Transfer news LIVE: Chelsea eye £75m Caicedo, Arsenal pick new targets plus Liverpool latest

The transfer rumour mill continues apace with only two weeks to go until the deadline, as Arsenal chase a forward to boost their chances of winning the Premier League. The Gunners were beaten to the signing of Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk by London rivals Chelsea, who paraded the 22-year-old at Stamford Bridge yesterday, and it leaves Mikel Arteta still looking for one more signing to boost his options.

Arsenal have made contact with Barcelona over the possibility of signing Brazilian winger Raphinha and Spanish forward Ferran Torres, according to 90min, while they have been offered the chance to sign Leandro Trossard from Brighton after his recent fallout with manager Roberto De Zerbi.

Meanwhile Chelsea have decided they are willing to let Raheem Sterling leave the club, writes Football Insider, having splurged on Mudryk among a whole host of new signings at the club. Liverpool are considering moving for Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves now, rather than in the summer, in a bid to solve their disastrous form, writes the Mirror.

Follow all the latest transfer news and rumours below.

Transfer news LIVE

• Arsenal enquire about Barcelona pair Raphinha and Ferran Torres

• Chelsea consider selling Raheem Sterling to make room in squad

• Blues also targeting £75m Moises Caicedo

• Barca exploring options to re-sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

• Liverpool want Ruben Neves in January to solve midfield woes

Barcelona explore re-signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

14:15 , Michael Jones

In a sign that they might not be the most well-run club these days, Barcelona want to re-sign Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang from Chelsea.

Barca bought Aubameyang less than 12 months ago from Arsenal, before deciding he was surplus to requirements at the Nou Camp and selling him to Chelsea in the summer to clear the Gabonese striker off their wage books.

Aubameyang signed a two-year contract at Stamford Bridge but the manager who wooed him, Thomas Tuchel, was sacked by the Chelsea board days later and replaced by Graham Potter. The striker has scored only one Premier League goal so far for the Blues.

Now Barca want him back, says the Telegraph, but fear they may face a legal challenge to re-sign a player in this way.

Chelsea eye Caicedo for £75m

14:08 , Michael Jones

Chelsea’s spending spree looks set to go on as the club are reportedly exploring the possibility of signing Moises Caicedo from Brighton.

Brighton want at least £75m to even consider a sale this month with Chelsea already said to be willing to offer as much £65m+ for the midfielder.

Villa sign Duran

14:00 , Michael Jones

Aston Villa have reached an agreement with Chicago Fire for the permanent transfer of 19-year-old striker Jhon Durán. The Colombian teenager scored eight goals and made three assists in 27 appearances for the MLS outfit.

Blackburn interested in Porteous

13:52 , Michael Jones

Blackburn Rovers are interested in signing Hibernian defender Ryan Porteous in January.

Porteous is out of contract in the summer and has confirmed he will not sign a new deal with the Easter Road side.

The 23-year-old made his full Scotland debut last September against Ukraine in a 0-0 draw whilst this season Hibs manager Lee Johnston has played Porteous in midfield as well as defence.

Chelsea willing to let Raheem Sterling leave

13:45 , Michael Jones

Meanwhile Chelsea have decided they are willing to let Raheem Sterling leave the club, writes Football Insider, having splurged on Mykhailo Mudryk among a whole host of new signings at the club.

The 22-year-old Mudryk, who was announced by the Stamford Bridge club during their Premier League game with Crystal Palace on Sunday, had seemed set for Arsenal as late as Thursday but it was always Chelsea’s intention to go in big for the player, and they followed that through with offers that were simply too good to turn down.

Chelsea have already added striker David Datro Fofana from Molde and centre-back Benoit Badiashile from Monaco in the January window, as Todd Boehly looks to give new boss Graham Potter the tools to turn around the team’s performance. Brazilian youngster Andrey Santos was also added from Vasco da Gama, while Joao Felix joined on loan from Atletico Madrid - only to be sent-off on his debut in the defeat to Fulham.

Now they need to offload at least one of many their forwards, and Sterling, who only joined this summer, could be on the chopping block. Finding a suitor for the 28-year-old and his vast wages could be a challenge, however.

Is Erling Haaland working at Manchester City?

13:38 , Michael Jones

It seems an absurd question about a player so far clear in the race for the Golden Boot. But the Norway international was a peripheral figure in Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League derby defeat to Manchester United, having only a couple of half-chances and just 19 touches in the match.

