The final day of the winter transfer window is here and speculation is heating up about potential deals. Check out the latest gossip and news below, and see all official deals here.
Deadline shuts Feb. 1: Bundesliga (noon ET) | Serie A (2 p.m. ET) | Premier League (6 p.m. ET) | La Liga (6 p.m. ET) | Ligue 1 (6 p.m. ET)
TOP STORIES: Liverpool want Kabak and Davies, PSG to miss out on Alli, Arsenal chase left-back
Liverpool are looking to ease their defensive problems and Sky Germany says that they are in talks over Schalke defender Ozan Kabak. The 20-year-old Turkey international has been on their radar for some time and a loan plus option to sign him permanently for €30m is being discussed. Though Schalke will need a replacement and have a shorter window deadline in Germany, sources told ESPN’s James Olley they have enquired about Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi.
This comes after Liverpool agreed a £2m deal for Preston North End defender Ben Davies, sources have told ESPN’s Mark Ogden. Davies, 25, will undergo a medical on Monday before completing the transfer, which also includes Anfield youngster Sepp van den Berg, 19, moving to the Championship club on loan until the end of the season.
The Daily Mail reports that Liverpool have also been working on a deal for Marseille centre-back Duje Caleta Car. The Croatia international almost signed for West Ham in the summer but now it seems that Marseille don’t have time to get a replacement, so RMC says a potential €23m move to Liverpool appears to be off.
Dele Alli looks set to stay at Tottenham with chairman Daniel Levy continuing to block his proposed move to Paris Saint-Germain, sources said.
As ESPN reported on Jan. 27, Alli is keen on a reunited with former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino in Paris after being frozen out of the first-team picture in north London. However, Levy is reluctant to allow Alli to go due to his fondness for the player and the example he sets for others in arriving at the club for a modest fee — £5m from MK Dons in 2015 — but proving to be a big success. Tottenham would also need to sign a replacement, with Inter Milan’s Christian Eriksen linked with a return to the club. Having joined only a year ago, the 28-year-old was told he can leave Inter, but now it looks like he will stay after impressing in recent games.
Arsenal are chasing a backup left-back to Kieran Tierney with Southampton‘s Ryan Bertrand, Marseille defender Jordan Amavi and Crystal Palace‘s Patrick van Aanholt under consideration. The Gunners could also let Ainsley Maitland-Niles leave on loan, with Leicester City, Newcastle and Southampton all keen, according to The Athletic.
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LIVE BLOG
13.45 GMT: What a few months for U.S. and Schalke teenager Matthew Hoppe.
Good morning, America! ?
MATTHEW HOPPE HAS SIGNED HIS FIRST PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT ???
? #Hoppe2023 ? pic.twitter.com/xOlqkM03jq
— Schalke 04 USA?? (@s04_us) February 1, 2021
13.31 GMT: Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says the club will not make any signings today.
“I can confirm there won’t come anyone in, so don’t stay up late,” he told a news conference.
But we’ve heard that before…
13.28 GMT: Schalke are in talks with Arsenal over a deal for defender Shkodran Mustafi, sources have told ESPN’s James Olley.
Mustafi, 28, would be a replacement for Liverpool-bound Ozan Kabak and would join on a permanent deal as his contract expires in the summer.
One source told ESPN “it is not a big number” with Arsenal prepared to do business for around £3m. Mustafi has started just six times in all competitions this season and is yet to play a single minute in the Premier League.
The German is in the final six months of his deal and is ready to return to his homeland to resurrect his career having joined Arsenal from Valencia for £35m in 2016.
13.10 GMT: Manchester United defender Teden Mengi is set to join Wayne Rooney’s Derby County on loan before the transfer deadline, sources have told ESPN’s Rob Dawson.
Mengi, 18, is highly-rated at Old Trafford and will join the Championship side until the end of the season. Meanwhile, both Marcos Rojo and his agent are in Argentina to finalise a move to Boca Juniors.
