Transfer Talk: Chelsea confident in beating Arsenal to sign Mudryk
Shaka Hislop is interested to see how Arsenal bounces back after their draw against Newcastle. (1:13)
With the January transfer window now open around Europe there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
Chelsea are hopeful of completing a deal for winger Mykhailo Mudryk after holding positive talks with Shakhtar Donetsk, according to the Guardian.
Arsenal remain favourites to sign the Ukraine international, as Mudryk’s favoured option is to join Mikel Arteta’s squad. However, the Gunners have already seen two offers rejected by Shakhtar, with the delay opening up an opportunity for the Blues.
Sources told ESPN earlier this week that Arsenal had a €65 million bid to sign Mudryk rejected, as it fell short of Shakhtar’s €100m valuation of the 22-year-old.
Having met up with Shakhtar officials this week, Chelsea are ready to push on to make a deal happen for Mudryk, who has scored 10 goals and assisted a further eight in 18 appearances across the Ukrainian Premier Liga and Champions League.
Arteta will have to decide whether or not to maintain his interest in Mudryk if the Blues have an offer accepted, although the reality remains that Mudryk would prefer to head to North London, which could still play into any decision making.
Having already signed defender Benoit Badiashile from AS Monaco for €37m, Chelsea are hoping that their financial muscle will bring Mudryk to Stamford Bridge to help lift their form.
That desire will likely be even stronger following their 1-0 defeat against Manchester City on Thursday, as Mason Mount missed out through injury before Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic both exited early with knocks inside the opening 22 minutes.
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14.53 GMT: Chelsea have signed Vasco da Gama midfielder Andrey Santos, the Brazilian club have confirmed.
Santos, 18, had also drawn interest from Manchester City, Newcastle United and Barcelona, but the London club moved quickest in a deal which is reported to be worth €12.5m.
14.36 GMT: Victoria Pelova has become Arsenal’s first signing of 2023, the club have announced.
Following on from the departure of Jordan Nobbs on Thursday, the Gunners wasted little time in installing a new midfielder with 23-year-old Pelova arriving from Ajax.
Having caught the eye when she featured for Netherlands under-19s at the 2017 U19 European Championships, Pelova moved to Ajax from ADO Den Haag in 2019, making 66 appearances during her time in Amsterdam.
“I’ve always admired this club and dreamt of following in the footsteps of some of the great Dutch players who have worn the shirt,” she said. “I can’t wait to get going and start contributing to the team.”
Pelova becomes the fourth signing for Arsenal this season, with much of the reshaping work under head coach Jonas Eidevall completed last year.
Eidevall said: “It’s fantastic news that we’ve signed Victoria. I think she’s one of the most exciting young players in the game and she will bring added dynamism and energy to our midfield. I’m looking forward to working with Victoria and I think our supporters are going to love watching her in an Arsenal shirt.”
13.50 GMT: Aston Villa midfielder Tim Iroegbunam has Juventus and Borussia Dortmund on his trail, according to TEAMtalk.
Iroegbunam, 19, has done well on loan at QPR this season, making 18 appearances in all competitions for the Championship club.
The England Under-20 international has attracted plenty of interest, with Dortmund especially keen as they aim to replace England midfielder Jude Bellingham with another young star.
13.16 GMT: Ajax would let forward Mohammed Kudus, who is reportedly wanted by Manchester United, leave for around €45m, says The Daily Star.
Kudus, 22, impressed for Ghana at the World Cup and has 10 goals in 22 games for his club so far this season.
United are keen to bolster their attack and Kudus is well known by Erik ten Hag as he managed him when in charge of Ajax.
12.56 GMT: Marcus Thuram is another France international from the Bundesliga to attract big interest from Premier League clubs, sources have told ESPN.
And with only six months left on his contract at Borussia Monchengladbach, he is a very interesting proposition as a free agent in the summer, and could even be available in January for a reduced fee.
Premier League clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Newcastle and Aston Villa, as well as Bayern Munich in Germany and AC Milan in Italy, are all following his progress closely. No offers have been made so far for the 25-year-old, and the player would equally be happy to finish the season with Gladbach as move elsewhere.
12.00 GMT: Are we judging Harry Kane based on Erling Haaland?
Nedum Onuoha and Julien Laurens heap praise on Harry Kane after he scored twice for Tottenham vs. Crystal Palace.
