What we’re hearing in the transfer window: Arsenal’s striker search, Liverpool to let Núñez go?

The transfer window is open across Europe as clubs look to do some midseason business. But what are ESPN’s reporters hearing about some of the deals that could be done, and which clubs are hoping to make moves?

Every Friday during January we’ll bring you the latest updates and insights on the biggest transfer news around.

Arsenal look set to sign a midfielder in the summer, but do they need a forward this month?

Sources have told ESPN that Arsenal have moved ahead of Liverpool in the €60 million race to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martín Zubimendi in the summer. But injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus have left them short up front this month, raising the question of whether they need to sign a forward.

Jesus was in decent form before his ACL injury, but although he would not start for Arsenal if everybody was fit, Kai Havertz is now the only option up front. This is an issue that dates back further — specifically to last summer, when the Gunners decided against signing a striker partly because they had just scored a club-record 91 goals in the Premier League. They were keen on 21-year-old Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, but he chose to sign a new contract with the Bundesliga side.

The Gunners have been disciplined in the market in recent years, willing to remain patient if their preferred targets are not available, and after assessing the alternatives, they didn’t aggressively pursue another forward. Now there is a belief that Sesko could be prised away from Leipzig at the end of this season, but do Arsenal try to make something happen in January? Or do they pivot to an alternative? This is the judgement call they have to make in the next fortnight before deadline day on Feb. 3.

Newcastle United will fight to keep Alexander Isak; Manchester United look like the logical destination for Sporting CP‘s Viktor Gyökeres; Brentford boss Thomas Frank has ruled out Bryan Mbeumo leaving the club this month. The injuries to Jesus, Saka and Ethan Nwaneri, coupled with Gabriel Martinelli‘s loss of form, make signing a winger another option. Athletic Club‘s Nico Williams is a long-term target, but he has also attracted interest from Barcelona. — James Olley

Are we expecting Chelsea to sign a striker? Maybe Tel? And would he want to leave Bayern?

The short answer: They will sign one if the right option emerges. The club worked hard to try to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen in the summer and might look to revive that deal if he ends his loan with Galatasaray, while they have scouted Ipswich Town‘s Liam Delap and Brighton & Hove Albion‘s Evan Ferguson previously.

Chelsea want a fee of £65 million for Christopher Nkunku, who is ready to leave and join Bayern Munich this month. The Blues are continuing their policy of scouring Europe for the best young talent and their analytics threw up Bayern’s Mathys Tel as a signing that would fit their recruitment model some time ago. But Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund said this week that the German club wants to keep Tel, so if Chelsea persist, it won’t be cheap. — Olley

Chelsea will only move to sign a striker if Nkunku leaves. He is not happy with how little game time he is getting in the Premier League this season (only three starts and 414 minutes) and Tel is in a similar situation in Germany. However, unlike Nkunku, the 19-year-old Tel is keen to remain where he is right now and Bayern see him as the perfect replacement long-term for Harry Kane, who will be 32 in July, so they won’t listen to offers. — Laurens

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Why Laurens struggles to see Nkunku’s fit with Bayern

Julien Laurens explains why he doesn’t see a fit with Christopher Nkunku and Bayern Munich amid transfer rumors.

Would they rather sign a centre-back or another position instead?

Chelsea’s decision to recall Trevoh Chalobah from his loan spell at Crystal Palace reduces the likelihood the club will sign a centre-back this month. There is interest in Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi but the south London club are reportedly reluctant to let him go for less than £70m, even though he only has 18 months left on his contract. However, some doubt exists over the future of Axel Disasi, so if Chelsea could secure a healthy fee for the 26-year-old’s transfer, then it would generate funds and create a place in the squad for another defender. — Olley

Chelsea are keen on a deal for Deportivo La Coruña star Yeremay “Peke” Hernández, but the Spanish club are holding out for someone to meet the winger’s €20m release clause. Yeremay, 22, has been the outstanding player in Spain’s second division this season — with eight goals in 18 games — and that has attracted interested from Real Sociedad and Villarreal, as well as top clubs in Serie A, a source told ESPN. But it’s Chelsea who’ve offered a deal worth a total of around €15m: €10m fixed, plus add-ons. For now, Depor aren’t budging. “The club’s position is clear,” CEO Massimo Benassi said this week. So it’s the release clause, or nothing.

