What we’re hearing in the transfer window: Rashford to Barcelona? Girma’s WSL move

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.

Could Marcus Rashford join Barcelona on loan?

Barcelona are certainly the first choice for Marcus Rashford and his representatives if he leaves Manchester United this month, but there’s an acceptance that it’s hard to do from a financial perspective. United would be keen, too, because if Rashford performs well at a club the size of Barcelona then his transfer value will go up ahead of the summer.

Milan are out of the question now that they’ve signed right-back Kyle Walker from Manchester City. Borussia Dortmund have asked to be kept informed of developments over Rashford and there are lots of other interested clubs, but the finances involved are proving problematic for everyone. United will have to drop their demands if they really want him to leave, which means this one could go right down to the wire on deadline day. — Rob Dawson

Barça would like to sign Rashford, but hopes of raising or saving enough money to register him within their spending cap imposed by LaLiga are decreasing. Winger Ansu Fati has had the door open to leave, but remains reluctant to depart for now, while defender Eric García is also currently set to stay despite interest from Girona and Como.

Barça were also hoping Celta Vigo‘s Óscar Mingueza would join Aston Villa this month — as they retain 50% of any future transfer the defender makes — but the Premier League club’s signing of Levante’s Andrés García has closed that avenue. — Sam Marsden

It’s pretty simple: Rashford has been offered to every top club in France, Spain and Italy. In Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain, AS Monaco and Marseille have been contacted. L’OM are managed by Roberto De Zerbi — who knows the England international well since facing him in the Premier League with Brighton — so they looked into whether it was feasible, but Rashford’s wages proved to be a big stumbling block. The winger would also rather join a team playing in a Europe, which is not the case for Marseille this season. — Julien Laurens

Will there be some good news from Barcelona soon?

There was already good news on Thursday, as the club announced that defender Ronald Araújo had extended his contract until 2031. Barça’s focus is very much on improving and prolonging contracts at the moment, which also hampers any move for Rashford, as young midfielders Pedri and Gavi are next in line for new deals.

Both players should sign extensions to their deals, which run until 2026, before the end of February, although Saudi Arabian clubs have tried to tempt Pedri in recent weeks. They saw how acclaimed he was at the Spanish Supercopa earlier this month and sounded out a possible move. The money on the table was dizzying as the league looks for a star signing in the peak of their career, with Real Madrid‘s Vinícius Júnior another target, though Pedri’s appeal, quality and contract situation made him an interesting option. — Sam Marsden

Why is the Salah contract saga still rumbling on?

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With the end of the January transfer window now in sight, there has been little indication that Liverpool are close to resolving Mohamed Salah‘s contract saga, or that of his teammates Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Egypt international’s impassioned celebration following his goal against Lille midweek left little room for doubt about where his heart lies. The player wants to stay at Liverpool, but hammering out the details of a new contract is proving a convoluted process. — Beth Lindop

Each day that passes without Salah signing a new contract is good news for the Saudi Pro League dealmakers, who are desperate to land him. His most likely destination is Al Hilal, as they look to move on Neymar, and there have been whispers in Saudi that they would love for Salah to be part of their squad for this summer’s expanded Club World Cup. — Dawson

Any movement on Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid?

After missing out on one long-term full-back target in Alphonso Davies — who is close to signing a new contract at Bayern Munich — Madrid are determined to not let their No. 1 priority, Alexander-Arnold, slip through their fingers too. Madrid had been hopeful of landing both on free transfers this summer but, with Davies now almost out of reach, it’s all about Alexander-Arnold.

The club still haven’t entirely given up on landing him this month, but the clock is ticking, with no sign that Liverpool are willing to sanction a deal. — Alex Kirkland

Manchester City have signed three players already, but will there be a fourth?

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City have spent more than €150m million to sign three players — forward Omar Marmoush (€70m), defenders Abdukodir Khusanov (€48m) and Vitor Reis (€35m) — already and City sources are indicating they might not be done yet. They still need a central midfielder and they’re still actively looking.

Éderson at Atalanta is probably out of reach in January, but Douglas Luiz is possible if Juventus look to offload him in the last week of the window. Pep Guardiola is a big fan, and he’s a proven player in the Premier League after starring for Aston Villa last season. There have also been repeated links with Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso, whose transfer could cost up to €80m. — Dawson

Meanwhile, City’s women’s team are struggling with injuries but have signed Brazil forward Kerolin from North Carolina Courage. However, forward Chloe Kelly remains at an impasse with the club over a potential move. The 26-year-old is seeking an exit due to a lack of playing time, especially with Euro 2025 looming, and despite an injury to teammate Lauren Hemp, the England international has started just once in the WSL this season.

Manchester United have shown interest in signing Kelly on loan for the final six months of her contract, with Everton also making inquiries about a temporary move. However, given City’s recent 4-2 defeat to United and their drop to fourth in the table, it seems unlikely Kelly will leave this month, as the club are reluctant to strengthen a direct rival. — Emily Keogh

Could Atletico Madrid sign Kieran Trippier?

Trippier isn’t playing much at Newcastle and hasn’t ruled out a move away from the club this month. He would be open to a return to Atletico Madrid, where he played from 2019-2022, but it looks like a long shot. — Dawson

Trippier was a standout in Madrid, and a key part of Atletico’s title win in 2021. The team have moved on, though, and manager Diego Simeone already has two reliable options at right-back in Nahuel Molina and Marcos Llorente. In any case, Atletico aren’t in a position to sign any players. They’d need to make room in the squad, and a player would have to leave before they are able to bring someone else in. So far there’s no sign of that happening, unless an unexpected exit occurs between now and the close of the window. — Kirkland

Could the San Diego Wave sign a replacement for Chelsea-bound Naomi Girma?

