The 2022 January transfer window is closed, but there’s still plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Clubs circle as Dybala plots Juve exit
With reports surfacing that Paulo Dybala will not be signing a contract renewal to stay at Juventus, there will be no shortage of clubs interested in signing the Argentina international as a free agent this summer and Calciomercato has offered an indication of the early contenders.
Internazionale is the first named mentioned, with it being stated that there could even be a meeting in the coming days, while AC Milan are not as serious despite wanting him in the past.
Atletico Madrid are looking for a Luis Suarez replacement and see Dybala as a possibility, while Paris Saint-Germain see him as a viable option as they aim to make up for the potential loss of Kylian Mbappe and even Lionel Messi.
In England, there is interest from Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United — though Manchester City are thought to be more interested in signing Borussia Dortmund‘s Erling Haaland.
A separate Calciomercato report offers an indication of how Juventus are planning for life without Dybala.
This begins with the mention of turning Alvaro Morata‘s loan spell from Atleti into a permanent transfer, but they want to spend €15 million rather than the previously agreed €35m.
The Bianconeri are also working to get out of their loan agreement with Everton for Moise Kean and sign Sassuolo‘s Giacomo Raspadori instead.
They also want AS Roma‘s Nicolo Zaniolo, while they hope for the return of Red Devils midfielder Paul Pogba but could go for Ajax Amsterdam‘s Ryan Gravenberch if that move doesn’t materialise.
Chelsea‘s Antonio Rudiger and Torino‘s Gleison Bremer are wanted at the heart of their defence, while they hope to sign Raoul Bellanova — who is currently on loan at Cagliari from Bordeaux — to bolster their left flank.
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09.26 GMT: Calciomercato claims Arsenal are preparing a bid for Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo.
Arthur, 25, almost moved to the club on loan in January but the two clubs couldn’t agree on a deal.
The Brazil international has also attracted interest from Newcastle and Man United, and it seems he’ll be leaving Turin in the summer.
08.48 GMT: Leicester City are the latest club to show interest in FC Salzburg forward Chukwubuike Adamu, the Daily Mail reports.
The 20-year-old is enjoying a breakout season at the Austrian club. He has scored three goals in his last seven appearances, including the opening goal in his side’s Champions League round-of-16 tie against Bayern Munich.
The Mail reports that Leicester would face competition from Premier League rivals, Southampton as well as Ligue 1 clubs Marseille and Monaco for the Austria international’s signature.
08.00 GMT: Manchester City have topped the Deloitte Football Money League for the first time as the world’s highest revenue-generating club in a 2020-21 season affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Previous leaders Barcelona dropped to fourth in the 25th edition of the table, the Spanish club’s lowest position since 2013-14.
Abu Dhabi-owned City, with revenues of €644.9m and a number of sponsors linked to the owners, climbed six places.
The findings of the report will be a good sign for City as they aim to compete with some of Europe’s biggest clubs this summer for the signature of Erling Haaland. The Borussia Dortmund striker’s reported release clause of €75m is set to expire at the end of April, meaning clubs would potentially have to pay a much higher transfer fee for him if a deal is not agreed before that deadline.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)
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Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Liverpool have all accelerated their interest in signing PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo, reports The Athletic. In January, Gakpo agreed to stay and extend his contract to run until 2026 despite receiving interest elsewhere, but while that deal doesn’t include a release clause, it came with an understanding that PSV will cooperate if any suitable offers come in. This has led to increased interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
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Arsenal are set to offer Bukayo Saka a new contract following his impressive performances this season and The Sun have gone as far as to say that the Gunners will quadruple his £30,000-per-week wages when they do so, reflecting his importance for the club.
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Villarreal will make an offer to sign Rayo Vallecano‘s Santi Comesana during the summer transfer window, reports AS. The midfielder has been a key figure for Rayo this season and will be affordable due to his current contract ending in 2023. With this in mind, Villarreal are willing to offer up to €4m to sign him.
– Nicolo Schira says Juventus and Federico Bernardeschi are some way apart in talks over a new contract. The Italy international wants four years on his current wage of €4.2m-per-season, while Juventus are suggesting three years on €3m-per-season. The two sides will need to come to an agreement if he is to play for the Bianconeri next season, as his current deal culminates in the summer.
