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It’s still a work in progress for Manchester United to pick their next sporting director under Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The list of names remains the same as mentioned several times before including Paul Mitchell and people like that, but I think the name of Dan Ashworth is the strongest name and the most appreciated by INEOS.
Still, Newcastle remain convinced that Ashworth is focused their project. He is under contract there, so Newcastle keep playing down the rumours as they want to continue with him. I expect, however, that INEOS will continue to push for Ashworth in the next weeks because he is really the strongest candidate. Then we will see if they want to go for one candidate or try something similar to Chelsea recently, as they hired multiple directors, so let’s see what the structure will be at Manchester United.
Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho’s move to Borussia Dortmund is almost completed. On the player’s side it’s been done for ten days now because he wants to go, so it’s just about the final details between the clubs and the green light. It’s at the final stages and then it will be done.
In my view, this looks like a very good move. Sancho needs to feel loved and to play regularly, so it’s an excellent choice for Jadon. He can’t waste time, he wants and needs to play immediately so Dortmund is great solution to improve his situation. He’s still young and a talented player, so I’m sure he can get his career back on track.
I think a striker is a possibility for United this January, as they’ve spoken to several names. Timo Werner was one name, with United speaking to his agents but never directly to RB Leipzig. Serhou Guirassy has looked like another option, but it won’t happen now as he’s at AFCON, so let’s see what happens. It’s also important to see what will happen with Anthony Martial – at the moment they’ve received no offers, but keep an eye on him because if he and Sancho were both to leave this January it could give United a chance to sign a new striker.
The Radu Dragusin saga was a crazy story – things were very advanced for him to join Tottenham, everything was agreed, but then Bayern Munich also really tried to make the move happen. They had contacts on the player side, and then they presented a formal offer, and an important one, to Genoa.
For Spurs, they included Djed Spence as part of the deal, and some add-ons, but Bayern decided to go for a cash proposal of around €30m, and Genoa decided to accept both proposals. Tottenham decided to then change the structure of the proposal, and they eventually got the green light. It’s €25m with €5m in very easy add-ons, so it’s almost guaranteed €30m for Genoa, and Spence on loan to the Serie A club.
Conor Gallagher remains admired by Ange Postecoglou, the interest is there, but I’m not aware of any direct negotiations at the moment. It won’t be easy because Gallagher is an important player for Chelsea. The priority for Spurs this January, in any case, was a defender and an offensive player, and so Dragusin is coming, while Werner has been confirmed.
I think next for Tottenham they will try to complete some outgoings, like Eric Dier, let’s see what happens with him and Bayern. Bryan Gil could also be one to watch, so it could be an open situation in the next week, but Gallagher won’t be an easy signing because Chelsea will ask for a lot of money. I think the most realistic way for Tottenham to afford the deal would be to sell Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg or loan him out with an obligation to buy, and it’s not easy at this point.
Ian Maatsen is on his way to Borussia Dortmund, so Chelsea bringing in a new left-back could be one to keep open. They are taking their time at the moment because they do not believe there is any big opportunity on the market.
We’ve had many rumours about Jean-Clair Todibo in recent weeks, but I’m not aware of anything concrete there. And also for a left-back I don’t think it’s something easy or guaranteed. With Maatsen, they extended his contract for two more years, and it includes a release clause that Dortmund can trigger in the summer if they want to keep the player. So, there are plenty of possibilities being discussed internally, but at the moment it’s not something close.
Eddie Nketiah has interest from many clubs. Crystal Palace are there, but they’re not the only ones, though the complication is that it’s not easy for Arsenal at the moment to find a striker on the market for the long-term. We know how Arsenal work – two years ago with Dusan Vlahovic, they wanted a striker and he was on their list, but he decided to go to Juventus. Arsenal decided not to panic, they decided to wait and to go for a different strategy and to go for another striker in the summer. They want for the players they want, they are not going to do something they are not 100% convinced about.
At the moment, players like they like are either very expensive or not available on the market, like Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen. So I think it’s going to be difficult for Arsenal to find a striker, it’s not an easy market at the moment. I’m sure Arsenal will try for a new full-back this January, but for a striker it’s not easy, and that’s what would be required for them to give the green light for Nketiah to leave.
One name linked with Arsenal is Joshua Zirkzee, but I don’t have any update as Bologna are very clear: Joshua will not leave in January, they guarantee. His former club Bayern Munich will not decide on the buy-back clause now, that’s all a discussion for June, not this January.
One final point on Arsenal, as some fans have been asking me about Mikel Arteta having just 18 months left on his contract – at the moment Arsenal’s priority is to focus on the January window and getting better results on the pitch as soon as possible. There is no news on Arteta, but they’re not in a rush, they are very happy together. Arteta loves Arsenal and the club is very happy with him, so there’s no rush, all parties are relaxed.
There’s been a slightly crazy situation with the war of words between Victor Osimhen and the agent of his Napoli teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. It’s not Osimhen’s fault – we had many stories about him in recent months, but to see the agent of an important teammate talking in public about a potential move to Saudi in the summer was something really surprising.
Osimhen had to react, and he made a really strong statement. I think it’s quite a tense situation around Napoli at the moment, but it’s not Osimhen’s fault, it’s really surprising to see the agent of another player mentioning what’s going to happen with a teammate.
I don’t think it changes the situation of Osimhen in a big way – I don’t see him leaving this January, but it remains a possibility for the summer because there is a release clause there. If he does move, though, I’m not sure it will be Saudi – it’s a possibility, because they wanted him last summer and Al Hilal made an important proposal, but we can’t guarantee that that’s where he’ll go and I think that’s why Osimhen wanted to protect himself from that story.
Paulo Dybala – Despite rumours about Chelsea, I see Dybala staying at Roma as things stand. I have no updates, there’s nothing happening as of now and his release clause will expire in four days…so, it looks difficult and unlikely. I think Chelsea need a striker more than a top quality all-round attacking player like Dybala.
Ronald Araujo – Bayern like Araujo, we said that months ago, Tuchel loves him but there’s nothing in terms of talks so far as he’s only focused on Barcelona. At the moment, it’s all quiet on this – the appreciation remains, but I’m not convinced by reports of Bayern being ready to pay €100m for him.
Joel Matip – Despite talk of a possible move to Al Ettifaq, Joel Matip won’t leave Liverpool now. In the summer it could be different and interest from Saudi can attract him. I also don’t see Joe Gomez leaving, he’s staying.
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