BBC
Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, 33, and Real Madrid and Brazil forward Vinicius Jr, 25, will be the two prime transfer targets for the Saudi Pro League this summer. (Telegraph - subscription required) , external
Meanwhile, Salah will leave Liverpool this summer, Saudi Pro League insiders believe. (i Paper - subscription required), external
Tottenham's Italian goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, 29, is interesting Inter Milan as they line up a replacement for Switzerland international Yann Sommer, 37. (Gazzetta - in Italian), external
Crystal Palace have held talks with Wolves regarding a potential move for 25-year-old Norway striker Jorgen Strand Larsen. (Talksport) , external
Manchester United are ready to open contract talks with 20-year-old England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo. (Sky Sports), external
Chelsea are considering a loan move to sign 27-year-old Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz, who is on loan at Nottingham Forest from Juventus, for the rest of the season. (Athletic - subscription required) , external
Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC are interested in England Under-21 international midfielder Harvey Elliott, 22, who is on loan at Aston Villa from Liverpool. (Sky Sports) , external
Leeds and Sunderland are both set to miss out on a move for Norwich City striker Josh Sargent. The 25-year-old USA international is keen on a move back to Major League Soccer with Toronto FC his preferred option. (Teamtalk), external
Arsenal are looking into signing 16-year-old defender Iago Machado from Brazilian side Corinthians. (Globo - in Portuguese), external
Roma and several other clubs are still in the race for Manchester United and Netherlands forward Joshua Zirkzee, 24. (Florian Plettenberg)
Southampton are facing a battle to hold on to defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis with Burnley interested in re-signing the 23-year-old who they had on a season-long loan from Manchester City for the 2022-23 campaign. (Four-Four-Two), external
Norwich City have competition for the signature of 25-year-old striker Kasper Hogh, who scored a double in Bodo/Glimt's Champions League win over Manchester City.
Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts are reportedly also interested. (Sportsboom), external
Meanwhile, Birmingham City midfielder Marc Leonard, 24, is poised to return to Hearts on a loan deal until the end of the season. (Scottish Sun), external
Millwall, Wrexham and Rangers are interested in 26-year-old Tunisia right-back Yan Valery from Sheffield Wednesday. (The Star), external
QPR have made a £1m offer to Dundee for centre-half Luke Graham, but Portsmouth are expected to make another bid after having a £400,000 offer rejected, while Sheffield United, Aberdeen and Hearts are also interested in the 21-year-old. (LondonWorld), external
League Two Gillingham have had two bids rejected for 27-year-old Ross County striker Ronan Hale. (Press & Journal)
Sky Paper Talk
PREMIER LEAGUE
Powerful figures in Saudi Arabian football are increasingly confident Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool in the summer transfer window - Daily Mirror.
Salah and Vinicius Jr will be the two prime transfer targets for the Saudi Pro League this summer - The Telegraph.
Virgil van Dijk said the way Arne Slot is talked about is "very disrespectful" to the Liverpool head coach - The Telegraph.
Tottenham have no appetite to sell Micky van de Ven amid speculation that Liverpool are avid admirers of the talented Netherlands international and could move for him at the end of the season - Daily Mirror.
Chelsea great Marcel Desailly believes Cole Palmer could hand in a transfer request if he doesn't think the Blues can claim Premier League glory inside the next two years - Daily Mirror.
Chelsea are also considering a loan move for Douglas Luiz to boost their injury-hit midfield - The Times.
Crystal Palace are in the market for a striker in the January window, whatever happens regarding Jean-Philippe Mateta's uncertain future - The i Paper.
Palace have held talks with Wolves regarding a potential move for 25-year-old Norway striker Jorgen Strand Larsen - TalkSPORT.
Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund had scouts present in Sweden On Thursday to cast an eye over Red Star Belgrade's 17-year-old midfield prospect Vasilije Kostov in the Europa League against Malmo - Daily Mirror.
The Premier League will launch a new campaign to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion in football in February, having previously ended its long-standing partnership with Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign - The Athletic.