Haaland has now gone three games without a goal – hardly a crisis, particularly as he was only a second-half substitute at Southampton, but a dip by the standards of a player who had 27 in his first 21 outings.

More:

Pep Guardiola admits Erling Haaland shortcoming after Man City setback

Arsenal title run will ‘demand almost perfection’, Mikel Arteta admits

13:30 , Michael Jones

Mikel Arteta saw his Arsenal side go eight points clear at the Premier League summit following a deserved win at Tottenham – but insists a successful title tilt will “demand almost perfection” for the rest of the campaign.

A Hugo Lloris own goal and a long-range strike from Martin Odegaard had the Gunners 2-0 ahead at half-time and they saw out an attempted Spurs fightback to secure their first victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It means, on the back of Manchester City losing at Manchester United on Saturday, that Arsenal have widened their gap at the top of the table ahead of the visit of Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils next Sunday.

Arsenal now have 47 points from their opening 18 games and, with five of the last six champions exceeding 90 points, Arteta knows they have to keep up their electric pace.

Arsenal title run will ‘demand almost perfection’, Mikel Arteta admits

Gonzalez not for sale

13:22 , Michael Jones

Fiorentina have told Leicester that attacker Nicolas Gonzalez is not for sale.

It was reported that the Foxes were stepping up their move to sign the £30million-rated Argentine but the Italian side have publicly rebuffed their approach and now look set to keep the 24-year-old.

The forward was a priority target for Leicester who were prepared to make him one of the highest-paid players at the club if they could agree a fee with the Serie A side.

Interest growing in Elanga

13:15 , Michael Jones

Anthony Elanga is the subject of plenty of interest with Borussia Dortmund the latest club said to be targeted the Manchester United winger.

That’s according to talkSPORT, which claim that Bournemouth have also been in touch regarding the winger.

The Manchester Evening News also reported last month that Everton were interested in Elanga, who has started just two Premier League games in four-and-a-half months.

Could United’s super sub be heading elsewhere in January?

Arsenal search for forwards after missing out on Mudryk

13:08 , Lawrence Ostlere

Arsenal are on the hunt for a new forward after missing out on Ukrainian 22-year-old Mykhailo Mudryk.

Chelsea’s last-minute hijacking of the deal has left the Gunners searching for another option, and have they made contact with Barcelona over the possibility of signing Brazilian winger Raphinha and Spanish forward Ferran Torres, according to 90min.

Spanish outlet Sport reports Barcelona want £100m for Raphinha in order to sell.

Man Utd negotiating for Dumfries

13:00 , Michael Jones

Manchester United are apparently in advanced talks with Inter Milan over right-back Denzel Dumfries. The Italian side are reportedly asking for £35m to secure the deal.

Tuttomercato claims Chelsea have also touched base but Bayern Munich are now said to be out of the race.

United have been looking for a right-back to challenge Diogo Dalot as rumours continue to arise that Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s time at Old Trafford could be coming to an end.

No offer has yet been made but the club have learned that Inter are willing to let their Dutch defender leave for the right price.

Liverpool consider January move for Wolves’ Ruben Neves

12:52 , Michael Jones

Liverpool are considering moving for Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves now, rather than in the summer, in a bid to solve their disastrous form, writes the Mirror.

The Reds endured a humbling at Brighton on the weekend, losing 3-0 and being played off the pitch by their slick opponents. Jurgen Klopp has had to contend with plenty of injuries this season, particularly in forward positions, but it is in midfield which many observers have identified as major problem.

Mainstays like Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are in their 30s now while Fabinho is struggling for consistent fitness, and younger players like Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott are still learning on the job.

That means Liverpool are looking to bring in an all-action midfielder in his prime, and Wolves’ Ruben Neves has been identified as a serious option.

Manchester United are again a team led by leaders after Erik ten Hag’s restructuring

12:45 , Michael Jones

It has been a triumph of leadership at Old Trafford. That may have been Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s intention when he fast-tracked Harry Maguire to the captaincy, but now Manchester United’s leader is neither the Norwegian nor his chosen skipper. Erik ten Hag used United’s club captain in his ninth successive win but Maguire came on after 89 minutes, just as he had at Wolves.

A fine World Cup may have altered his place in the pecking order at Old Trafford, but in the wrong direction. With Ten Hag picking Luke Shaw as a central defender in the Manchester derby, Maguire now only seems the third-choice left-sided centre-back. At least, as he came on ahead of Victor Lindelof, he may only be second in line on the right. He has begun two league games since the 4-0 shellacking at Brentford and, while his manager may praise him in public, his mind feels made up.

