Gab Marcotti explains what would need to happen for Barcelona to sign Alvaro Morata this January. ( 1:25 ) The January transfer window is almost upon us and, naturally, all the gossip on who’s moving where is heating up. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz as we count down to the 2022 winter window.

TOP STORY: Barcelona eye De Ligt, Laporte or Christensen in rebuild

Barcelona have been linked with a act of defenders as the clubhouse continues its rebuild under new emboss Xavi Hernandez. The Blaugrana recently signed forward Ferran Torres for €55 million from Manchester City as their second sign under the Spaniard, joining veteran right-back Dani Alves who came on a complimentary transfer in November. Next larboard of call appears to be a defensive variety, with three high visibility defenders linked to Camp Nou.

The Sun reports that Barcelona are hoping to land Manchester City centre-back Aymeric Laporte adjacent summer following a cash injection that would help their ongoing fiscal troubles amid debts of €1.4 billion. spanish release Sport claims that another Premier League centre-back could make the switch to LaLiga in the form of Andreas Christensen. The Denmark international is out of abridge at Chelsea in the summer and is reportedly “ not interest ” in staying at Stamford Bridge, rather eyeing a move to Barcelona. ultimately, Gazzetta dello Sport says that Xavi is hoping to make a move for Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt. The 22-year-old has been heavily linked with a act away from the Old Lady in recent weeks, with agent Mino Raiola publicly discussing a transfer. Despite his €125m unblock article, Barca are said to not be deterred from the Netherlands external and a potential move in the summer. – FC 100: Messi, Lewandowski are No. 1s; Premier League dominant
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13.10 GMT: Napoli have asked Manchester United about Axel Tuanzebe ‘s position ahead of the January remove windowpane, sources told ESPN ‘s Rob Dawson. Tuanzebe is on lend at Aston Villa but the italian side have enquired about United ‘s plans for the 24-year-old as they assess options to strengthen their refutation. Sources told ESPN that Napoli are so far to make contact with Tuanzebe ‘s representatives, who are first set to meet with United chiefs to discuss the former England under-21 international ‘s future. Tuanzebe signed a annual loan softwood at Villa Park in the summer and has made 11 appearances thus far this season, although he has not started a game since Nov. 5. He has a condense at Old Trafford until 2023 and is highly rated by members of the coaching staff but the centre-back is keen for regular games and remains behind Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane in the peck order. United besides have Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly and Phil Jones in their police squad, equally well as 19-year-old academy graduate Teden Mengi. meanwhile, Andreas Pereira has told United he will not return to the club to be a squad player and is alternatively looking for a permanent wave move at the end of his loanword deal at Flamengo, sources said. 12.41 GMT: Chelsea ‘s interest in Lucas Digne could be complicated by Newcastle ‘s desire to sign the left-back on a permanent wave basis, sources told ESPN ‘s James Olley. The Blues are weighing up possible targets in the January transfer window after learning Ben Chilwell is set to miss the rest of the season following a decision to undergo operation on a knee injury sustained in late November. Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has repeatedly bemoaned the consume nature of his team in recent weeks as they have fallen eight points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City and have Marcus Alonso as their only fit specialised leave wing-back. With Chilwell expected to make a full recovery this summer, Chelsea are ideally looking for short-run blanket and would be bang-up to take Digne on loan. 12.16 GMT : very Madrid want to sign two of the best young players in the worldly concern, but how can they do it ? play 1:37

How Real Madrid can sign both Mbappe & Haaland

Gab Marcotti explains how real Madrid have the finances for two huge transfers in the summer. 11.22 GMT: Liverpool are eyeing some midfield reinforcements and could move for AC Milan ‘s Franck Kessie, says Ansa. Kessie, 25, has a contract which expires this summer and every top club in Europe is keeping an eye on him. The Ivory Coast international looks likely to leave Milan and Liverpool are making sure they are at the front of the queue as they seek to replace Georginio Wijnaldum. 10.45 GMT: Lille defender Sven Botman is on the radar of Newcastle this January, says The Daily Mail. Botman, 21, is one of the best young centre-backs in Europe and helped Lille win Ligue 1 end season. The Netherlands external is valued at around €35m, with Newcastle ‘s new Saudi-backed owners looking to make a statement in order to keep the club from delegating. 10.24 GMT: Thomas Tuchel fears Romelu Lukaku ‘s controversial consultation could destabilise Chelsea ‘s temper after admitting his storm over the hitter ‘s title he is unhappy at the club. In a conversation with Sky Sport Italia recorded three weeks ago but released on Thursday, Lukaku suggested he was “ not happy ” because “ the coach has chosen to play with another system. ” The 28-year-old joined the Blues from Inter Milan in a €115m deal death summer and went on to suggest he wanted to return to the Serie A side, “ not at the end of my career, but at a even good degree to hopefully win more. ”