Chelsea would consider either bringing Yeremay in now, or sending him on loan to sister club Strasbourg. — Alex Kirkland and Rodri Faez

Will Rashford or Antony leave Manchester United on loan? And will the club sign replacements?

The expectation is that Marcus Rashford will leave, although staying beyond the deadline has not been entirely ruled out. Plenty of clubs have shown interest; the issue is agreeing a deal that’s financially viable for all parties. Borussia Dortmund have spoken to Rashford’s representatives, but the numbers don’t work for them. It’s likely that the closer it gets to the deadline, the more flexible United will become, and that could bring more clubs to the table.

Antony is in a different situation because unlike Rashford, he’s still being named in matchday squads by manager Ruben Amorim. However, he’s not playing regularly and United are willing to listen to offers.

Ultimately, Amorim will have to decide how big he wants his squad to be for the second half of the season. Beating Arsenal in the FA Cup on Sunday was unexpected, and Amorim can’t afford to lose too many senior players in January with games to come in the Premier League and Europa League. United showed interest in signing Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain on loan as a possible replacement for Rashford, but lost out to Juventus. In terms of incomings, United sources are indicating they think the next two weeks could be very quiet. — Rob Dawson

Will Liverpool listen to offers for Núñez?

It feels like Darwin Núñez‘s Liverpool career is at a crossroads. The striker is now in his third season at the club, following an initial €75m move from Benfica in summer 2022, and his influence within Arne Slot’s side appears to be waning rather than increasing. He has managed just two goals in 15 Premier League appearances this term and is behind Diogo Jota in the pecking order, with Slot even preferring to start winger Luis Díaz in a central “false No. 9” role in big games.

It would not be a surprise to see the 25-year-old depart in the summer, but with his contract running until 2028, Liverpool will have a task on their hands to recoup anywhere near the fee they paid. It’s for that reason the rumours of interest from Saudi Arabia this month have really taken flight, with clubs from the Gulf state having forked out huge sums of money to land players from the Premier League. But reports of a £70m offer from Al Hilal are wide of the mark. With Slot’s side in the midst of a title race, it is far more likely Núñez will leave in the summer. — Beth Lindop

Why are PSG signing Kvaratskhelia for €60m, and will they land anyone else?

PSG manager Luis Enrique and sporting director Luis Campos wanted to sign a left winger in the summer and also tried to land a few players (Kvaratskhelia, Nico Williams and Jadon Sancho to name three). Even though the club already have Bradley Barcola, Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé and Lee Kang-in, they wanted more competition for first-team places.

So when Napoli opened the door for the Georgia international to leave this month, PSG didn’t hesitate. They see “Kvara” as a game changer who will bring more control, pace and wizardry to their attack. There is also hope that he will be more efficient in front of goal, too, because the club’s lack of goal-scoring ability this season has been a hindrance.

As a result, they are also looking to sign a No. 9 striker after the departure of Kolo Muani to Juventus on loan. According to sources, Aston Villa‘s Jhon Durán is on their shortlist, and while PSG thought about making an official approach to sign him this month, they decided against it. However, he will be a priority in the summer. — Laurens

Can Barcelona sign anyone this month?

After confirming the sale of 475 VIP seats at Spotify Camp Nou for up to 30 years, Barcelona are once again operating within LaLiga’s financial regulations. Therefore, they can spend anything they save or raise on new signings, and they are exploring January additions. They would like to add depth at right-back, and they maintain an interest in Almería full-back Marc Pubill. They were keen last summer, but would not have been able to register him with the club wanting upwards of €15m, a fee that could also be a sticking point this month. Another forward would also be considered if the right opportunity presented itself.

However, while Barça can now invest 100% of any savings (previously it was as low as 25%), they still need to move players out to bring new players in. With defender Ronald Araújo now set to stay, that is not looking as simple as it was a week ago. Forward Ansu Fati is seen as one player who could leave as he has been left out of the squad for the past three games, and the feeling is the club are forcing him to reconsider his position on staying and fighting for his place. Barça could also pocket money if defender Óscar Mingueza leaves Celta Vigo this month as they are due 50% of any future transfer, with Aston Villa, RB Leipzig and Roma all interested. — Sam Marsden

Are any teams interested in signing Osimhen?

