The January transfer window is fast approaching 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: Barca, Arsenal in for Dest
Bayern Munich and Arsenal are keeping tabs on Barcelona right-back Sergino Dest, reports Marca.
The United States international has been linked with a move away from Camp Nou in recent weeks, with the 21-year-old said to be free to leave and not part of future plans under new boss Xavi Hernandez.
Sources have told ESPN that Barcelona are willing to listen to offers in order to fund signings in other areas of the pitch, with veteran right-back Dani Alves back at the club and available to take Dest's spot from January onwards.
Bayern Munich are one of the sides linked with Dest, with their current right-backs being Benjamin Pavard and Bouna Sarr. Pavard, 25, has struggled with an ankle injury this season and has only started half of the side's Bundesliga games so far this season.
As for Arsenal, they have played Takehiro Tomiyasu at right-back all season but as more of a defensive full-back. Dest could join as a potential option to offer more attacking width on the right flank.
Dest joined Barcelona from Ajax in October 2020 for roughly £19 million, making 57 appearances for the club in that time.
The report says he is set to leave due to his connection to former boss Ronald Koeman and his style, with Xavi looking to add his own players for his style to take root at the club. The potential signing of Ferran Torres from Manchester City could show his intent early on too.
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21.50 GMT: Freiburg have extended Woo-yeong Jeong's contract earlier than expected, the club announced on Thursday. The South Korea international joined from Bayern Munich II in January 2020 and returned to play for the Bavarian reserves for the rest of the season before going on to make an impact with Freiburg this year. The club have agreed with the player not to release the details of his new deal.
21.10 GMT: A big signing in Mexico's Liga MX, as El Tri star Jonathan dos Santos joins Club America.
The former LA Galaxy man -- who also had stints at Barcelona and Villarreal, will now be part of the Mexico City club, which has won more league titles than any other Liga MX team.
His brother, Giovani dos Santos, was let get by America earlier this year.
20.05 GMT: Steven Bergwijn has a future at Tottenham Hotspur after recent impressive performances in training and having scored a goal in Spurs' Carabao Cup quarterfinal win over West Ham United, writes Sky Sports. The Netherlands winger does have other options abroad, adds Sky, with Sevilla, Ajax and several clubs in France and Germany all interested in signing the 24-year-old.
19.25 GMT: Bayern Munich centre-back Niklas Sule's future will be decided at the end of February at the earliest, according to Kicker. The 26-year-old's contract comes to an end in the summer. While Sule is receiving interest from clubs outside Germany, the report adds he will also hold talks with Bayern in the new year before making a final decision.
The Germany international, who is only 26, has been a staple at the club, making 101 appearances for Bayern in a trophy-laden career since joining from Hoffenheim in 2017.
18.45 GMT: Diario Sport reports that Noussair Mazraoui is waiting for Barcelona to make a move for him. The full-back's Ajax contract ends in the summer, meaning the Blaugrana will be able to negotiate a pre-contract with him in January.
Mazraoui declined to join Morocco's squad for the Africa Cup of Nations to ensure nothing gets in the way of a deal, with Ajax already keen for him to stay and fully recover from a thigh injury.
18.05 GMT: The paperwork has been completed between Lille and Fiorentina ahead of Jonathan Ikone's move to Italy, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 23-year-old winger has arrived in Florence and will complete a medical before signing a five-year contract, while Lille will receive €14m, a possible €1m in add-ons and 15% of any future fee earned for Ikone.
17.30 GMT: Former FC Dallas right-back Bryan Reynolds will leave AS Roma on loan in January, according to Nicolo Schira. Club Brugge in Belgium and Championship side Hull City are both interested in the 20-year-old, who has represented the United States twice.
16.45 GMT: The transfer window opens on Jan. 1 in the Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 (find out about the rest of Europe here), and clubs have been planning their business amid the ongoing financial uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
ESPN writers have everything you need to know about the top teams' hopes and delve into deals that might be in the cards. Who will come in? Who will depart?
Check out our club-by-club guide to the window.
15.53 GMT: Borussia Dortmund will offer striker Erling Haaland double his current salary to keep him at the club next season, Marca reports.
Haaland, 21, has continued his scoring form this season with 19 goals in 16 appearances, and most of Europe's biggest clubs remain interested in signing the Norway international.
According to Marca, Dortmund are hopeful of keeping him until at least the end of next season, and are willing increase his salary to €16m a year to convince him to stay. If he signs a new contract, it will almost certainly remove the €75m release clause that can be activated next summer.