Although Lukaku has scored three goals in his last four games to represent an upturn in his personal form, the Belgium international ‘s comments represent another unmanageable site for Tuchel as a patchy discharge of mannequin has left them eight points behind leaders Manchester City before facing Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Speaking on Friday at a news conference ahead of that game, Tuchel said of Lukaku ‘s comments : “ We do n’t like it, of course because it brings noise that we do n’t need and it is not helpful. But on the other side we do n’t want to make more of it than it actually is. You know identical well how it is. It is very easy to take lines out of context. It is very easy to shorten lines, make headlines and then late realise that it ‘s possibly not so bad and not what he meant. “ Let ‘s be honest, I do n’t like it because it is noise that we do n’t need. We need a calm environment and focus and this does not help. If it is an interview from a person of that kind of interest, that important player. I wholly understand the procedure. “ That ‘s why it is a set of noise, not a little bit, a lot of supernumerary noise. But still, we are not here to just read the headlines and possibly we can take the time to try to understand what ‘s going on because it does not reflect the day by day workplace, it does not reflect the daily position, it does not reflect the daily behavior that Romelu shows here at Cobham. You need to ask him, not me, I can not help you far with this because I was surprised. ” 10.07 GMT: Barcelona have made Alvaro Morata their peak aim for January following the sign of Ferran Torres for €55m, sources have confirmed to ESPN ‘s Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens. Morata, 29, is on lend at Juventus from Atletico Madrid, but sources said he is quick to cut his stay in Italy abruptly with Barcelona fountainhead bus Xavi Hernandez pushing for his sign. Barca have held initial discussions with all parties involved over a loanword distribute with an option to make the go permanent wave in the summer. however, the Catalan clubhouse ‘s fiscal situation is complicating any potential share as they are restricted by LaLiga ‘s €97m spend specify. Until they are within that limit — which will not happen this season — they are only permitted to spend 25 % of what they recoup in transportation fees or save on engage reductions. After completing the sign language of Torres from Manchester City earlier this workweek, Barca hush need to lighten their squad before being able to register him and any early new signings. The loans of Yusuf Demir and Luuk de Jong are set to be cut brusque, while the cabaret remain afford to offers for Philippe Coutinho and Samuel Umtiti. Sources have told ESPN Barcelona will besides listen to interest for United States international Sergino Dest. 09.35 GMT: Lille have confirmed that ahead Jonathan Ikone will join Serie A side Fiorentina in January. Ikone, 23, scored seven goals in 48 games last season for the Ligue 1 champions and moves for a fee of €14m plus €1m add-ons. 09.27 GMT: Mikel Arteta has a short list of strikers to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal with Alexander Isak, Dusan Vlahovic, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ollie Watkins among his targets, sources told ESPN ‘s James Olley. Aubameyang ‘s future at Arsenal has been thrown into considerable doubt over disciplinary issues and Arteta is will to listen to offers for him in January. Arteta and Arsenal ‘s recruitment team are planning for life without Aubameyang and have a range of options that they are considering. Among them is Watkins, who joined Villa for £27.7m from Brentford last summer and has scored 18 league goals in 51 appearances for the cabaret. Sources said Arteta is a fan of Watkins ‘ act style and his ability to play in a number of different roles in attack. There has been no lineal contact between Arsenal and Aston Villa over Watkins and sources said a substitution in January would be highly improbable, but the 25-year-old will be monitored ahead of a summer move. real Sociedad ‘s Isak, Fiorentina ‘s Vlahovic and Everton ‘s Calvert-Lewin are besides options in the consequence Aubameyang moves on although sources said Arsenal are mindful of how expensive a replacement may turn out to be and that other options are being considered. 09.00 GMT: Real Madrid are attempting to sign Erling Haaland american samoa well as Kylian Mbappe future summer in an attempt to take advantage of the fiscal problems at Barcelona by landing the two most sought players in universe football, sources told ESPN ‘s Mark Ogden. real failed with a €200m move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Mbappe during the summer transfer window, but the France international is expected to move to the Bernabeu as a free agent when his PSG contract expires at the goal of this season. And although they face rival from Manchester City, Manchester United and PSG for Borussia Dortmund ahead Haaland, Real believe they can social organization a deal to take the 21-year-old norwegian to Madrid . play 1:53

Is Lukaku engineering a move back to Inter with his Chelsea comments?

Gabriele Marcotti breaks down why Romelu Lukaku is n’t fond of the system being played at Chelsea and how he ‘s going about finding a new club moving forward .

PAPER GOSSIP (By Luke Thrower)

– Chelsea are eyeing three likely central defenders for the future, reports Calciomercato. The Blues could see Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Cesar Azpilicueta and Thiago Silva all leave at the end of the season unless they all sign raw contracts. As a result, Thomas Tuchel is said to be eyeing potential replacements, with VfL Wolfsburg ‘s Maxence Lacroix, Sevilla ‘s Jules Kounde and Fenerbahçe ‘s Attila Szalai all linked.

– Internazionale and Bayern Munich are interest in a travel for Borussia Monchengladbach defender Matthias Ginter, says Fabrizio Romano. The 27-year-old ‘s deal at Gladbach expires at the end of the season and he has already announced he will leave the golf club when it runs out. The Nerazzurri are said to be pushing hard for a deal with talks ongoing, while Bayern are concerned but see it as a lower priority move. – west Ham United are set to hold talks with Fulham over a motion for defender Tosin Adarabioyo, according to journalist Ekrem Konur. The Hammers have been linked with a number of defenders, having lost Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonn a for the rest of the season. Adarabioyo, 24, is a even starter for Fulham and has had Premier League know at the club. – Julian Alvarez is hoping to make the switch to Manchester United, reports journalist Ekrem Konur. The 21-year-old River Plate man has impressed with 18 goals and seven assists in 21 league appearances. The reporter claims that the player ‘s agent is presently visiting England to hold talks with the baseball club over a potential motivate .