Sources at Galatasaray have told ESPN that they are “99% certain” that Osimhen will stay with them this month to complete his loan from Napoli. There is a scenario in which Nkunku could move from Chelsea to Bayern and Chelsea sign Osimhen as a replacement, but it’s unlikely at this stage. Bayern have also shown vague interest, but the Nigeria international has told Galatasaray that his preference is to stay in Turkey for now. Galatasaray know they can’t afford to sign him permanently in the summer, with a reported €75m release clause coming into effect, and their belief is that he’ll end up in the Premier League. — Dawson

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The Football Reporters: What do Real Madrid need in January?

Alex Kirkland details the areas Real Madrid could look to improve their squad in the transfer window.

Any other interesting deals in the works?

– Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies is still assessing his options — sign a new contract or join Real Madrid for free in the summer — despite growing pressure from his club, a source told ESPN. Davies’ future has been up in the air since last summer, when Madrid were first hopeful of doing a deal for the Canada international. Bayern have been pushing for Davies to stay, and have improved their contract renewal offer in recent months, although not as substantially as Davies’ camp might have hoped. — Faez

– Tottenham Hotspur are expected to be active in the final fortnight of the transfer window. Manager Ange Postecoglou was pretty scathing about his players following Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat at Arsenal in the north London derby, and he has made no secret of his desire to add reinforcements. He wants more options in attack, but they also need depth in defence, especially on the left side. — Olley

– Everton are looking for additional options to bolster their firepower up front. Armando Broja, on loan from Chelsea, is out for 10-12 weeks with an ankle injury, and both Everton and Chelsea are weighing up whether he’ll stay at Goodison Park or return to his parent club. With Broja injured, and question marks over Dominic Calvert-Lewin‘s long-term future with his contract up in the summer, Everton — under new ownership — are in the market. They have scored the second-lowest number of goals in the Premier League this term and badly need to find a spark up front. — Tom Hamilton

– AC Milan‘s interest in Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has been complicated by their ongoing interest in Rashford. Serie A regulations mean that only two non-EU players can be signed. On top of that, one British player may be signed without taking up one of the slots for non-EU players. Milan signed Strahinja Pavlovic and Emerson Royal last summer, meaning they could only sign one of Walker or Rashford in this window. — Dawson

– City are closing on deals for young defenders Abdukodir Khusanov (€48m) and Vitor Reis (€35m). It’s expected that both will immediately join Pep Guardiola’s squad. Talks with Eintracht Frankfurt over a transfer for 25-year-old forward Omar Marmoush are ongoing. City were initially pessimistic that Frankfurt would even engage, but the fact that the two clubs are talking is being viewed internally as a good sign. Right now it’s just about reaching a fee that is acceptable to both clubs. Once that happens, the deal will get done. — Dawson

– Aston Villa are eyeing Sevilla centre-back Loïc Badé to bolster their defence after an injury to Pau Torres. Villa sporting director Monchi knows Badé well and signed for Sevilla in January 2023. The 24-year-old could move for around €25m to €30m. Meanwhile, Villa are open to offers to sign 31-year-old centre-back Diego Carlos. Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Juventus are keen after he fell out with manager Unai Emery. — Laurens

– If Arsenal midfielder Jorginho returns to Brazil this month, or over the summer, there are only two clubs where he would like to play: Flamengo and Palmeiras. — ESPN Brasil

– Celta Vigo and United States midfielder Luca de la Torre is set to move to his hometown club, San Diego FC, on loan. The deal could be done by the end of the week. — Jeff Carlisle

– MLS side Inter Miami CF are interested in signing Colo Colo defender Maximiliano Falcón after the Chilean club’s president Alfredo Stöhwing hinted at a potential departure — Lizzy Becherano

– Cruz Azul will beat Liga MX rivals Chivas and América to the signing of Luka Romero from AC Milan. Chivas claimed that they had “almost” signed the Argentina under-20 international winger, but Cruz Azul have agreed a deal with Milan worth a reported €3.5m. — Omar Flores, ESPN Deportes

– Cruz Azul are also looking to reinforce the squad with the signing of LAFC midfielder Mateusz Bogusz for the Clausura 2025. Sources close to the club have confirmed to ESPN that team are already in contact with the MLS team to bring in the 23-year-old. — César Caballero, ESPN Deportes

– Meanwhile, a deal for San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper Emmanuel Ochoa to move to Cruz Azul is back on. — Carlisle