“Anthony Martial will be playing for the French national team and still wants to play in England,” said a source close to Manchester United. “He’s been told he can’t go on loan.” The Telegraph says that Mourinho is convinced Mertesacker could keep up with Pierre Roller, despite his age
Anthony Martial is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Manchester United and the France national team. He began his career at Monaco, where he spent three seasons before joining Manchester United in 2015.
The transfer window shuts on January 31 (see when it closes in Europe’s major leagues here), and the last week of business will be crucial for a number of elite players and teams.
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While some big deals have already been made — Barcelona signed Manchester City’s Ferran Torres for £46.3 million; Newcastle paid £37 million for Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier and Burnley’s Chris Wood; and Aston Villa signed Everton’s Lucas Digne for £25 million and loaned Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho this month — several more big deals could be made between now and the deadline.
So, as the window nears its end, which players are most likely to be the focus of attention as teams try to complete major transactions before Monday?
Martial has made it obvious that he wants to leave Manchester United this month. The 26-year-old has only started two Premier League games this season, and he made his first appearance under interim manager Ralf Rangnick in Saturday’s 1-0 victory against West Ham as an 82nd-minute replacement.
Although the two have now cleared the air, both Martial and United are still anxious to negotiate a transfer away from Old Trafford this month, despite reports by Rangnick earlier this month that he refused to be a part of the squad for the game against Aston Villa on Jan. 15.
Sevilla contacted United in December about a loan deal, but discussions fell down because United demanded a loan fee and full payment of his alleged £200,000-a-week salary, while Sevilla only offered half. Despite Martial’s reputation as a highly regarded striker, there has been little more interest, but as a proven goal scorer, a late deal is likely.
A move’s chances are 8/10.
Aubameyang hasn’t played for Arsenal since being sacked and stripped of his captaincy by manager Mikel Arteta in early December for a disciplinary violation, and the club is actively looking for a buyer.
Following a bout with COVID-19, the 32-year-old was ordered home from Gabon’s Africa Cup of Nations duties due to the discovery of “cardiac lesions,” but he has now been given the all-clear after examinations back at Arsenal.
Despite failing to recruit a striker so far this month, Arsenal insiders have informed ESPN that Aubameyang and his estimated £350,000-a-week salary are still on the table. That salary is proving to be a stumbling issue, although Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia has allegedly made an offer to take him on loan for the remainder of the season.
Barcelona and PSG are also interested in a loan transfer for Aubameyang, but with his contract expiring in June 2023, Arsenal may be obliged to face a financial penalty to make a deal this month.
A move’s chances are 6/10.
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Julien Laurens discusses why he doesn’t think Arsenal will sign Dusan Vlahovic of Fiorentina.
According to ESPN, as many as eight top teams are interested in signing Fiorentina attacker Vlahovic at the conclusion of the season. Arsenal and Juventus, on the other hand, are seeking to avoid a summer bidding war for the Serbian international by reaching an agreement this month.
Fiorentina are desperate to retain the 21-year-old, who has 20 goals in 24 games, for the rest of the season in order to increase their chances of qualifying for Europe, and reports say the player is willing to wait a few months, when he will likely have a number of elite clubs to pick from.
But it all comes down to money, and a deal might be struck if either Arsenal or Juventus are willing to pay £60 million for the former Partizan Belgrade attacker.
A move’s chances are 5/10.
Manchester United want to sign Lingard on a permanent deal this month to prevent losing him as a free agent at the end of the season. With a transfer to St James’ Park in the cards for the 29-year-old, ESPN has learned that he is only willing to sign a loan deal with the relegation-threatened club before weighing his options in the summer.
Lingard wants to leave United after failing to start a single Premier League game this season, and is aiming for a transfer to previous loan club West Ham United, where he scored nine goals in 16 appearances last season. United, though, are unwilling to loan Lingard to a rival club in the Champions League qualifying battle, according to sources, and would only contemplate a permanent deal to West Ham.
If he does go, it’s probable that Donny van de Beek, who has been under fire this season, will remain since United won’t want to risk their squad depth this late in the season, and the Dutchman can play in a number of positions.
9/10 chances of a move
Alli’s omission from Tottenham’s matchday squad for Sunday’s loss to Chelsea has fueled rumours of a transfer for the former England midfielder. Under former boss Jose Mourinho, the 25-year-old fell out of favour at Spurs, and has since been unable to reclaim his spot under Nuno Espirito Santo and now Antonio Conte.
According to ESPN, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe wants to bring Alli to St James’ Park, and the club is willing to buy him on a permanent or loan basis. Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain have all shown interest in Alli in the past, but following a lengthy period of poor play, Newcastle are likely to be his only choice this month.
9/10 chances of a move
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Gab and Juls weigh in on Antonio Rudiger’s choices, as he is being pursued by a number of teams.
Chelsea have failed to convince the Germany defender to sign a new contract and now fear losing him for free when his current deal ends in June. While a January move is improbable owing to Rudiger’s significance to Thomas Tuchel’s club, ESPN has learned that Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United are all interested in the 28-year-old.
Rudiger is well aware that if he becomes a free agent this summer, he will be able to sign a rich contract with one of Europe’s major clubs or get a significant wage hike at Chelsea. However, if one of the interested parties is willing to make Chelsea a big-money bid this month, it might spark a surprise transfer.
3/10 chances of a transfer
After praising Ramsey as a “outgoing player,” Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri stated last week that the former Arsenal midfielder has returned to the UK to improve on his fitness.
The 31-year-old has been informed he has no future at Juventus and must immediately relocate in order to be healthy and eligible for Wales’ World Cup playoff against Austria in March. However, with rumoured weekly earnings of £300,000, a club willing to pay a large portion of his income is required to secure a loan transfer.
Although Crystal Palace have cooled their interest, reports claim that Burnley are willing to take Ramsey on loan if a deal with Juventus can be reached. Newcastle and Wolves have also shown an interest.
A move’s chances are 8/10.
Tottenham boss Conte is prepared to unload the club’s record signing in order to clear room on the pay bill this month for reinforcements. Since joining Spurs for £55.4 million from Lyon in July 2019, Ndombele has been a massive disappointment, and he has not featured for the club since being booed off during the FA Cup third-round victory at home to Morecambe earlier this month.
Despite his lack of success at Tottenham, Ndombele’s reputation in France remains strong, and Paris Saint-Germain have approached Tottenham about a loan transfer. According to sources, any agreement is contingent on PSG paying a large portion of the 25-year-salaries. old’s
A move’s chances are 6/10.
Henderson may be loaned out for the sixth time in his Manchester United career as he tries to obtain regular playing time after failing to unseat David de Gea. The 24-year-old finished last season as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-choice goalkeeper and was named to England’s Euro 2020 squad, but injury forced him to withdraw from Gareth Southgate’s squad, and a subsequent battle with the effects of COVID-19 denied Henderson the opportunity to reclaim his United spot at the start of the season.
Henderson has only started two games this season, and with former Aston Villa and England goalkeeper Tom Heaton currently serving as De Gea’s back-up, United are willing to loan him away. According to sources, Ajax are interested in loaning him out for the remainder of the season, and certain Premier League teams are also keen.
A move’s chances are 8/10.
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