinian club Estudiantes, according to TyC Sports.
United and the Argentina defender are in advanced talks for the 29-year-old to leave the Red Devils and join his former club on loan. According to the Argentine media outlet, Rojo, who has had limited playing time at United in recent seasons, will arrive in Argentina on Thursday to seal the move.
“I’m optimistic regarding Rojo,” Estudiantes executive Agustin Alayes told Radio Continental. “We are convinced and with a lot of enthusiasm. All that we are missing is the other side, which is Manchester, and its willingness to accompany his desire. It’s not done yet and we hope to complete it in the coming days.
“Marcos Rojo is very eager for this to happen. We are waiting for a good news from Manchester to confirm if it’s a yes or a no. He probably will be able to find the continuity to be again in the forefront.”
08.51 GMT: Chelsea are considering a move for AC Milan striker Krzysztof Piatek, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The Poland international, who has also been a target for Tottenham in the January transfer window, is being looked at by the Blues as Edinson Cavani looks close to joining Atletico Madrid.
Piatek, 24, has scored 13 goals in 36 Serie A appearances since joining Milan from Genoa in a £30m move last January.
08.00 GMT: Manchester United are set to continue talks with Sporting Lisbon as they look to agree a fee for midfielder Bruno Fernandes, sources have told ESPN.
The two clubs have until Friday’s transfer deadline to reach a compromise. United are keen to agree a structured deal worth around €60 million but it remains €20m short of Sporting’s valuation.
Sources have told ESPN that United are unwilling to go above a guaranteed fee of €55m while the Portuguese wide want €60m up front another €20m in bonuses.
PAPER TALK (by Liam Wheeler): Ancelotti wants Vecino at Everton
It has been a busy month at Inter Milan for Antonio Conte with the arrivals of Ashley Young from Man United and Victor Moses on loan from Chelsea, and according to Calciomercato.com, there still is work to be done before the winter window shuts at the end of January.
The worst-kept secret of this window — Christian Eriksen’s impending move to Inter — crept forward with reports that the Denmark international was in Milan for a medical, but Conte & Co. aren’t done there.
The Italian outlet writes that Carlo Ancelotti has an eye to bringing Matias Vecino to Everton and that the teams have reached an agreement on an approximate valuation of €25m for the Uruguay international, whose sale could allow Conte to spend even more in January on a move for Olivier Giroud that is also in the works.
Can closing on Dortmund deal
Borussia Dortmund are looking to bring Juventus midfielder Emre Can in a shock winter transfer.
The ex-Liverpool man and Germany international joined the Serie A champions in 2018, but he has seen limited action this campaign. Can was left out of Juventus’ Champions League roster, but a switch to the Westfalenstadion could provide Dortmund with an experienced Bundesliga player.
Overall, Can has four goals in 45 appearances for the Turin-based club.
Can has 2½ years remaining on his deal at Juventus, after joining on a free transfer from Liverpool. Prior to joining the Reds, the 26-year-old played at Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen.
Tap-ins
– Aston Villa striker Scott Hogan is set to join cross-city rivals Birmingham City on loan until the end of the season, the Stoke Sentinel reports. Hogan, 27, helped Sheffield United achieve promotion to the Premier League last season, but he has fallen out of favour at current loan club Stoke City following the sacking of manager Nathan Jones at the beginning of November.
– Cardiff City have identified Crystal Palace striker Connor Wickham as the man to set their season alight, according to Wales Online. The forward has been wanted by his former loan club Sheffield Wednesday for some time, but the Owls have struggled to strike a deal as they continue to barter over wage demands, with the Bluebirds now planning to swoop for the 26-year-old.