This January transfer window has been a slow burn, but Premier League clubs may become more open to completing deals as deadline day comes closer into view.
Interest in Emile Smith Rowe has been growing this month for a player who seems ripe for a loan move. The 23-year-old has only started twice in all competitions this season, despite being a promising, young(-ish) talent.
Aston Villa, Newcastle United and West Ham are among the Premier League teams who would like to sign Smith Rowe, according to the Mail. However, Football.London claim he is “unlikely” to join the Hammers – and, by extensions, the two other clubs – on loan, although they do add the Gunners are “willing to entertain an offer at the right price”.
Mikel Arteta says he’s “really happy” with Smith Rowe and may not want to weaken his depth chart as they head into the second half of the campaign. “He’s in the right trajectory. Now, he’s settled, he’s training really well and you know I’m not going to talk about individual situations,” he said ahead of the Crystal Palace game.
Aside from wanting Smith Rowe on loan, West Ham are also in the mix for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips. The Guardian report that they have “opened talks” with the Premier League champions over a potential deal.
Staying in London, Tottenham Hotspur are “in talks” with Club Brugge for Antonio Nusa, according to The Athletic. The Belgian outfit want €30million (£27.7m) for the 18-year-old winger and a guarantee he will remain at the club for the remainder of the campaign.
Newcastle’s belt is firmly tightened this month as they try to avoid exceeding the Financial Fair PLay limits, but they are most definitely in the market for a midfielder. They are light on bodies at the moment, especially after Joelinton was ruled out for the rest of the season with an injury. Talks over a new contract have reportedly “broken down”, with the Brazilian’s current deal set to expire next summer.
The Magpies are believed to have ended their interest in Kalvin Phillips and have moved onto Everton’s Amadou Onana, per The Telegraph. The Belgian has also been linked with Arsenal.
Newcastle do have an alternative in mind if they can’t convince the Toffees to part ways with their star midfielder in the form of Atalanta’s Ederson, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. The Brazilian is also on the radar of Liverpool.
Eddie Howe could be on the verge of losing one of his key players as Kieran Trippier has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich, where he could reunite with former Spurs teammates Harry Kane and Eric Dier.
Speaking of Bayern, they are among a trio of clubs who are all monitoring Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz. The Bundesliga champions, Real Madrid and Man City have been linked with the 20-year-old German midfielder, who is said to be valued at more than £100m.
Mason Holgate was set to join Sheffield United on a half-season loan, but the Independent say the deal has fallen through after Everton demanded a higher fee for the defender. The 27-year-old is currently on loan at Southampton.
Lastly, Chelsea are set to recall midfielder Cesare Casadei from his loan at Leicester City, according to The Telegraph’s Matt Law. The 21-year-old Italian youth international will take up a place in Mauricio Pochettino’s 25-man squad, which could mean the Blues are not going to dip into the transfer market for a new midfielder or it could signal the imminent departure of Conor Gallagher, who has been linked with a move away this month.
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