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Welcome to Sportskeeda's daily transfer roundup.
We're well into the winter transfer window and with less than a week to go until the end of the window, the sheer volume of transfer speculation has been overwhelming, to say the least. Today, as usual, a whole new set of transfer news and rumours have emerged, involving some giant clubs and superstar players.
Today's top stories feature heavyweight clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, among others. They also feature some significant players from across the world who have been linked with potential moves away from their current clubs.
On that note, here is a look at the top transfer news, rumours and updates for the day:
Liverpool complete first signing of the ongoing transfer window
Liverpool have taken this season by storm as they sit pretty at the top of the Premier League table with a four-point lead over second-placed Manchester City. Their glorious run and their sufficiently strong bench have abstained them from venturing into the transfer market for a prominent name to reinforce their first team.
However, as per reports from ESPN, the Merseysiders have decided to address a different dimension of the club as they complete their first signing of the ongoing transfer window - 16-year-old Billy Koumetio from Ligue 2 side US Orleans.
Koumetio, who plays as a defender and hails from France, started his career at Lyon and had recently moved to US Orleans. Last year, Koumetio trained with Liverpool during a trial period and even travelled with the club's U-17 squad to Berlin in November.
The signing of the 16-year-old was reportedly made for a nominal fee as Liverpool continue to fortify their schoolboy and academy level teams with an aim to develop a model of producing more world-class talent from their own academy in the future.
Arsenal desperately want Chelsea's Gary Cahill
Friday night's fourth-round FA Cup defeat to Manchester United and subsequent elimination from the tournament didn't just cost Arsenal a spot in the next round of the cup, it also cost them two of their experienced defenders.
The match saw Laurent Koscielny suffer a suspected broken jaw, while Sokratis Papastathopoulos went down to an ankle injury. With things expected to heat up in the race for a spot in the top four, Arsenal are understandably desperate to find replacements before the end of Thursday's transfer deadline.
According to reports from The Daily Mirror, Arsenal are reportedly set to send Chelsea an SOS call, desperately requesting the services of centre-back Gary Cahill. The Englishman has reportedly been told that he can leave Chelsea once his contract expires in the summer but is wanted by Arsenal for the remainder of the season.
Arsenal manager, Unai Emery, is understood to be determined to sign Cahill with his limited budget, as the likes of Crystal Palace and Fulham also continue to be linked with potential moves for Cahill.
Tottenham Hotspur bid for PSG's Adrien Rabiot
Paris Saint-Germain's wantaway star, Adrien Rabiot, has become an outcast at the club and is believed to be determined to move away from the club. The 23-year-old has refused to sign a contract extension and has reportedly been linked with potential moves to Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Meanwhile, the latest reports from Mundo Deportivo (via Sky Sports) claim that Spurs have submitted a bid of £18 million for the Frenchman and that Spurs' manager, Mauricio Pochettino has held personal talks with the player. According to reports from The Daily Express, however, Rabiot reportedly prefers a move to Liverpool instead.
Arsenal eye dual raid of Barcelona for Malcom and Denis Suarez
Arsenal, who are in dire need of defensive reinforcements, are also reportedly keen on bolstering their midfield and attack as well, ahead of what promises to be a gruelling remainder of the season.
Reports from The Sun claim that the Gunners are reportedly eyeing a double raid of Barcelona for midfielder Dennis Suarez, and winger, Malcom. Both players have found limited playing time at Barcelona. Arsenal have been linked with a move for Suarez for the past few days but talks seem to have temporarily stalled, although Arsenal will try and force the deal through over the coming days.
Now, the north Londoners have reportedly made Barcelona an offer to borrow Malcom on a loan deal until the end of the season. While the manager, Ernesto Valverde, has seemingly ignored the 21-year-old, Barcelona's hierarchy allegedly rates Malcom highly and do not want to lose him, which could prompt the club to allow him to leave on a loan deal to continue development.
Real Madrid refocus their attention towards Eden Hazard
After the season that they seem to be going through, Real Madrid will expectedly look to revamp their side and bring in some high-profile new faces in the summer. Los Blancos have been linked with a plethora of superstars in the last few months, including Chelsea's Eden Hazard.
Despite publicly admitting his desire for a move to Real Madrid, Hazard's reluctance to leave Chelsea midseason had forced Madrid to look towards Spurs' Christian Eriksen. However, the Spanish giants have now reportedly dropped out of the race for the Eriksen.
Now, according to reports from The Daily Mirror, Madrid have turned their attention back towards Hazard, making him their number one target for the summer.
Notably, the Belgian is believed to be worth €150 million. However, his refusal to sign a new contract at Chelsea leaves him with just 18 months left on his contract, which expires in June 2020.
As he enters the final year of his contract in the summer, his value is expected to drop, and Madrid, who are allegedly keen on building a new side around him, will look to get him for around €100 million.