But at a time when the captain is demoted and diminished, they seem to have more leaders than at any point for years. It is partly a product of Ten Hag’s firm grip, of his determination to instil a winning ethos. “Mentality has a lot of elements,” he explained. “One of them is resilience. The determination of this team is progressing a lot in dealing with setbacks, dealing with suffering in painful moments.” Which, after a swift turnaround to overcome Manchester City, United certainly did. A team with a tendency to wilt last season appear to have acquired character.

Man United are again a team led by leaders after Erik ten Hag’s restructuring

Arsenal offered Leandro Trossard from Brighton

12:37 , Michael Jones

And, as The Independent has reported, Arsenal have been offered the chance to sign Leandro Trossard from Brighton after the Belgian’s recent fallout with manager Roberto De Zerbi.

It remains to be seen whether Arsenal believe Trossard, 28, is the right fit.

Chelsea short-term successes show they remain a club on mixed wavelengths

12:30 , Michael Jones

Graham Potter punched the air at full-time following his side’s narrow 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace. It seemed a fair reaction, given the pressure cooker that is Chelsea at the moment following a winless 2023 up to now.

A worsening injury crisis, big money deals and even bigger contracts have been thrown into a boiling, bubbling pot of new ownership, struggling coach and discontented fans.

Saturday’s win saw all of these issues unfold and more in a bizarre, frustrating and nervous afternoon of football.

The late, great Gianluca Vialli was honoured with a montage of his finest moments and a minute’s applause before the game, with his son and club legends venturing onto the pitch to pay tribute. The current Chelsea players, meanwhile, wore shirts bearing the Italian’s name before kick-off.

Chelsea short-term successes show they remain a club on mixed wavelengths

Lorient set to reject Hammer’s bid for Moffi

12:22 , Michael Jones

talkSPORT are reporting that Lorient are set to reject West Ham’s £20m bid for Terem Moffi with the French side valuing the Nigerian international striker at closer to £30m.

West Ham would have to up their offer at least another £5m after add-ons if they want to secure the striker’s services.

Fan who kicked Ramsdale faces ban

12:15 , Michael Jones

Tottenham Hotspur have come out and said that the fan who aimed a kick at Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale would face an “immediate ban”.

“We are appalled by the behaviour of a supporter that attempted to attack Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale at the end of today’s match,” said a Tottenham statement.

“Violence in any form has no place in football.

“The club has reviewed its CCTV footage to identify the supporter and will be working with the Met Police, Arsenal and Aaron Ramsdale to take the strongest possible action, including an immediate ban from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.”

West Ham in talks over Moffi

12:08 , Michael Jones

West Ham have held further talks with Lorient over a potential £25million deal for striker Terem Moffi.

The proposal is understood to be £20m with a further £5m for Moffi, a Nigeria international, who has scored 12 goals in 18 games this season.

Having arrived at the French club in 2020, the 23-year-old has racked up 59 goals in 135 games and helped them avoid a relegation scrap last season.

His arrival at the London Stadium could boost David Moyes’ team’s attacking capabilities as they look to stave off relegation.

Bournemouth agree deal for Ouattara

12:00 , Michael Jones

Bournemouth have agreed a deal with Lorient for winger Dango Ouattara with the fee said to be £20m. He will travel to the UK today to complete his medical and finalise the move.

The 20 year old has scored six goals in 18 Ligue 1 appearances this season having made his debut in August 2021. He also featured in Lorient’s 3-1 defeat to Marseille this weekend.

Bournemouth are hoping to add to their squad in this window and Ouattara’s signing could be the first of many.

Hudson-Odoi to leave Chelsea?

11:52 , Michael Jones

Callum Hudson-Odoi could reportedly leave Chelsea for a bargain fee this summer after the arrival of Mykhailo Mudryk.

The winger has just 12 months left on his contract and is currently on loan with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen. The winger has struggled for opportunities at Stamford Bridge despite featuring in multiple positions and that seems set to continue with the arrival of Mudryk.

Hudson-Odoi has always attracted interest from Germany but seemed determined to make his mark at Chelsea. However since making his first team debut in 2018, he has never started more than 11 games in the league - he hit that mark last season under Thomas Tuchel.

Hudson-Odoi has made 15 appearances, including 11 starts, in all competitions this season after moving to Germany for more regular playing time.