There has also been interest in a host of players including Brandon Williams, Dan James and Axel Tuanzebe but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is determined to keep the bulk of his squad together after sanctioning the departures of Jesse Lingard, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Facundo Pellistri and Odion Ighalo this month.
12.46 GMT: Bayern Munich won’t be moving for Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos when his contract expires in the summer, according to club director Oliver Kahn
“We’re losing David Alaba,” the former Germany goalkeeper told Sky 90. “We made him an offer a while ago. He didn’t accept this offer. I also understand that a player like him, who’s been at Bayern Munich for a long time, is looking for a new challenge now. We have to think about who could be an adequate replacement for David. As a player, I’d love to have played with Ramos, but there’s nothing in [him coming to Bayern].”
12.27 GMT: Real Madrid midfielder Isco has asked to leave the club, according to Spanish outlet Cuatro.
Isco, 28, has made just three La Liga appearances this season and is keen to leave Madrid in order to get more game time ahead of Spain’s Euro 2020 campaign this summer. But the Madrid hierarchy believe it is very difficult to sanction a move for the player at the 11th hour with no replacement lined up.
12.15 GMT: Watford have completed the signing of Mitchel Bergkamp, son of Arsenal legend Dennis.
Bergkamp, 22, has joined the Championship side on a six-month deal, after spending time on trial at Arsenal. He is an attacking midfielder but is keen to play down any comparisons with his famous father.
“When I was younger it was difficult [to be compared all the time] but I’ve adapted to it now,” Bergkamp told Watford’s official club website. “It’s just my name and I’m my own player and hopefully I can leave my own legacy. He’s been amazing to me and for me. He’s my No.1 fan and has always been there for me. It’s a privilege to have him as my dad and to work with him on my game.”
Yesterday, the club announced the signing of Maurizio Pochettino, son of PSG manager Mauricio, who joins the club’s U23s.
12.09 GMT: Manchester City won’t be signing Diego Costa despite their striker shortage, sources have told ESPN’s Rob Dawson.
Costa is a free agent after leaving Atletico Madrid but City are not interested in signing the former Chelsea man even as cover for Sergio Aguero, who has struggled with injury and illness this season.
Aguero is back in training after recovering from COVID-19 but will have to prove his fitness if he hopes to be involved against Burnley on Wednesday.
However, Sky Sports reports: “An unnamed top-six Premier League club has offered Costa the chance to sign for them on a deal until the end of the season.” Leicester and West Ham are in the Premier League’s top six currently, so watch this space. Our money is on West Ham.
1:06
ESPN FC’s Sid Lowe on Atletico Madrid’s stipulations towards Diego Costa after being released from the club.
11.59 GMT: Newcastle manager Steve Bruce has spoken about United States international DeAndre Yedlin‘s move to Galatasaray.
Yedlin, 27, is set to move to Turkey after both clubs agreed on a fee for the right-back.
“I’d like to wish DeAndre the very best of luck in Turkey,” Bruce said. “He’s certainly playing for a huge club in Galatasaray, so I wish him the best of luck. He’s a great pro and a great lad, and sometimes you have to make decisions to let one out.”
11.44 GMT: Udinese will complete the loan signing of Manchester City academy star Jayden Braaf, sources have told ESPN’s Tom Hamilton.
Braaf, 18, will join the Serie A side on a six-month loan deal, and also attracted interest from the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig both monitoring him. But he will be offered first-team football at Udinese and that eventually swung the balance in their favour. The young winger is yet to break into Manchester City’s first team but is highly regarded at the club.
11.35 GMT: Newcastle United, Leicester City and Watford are all looking to bolster their squads before the transfer window shuts, but their fortunes all hinge on other clubs moving players on in a potential triangle of moves, sources have told ESPN’s Tom Hamilton.
Newcastle are keen on Leicester’s Hamza Choudhury, Watford want Newcastle’s Matty Longstaff, and Leicester are then looking to bring in Watford’s Nathaniel Chalobah, to complete the triangle.
