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Will Isco move to the Premier League?January brings with it a lot of mid-season crisis as well as solutions. The transfer mill is expected to be the same this time around with many seeking reinforcements and many seeking a new beginning. There has been a buzz around many players and clubs, with players seeking moves away from their respective clubs for various reasons from playing time to better contracts. Nonetheless, the January window is poised to give us some interesting news.Here are the transfer news and rumours for the day.
#1 Serie A
- Juventus are looking to sign Moussa Dembele from Fulham in the January transfer window, Gazzetta Dello Sport reports.
The 19-year-old has been previously linked with a move to a number of Premier League clubs including, Tottenham, Everton and Manchester United. Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli have also shown interest in the Frenchman. The Bianconeri want Dembele to replace Simone Zaza, who might be sent out on loan this season.
- The Hellas Verona striker and a World Cup winner with Italy, Luca Toni is yet to make a decision on his future. The 38-year-old has scored four goals in nine appearances for the club this term, who are languishing at the bottom of Serie A table.
"Everyone says I signed on to become a director of Verona, but the truth is I am still a football player and I haven't decided yet whether I'll retire in June or in 2017.
"I've been supposed to quit for the last four years and I'll make a decision in the spring. A lot will depend on how the season goes and how I'm feeling, so whether I want to keep challenging myself all over again."
The striker was Serie A’s top scorer along with Internazionale’s Mauro Icardi in the 2014-15 season with 22 goals.
– Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic has outrightly rejected the rumours linking him with a move to Real Madrid.
"Real Madrid interest? I am focused on Roma at the moment. We are still fighting for the Scudetto and have the Champions League round of 16 coming up. That's why leaving Roma is impossible right now," the 25-year-old said when quizzed about the Madrid speculations.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina international has been in great form this season, he has scored seven goals and has provided five assists in the Serie A thus far.
#2 La Liga
- Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone wants Diego Costa to make a return to the Vicente Calderon, Spanish publication AS reports.
The Brazil-born striker has not had a pleasant second season with Chelsea after he helped the Blues to the Premier League trophy in his first season with the club. Reportedly, Simeone has informed Costa that he wants him back with the Rojiblancos sooner rather than later.
- Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is preparing for a mass exodus of players from the club, Sport reports.
The publication reports that as many as 9 players could be ousted from the club, as Perez plans to raise funds for a £200m spending spree in the summer transfer window. Reportedly, the players who will be allowed the club are, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos, Jese, Isco, Alvaro Arbeloa, Keylor Navas and Denis Cheryshev. The website also reports that Rafa Benitez might face the axe as well.
- In a rather shocking claim, Ligue 1 club Nice’s manager Claude Puel has said that Real Madrid are interested in the signing of Hatim Ben Arfa.
"I am not surprised to hear that big clubs such as Real Madrid are keeping tabs on him. Hatem has become part of the club, just like Mathieu Bodmer when he joined us from PSG," Puel said.
#3 English Premier League
- Manchester City are looking set to sign Real Madrid midfielder Isco for a reported fee of £35m, Daily Express reports.
The 23-year-old has appeared only sporadically for the Los Blancos this term and might be open for a move to greener pastures. The Sky Blues reportedly want to bring the Spaniard to the Etihad stadium as early as this week.
- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is planning to launch a massive £42million for the Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, The Sun reports.
The Gunners were expected to sign a striker in the previous summer transfer window, however, he chose to invest his hopes in Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott. The Gabon international has been in scintillating form this season and has already scored 24 goals this term.
- Arsenal are about to finalize a £7 million deal for Basel midfielder Mohamed Elneny and are awaiting a work permit for the player, ESPNFC reports.
The Egyptian has been linked with a move to the Emirates and is now really close to a move to the North-London club.
- Manchester United are looking to bring in a striker in the January transfer window, Sunday Express reports.
United manager Louis Van Gaal allowed Falcao, Robin Van Persie and Javier Hernandez to leave in the summer with James Wilson and Adnan Januzaj sent out on-loan. The goals have been hard to come for the 20-times English champions since and reportedly a striker’s arrival is on the card in the January transfer window. Mainz striker Yoshinori Muto and Fulham striker Moussa Dembele have been linked with a move to Old Trafford recently.
#4 Rest of Europe
- Galatasaray midfielder Kevin Grosskreutz has agreed to join the Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart, Bild reports.
The former Borussia Dortmund player was rumoured to be making a move to Liverpool in order to reunite with his former manager, Jurgen Klopp. However, reportedly the wide-man has almost completed his return to the Bundesliga and Liverpool will surely miss out on this particular player.
- Paris Saint-Germain are keeping tabs on Stoke City forward Marko Arnautovic, The Mirror reports.
The Austrian will supposedly cost the French giants something in excess of £7.5million, and a bid for the 26-year-old might be made as soon as this week or the next.
- Eintracht Frankfurt have signed defender Kaan Ayhan on a six-month loan deal from FC Schalke 04. Frankfurt will have the option to make the deal permanent in June.
“Of course it was difficult to leave Schalke,” said Ayhan.
“But the sporting situation made a move necessary. My aim is to play as much as possible at Frankfurt.”
