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LIVE Transfer Talk: Arsenal edge closer to loan deal for Juventus' Arthur

The 2022 January transfer window is open (find out when it closes here), and there's plenty of gossip swirling about who's moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: Arthur moves closer to Arsenal loan

Arsenal are continuing to push for a deal that will bring Juventus midfielder Arthur to the Emirates on loan, and Goal reports that his agent Federico Pastorello was seen at the Gunners' London Colney training ground on Wednesday.

Mikel Arteta's side are keen to bring the Brazil international to London for the remainder of the season, but Juve are reluctant to give them the green light on the deal before they have found a replacement.

Arsenal's technical director Edu reportedly held face-to-face talks with Pastorello and he's eager to get the deal wrapped up as quickly as possible.

Arteta wants to bolster his midfield options following Ainsley Maitland-Niles' move to AS Roma, and he's hoping Edu can keep the protracted negotiations pushing forward.

Arthur, 25, is said to be open to moving to the Premier League. The Brazilian has found his opportunities at Juve limited this season, but the Italian giants still consider him a key part of Massimiliano Allegri's squad. He started -- and starred -- for Juve in their 4-1 win against Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia on Tuesday night.

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LIVE BLOG

21.57 GMT: NWSL outfit NY/NJ Gotham FC have announced that they've signed USWNT forward Midge Purce to a new contract that will keep her in the New York metropolitan area through the 2023 season. The 26-year-old scored nine goals in her 18 appearances for Gotham, placing her second in the league's Golden Boot race in 2021.

21.39 GMT: Ansgar Knauff has joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan from Borussia Dortmund, the clubs announced on Thursday. The 20-year-old winger will call the Deutsche Bank Park home for the next 18 months, having played just 109 minutes over five Bundesliga matches for Dortmund this season

21.22 GMT: The Portland Timbers have announced that 35-year-old midfielder and club legend Diego Valeri has been transferred to Argentine outfit Lanus, where the thrice-capped Argentina international spent 10 years before moving to Portland in 2013. As part of the transfer, the two clubs will play a testimonial to honour Valeri, in which the Timbers' No. 8 will play a half for each team, in 2023.

21.06 GMT: According to Ekrem Konur, Aston Villa's search for a centre-back has taken them to Liverpool's Nathaniel Phillips, Rangers' Connor Goldson and Burnley's James Tarkowski. Steven Gerrard has been looking to make his mark at Villa Park in the transfer market, having already brought Philippe Coutinho in on loan from Barcelona, signed Lucas Digne from Everton and secured the loan of Robin Olsen from AS Roma.

20.49 GMT: Arsenal have submitted an offer to the New England Revolution for goalkeeper Matt Turner, sources confirmed to ESPN's Jeff Carlisle and James Olley. A source with knowledge of the discussions added that the proposed transfer fee is comparable to the $7.5m transfer fee Manchester City paid the Columbus Crew for Zack Steffen in 2019, a deal that potentially reached $10m with add-ons. Read the full story.

20.33 GMT: Valencia are trying to convince AS Roma midfielder Amadou Diawara that he should join them in LaLiga, according to Nicolo Schira. The 24-year-old is part of the Guinea squad that has progressed from Africa Cup of Nations Group B, but Roma have already given permission to him to leave the club either permanently or on loan.

20.00 GMT: Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Leicester City, Southampton and Brentford are all interested in signing Hull City winger Keane Potter-Lewis, according to the Sun. Hull turned down an offer of £8m from the Bees during the summer, with Potter-Lewis going on to score five goals and a further four assists in the Championship so far this term.

19.42 GMT: Wolverhampton Wanderers have rejected a £15m bid from Tottenham Hotspur for 25-year-old winger Adama Traore, according to the Telegraph. Spurs boss Antonio Conte envisions the Spain international thriving in north London as a wing-back, but the club are still some way off the £20m transfer fee Wolves are demanding to sanction Traore's exit.