Watford are keen to sign Longstaff on a permanent deal, though the player favours a loan move; Leicester want a loan for Chalobah, sources said, while Watford are open to a permanent transfer; Choudhury’s move to Newcastle would be on a six-month loan.
11.19 GMT: U.S. teenager Matthew Hoppe is set to extend his stay at Schalke 04 until 2023, sources have told ESPN’s Stephan Uersfeld.
The 19-year-old has enjoyed an impressive campaign and contributed five goals in his first nine Bundesliga appearances. With his existing deal set to expire this summer, Hoppe is set to sign a new three-year deal at Schalke, valid for both the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga, sources said.
11.02 GMT: New Zealand international defender Winston Reid has joined Brentford FC on loan from West Ham until the end of the season.
✍#BrentfordFC pic.twitter.com/WlbKXatpn8
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) February 1, 2021
10.58 GMT: Tottenham are set to recall young striker Troy Parrott from his loan at Millwall and send him elsewhere, with Ipswich linked, the Standard says.
Spurs are also deciding whether to allow Japhet Tanganga to leave for West Brom on loan, The Daily Mail says. The 21-year-old defender isn’t getting much first-team football but may be needed for injury cover in the second half of the season.
10.40 GMT: Danny Rose‘s potential move to Trabzonspor is off, sources have told ESPN’s Tom Hamilton.
Rose, 30, was set to join the Turkish side on a permanent deal, but he has opted against taking up their offer. He now looks likely to play out the rest of the season at Tottenham but has not been named in their Premier League or Europa League squads with Ben Davies and Sergio Reguilon ahead of him in the pecking order.
The former England international is likely to leave in the summer with his contract up in June. West Brom have shown interest, but sources said this is unlikely to materialise in a move on transfer deadline day.
1:02
ESPN FC’s Steve Nicol says you can’t blame Gareth Bale for not performing when the Spurs side around him is so bad.
10.18 GMT: RMC reports that Marseille have sent a loan offer to Celtic for midfielder Olivier Ntcham, who would replace Morgan Sanson after his move to Aston Villa.
10.15 GMT: West Brom will make their first deadline day transfer, bringing in Turkey international midfielder Okay Yokuslu from Celta Vigo on loan, sources have told ESPN’s Tom Hamilton.
The 26-year-old is undergoing his medical at the Hawthorns and becomes Sam Allardyce’s fourth signing of the transfer window, following Robert Snodgrass, Andy Lonergan and Mbaye Diagne. He has played 16 times for Celta Vigo this season and can cover midfield and centre-back.
10.08 GMT: (UPDATE ON 08.11 GMT) The Daily Telegraph reports that Chelsea teenager Billy Gilmour will be staying at the club.
Gilmour, 19, will be a part of the first team under Thomas Tuchel, it seems.
10.00 GMT: Mikel Arteta has admitted he is hoping for no “bad surprises” as Arsenal work on completing several late deals before Monday’s deadline.
The Gunners are in the market for a backup left-back with Crystal Palace’s Patrick van Aanholt and Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand under consideration as both players are out of contract at their respective clubs this summer. The move will in part depend on offloading Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who is attracting interest on loan from Southampton and Leicester while the club are also open to allowing Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock to depart if suitable agreements can be found.
Arteta was coy on the details at a Monday morning news conference but said: “[Deadline day] is what it is, at least when you know what you want to do, what you want to achieve, it is easier. Hopefully we won’t have any bad surprises and we can control what we want to do. The last day of the transfer window is always unpredictable so things can happen. They might happen, they might not happen. We are on it.
“We have decided [who could leave on loan today] and we are working on it. You will find out before 11 p.m. “I cannot speak about any individual players. What we want to do, the conversations we’ve had, the various reasons … Let’s see if we can get something done tonight.”
