Eli Junior Kroupi, Martin Odegaard and Jobe Bellingham
Eli Junior Kroupi, Martin Odegaard and Jobe Bellingham
Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham are stepping up their preparations for the January transfer window, with less than two months until it opens. Arsenal are expected to prioritise a new striker after Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz struggled for consistency. Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi is among their leading targets, while Real Madrid’s Endrick and Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez have also been linked with moves to north London.
Manchester United are keeping faith with Michael Carrick for now, but his future remains uncertain ahead of fixtures against Roma and Aston Villa. The club are expected to strengthen regardless, with former Brentford striker Ivan Toney linked with a move to Old Trafford alongside Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite. Chelsea, meanwhile, are reportedly making progress towards signing Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, while their interest in Lamine Camara has cooled, potentially leaving Liverpool in contention for the Monaco star.
Tottenham are also monitoring Scott and Kroupi as they assess their January options. A new striker is expected to feature prominently on their recruitment agenda, with Spurs keen to strengthen their squad. Several Premier League rivals are already identifying targets ahead of what could be a busy winter window. Follow all the latest transfer news, rumours and gossip live below!
Martin Odegaard targeted as Arsenal fear raid on squad
Caught Offside claim that the German champions have reportedly maintained contact with Odegaard’s representatives ahead of a possible swoop.
Barcelona are considering a move for Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie, with sporting director Deco including the 24-year-old on his list of centre-back targets.
According to Sport, the Ecuador international’s versatility has attracted interest, although Arsenal are reluctant to lose him during the season.
Meanwhile, Martin Zubimendi is reportedly prepared to consider leaving the Emirates in January after struggling for regular minutes.
TEAMtalk claims several European clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern, have been made aware of his situation.
Arsenal summer arrival admits surprise with key appointment
The Belgian began work at Arsenal in the summer, arriving from Strasbourg where he had been technical director since 2024.
De Maesschalck oversees the Gunners' academy programme, taking over from Per Mertesacker after he left at the end of last season having been in the role for eight years.
In an interview with Sporza, De Maesschalck revealed he viewed the interview process with Arsenal as a good opportunity in itself, before he ended up then getting the job.
Nuno was relieved of his duties with immediate effect on Tuesday morning following back-to-back home defeats to Southampton and West Brom.
The Irons are four points off the automatic promotion places and have won six of their opening 13 Championship games this season.
West Ham invested heavily over the summer, breaking the Championship transfer record to sign midfielder Arne Engels from Celtic for £22million, and were among the favourites for promotion back to the Premier League.
Now, though, after a mixed start to the season, they have decided to part ways with Nuno and have landed on club legend Parker to take the reins as they look to get their promotion bid back on track.
Scott Parker
Scott Parker
Chelsea and Liverpool approach Brentford star
Chelsea and Liverpool have both made approaches to sign Brentford left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf ahead of next summer’s transfer window.
The 21-year-old Senegal international only joined the Bees towards the end of the summer window but has already attracted interest from two Premier League rivals.
According to D Sports, both clubs have contacted Diouf’s agent to register their interest. The defender is under contract until 2031.
No decision has been made over his future, but a potential departure could develop sooner than expected.
A statement reads: “West Ham United can confirm that men’s first-team Head Coach Nuno Espirito Santo has left his position with immediate effect.
“Following a thorough review of the start to the EFL Championship season, the Board of Directors believe that a change is necessary at this time in order to ensure that the Club’s objectives and expectations remain on track.
“West Ham United would like to thank Nuno, Rui and Rui for their hard work and commitment during their time at the Club, and wish them all the very best for the future.
Lisandro Martinez reaches Atletico agreement
Atletico Madrid have reportedly reached an agreement in principle on personal terms with Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez.
The 28-year-old is said to be keen on joining Diego Simeone’s side, with his current contract due to expire in 2027.
According to North Bank Insider, several meetings have taken place in Madrid and discussions between the player's representatives and Atletico are advanced.
However, the Spanish club have yet to make official contact with United. A January move or a departure next summer remain possible.
According to TEAMtalk, Guirassy, Bellingham and Nmecha have been monitored throughout the season, although deals for the trio would be difficult due to their high valuations.
Svensson has also emerged as an option to strengthen United’s left-back position, but a move for the 24-year-old is considered more likely next summer than in January.
Victor Ozhianvuna ready for 'landmark' Arsenal transfer
Victor Ozhianvuna has bid an emotional farewell to Shamrock Rovers ahead of his move to Arsenal.
The highly-rated midfielder will head to north London after turning 18 in January, following a deal that was first agreed in October 2025.
Ozhianvuna is viewed as one of the brightest young talents in Irish football and has already made 37 senior appearances for reigning League of Ireland Premier Division champions Shamrock Rovers.
He also became the second-youngest player ever to feature in the UEFA Conference League last year.
His performances quickly caught the attention of Arsenal, who will add the Republic of Ireland Under-17 international to their academy ranks in the New Year.