19.26 GMT: Inter Miami CF have announced the signing of Ecuador international Leonardo Campana on loan from from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with an option to make the move permanent. The 21-year-old forward never featured for Wolves in his two years with the club, having left on two different loan spells with Famalicao in Portugal's Primeira Liga and in Switzerland with Grasshopper Club Zurich.

18.51 GMT: Liverpool are working on a deal to sign Fulham attacker Fabio Carvalho after getting the green light from chief scout Barry Hunter, according to Football Insider. The 19-year-old England youth international's contract expires in the summer, and the Reds are eager to get ahead of the competition hoping to sign Carvalho on a free transfer, from the likes of West Ham United, Leeds United and Southampton.

18.31 GMT: MLSsoccer.com's Tom Bogert reports that D.C. United and FC Dallas have agreed in principle to a trade that will send United States winger Paul Arriola to the Texan team in a "record-breaking" deal worth $2m in General Allocation Money. The 26-year-old has spent four-plus years in the American capital, recording 16 goals and 20 assists in 89 appearances, after a glittering career in Liga MX with Tijuana.

18.15 GMT: Napoli are looking towards Empoli for their summer business as they aim to build for the future, according to Calciomercato. The Neapolitans have moved ahead of Lazio in the race for left-back Fabiano Parisi, who could command a transfer fee of around €7m; they're also interested in attacking midfielder Nedim Bajrami, who could arrive in a deal worth at least €10m; as well as Italy U21 midfielder Samuele Ricci.

17.38 GMT: Paris Saint-Germain are interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele on loan for the rest of the season, reports the Athletic. The Frenchman hasn't made Spurs' past two matchday squads, but having brought Ndombele to north London in 2019, Mauricio Pochettino is moving to help turn the 25-year-old's career around, feeling that more quality is needed in midfield with Georginio Wijnaldum struggling at the Parc des Princes.

17.00 GMT: Arsenal have put in a strong offer for New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner, according to ESPN's Taylor Twellman. The 27-year-old made 13 appearances for the United States in 2021, and backstopped the Revs to win their first ever Supporters' Shield while winning MLS' Goalkeeper of the Year award.

16.21 GMT: Robert Lewandowski's contract at Bayern ends in 2023 and the club have a decision to make.

15.51 GMT: Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson appears happy to stay at the club now, according to the Daily Mirror.

Henderson, 24, is second choice behind David de Gea and hasn't been given the game time he would want.

The England international could miss out on the 2022 World Cup squad as a result, but right now he's willing to stay and be patient.

15.30 GMT: What's next for Erling Haaland? After a weekend in which the 21-year-old Borussia Dortmund striker told Viaplay that he felt pressured by his club to "make a decision soon" over his future, there is every chance that one of the best players in the world will be on the move in the coming months.

The Norway international is one of the most sought-after players in world football after scoring 79 goals in 78 appearances since moving to Dortmund from FC Salzburg for €20m in 2019.

Every top club in Europe wants to sign him and, with a reported release clause of €75m set to come into effect in 2022, clubs are circling to agree a deal with his agent, Mino Raiola, and father, Alf-Inge. So what are his possible destinations?

Something that might ultimately influence his future decision is the idols he had growing up. "He was born a striker, and always adored players who scored lots of goals, but two in particular: Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo," his father Alf-Inge told Tuttosport in 2020. "He also had a weakness for Mario Balotelli at Manchester City. He's never satisfied and trains constantly, because he wants to become the best. He's super focused and lives for football."

So, with that in mind, we had a host of ESPN writers break down Haaland's transfer options on a club-by-club basis.

15.04 GMT: Barcelona have been warned over their potentially illegal treatment of forward Ousmane Dembele by the Professional Footballers Association (AFE) in Spain.

Barca announced on Thursday that Dembele must leave the club before the end of the month after failing to agree a new contract at Camp Nou, with just six months to run on his deal.

Director of football Mateu Alemany said the Catalan club do not want players "who are not committed," with coach Xavi Hernandez dropping him from the squad for Thursday's Copa del Rey tie at Athletic Bilbao.