Arteta also revealed the sheer volume of conversations he has with technical director Edu about player recruitment. He said: “Probably in the last year, I have spoken to Edu more than anyone else in my life! That’s what my wife says because of the things we have to go through, with coronavirus as well, the transfers, luckily enough we have a great relationship, a great understanding and we support each other in a great way. It is lucky that if you have to talk to someone many times around the deadline day that the relationship is strong.”
09.46 GMT: Manchester City youth defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis is set to join Blackburn on loan, Football Insider says.
Harwood-Bellis, 19, has been on the fringes of the first team but hasn’t really broken through and will get valuable experience on loan.
09.40 GMT: America are close to complete a loan move for Spanish midfielder Alvaro Fidalgo from Castellon, sources have told ESPN Deportes.
Fidalgo, 23, didn’t play at the weekend and the deal would also include an option to buy should it be announced in the coming hours.
America manager Santiago Solari knows Fidalgo well as the midfielder played at the Real Madrid academy before moving to Castellon.
09.22 GMT: Sven Botman was one player that Liverpool had been tracking, but now that they are signing Ben Davies, the Lille defender won’t be leaving at all, Fabrizio Romano says.
Botman, 21, hasn’t been the subject of any talks this month apparently. But he’s certainly one to watch in the summer.
09.31 GMT: Nottingham Forest have signed veteran striker Glenn Murray from Brighton on a short-term deal until the end of the season.
Manager Chris Hughton said of the 37-year-old: “Glenn is a player I know very well and he has an excellent pedigree at this level. Certainly he will add leadership and experience to our squad between now and the end of the season. He is a proven goal scorer at Premier League and Championship level and has continued to keep himself fit so we are looking forward to what he can bring to the squad ahead of a busy run of fixtures.”
09.11 GMT: Everton goalkeeper Jonas Lossl has joined FC Midtjylland for free and has signed a contract until 2025.
08.51 GMT: Given nobody has any money at the moment the future of €222m-man Neymar hasn’t been talked about much in January. But, after a year of speculation linking him with a return to Barcelona, the Brazilian has revealed that he is keen to stay at PSG now under new manager Mauricio Pochettino and hopes that star Kylian Mbappe does the same.
“I am very happy today,” he said in an interview with TF1. “I feel happy. Things have changed a lot, I can’t exactly explain why — if it’s just me, or something else has changed.
“But today, I am feeling good. I have adapted. I feel calmer and I’m very happy here. I want to stay at PSG, and I hope Kylian will stay too. Of course, that is the wish of every PSG supporter. We want PSG to be a great team, and I want to continue doing what I’ve done every day in Paris — play football and be happy. That is the most important thing.”
08.40 GMT: Marcos Rojo will undergo a medical on Monday in Buenos Aires ahead of signing a three-year contract with Boca Juniors, according to Ole.
The Argentina international defender has reportedly terminated his contract with Manchester United that was supposed to run until the summer to join Boca as a free agent. Rojo, 30, had played just two games in 14 months for United.
08.30 GMT: Besiktas have signed Turkey striker Cenk Tosun from Everton on loan for the season.
Çok özlemişiz @CenkTosun_ ? pic.twitter.com/wwn3S4PMVC
— Beşiktaş JK (@Besiktas) January 31, 2021
08.28 GMT: Bayern Munich are in pole position to sign RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano for his release clause of €42.5m in the summer — but will face competition from two Premier League clubs.
“We agreed on a release clause because the player decided that he wants to make the next step at some point,” his agent, Volker Struth, said on Sport 1 Doppelpass on Sunday. “There is a good chance he will leave [Leipzig] in the summer.”
Bayern met with Struth late last week and the agent confirmed that the German champions “underlined they are very interested” in Upamecano.
“The release clause is at €42.5m,” Struth said. “It’s a lot in corona[virus] times. It was different back in the summer of 2019.”
With the price set, not a lot of clubs can weigh in, and the defender’s decision will be between Bayern “or the Premier League,” the agent said.