14.59 GMT: Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah has interest from several Premier League clubs, according to the Daily Mail.
Nketiah scored three goals in Arsenal's 4-1 win over Sunderland in their Carabao Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday (stream the replay on ESPN+ in the U.S.). The 22-year-old is out of contract in the summer, and is prepared to move if he is not able to get more first-team opportunities with the Gunners.
The Mail reports that West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion are all admirers of Nketiah, although Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has said he would like the player to stay at the Emirates.
14.22 GMT: Atletico Madrid expect to receive a bid for Kieran Trippier from Newcastle United in January, sources have told ESPN's Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez.
Trippier, 31, joined Atletico from Tottenham Hotspur in 2019 and has become a key member of Diego Simeone's side, winning LaLiga last season. The club are aware, however, that the right-back would be open to a return to the Premier League, after he was tempted by a move to Manchester United last summer.
Sources told ESPN that Atletico anticipate a significant bid from Newcastle of over €20m. The Premier League club will look to reinforce in the January transfer window as they seek to escape relegation and have money to spend after their takeover by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund in October.
Atletico Madrid would be reluctant to let Trippier go given Simeone's view of his importance to the team and the lack of reliable alternatives in the squad. Trippier has started 11 of Atletico's 18 LaLiga games this season, coming off the bench in another three.
13.27 GMT: Manchester United expect Paul Pogba to stay during the January transfer window despite the midfielder nearing the end of his contract at Old Trafford, sources have told ESPN's rob Dawson.
Pogba will be a free agent in the summer and can begin formal negotiations with clubs outside England from Jan. 1.
Sources have told ESPN that United will consider offers for Pogba in January if the France international confirms to the club he has no intention of signing a new deal but, so far, that has not happened.
The 28-year-old is closing in on a comeback after sustaining a muscle injury in November and, according to sources, has expressed a willingness to work with interim coach Ralf Rangnick.
Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are among the clubs to have expressed an interest in Pogba while he has also not yet ruled out signing an extension at United.
12.31 GMT: Atletico Mineiro striker Diego Costa has not approached the club seeking a transfer, according to club president Sergio Coelho.
Costa, 33, recently helped the Belo Horizonte club end its 50-year wait for a Brazilian league title before they claimed the double by winning the Copa do Brasil, too.
"We are satisfied with Diego Costa," Coelho said. "He didn't come to us to terminate his contract, or talk about looking for another club. The last time I met him was in Curitiba, at the final of the Copa do Brasil, and now he is on vacation."
Corinthians have been linked with interest in the former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid striker, but Coelho insists he would not let a deal happen unless it worked for his own club.
"To reinforce a rival, without Atletico having anything in return, the chance is zero," he said. "Strengthening your rival is always very bad, but it's all business. I'm reinforcing the rival, but what comes in return? Money that will solve my financial issue? A player to reinforce my team?"
- Vickery: Hulk, Costa help Atletico win domestic double
11.39 GMT: Manchester United will not be rushed into making a decision about their next permanent manager, according to football director John Murtough.
United have appointed Ralf Rangnick as interim coach while they search for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's long-term successor.
Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag are among the options being considered but Murtough said United will take their time. Rangnick has already said he could recommend that he stays in charge for another year if the right candidate is not available in the summer.
"Out of respect for Ole, we did not approach other managers before he left," Murtough told a fans' forum. "Our plan then was to appoint an experienced interim manager and Ralf was our clear first choice.
"He's someone I have admired for a long time, and we're delighted he's here. By bringing in Ralf, we can now take time to run a thorough process for our next permanent manager.
"Recruiting a manager is one of the most important decisions a football club makes so we want to do it in a careful and considered fashion."
10.44 GMT: Real Madrid are the latest club to take an interest in Lille forward Jonathan David with an eye on strengthening their squad in 2022, according to Marca.
The Canada international, 21, is the top scorer in Ligue 1 so far this season with 12 goals -- three more than top Madrid target Kylian Mbappe.
Marca reports that David's agent Nick Mavromaras has confirmed that this will be David's last season in France as he looks for a new challenge, saying "the Premier League is a good option for him... I think he likes Spain a lot too."
Madrid are hopeful of bringing in Mbappe on a free transfer next summer when his contract is due to expire at Paris Saint-Germain and already have Karim Benzema, Luka Jovic and Mariano Diaz in the squad competing for the centre-forward spot.
