Good evening people and welcome to Sportskeeda's latest transfer news and rumours roundup. With the transfer window now open, all the top clubs from around Europe are looking to spend some moolah and plug the gaps in their squad. So, without further ado, let's take a look at the major transfer stories from around the globe which made headlines on January 4, 2018:
La Liga
Real Madrid ready to sell Toni Kroos in order to fund Neymar signing
Zinedine Zidane and Florentino Perez seem to be hellbent on taking Neymar on board in the recent future. According to Sport, Real Madrid are ready to sacrifice one of the current team's biggest superstars in the form of Toni Kroos to fund a world record move for the Brazilian forward.
The Spanish publication has claimed that Los Blancos are looking to keep a check on their wage bill and have hence decided to offload one of their top earners. The boardroom has reportedly zeroed in on Toni Kroos to be the victim of this decision with Manchester United being immediately linked to the German midfield maestro.
Lionel Messi submits a five-man wishlist to FC Barcelona
Diario Gol has stated that Lionel Messi has submitted a five-man transfer list to the club hierarchy. The Argentine is keen on working with some of the players from this list and has requested Josep Bartomeu to do the needful.
The report claims that the five players that have impressed Messi are Philippe Coutinho, Ander Herrera, Mesut Ozil, Juan Mata and Leon Goretzka. From the mentioned players, only Coutinho and Ozil look like the realistic options for Barcelona at the moment.
Serie A
Inter Milan eyeing Juan Mata
The Nerazzurri are closely monitoring Juan Mata's situation at Manchester United, the Daily Mirror understands. Mata is in the last year of his contract with the club having an option to extend his deal by a further 12 months.
The Spaniard has surprisingly been an integral member of this United side under Mourinho and may decide to stay put in England rather than indulging in a new challenge in Italy.
Torino sack Sinisa Mihajlovic
After a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Juventus in Coppa Italia, Torino have sacked their head coach after a poor run of form. It is believed that Mihajlovic was informed of the decision just hours after the game against Juventus on Wednesday. The Serbian joined Torino in May 2016 and is expected to be replaced by Walter Mazzari at the helm.
Bundesliga
James Rodriguez happy at Bayern Munich
Despite an inconsistent start to life at Bayern Munich, James Rodriguez has insisted that he is happy in Germany and sees himself playing for the Bavarians for a long time. Rodriguez joined Munich from Real Madrid on a two-year loan deal with an option to make it permanent.
Talking to Kicker, Rodriguez revealed, "I'll stay here. I'm happy at Bayern Munich. I don't want to think about anything else. I have a very good feeling in the team. I hope things also go well in the second half of the season because I still want to achieve a lot with this team."
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on Arsenal's radar
Sky has claimed that Arsene Wenger has earmarked the Borussia Dortmund hitman to replace Alexis Sanchez at the club. The Chilean is expected to leave Arsenal this month and the Gunners boardroom are looking for a goalscoring option up front.
Aubameyang is currently in Ghana for the African Footballer of the Year awards and is set to re-join the Dortmund squad tomorrow in Marbella. It is believed that an offer in the range of £65 million will be enough to tempt the Westfalenstadion outfit to let Aubameyang leave.
Premier League
Thibaut Courtois close to signing a new deal
Thibaut Courtois has indicated today that he is willing to commit his future with Chelsea and sign a new deal in the coming days. The custodian was linked with a move to Real Madrid in the past few weeks after it emerged of his inclination towards a return back to Spain.
Speaking with the Evening Standard, Courtois has now revealed, "I'm happy at Chelsea and a deal is close. Has it been a distraction? Not for me. I'm just calm and relaxed because I'm tied to Chelsea. Despite the rumours and everything, I am focused on Chelsea and I'm happy here."
Jose Mourinho happy at Manchester United
The Special One has rubbished his Manchester United exit talks and insisted that he wants to stay with the Red Devils beyond his current deal.
Mourinho has been linked with the job at Paris Saint-Germain after the Portuguese's latest rants about his side's spending issues and that of Manchester City's.
Whether the board wants Mourinho to stay beyond this season remains to be the bigger question.
Rest of Europe
Liverpool closing in on Thomas Lemar
After the recent revelation of a €150 million offer from FC Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool are already closing in on his direct replacement.
Daily Star has claimed that the Anfield representatives have started negotiations with AS Monaco over a €90 million deal for Thomas Lemar. The Frenchman is keen on joining Liverpool but the Ligue 1 wants to hold onto their prized asset until the summer.
Wolves target Robbie Keane
Premier League-bound Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking at a sensational move for former Spurs striker Robbie Keane. Republic of Ireland's record goalscorer is currently playing in India for ATK.
He is under contract with the ISL unit under March but may leave the two time Indian Super League champions this month for a dream return to Molineux - the club where he made his professional debut.