“The Spanish clubs in question currently are not capable of it. It’s no secret there are two interested Premier League clubs,” he added. “There will be a decision in the coming weeks and it’ll be announced.”
1:16
Mark Ogden assesses where Dayot Upamecano will land this summer if he leaves RB Leipzig.
08.11 GMT: Chelsea teenager Billy Gilmour in talks over loan move to Southampton, says The Daily Mail.
The 19-year-old has been left out of all new manager Thomas Tuchel’s squads so far and he needs to move in order to play for Scotland at Euro 2020.
08.05 GMT: Joshua King and Shane Long are set to swap clubs, reports The Athletic.
Bournemouth’s King is a free agent in the summer and is looking for a new club, which Southampton can evidently get him by allowing Long to move in the other direction.
The report states: “The proposal is for Norway forward King, who has scored 48 goals in 161 Premier League appearances and 17 in 51 for his country, to join Southampton on a permanent basis for a small fee and Republic of Ireland striker Long to head the other way on loan with an option to buy.”
07.58 GMT: ICYMI – Manchester United have loaned winger Facundo Pellistri to Alaves for the remainder of the season. Pellistri, 19, moves to La Liga to gain first-team experience having made several appearances for United’s under-23 side since joining last summer.
07.30 GMT: Newcastle United are pushing to sign Arsenal’s Joe Willock on loan, The Daily Mail reports.
Willock hasn’t quite been able to break into the Gunners’ first team so far this season, and with the Magpies needing reinforcements in their battle against the drop, the 21-year-old could serve as a breath of fresh air.
07.22 GMT: Sky Germany is reporting that Hertha Berlin are making a late push to sign Milot Rashica on loan from Werder Bremen. If they do manage to get a deal over the finish line then there would be an obligation to buy attached to it, which could come into effect as soon as the end of the season.
07.10 GMT: RMC Sport is reporting that Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo is set to make another loan move away from the club, this time to Nice.
Todibo is currently out on loan with Portuguese side Benfica but is struggling for time in the starting XI, and barring a problem with his impending medical, he’ll be heading back over to France with Nice.
07.00 GMT: Celtic are set to sign Everton defender Jonjoe Kenny on loan until the end of the season, The Daily Mail reports. The Scottish giants have failed to make much of an impact in the league. And as they prepare to hand their crown over to Rangers, the plan seems to be that they’ll give it their best shot until it becomes official — and Kenny looks to be part of those efforts.
07.00 GMT: Hello and welcome to Transfer Deadline Day. It’s January and things are usually quieter than the summer, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be some late drama. Stay tuned throughout the day for updates.
DEADLINE DAY PREVIEW
0:54
ESPN FC’s Matteo Bonnetti has the inside scoop on how Bryan Reynolds landed at Roma from FC Dallas
Any U.S. players being linked in Europe?
Chris Richards: The Bayern Munich and United States defender is set to join Hoffenheim on a six-month loan move, a source has told ESPN’s Tom Hamilton. The move will allow Richards to play under former Bayern reserve team boss Sebastian Hoeness again, who is now in charge of Hoffenheim.
Bryan Reynolds: Roma are set to sign the FC Dallas right-back, sources have told ESPN’s Tom Hamilton. The 19-year-old has drawn interest from Juventus and Club Brugge, but Roma are now in pole position. Roma have agreed to a deal that would bring Reynolds to Italy originally on loan, but have an obligation to sign the player for €7m plus add-ons, sources say.
Aaron Long: The New York Red Bulls and USMNT centre-back was linked with a loan move to Championship side Reading a few days ago, but sources told ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle that he’s now on the radar of Liverpool. Long, 28, was named MLS Defender of the Year in 2018 and could be a cheap option for Jurgen Klopp, though a loan move to an unnamed Championship club has been rejected.
Chris Gloster: The PSV Eindhoven and USMNT youth international left-back has drawn interest from Newcastle United, a source told ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle. But any move to the Premier League side would be subject to Gloster obtaining a U.K. work permit, and it seems like that won’t happen; instead, he could join Danish club SonderjyskE (who have U.S. owners) or stay at PSV.