11.13 GMT: Djed Spence is increasingly likely to leave Tottenham Hotspur on loan this month in search of first-team football, sources have told ESPN.
The 22-year-old right-back signed from Middlesbrough last summer for £19m but has made just five substitute appearances across all competitions, totalling 32 minutes this season.
10.05 GMT: Monaco defender Axel Disasi is on the radar of Manchester United, says The Daily Mail.
Disasi, 24, has been linked with Premier League clubs including West Ham and Tottenham, and travelled with France for the World Cup in Qatar.
Disasi joined Monaco from Reims in 2020 but, with “ongoing uncertainty over the long-term future of Harry Maguire,” United are reportedly keen to bring him in as defensive cover.
10.38 GMT: Manchester United have signed goalkeeper Jack Butland on loan for the remainder of the season from Cystal Palace, the club has announced.
Butland is set to arrive from Palace after Newcastle United recalled Martin Dubravka from his season-long loan at Old Trafford.
The 29-year-old England international joined Palace in 2020 where he made 10 appearances and will join United as a back-up to first-choice David de Gea.
“Martin was recalled and we need three experienced goalkeepers,” United boss Erik ten Hag told a news conference when asked about Butland’s arrival. “I’m really happy with David. It’s quite clear he’s our No. 1. He’s a really good performer but there’s always something that can happen with David as well and you have to be prepared for that so you don’t have one.”
09.33 GMT: Randal Kolo Muani is attracting interest from many Premier League clubs, including Man United and Chelsea, sources have told ESPN, but the France striker is keen on finishing the season with Eintracht Frankfurt before assessing his options in the summer.
The German club, who will face Napoli in the Champions League round of 16, want to keep the 24-year-old for the remainder of this campaign before perhaps allowing him to leave in the summer if a suitable offer is received.
Their desired transfer fee for the Parisian, who arrived on a free transfer last summer from Nantes, is likely to be up to €90m as he will still have four years left on his contract and, sources have told ESPN, he doesn’t have a release clause.
09.02 GMT: Manchester City are planning to revamp their midfield in the summer but will wait to learn whether Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan are set to stay before deciding on the level of investment required, sources have told ESPN.
City are interested in signing Jude Bellingham he leaves Borussia Dortmund, but the Premier League champions will face competition from Liverpool and Real Madrid, while the England midfielder will command a transfer fee of over £100 million, plus some hefty add-ons.
There is also acceptance they may need to bring in more than one new midfielder if both Silva and Gundogan leave.
08.00 GMT: Bayern Munich signed veteran Netherlands defender Daley Blind on Thursday to cover for the injured Lucas Hernandez.
Blind was a free agent after parting ways with Ajax Amsterdam by mutual consent last week with six months left on his contract. He joins Bundesliga champions Bayern on a short-term deal until the end of the season after completing a medical examination in Munich.
“We’re delighted that Daley is joining our team,” Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic said. “Daley is a versatile defender. He has great international experience and leadership qualities. I’m sure he’ll help us.”
Julien Laurens feels new signing Benoit Badiashile isn’t what Chelsea need right now despite his obvious talent.
– Paris Saint-Germain have earmarked Michael Olise and are monitoring the Crystal Palace midfielder’s situation, according to the Daily Mail. They are set to continue watching the 21-year-old throughout the season, although his contract doesn’t end until 2026.
– Napoli are aiming to get ahead in the race to sign Angers midfielder Azzedine Ounahi after his impressive displays at the World Cup with Morocco, reports Sky Sports Italia. A negotiation has been set up with competition expected from the Premier League and other European clubs, although Napoli have only offered €15m with Angers asking for between €20m and €25m.
– Southampton are looking into the possibility of signing Everton centre-back Michael Keane on loan as they fight to stay in the Premier League, according to the Athletic. The Saints feel his leadership skills and top-flight experience could be used at the heart of their back three, while Mislav Orsic is also set to sign from Dinamo Zagreb.
– Three LaLiga clubs are monitoring the situation of Barcelona reserve striker Victor Barbera, according to Ekrem Konur. The 18-year-old’s contract is set to end in the summer of this year, while he has scored 11 goals in 17 appearances across Spain’s third tier and UEFA Youth League this season.
– Rico Lewis‘ contract situation will soon become a topic of discussion for Manchester City, who want to keep bringing players through the academy and into the first-team, reports Fabrizio Romano. The 18-year-old has made 10 senior appearances this term and has a contract that is due to end in 2024.