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With USWNT defender Girma poised to become the women’s game’s first $1m transfer when she moves to Chelsea in the coming days, San Diego Wave are looking to strengthen their squad. The club have already brought in several new players recently, but Chelsea defender Ève Périsset and Aston Villa midfielder Kenza Dali have both attracted interest from the NWSL side.

Dali, notably, confirmed her departure from Villa last week. A source told ESPN that the Wave are targeting a “world-class player” to fill the gap left by Jaedyn Shaw and Alex Morgan‘s absences in attack, raising the possibility that Chelsea could see one of their forwards move to North America before the transfer window closes. — Keogh

How close is Neymar to leaving Al Hilal?

Neymar’s father, and the player himself, are eager for him to return to Brazil and play for his boyhood club Santos. As a result, Neymar Sr. has been constantly urging Al Hilal to speak to their owners to figure out how that can happen, and has already pointed out to the Santos president that if his son’s contract — which is valid until the Club World Cup — is cancelled, a deal with Santos could happen quickly.

Al Hilal are showing patience because they know the 32-year-old’s future depends on them. The main stumbling blocks are coming from the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which still wants Neymar to be the poster boy for the Saudi Pro League, and the player’s desire not to give up the €65m in wages owed to him. — Pedro Ivo Almeida, ESPN Brazil

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Any other interesting deals in the works?

– Fikayo Tomori‘s future at AC Milan is in doubt heading into the final week of the transfer window, after the former Chelsea defender rejected a move to Juventus. Milan and Juventus had agreed a loan deal with an obligation to make the transfer permanent in the summer, but the 27-year-old has opted to stay at San Siro after returning to the first team under recently appointed coach Sérgio Conceição. Milan still need to raise funds to sign a striker, but with Tomori turning Juve down and teammate Strahinja Pavlovic rejecting a move to Fenerbahce, a move for the former England centre-back could still materialise before the Feb. 3 deadline if a new offer emerges. — Mark Ogden

– Jonathan David is out of contract at Lille in the summer and although there has been interest this month, a source told ESPN that a move in January is “not the priority.” He’s likely to move on a free transfer in the summer, with a number of clubs already expressing interest. Man United looked at him very closely last summer before signing Joshua Zirkzee. — Dawson

– Nottingham Forest are looking to aid their Champions League charge by bolstering their forward options. They have been heavily linked with Yoane Wissa at Brentford and will continue exploring other options to add some competition up front. — Tom Hamilton

– Liverpool forward Ben Doak will remain on loan at Middlesbrough for the rest of the season despite interest from Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town. — Lindop

– Westerlo and United States men’s national team defender Bryan Reynolds continues to draw interest from European teams, including those from Czechia, the Netherlands and the English Championship. But Westerlo, having prevented Reynolds from taking part in last summer’s Olympic games, is reluctant to let the former FC Dallas product leave. Reynolds has made 22 league and cup appearances this season, scoring two goals. — Jeff Carlisle

– Reynolds’ American teammate, Griffin Yow, is also on the radar of European clubs, but Westerlo are reluctant to move him on because of the difficulty of finding a replacement given that the club are mired in a relegation battle. A summer move now seems more likely. An injury slowed Yow’s progress during the first half of the year, but the midfielder has still managed to make 16 appearances, scoring three goals. — Carlisle

– Frankfurt have stepped up their chase to sign Marseille forward Elye Wahi, which could mean more disappointment for West Ham, who were keen on the France U21 international after not reaching a deal for Aston Villa’s Jhon Durán. The German club, who sent Omar Marmoush to Manchester City for €70m this week, are nearing an agreement to land Wahi on a 4½-year contract for a fee of around €30m. — Laurens

– Juventus’ Brazilian centre-back Danilo agreed to Flamengo’s offer and will negotiate his release with the Italian club, where he is under contract until the end of the 2024-25 season. Santos also showed interest in the veteran defender, but Flamengo’s wage offer was higher. He is expected to be available for coach Filipe Luis’ squad ahead of the Supercopa do Brazil final, against Botafogo, on Feb. 2. — Daniela Boaventura, ESPN Brazil

– Former Barcelona forward Louie Barry‘s stock is high after a superb loan spell at Stockport County, and Aston Villa are keen not to err with their next move. The youngster has been recalled for now and will sign a new deal at the Premier League club, who must then decide whether to keep him or loan him out again this month. Celtic and Lens have both made offers of over €5m, but Villa are not considering a permanent transfer. At some point, all 24 Championship sides have asked to be kept informed of Barry’s situation and Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday currently lead the way if Unai Emery does decide to send him out again this month. — Marsden

– Palmeiras have rejected a bid (reportedly around €8m) from Torino to sign 19-year-old striker Thalys. City Football Group had also shown interest, but the Brazilian club, who are in good financial shape after Vitor Reis’ move to Manchester City, have set a fee in the region of €25m. Thalys has a contract with Palmeiras until July 2028. — Vinicius Nicoletti, ESPN Brazil

– Owen Gene, a 21-year-old French midfielder from Amiens in Ligue 2, is going to sign with Minnesota United in MLS, sources have told ESPN. The Paris-born talent has impressed this season in France’s second tier, and while a few German clubs were interested, he decided to go to the U.S. instead. The transfer fee will be around $3m. — Laurens

– Reports in the Italian media claimed this week that there is an agreement in principle between AC Milan and Feyenoord to sign Mexico forward Santiago Giménez, though sources told ESPN Netherlands that there is still nothing between the two clubs. Milan are keen to sign a striker after poor seasons for Álvaro Morata and Tammy Abraham in front of goal so far. — ESPN NL.