DeAndre Yedlin: The United States right-back is set for a move to Galatasaray from Newcastle United, sources have told ESPN’s Tom Hamilton. Yedlin, 27, is to travel to Turkey for his medical after both clubs agreed to a fee to sign him.
Paul Arriola: Swansea City are interested in adding the D.C. United winger to their squad on loan, sources have told ESPN. The Championship side have already snapped up Jordan Morris on a loan deal from the Seattle Sounders and have returned to America with interest in another U.S. star. Sources said there is a “50-50” chance of the deal happening before Monday’s deadline, with Swansea and D.C. United in discussions.
0:46
Gab Marcotti explains why Paul Pogba staying at Man United would be a huge coup for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
What have the big teams done in January?
PREMIER LEAGUE
INS: Amad Diallo (£19m, Atalanta)
OUTS: Ethan Laird (loan, MK Dons), Timothy Fosu-Mensah (£1.75m, Bayer Leverkusen), Jesse Lingard (loan, West Ham), Tahith Chong (loan, Club Brugge), James Garner (loan, Nottingham Forest), Facundo Pellistri (loan, Alaves)
INS: None
OUTS: Liam Millar (loan, Charlton), Adam Lewis (loan, Plymouth)
INS: Filip Stevanovic (£7m, Partizan Belgrade)
OUTS: Morgan Rogers (loan, Lincoln), Mix Diskerud (undisclosed, Denizlispor), Daniel Arzani (loan, AGF)
INS: None
OUTS: Jubril Okedina (loan, Cambridge United), Jack Clarke (loan, Stoke), Maurizio Pochettino (undisclosed, Watford)
INS: None
OUTS: Charlie Brown (undisclosed, MK Dons), Lucas Piazon (free, Braga), Danny Drinkwater (loan, Kasimpasa), Fikayo Tomori (loan, AC Milan), Baba Rahman (loan, PAOK)
INS: Mat Ryan (loan, Brighton), Martin Odegaard (loan, Real Madrid)
OUTS: William Saliba (loan, Nice), Sead Kolasinac (loan, Schalke), Matt Macey (free, Hibernian), Sokratis (released), Mesut Ozil (free, Fenerbahce)
1:48
Gab Marcotti says Lionel Messi’s leaked contract looks like a ploy to reignite his desire to leave the club.
EUROPE
INS: None
OUTS: Carles Alena (loan, Getafe)
INS: None
OUTS: Takefusa Kubo (loan, Getafe), Luka Jovic (loan, Eintracht Frankfurt), Martin Odegaard (loan, Arsenal)
INS: Moussa Dembele (loan, Lyon)
OUTS: Manu Sanchez (loan, Osasuna), Ivan Saponjic (loan, Cadiz), Diego Costa (released)
INS: None
OUTS: None
INS: None
OUTS: None
INS: None
OUTS: Jese (Released), Marcin Bulka (loan, Chateauroux)
INS: Marley Ake (€8m, Marseille), Nicolo Rovella (€18m, Genoa)
OUTS: Stefano Gori (loan, AC Pisa), Franco Tongya (€8m, Marseille), Manolo Portanova (€10m, Genoa), Elia Petrelli (€8m, Genoa), Nicolo Rovella (loan, Genoa).
INS: None
OUTS: Radja Nainggolan (loan, Cagliari), Sebastiano Esposito (loan, Venezia), Giacomo Pozzer (loan, Lucchese), Axel Bakayoko (Free, Red Star)
INS: Mario Mandzukic (Free), Fikayo Tomori (loan, Chelsea), Soualiho Meite (loan, Torino)
OUTS: Andrea Conti (loan, Parma), Leo Duarte (loan, Istanbul Basaksehir), Lorenzo Colombo (loan, Cremonese), Mateo Musacchio (undisclosed, Lazio)