Former Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou lavished praise on Arsenal following his first scouting mission in his new role with UEFA - The Express.
WORLD CUP
The Football Supporters' Association has told FIFA president Gianni Infantino to 'concentrate on making cheap tickets' after his remark about the lack of arrests at 2022 World Cup in Qatar - The Times.
SCOTLAND
Rangers are exploring a move for Sheffield Wednesday star Yan Valery - Scottish Sun.
RUGBY
South Africa and New Zealand will play the fourth Test of their 'Greatest Rivalry' series in Baltimore after seeking assurances that there will be no repeat of issues that marred last November's game between New Zealand and Ireland - The Times.
TENNIS
A new model for global tennis has been put forward by the Professional Tennis Players' Association - the maverick body co-founded five years ago by Novak Djokovic - The Telegraph.
CRICKET
Marylebone Cricket Club has stepped in to provide its troubled tenants Middlesex some leadership while their chief executive is investigated by the Cricket Regulator - The Telegraph.
The T20 World Cup has descended into crisis after Bangladesh doubled down on a threat to refuse to play their matches in India - The Telegraph.
GOLF
Jon Rahm will stick belligerently to his guns and refuse to pay his fines to the DP World Tour, even if it costs the Spaniard his Ryder Cup future - The Telegraph.
Guardian Rumour mill
David Tindall
Casemiro’s decision to leave Manchester United when his contract expires at the end of the season will intensify the club’s search for a midfielder. The Brazilian’s exit will also knock £350k a week off their outgoings, which should bring a smile to Sir Jim Ratcliffe as United look to follow up last week’s derby win when they travel to … oh … Arsenal this weekend.
Not exactly like for like but stories are circulating that Wythenshawe lad Cole Palmer is homesick at Chelsea and pondering a return to Manchester this summer. The twist is that he wouldn’t be heading back to City as Palmer prefers the red of United – the club he, wait for it, supported as a boy. United scouts were also reportedly in Spain last weekend to discuss on-loan Marcus Rashford’s future and check out Real Sociedad’s versatile midfielder/forward Mikel Oyarzabal. Fun fact: both Palmer (equaliser) and Oyarzabal (winner) scored in the final of Euro 2024.
Casemiro’s departure is likely to make Kobbie Mainoo’s contract situation take on greater urgency. Totally out of favour under Ruben Amorim, the 20-year-old (he’s still only 20!) made his first Premier League start of the season against Manchester City last weekend and is clearly part of Michael Carrick’s plans. Mainoo has 18 months left on his deal and was previously linked with Napoli and other top clubs abroad while he twiddled his thumbs on the bench. The Stockport lad is reportedly on around £20,000-£30,000 per week so would need a serious hike in wages and that’s a potential stumbling block.
In huge superstar news, both Vinícius Júnior and Mo Salah could make big moves to Saudi Arabia this summer. Due to the numerous showdowns between Real Madrid and Liverpool in recent years, photo editors have plenty of pictures of the pair together which is handy. Salah’s move has long been talked about, with the Reds likely to cash in on a decent fee before his contract at Anfield expires in the summer of 2027. But the figures around Vinícius Júnior are eyewatering to say the least, with the Saudi club Al-Ahli linked with a (holds little finger to mouth) €1bn (£870m) bid. Al-Ahli currently have Ivan Toney on their books.
Liverpool missed out on Marc Guéhi so their rather threadbare centre-back department needs a boost – especially with Ibrahima Konaté linked with a summer exit and Virgil van Dijk having just 18 months left on his contract. Micky van de Ven could be the man but, after initial valuations of around £80m, Tottenham are believed to have whacked a £100m price tag on the Dutchman, whom they signed from Wolfsburg in 2023 for less than half that. Curtis Jones has been mentioned as part of a somewhat lopsided swap deal, with Transfermarkt rating the Reds midfielder at around £30m. Should Liverpool pull it off, Arne Slot could have five Dutch compatriots in his starting XI: Van Dijk, Van de Ven, Jeremie Frimpong, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo.
