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Hello and welcome to Sportskeeda's Daily Transfer Roundup. We are into the last week of the winter transfer window and the rumour mill has rarely seen busier days.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top transfer news, rumours and updates that made headlines on 25 January 2019.
Florentin Pogba says Paul Pogba will only leave Manchester United for Barcelona or Real Madrid
Pogba's brother Florentin believes that there are only 3 sides that can improve his brother and they are Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona. However, he has also said the chances of the Manchester United talisman joining cross-city rivals Manchester City in an interview with AS.
Florentin Pogba admitted that sacking Jose Mourinho has gone a long way towards Pogba deciding to stay put at Manchester United. He said,
“Mourinho leaving was the key,”
“He wasn't happy, and it was clear to see. Now, under Solskjaer, everything is much better. My brother knows him from his time in the Manchester United youth set-up.”
Paul Pogba has been on fire since the 'Special One's departure and has raked in a whopping 5 goals and 4 assists in the subsequent 6 outings. Florentin Pogba, however, did not rule out the possibility of a future transfer.
“We like tiki-taka. Whenever I can, I watch their [Barcelona] games or go to the Camp Nou.
“When my brother leaves Manchester United, there are only three clubs he can go to improve: [Manchester] City, Real Madrid or Barca. He's not going to go to City, so he'll come to Spain: to Barca or Madrid.”
Pogba has been heavily linked with Barcelona since last summer and the speculation intensified following his public fallout with Jose Mourinho. However, he seems to be ready to turn them down for a second time.
“When he was at Juventus, he could have gone to Barcelona, but he was determined to return to Manchester United, where it hadn't worked out for him the first time around,”
“There was also movement [over a transfer to Madrid] when [Zinedine] Zidane was in charge, but he had his heart set on going back to England.”
Pochettino says Tottenham are working on making signings
After a dull summer transfer window that saw no activity at all, Tottenham have been exposed to their bare bones following injuries and departures of key players. If they do not bring in reinforcements before the transfer window closes at the end of this month, they run the risk of wearing their players out.
Now, Pochettino has addressed the press and said that they are indeed open to and working on new signings.
He said,
"I always say I am more than open to add players to the squad. That is so clear. A different thing is if we can find the right player that is going to help us improve."
We will see. We are working on a few options. We will see if we are able to deliver.
"We have one space now Mousa Dembele has gone. But we need to be careful with the Champions League, because if it is a player that is not English, we do not have the space. It is so important to be careful."
AC Milan defender Christian Zapata linked with shock Inter move
Il Rossoneri defender Zapata has been linked with a move to rivals Inter Milan with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, as per Calcio Mercato (via Gazzetta Dello Sport).
Zapata has refused to sign a new deal as AC Milan have reportedly offered him less than £1.8 million which is his current annual wages. Inter want to offer the 32-year-old a 2 year deal with the option of extending it by a year.
AC Milan are only willing to offer him a 1-year deal and Zapata is expected to make his decision quite soon as he is permitted to enter into a pre-contract agreement.
Arsenal begin talks to sign James Rodriguez
With Mesut Ozil's importance and popularity diminishing to specks, Arsenal are already on the lookout for an attacking midfielder who can turn their fortunes around. They have earmarked Real Madrid ace James Rodriguez, who is currently on loan at Bayern Munich, as the ideal replacement for the ageing German, according to The Independent.
James Rodriguez was heavily influential for Bayern Munich in the 2017-18 season. But under Niko Kovac, he has struggled to nail down a starting berth and is hence not expected to be signed at the end of the season. Bayern have the option of signing the Colombian on a permanent basis for €42 million. However, he is tipped to return to Real Madrid.
Arsenal have made contacts in the hopes of signing Rodriguez on a loan deal with the option of making it permanent in the future. Napoli are also interested in the 27-year-old who is very likely to be sold at the end of this season. However, Arsenal are favourites to land him as it stands.
Barcelona want to sign Juan Mata for free in the summer
Barcelona are very seriously considering roping in Spanish maestro Juan Mata to the Camp Nou in the summer when his current contract at Manchester United runs out, according to Don Balon.
Juan Mata is a highly admired figure at Manchester United. However, Barcelona's presence has paralyzed his contract negotiations with the Red Devils. Even though Mata loves the Old Trafford faithful just as much as they love him back, he is likely to be open to a return to Spain.
On the other hand, Barcelona will benefit greatly from the 30-year-old's experience and can also save the money they've been hoping to splash on Adrien Rabiot.
