We have just passed the halfway mark of the January transfer window, but are Premier League clubs finally going to make it interesting? Let’s find out.
Despite spending a billion pounds since being taken over by Clearlake Capital, Chelsea still feel like they need a new striker, with Ivan Toney right at the top of their list of targets, but the England international has intimated he won’t be leaving Brentford just yet.
So, Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and co have turned their attention elsewhere, having submitted a transfer bid worth €85m to Sporting Club for Viktor Gyokeres, according to Portuguese outlet Record.
The Swede has caught the eye of many clubs after scoring 17 goals in all competitions since joining the Lions last summer, but that is a hell of a lot of money for a player who has only proven himself in the Primeira Liga and the Championship for Coventry City.
If the Blues were so desperate for a new forward, then surely that money would be better spent on a proven Premier League goal scorer? With this current iteration of Chelsea, nothing would surprise you, but it does appear the club are ready to go one transfer window without making an unnecessary gamble.
A number of football journalists on the Chelsea beat are reporting that there is no truth in this rumour, no bid has been made and they are not considering a move for Gyokeres. Have they finally learned?
Speaking of clubs with more money than sense, Manchester United are all over the rumour mill today.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe apparently wants to buy a Harry Kane-level striker once his investment in the club is ratified. Is Joshua Zirkzee that player? Sky Sports Germany claim the Red Devils are very much interested in the former Bayern Munich forward, who has scored seven league goals in 15 appearances for Bologna this season.
Sky in Germany are also reporting Man United’s interest in Ronald Araujo, although Barcelona are said to have slapped a £69m price tag on the Argentine defender. The 24-year-old is also said to not be interested in leaving the Nou Camp this month.
Perhaps a more realistic but no less expensive target for Ratcliffe is Crystal Palace star Michael Olise. ESPN claim United have discussed the possibility of signing the 22-year-old in a swap deal to send Aaron Wan-Bissaka the other way.
There is a curious line in that report, though. Mark Ogden reports that a move for Olise is “not universally supported” within the club because Wan-Bissaka and Wilfried Zaha failed to make the transition from Palace to Old Trafford. If Ratcliffe is to succeed as co-owner with control of football operations, he needs to ignore the laughably dumb opinions of some of his employees in the transfer department.
Elsewhere, several Premier League clubs will have been boosted by the news that Newcastle United are no longer pursuing Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips. According to the Telegraph, the Magpies are put off by the high loan fee required to sign him for the rest of the season.
Eddie Howe wasn’t the only one wanting to sign the 28-year-old, with Juventus heavily linked, while Sky Sports claim Crystal Palace, Everton and West Ham are also in the hunt.
Injury-ravaged Newcastle will need to find an alternative quickly; reports suggest Joelinton requires an operation and will miss the rest of the season. The squad is down to the bare bones, and they might regret not shelling out the money for Phillips if they miss out on Champions League qualification.
Lastly, Said Benrahma looks to be on his way out of West Ham this month. Foot Mercato claim that Olympique Marseille have made an offer for the Algerian, which is a loan deal with an option to make it permanent at the end of the season.
The Hammers are said to have turned down the offer, but the winger appears to be surplus to requirements for David Moyes regardless. Wolves and Brentford are also said to be in the mix, while Fulham have been previously linked.
Read – The most expensive January transfers of all time
See Also – A brilliant XI of the Premier League’s best ever January signings