Welcome to our daily transfer news roundup from across Europe. We are more than a week into the transfer window and the rumour mills are going haywire. The big news of the day is regarding the future of Real Madrid and Barcelona target Paulo Dybala.
Here are all the transfer news and rumours from 12th January 2017:
Serie A
AC Milan close in on Gerard Deulofeu
AC Milan are closing in on the signing of Everton forward Gerard Deulofeu, if reports in Gazzetta dello Sport are to be believed. According to the report, the Spaniard is interested in a move to the Serie A giants but the San Siro outfit will have to convince Ronald Koeman first.
Juventus close in on Sead Kolasinac
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Serie A giants Juventus are close to completing a deal for Schalke full-back Sead Kolasinac, who is out of contract with the German club in the summer. According to the report, the Old Lady eye the Bosnia and Herzegovina international as a replacement for the departing Patrice Evra.
Premier League giants Arsenal and Liverpool are also interested in the 23-year-old but for now Juventus is ahead in the race.
Bundesliga
Hakan Calhanoglu staying at Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu will be staying at the club despite interest from Premier League title favourites Chelsea. According to London Evening Standard, the midfielder wants to stay in Germany for now.
Thomas Muller not happy with life on the bench
Bayern Munich superstar Thomas Muller has admitted that life is not rosy sitting on the bench of the Allianz Arena outfit. He was benched for their last game against RB Leipzig and he has been vocal about his predicament.
Muller said: “The last game against Leipzig was not optimal for me personally, since I did not play. There was more space than in the games before. It was a game I could have enjoyed. Of course, I’m not sitting there with a grin on the bench."
Premier League
Red Devils linked with £40m move for Tiemoue Bakayoko
According to the Daily Star, Manchester United are interested in the services of Monaco’s midfield powerhouse Tiemoue Bakayoko. The Red Devils are prepared to go up to £40m for securing the services of the 22-year-old who has been a revelation for Monaco this season.
Hull City close to completing deals for Oumar Niasse and Evandro Goebel.
According to Sky Sports, Hull City are close to completing the signings of Everton striker Oumar Niasse and Porto midfielder Evandro Goebel, with both players reportedly undergoing medicals with the Premier League outfit right now.
La Liga
Barcelona not willing to break the bank for Lionel Messi
According to Barcelona CEO Oscar Grau, the Camp Nou outfit will have to comply with the spending restrictions of the club while offering Lionel Messi a new contract, or the repercussions could impact the stability of the club.
Messi only has 18 months on his contract and is reportedly earning around £19m per year after taxes and a new contract will see his wages rise considerably, with Neymar and Luis Suarez earning £21.6m following their recent contract renewals.
Grau said: "Barcelona has to analyse this situation with a cold head and common sense. "Barca can't exceed 70 percent of its budget on wages and therefore we have to make the numbers add up."
Paulo Dybala claims he has no offers from Real Madrid or Barcelona, wants to commit to Juventus
Juventus superstar Paulo Dybala has insisted that the wants to commit his future to Juventus, while also adding that he has not received any offers from Real Madrid or Barcelona. The Argentine has been heavily linked with a move away from Turin, with Barcelona and Real Madrid said to be his prime suitors. However, the 23-year-old has quashed these reports and is expecting to renew his contract in the coming days.
Speaking in an interview with Rai Sport, he said: “Is it difficult to reject Real Madrid or Barcelona? I don’t have any offers, so therefore, I do not have anything to reject. I am pleased and happy here, I want to stay, but this does not just depend on me. My agent will arrive here in the next few days and we hope to finalise a new contract.”
Rest of the World
West Ham reject Olympique Marseille’s bid for Dimitri Payet
According to Sky Sports, West Ham United have rejected a €22m bid from French outfit Olympique Marseille for the transfer of Dimitri Payet. Earlier in the day, West Ham manager Slaven Bilic had announced that Payet has refused to train with the team and wants to be allowed to leave.
Payet had moved to West Ham from Marseille in the summer of 2015 for £11m. Frank McCourt – who is the new owner of Marseille – has promised to make funds available for reinforcements in a bid to push the club towards Champions League football.
PSG join Juventus and Barcelona in Adam Lallana race
According to the Times, PSG have joined Barcelona and Juventus in the race to sign Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana – who has been on fire this season. The 28-year-old has scored many crucial goals while also racking up the assists for the Reds and the Catalan giants consider him a cheaper alternative to Philippe Coutinho. The trio are expected to be involved in a bidding war for the transfer of the Englishman, however, if he wants to leave or not remains to be seen.