If the winger does not agree an extension with Chelsea over the summer, he will be able to start talking to foreign clubs in January 2024.

The rise of Marcus Rashford – the story behind his stunning goalscoring streak

11:45 , Michael Jones

Marcus Rashford continued to drive Manchester United’s renaissance as his latest goal gave his side a memorable win in the Manchester derby on Saturday.

After two seasons of struggle, the 25-year-old has rediscovered his form and has scored in each of his last seven appearances.

Here the PA news agency looks at how the former academy graduate’s season has taken off since the World Cup and how he is now flourishing under new manager Erik ten Hag.

The rise of Marcus Rashford – the story behind his stunning goalscoring streak

Wolves remain in talks for Sarabia and Gomes

11:37 , Michael Jones

Talks are ongoing between Wolves and both Paris Saint-Germain and Flamengo over deals for Pablo Sarabia and Joao Gomes respectively.

Negotiations for both players are in the advanced stages but have not yet been fully agreed.

Gomes seems the likelier of the two to get over the line with the player said to be preparing to travel to the UK from Brazil this week, if and when the deal is finalised.

Wolves are optimistic over Sarabia’s potential deal too as the player is said to want to link up again with fellow Spaniard Julen Lopetegui at Molineux.

Arsenal keeping tabs on Raphinha

11:30 , Michael Jones

Arsenal are keeping an eye on former Leeds winger, Raphinha, and his ongoing situation at Barcelona. The Gunners failed in their pursuit of Mykhailo Mudryk but the new Chelsea man was not the only forward player the club have been looking at in this window.

Apparently Arsenal are “prepared for an opportunity” to sign Raphinha if it arises. They made a bid for the winger in the summer before he went to the Nou Camp but Raphinha has started just seven games in La Liga this season and there are rumours that Barcelona may be open to letting him leave the club.

Mikhailo Mudryk: Shakhtar to donate £20m of Chelsea transfer fee to Ukrainian soldiers

11:22 , Michael Jones

Shakhtar Donetsk will donate more than £20million of the transfer fee received for Mikhailo Mudryk to Ukrainian soldiers.

The 22-year-old forward joined Chelsea for £88m on Sunday after the Blues moved late to hijack a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal.

Shakhtar held out in negotiations for the biggest possible fee with a portion now set to go to “soldiers, defenders and their families” in the ongoing defence against the Russian invasion.

“I want to thank the entire civilised world for helping Ukraine,” club president Rinat Akhmetov said in a statement.

Shakhtar to donate £20m of Mikhailo Mudryk transfer fee to Ukrainian soldiers

Roberto De Zerbi opens door for Leandro Trossard to stay

11:15 , Lawrence Ostlere

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi has spoken on out the Leandro Trossard situation, and said the door is open for the Belgian winger to stay at the Amex.

Does this mean Trossard may be staying, or is it a way of protecting the value of the player? Saying he’s never going to play for you again is a surefire way of cutting the asking price, after all.

Newcastle’s complete extraordinary transformation with ‘more growth to come’

11:08 , Lawrence Ostlere

Thirty-eight points. It used to be the sum total of Newcastle’s ambitions for a season in the dog days of Mike Ashley’s reign. It was enough to secure them their Premier League status.

Thirty-eight points. It is Newcastle’s return in the first half of this season. If even the most rudimentary of maths shows it is an average of two per game, it promises to bring them Champions League football. Or, to put it in terms that were more familiar until recently, they are safe from relegation with 19 games to go.

If they are, in effect, twice as good as they used to be with roughly half a new team, and six players who predated their takeover and subsequent spending spree started the win over Fulham, there are other examples of the exponential improvement that threatens to carry them into the European elite.

The 38 points Newcastle have from 19 games is more than three times as many as the 11 they had taken at this stage last season. The 11 goals they have conceded is barely more than a quarter of the 42 they had let in by this point 12 months ago. Eddie Howe’s language tends to be unremarkable, but the numbers are.

“It’s been a really good first half of the season for us,” said the Newcastle manager. “We’ve improved from the start of the season to now. I think there’s still more growth in the team to come.”

Newcastle’s complete extraordinary transformation with ‘more growth to come’

Chelsea short-term successes show they remain a club on mixed wavelengths

10:44 , Lawrence Ostlere

Graham Potter punched the air at full-time following his side’s narrow 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace. It seemed a fair reaction, given the pressure cooker that is Chelsea at the moment following a winless 2023 up to now.

