Live Football Transfer Blog: EPL, LaLiga and Rest of Europe (23rd January)

Follow all the biggest and best transfer news around Europe LIVE!

That's all for today. See you tomorrow. Ciao!

#WelcomeKenedy! 🇧🇷⚫️⚪️#NUFC pic.twitter.com/fQ0EPx4u4L
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) January 23, 2018

Phil Neville has been appointed head coach of England through to the end of the 2021 UEFA Women’s Championship campaign. #SSN
— Bryan Swanson (@skysports_bryan) January 23, 2018

Sevilla are struggling to agree a fee with Barcelona to bring Aleix Vidal back to the club.

Vidal signed for Barca in the summer of 2015, but will be allowed to leave Camp Nou in January, with Sevilla leading the chase for the right-back.

However, Barcelona want €12 million for the 28-year-old, with Sevilla hoping the price will be dropped after offering €8m up front plus €2m in add-ons so far.

Welcome aboard, @Lass_Officiel !!! 🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/RBNADCs6Ml
— PSG English (@PSG_English) January 23, 2018

🤝 We're pleased to announce the signing of Jaroslaw Jach from @ZaglebieLubin on a three and a half year contract!

👋 #WitamyJarek #CPFC 🦅

Read the full story 👇https://t.co/9uqftLURSg pic.twitter.com/bk9OLrvavF
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) January 23, 2018

Manchester United will aim to follow up the signing of Alexis Sanchez by agreeing a deal for Nice midfielder Jean Michael Seri

Jose Mourinho wants an agreement in place to sign Seri, either this month or in the summer. Seri is also an option for Manchester City, although the Ivory Coast international is viewed as a back-up to prime target Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred.

Barcelona, Chelsea and Liverpool have all previously shown an interest in Seri, but Mourinho hopes United can beat their rivals to the signing of the 26-year-old.

Bayer Leverkusen have indicated that they can keep hold of striking sensation Leon Bailey for as long as possible.

The 20-year-old forward has attracted interest from the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal this January, but the Bundesliga club are hopeful that the Jamaica-born player, who has a contract until 2022, will elect to commit his future to them.

BREAKING: Sean Dyche signs new contract at @BurnleyOfficial until summer 2022. #SSN pic.twitter.com/385aUZYpnH
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 23, 2018

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is keen to sign Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte and is considering paying the £60m needed to trigger his release clause.

City are in the market for a new centre back and it’s understood that negotiations between the two clubs are continuing this afternoon.

The 23-year old has been linked with a number of top clubs across Europe in recent months, including Barcelona, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Arsenal and Tottenham have been put on alert as Paris Saint-Germain boss Unai Emery has publicly told Lucas Moura to find a new club.

Speaking on Tuesday, the coach said: “I’ve told Lucas that he will no longer have the chance to play with PSG and that he needs to find another club.”

The 25-year-old is expected to fetch a fee of around €35 million.

#ThankYouMasche https://t.co/TDLoGrzqmx
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 23, 2018

Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge is NOT interested in a move to Serie A.

Inter and Roma are said to have been monitoring the England international, but Sturridge has informed Liverpool that he'd prefer to sign with Valencia.

Arsenal have confirmed Henrikh Mkhitaryan will wear the No 7 shirt in the Premier League.

However, he cannot wear that number in the Europa League as it was worn by Alexis Sanchez against Cologne in September. UEFA rules state Mkhitaryan must wear a different number for the rest of the Europa League.

That number is yet to be confirmed.

Newcastle midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is closing on a £12m move to West Ham

Chinese club Shandong Luneng Taishan are showing strong interest in PSG's Lucas Moura.

Napoli want to sign the 25-year-old and his agents will meet with sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli on Wednesday. Tottenham have an interest in Moura, according to Sky sources. Reportedly, so to do Arsenal.

When was Sanchez deal really “done...” Wenger: “I took him to the hotel the night before the Palace game and he was completely focused and ready to play the next day until I told him: ‘look you can go home, the deal is over the line.’ So, that’s what he did.”
— John Cross (@johncrossmirror) January 23, 2018

Arsenal and Manchester United are both believed to be interested in a deal for Porto midfielder Danilo Pereira.