09.49 GMT: Arsenal are willing to listen to offers for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January, sources have told ESPN's James Olley.
The 32-year-old was stripped of the captaincy last week after a series of disciplinary issues and has been training away from his teammates.
Sources claim the situation is not beyond repair but the Gunners are ready to sound out interest from Europe's top clubs to gauge whether a deal that suits all parties is possible.
Barcelona were interested in Aubameyang prior to the striker signing a three-year contract worth at least £250,000-a-week in September last year.
The size of that contract is an issue for potential suitors now, although reports in Italy have suggested Juventus could be interested in taking Aubameyang on loan if an agreement can be reached over his wages. Inter Milan and AC Milan have also been mooted as possible destinations.
Chelsea were also monitoring Aubameyang last summer and although Blues manager Thomas Tuchel remains a fan of a player he worked with at Borussia Dortmund, there is no suggestion at this stage that the club are keen on a deal. In any case, Arsenal would find it difficult to negotiate with a London rival.
- Olley: Is there a way back for Aubameyang at Arsenal?
08.54 GMT: Chelsea's loan coach Carlo Cudicini has confirmed that the club cannot recall midfielders Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour.
Gallagher, 21, has been one of Crystal Palace's stand-out players during his season-long loan spell at Selhurst Park, and has already scored six goals and registering three assists in 16 Premier League appearances. Scotland international Gilmour, 20, has made 10 appearances for Norwich City as they battle Premier League relegation.
There had been speculation that one or both of the pair had a clause in their loans that would allow Thomas Tuchel to bring them back into his first-team squad at Chelsea in January, but Cudicini has ruled that out.
The former Chelsea goalkeeper told Ladbrokes: "What's important for Conor is to finish the season where he is. That's why we've not put anything in place to recall him next month -- it's the same with Billy Gilmour.
"I've said this many times in the past, but a loan isn't necessarily only successful if you're playing every single minute. Sometimes, especially at that age, you learn just as much when you're not in the team.
"I think back to Conor last season at West Bromwich Albion where he had a difficult moment when the manager Slaven Bilic was replaced by Sam Allardyce. Conor missed a few games under Allardyce and I had to talk with him and remind him that he should take this as a positive moment, because he's learning how to deal with these types of situations and managerial changes.
"It was just a matter of understanding what the manager wants from him, and then it's about picking the right club - and we feel Crystal Palace is exactly that."
08.00 GMT: Barcelona are closing in on a €55m ($62m) deal for Manchester City's Ferran Torres but the signing is dependent on freeing up room on their wage bill first, sources have told ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.
Sources have told ESPN that Barca and City officials met in Seville on Tuesday to put the finishing touches to a deal that will be worth an initial €55m with a further €10m ($11m) in potential add-ons.
However, Barca still have work to do to pull off the transfer. They are hampered by LaLiga's financial restrictions and must move players on before they can make new signings.
Their spending limit for the season has been set at €97m ($110m) by the Spanish league, which is significantly lower than their wage bill but they are permitted to spend 25% of any savings they make, be that in wages or transfer fees.
- No Messi and no money: Xavi, Barca have nothing to lose
PAPER GOSSIP (by LUke Thrower)
- Anthony Martial held talks with interim boss Ralf Rangnick on Wednesday over a move away from Manchester United, says the Daily Mail. The report says the 26-year-old prefers a loan move to Sevilla in January, with the aim to play more games due to his struggle to earn minutes at Old Trafford.
- Real Sociedad have held talks with Paris Saint-Germain to sign midfielder Rafinha on loan in January, according to Fabrizio Romano. The loan will last until the end of the season, with details still to be sorted, but an agreement is said to be close between both clubs.
- Tottenham Hotspur are interested in Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, says journalist Ekrem Konur. The Netherlands international has been heavily linked with a move away from the Old Lady, with his agent recently speaking out on a potential transfer and saying he is ready to take the next step in his career.
- AC Milan are on the lookout for a new attacking midfielder, with Hakim Ziyech and Romain Faivre listed as their two targets. According to Calciomercato, the Rossoneri are interested in the duo, with Brest playmaker Faivre said to be their first choice and Chelsea's Ziyech is said to be another potential option.
- Internazionale are looking at potential successors to Alexis Sanchez, if the former Manchester United and Arsenal player leaves the club. Calciomercato reports that Simone Inzaghi is making plans in case the 33-year-old moves on in January, with Genoa forward Felipe Caicedo said to be a preferred option having played under the manager at Lazio.