A worsening injury crisis, big money deals and even bigger contracts have been thrown into a boiling, bubbling pot of new ownership, struggling coach and discontented fans.

Saturday’s win saw all of these issues unfold and more in a bizarre, frustrating and nervous afternoon of football.

After the on-pitch action had begun, murmurs began: Chelsea had announced the signing of Mykhailo Mudryk 20 minutes into the match.

By Ollie Cooper:

Chelsea short-term successes show they remain a club on mixed wavelengths

Is Erling Haaland working at Manchester City?

10:27 , Lawrence Ostlere

It seems an absurd question about a player so far clear in the race for the Golden Boot. But the Norway international was a peripheral figure in Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League derby defeat to Manchester United, having only a couple of half-chances and just 19 touches in the match.

Haaland has now gone three games without a goal – hardly a crisis, particularly as he was only a second-half substitute at Southampton, but a dip by the standards of a player who had 27 in his first 21 outings.

More:

Pep Guardiola admits Erling Haaland shortcoming after Man City setback

Barcelona explore re-signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

10:12 , Lawrence Ostlere

In a sign that they might not be the most well-run club these days, Barcelona want to re-sign Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang from Chelsea.

Barca bought Aubameyang less than 12 months ago from Arsenal, before deciding he was surplus to requirements at the Nou Camp and selling him to Chelsea in the summer to clear the Gabonese striker off their wage books.

Aubameyang signed a two-year contract at Stamford Bridge but the manager who wooed him, Thomas Tuchel, was sacked by the Chelsea board days later and replaced by Graham Potter. The striker has scored only one Premier League goal so far for the Blues.

Now Barca want him back, says the Telegraph, but fear they may face a legal challenge to re-sign a player in this way.

Liverpool consider move for Wolves’ Ruben Neves

09:55 , Lawrence Ostlere

Liverpool are considering moving for Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves now, rather than in the summer, in a bid to solve their disastrous form, writes the Mirror.

The Reds endured a humbling at Brighton on the weekend, losing 3-0 and being played off the pitch by their slick opponents. Jurgen Klopp has had to contend with plenty of injuries this season, particularly in forward positions, but it is in midfield which many observers have identified as major problem.

Mainstays like Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are in their 30s now while Fabinho is struggling for consistent fitness, and younger players like Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott are still learning on the job.

That means Liverpool are looking to bring in an all-action midfielder in his prime, and Wolves’ Ruben Neves has been identified as a serious option.

Chelsea willing to let Raheem Sterling leave

09:42 , Lawrence Ostlere

Meanwhile Chelsea have decided they are willing to let Raheem Sterling leave the club, writes Football Insider, having splurged on Mykhailo Mudryk among a whole host of new signings at the club.

The 22-year-old Mudryk, who was announced by the Stamford Bridge club during their Premier League game with Crystal Palace on Sunday, had seemed set for Arsenal as late as Thursday but it was always Chelsea’s intention to go in big for the player, and they followed that through with offers that were simply too good to turn down.

Chelsea have already added striker David Datro Fofana from Molde and centre-back Benoit Badiashile from Monaco in the January window, as Todd Boehly looks to give new boss Graham Potter the tools to turn around the team’s performance. Brazilian youngster Andrey Santos was also added from Vasco da Gama, while Joao Felix joined on loan from Atletico Madrid - only to be sent-off on his debut in the defeat to Fulham.

Now they need to offload at least one of many their forwards, and Sterling, who only joined this summer, could be on the chopping block. Finding a suitor for the 28-year-old and his vast wages could be a challenge, however.

Arsenal offered Leandro Trossard from Brighton

09:23 , Lawrence Ostlere

And, as The Independent has reported, Arsenal have been offered the chance to sign Leandro Trossard from Brighton after the Belgian’s recent fallout with manager Roberto De Zerbi.

It remains to be seen whether Arsenal believe Trossard, 28, is the right fit.

Arsenal search for forwards after missing out on Mudryk

09:17 , Lawrence Ostlere

Arsenal are on the hunt for a new forward after missing out on Ukrainian 22-year-old Mykhailo Mudryk.

Chelsea’s last-minute hijacking of the deal has left the Gunners searching for another option, and have they made contact with Barcelona over the possibility of signing Brazilian winger Raphinha and Spanish forward Ferran Torres, according to 90min.

Spanish outlet Sport reports Barcelona want £100m for Raphinha in order to sell.

Transfer news LIVE

08:50 , Lawrence Ostlere

Follow all the latest transfer news and rumours from the January window.