The 26-year-old was part of the Portugal side that won Euro 2016, and scouts from both Arsenal and United were reportedly in Porto on Friday night to watch their clash against Tondela.

Danilo can also play at centre-back, and has been on fine form this term for the Portuguese league leaders.

Manchester United will battle Chelsea for Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal this summer.

The Chile international could leave the Bundesliga club due to the arrival of Leon Goretzka from Schalke, with the Blues heavily linked as a possible summer destination.

However, United's recent acquisition of Alexis Sanchez has seen them up their interest in Vidal, with Jose Mourinho looking to add another Chile international to his squad.

BREAKING: @AaronLennon12 joins the Clarets on permanent deal from @Everton. Welcome aboard. Read: https://t.co/EgdqN3uxqF pic.twitter.com/8okucQc7Cz
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) January 23, 2018

BREAKING: Alvaro Morata & Cesc Fabregas will miss the second leg of @ChelseaFC's Carabao Cup semi-final at @Arsenal tomorrow. #SSN pic.twitter.com/C2HX8eztkb
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 23, 2018

Neymar is willing to sign for Real Madrid if Los Blancos also make moves for Antoine Griezmann and Eden Hazard.

The Paris Saint-Germain star has reportedly made it clear he does not want to play with Harry Kane and Mauro Icardi, who have been linked to Madrid as well.

But the potential of linking up with Griezmann and Hazard is enough to tempt Neymar to return to Spain and join Barcelona's arch-rivals, with the Brazilian said to be uncomfortable in the PSG dressing room.

West Brom are interested in Bournemouth striker Benik Afobe.

The Cherries have no interest in selling the 24-year-old, preferring to part with Lewis Grabban after he was recalled from a loan at Norwich.

Wolves are also understood to be monitoring Afobe's situation and are open to taking him back to Molineux.

Di Francesco on whether Edin Dzeko will start tomorrow: “As things stand at the moment, he will. Obviously I'm going to have to assess things and see what frame of mind he's in. I'll speak to him about it.”
#ASRoma #SampRoma #DiFra pic.twitter.com/eC1NcDI0Re
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) January 23, 2018

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are both interested in signing Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in the summer.

Courtois has been offered a new contract by Chelsea which would make him the best-paid keeper in the world, but the Belgium international has yet to sign the deal.

Kepa Arrizabalaga’s decision to sign a new contract at Athletic Bilbao means Madrid are now back in the hunt for a keeper and are focusing on Courtois, who has just 18 months left on his current deal.

PSG are also keen although financial constraints could scupper their prospects of agreeing a deal for Courtois.

Been told #cfc ready to hand #Dzeko contract till 2021 to convince him to join from Roma. More here: https://t.co/Yue330iD7n
— Simon Johnson (@sjstandardsport) January 23, 2018

Shaktar Donetsk midfielder Fred is a player that Pep Guardiola is keen on.

Sky in Italy says personal terms won't be a problem, if the player does move. It's reported that Manchester City are wary of interest from Manchester United, so while it's most likely a deal worth around £50m will happen in the summer.

It's possible that City would want to buy him now, and loan him back to Shaktar for the rest of the season, to keep United at bay.

If Aubemayang comes in, Arsenal are prepared to let Olivier Giroud go. He rejected the chance to join Everton in the summer but Arsenal and Dortmund are exploring whether he would move to Germany.

Tottenham are in the box seat over Malcom. Mauricio Pochettino is prepared to buy him now and loan him back to Bordeaux for the rest of the season.

Juventus general manager Giuseppe Marotta has dismissed reports the Serie A champions are interested in signing Mario Balotelli as "a hoax"

It had been claimed that a five-year deal was in the offing for the former Manchester City striker.

But Marotta told Mediaset Premium: "Beyond our affection, esteem and liking for this boy it's a fantasy football story. His is a profile we don't need."

Chelsea are getting closer to signing Emerson Palmieri and Edin Dzeko from Roma.

Both parties know what Roma want for the players - believed to be in excess of £45m for the pair - and Antonio Conte wants Dzeko and he wants to come to Chelsea.

However, as with all deals at Chelsea, the final decision will be left to director Marina Granovskaia.