After losing 1-0 at Braga on Thursday night and not having a recognised frontman, Sean Dyche and Nottingham Forest are particularly keen to find a solution. With the 6ft 3in Chris Wood still sidelined, they’re fancying an even bigger big man and focus is on the Italian striker Lorenzo Lucca, who is set for a medical ahead of a loan move to the City Ground. The 25-year-old is on loan at Napoli (from Udinese). He’s scored only two goals in 23 appearances for the Italian champions this season.
With only 10 days of the transfer window remaining, the clock is ticking so let’s throw out a few more rumours that could still be completed in time. Chelsea are pondering a loan move for Douglas Luiz. The Juventus midfielder is on loan at Nottingham Forest. Jean-Philippe Mateta wants out of Crystal Palace apparently, with Aston Villa a possible destination for the French striker. Palace could respond with a raid for Leeds’ Joël Piroe and the Whites could then fill that gap with a swoop for Wolves’ Jørgen Strand Larsen.
The Athletic
Ollie Scarles stepped up while El Hadji Malick Diouf was at AFCON. What happens now?
Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
By Roshane Thomas
It was probably just as well that Ollie Scarles was not chosen to be part of the well-wishes sent to team-mate El Hadji Malick Diouf ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations final. Had Scarles been selected, he might have mischievously asked the Senegal international to delay his return.
Tomas Soucek, Crysencio Summerville, Alphonse Areola and Soungoutou Magassa — all close friends of Diouf — featured in the video. Diouf was part of the Senegal side that beat Morocco 1-0 last Sunday in Rabat. Diouf is set to return to West Ham’s training hub in Rush Green on Friday, ahead of this weekend’s home game against Sunderland.
But Scarles’ form has given head coach Nuno Espirito Santo a conundrum. Since Diouf departed in mid-December for AFCON duty, the 20-year-old Scarles has started six of West Ham’s last seven games in all competitions.
And he has benefited from an extended run in the starting XI, with Callum Wilson’s late winner in the 2-1 victory against rivals Tottenham Hotspur coming via a Scarles’ corner. The defender also showed great defensive maturity against in that game, repelling the attacking threat of Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel.
Freddie Potts, Scarles’ fellow academy graduate, is the team’s designated set-piece taker but has not started a Premier League game since the chastening 3-0 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Scarles has stepped up in Potts’ absence, and Wilson’s goal was a reminder of the defender’s crossing ability. Diouf also has great delivery, which has been likened to that of former Manchester United midfielder and England captain David Beckham, and he displayed it when assisting Wilson in the victory against Nottingham Forest in August.
But before his brief departure, Diouf showed vulnerability defensively in the home defeat to Aston Villa. One month prior, he was turned inside out by winger Jacob Murphy before his opener for Newcastle United. Luckily, it didn’t prove costly as West Ham came back to win 3-1. Diouf will improve with age, and left-back is not naturally his best position. He prefers to play as a wing-back and was signed to play in that position under former head coach Graham Potter.
Scarles has also had to overcome setbacks this season. He was inconsolable after his mistake led to forward Raul Jimenez scoring Fulham’s winning goal last month. Scarles was visibly distraught, and Soucek and Jean-Clair Todibo immediately went to console him. Post-match, academy graduate Airidas Golambeckis and midfielder Guido Rodriguez offered reassurances. Kyle Walker-Peters stayed with Scarles as he walked around London Stadium to apologise.
“The Fulham match was obviously a tough moment because the club means a lot to me and I want to win games and do well for the team, but it was important to try to move on, and I’ve done my best to respond in the right way since,” Scarles told West Ham’s official website.
“The boys were brilliant with me in that situation. I appreciate all the messages of support I received from the fans. You’re always going to have lows in football, and it’s important to move on from them positively.”
It is worth highlighting that Scarles has bounced back from other challenges, too. He fractured his collarbone in the 2-0 loss to Leeds United in October. Scarles underwent surgery and was initially set to be sidelined for three months, but returned to full fitness within two. Scarles’ inner fight stems from his determination to prove doubters wrong.
Before joining West Ham’s youth team, he harboured hopes of rising through Chelsea’s academy. On 31 May, 2015, the former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Robin van Persie uploaded an image on his X account of Chelsea’s young hopefuls, which featured Scarles. But he was released at under-12 level and joined West Ham shortly after.
In November 2022, he made his first-team debut, aged 16 years and 326 days, against FCSB in the UEFA Conference League. On that special occasion, Scarles was named man of the match. It would be over two years before he repeated the feat as the full-back played a key role in a 1-0 away win against Arsenal in February 2025.
Post-match, he asked former West Ham captain Declan Rice for his jersey. The England international obliged and added a personalised message on the shirt, which Scarles later framed.
In May last year, Scarles was named young player of the year at West Ham for his breakthrough season. It has been a steady rise for him, and there will be intrigue in the fanbase in the coming weeks surrounding his left-back battle with Diouf.
“Ollie is doing well and Ezra (Mayers) also stepped in some games and is another option,” Nuno said in his pre-match press conference on Thursday. “Malik returns tomorrow, we still have to assess him and see how he comes. He’ll be happy to be back.
“After (the loss against) Fulham, Ollie’s response was amazing. It’s been good to see (him show mental toughness from that match), especially with the reception that he had from our fans. It helped a lot and has given him belief.”
Sport Witness
‘Demands are too high’ – White flag being raised in effort to sign West Ham player
By Naveen Ullal
Guido Rodríguez initially featured regularly for West Ham United after joining them for free in August 2024.
The Argentina international lost prominence after the Hammers replaced Julen Lopetegui with Graham Potter in January 2025. His situation hasn’t improved since Nuno Espírito Santo took charge at West Ham last September.
Earlier this month, claims from Brazil explained Grêmio’s interest in signing Rodríguez in the winter market. They had offered €3m to West Ham.
Three days ago, the Spanish media reported he was instead on his way to join Valencia on loan. On Wednesday, AS explained West Ham are reluctant to sanction a loan move while Los Ches are not keen to overpay.
His contract expires in June, and the Hammers have an option for another year. They are reluctant to take up this option.
Marca now look at the possibility of the 31-year-old arriving at the Mestalla in this window.
Valencia coaching staff, led by Carlos Corberán, identified the West Ham player as a mjor target for January.
According to the newspaper, he has given his approval to the club. The former Real Betis man is keen on returning to La Liga to improve his chances of making it to the World Cup.
Valencia still need to find an agreement with West Ham. They were optimistic earlier this week, but that’s no longer the case after their talks with the Premier League side crashed.
As Rodríguez is currently in his final year of contract, Nuno’s side will only let him leave via a permanent transfer. There’s no mention of the figure, but Marca say West Ham’s ‘demands are too high’ for Valencia.
This, coupled with interest from Grêmio and Atlanta United makes it difficult for Corberán’s side to sign him.
Therefore, Valencia have cooled off their interest but haven’t completely ruled him out. Meanwhile, they are also looking at other options like Al Ahly FC’s Aliou Dieng.
C&H
West Ham Exclusive as Club Insider Hits Back on Fernandes Claims
Sean Whetstone
Reports in Spain have suggested that Mateus Fernandes has a €32 million buyout clause in his West Ham United contract.
The clause is said to be triggered in the event of relegation, a scenario which has reportedly alerted Real Madrid to the possibility of signing the Hammers midfielder at a reduced price.
However, Claret & Hugh spoke to a top London Stadium source within the last few minutes to establish whether there was any truth in the rumour. West Ham were quick to shut down the speculation, responding simply with “not true” when asked if Fernandes had the reported buyout clause written into his deal.
Why the Claim Never Added Up
The denial makes sense, as such a clause would have meant that, in the event of relegation, West Ham could be forced to sell Fernandes for less than the fee paid to Southampton for the midfielder.
Like the rest of the Hammers squad, Fernandes is understood to have a 50 per cent wage reduction clause should the club drop out of the Premier League, but there is no relegation-triggered buyout figure included in his contract.