However, the AFE have advised Barca they could be breaking the law by cutting Dembele out of their plans and treating him differently to the rest of their players simply because he does not want to sign a new contract.

14.35 GMT: PSG's Kylian Mbappe could sign a short-term contract, or he could depart on a free transfer in the summer.

14.11 GMT: Juventus and Ajax are close to reaching agreement over a loan for midfielder Mohamed Ihattaren, says Goal.

Ihattaren, 19, moved to Juve from PSV in August and was loaned to Sampdoria -- though he had issues at the club and did not make an appearance.

Now the Netherlands U19 international is looking to reset his career back in his homeland.

13.50 GMT: FC Salzburg striker Benjamin Sesko is on the radar of Tottenham, says Sport Italia.

Sesko, 18, is the latest star to emerge from Salzburg and has seven goals and six assists in 24 matches in all competitions this season.

The Slovenia international, who stands 6-foot-4, could be signed from the Austrian champions for around €15m and is a player of huge potential.

13.16 GMT: La Repubblica claims Chelsea, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are on the trail of Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt.

De Ligt, 22, has grown unhappy with life in Turin but had previously been valued at his release clause of €150m.

Now, however, the Netherlands international could reportedly depart for €65m. And, at that price, a whole host of clubs will be interested in signing him.

13.03 GMT: FIFA has announced a change to the way clubs will be allowed to do loan deals.

Clubs will now be limited to a maximum of eight international loan signings in, and eight loaned out. It will drop to seven ahead of the 2023-24 season and six onwards from 2024-25. But the rules won't apply to players aged 21 and younger, or "vlub-trained" players.

There will also be a cap of three players on loan to the same club at any given time.

FIFA says the objective is to "develop young players, promote competitive balance and prevent hoarding."

12.31 GMT: LAFC is on the cusp of acquiring Canada international goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau from the Vancouver Whitecaps in exchange for around $1m in allocation money, a source has confirmed to ESPN's Jeff Carlisle.

The Washington Post was the first to report the news of the pending deal, while MLSSoccer.com reported the amount of assets likely headed to Vancouver.

Crepeau, 27, has been a mainstay for most of the three seasons he's spent with the Whitecaps, amassing 63 league and cup appearances. In 2021, he helped lead Vancouver to the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time since 2017.

11.55 GMT: The father of 15-year-old wonderkid Endrick has revealed that his son would like to sign a professional contract with Palmeiras, despite the rumours linking him with a number of European clubs including Real Madrid and Man City.

Endrick's dad admits that Flamengo are interested in his son and he is also aware about the reports linking him with Barcelona but he wants his son to continue in his current club.

"Today it wouldn't be worthy for my wife, my son, to turn their backs on Palmeiras and play Judas," he said. "Our intention is to stay at Palmeiras, sign a contract with Palmeiras. He wants to win titles, he wants to make history at the club."

11.26 GMT: Boca Juniors are in negotiations to sign midfielder Pol Fernandez from Cruz Azul before the end of the window, according to ESPN Argentina.

Having already signed Dario Benedetto and Nicolas, the Argentine giants want to complete their January overhaul with Fernandez.

ESPN Argentina reports that Boca already have an agreement with the player but still need to convince Cruz Azul to complete the deal. 

11.00 GMT: Is Cristiano Ronaldo happy at Man United?

10.41 GMT: Valencia are interested in taking defender Oscar Mingueza on loan from Barcelona this month, sources have confirmed to ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.

A source close to the negotiations says talks are at an early stage and the two clubs still need to agree on the finer details of the deal, such as how much of the player's salary Valencia will cover and whether the loan will include an option to sign him permanently.

Mingueza, 22, was handed his Barca debut by Ronald Koeman in 2020 and made 39 appearances last season. However, he has struggled to hold down a first-team spot under new coach Xavi Hernandez and is open to joining Valencia in search of regular football.

His departure could have a knock-on effect for Sergino Dest. ESPN have revealed that Barca are open to offers for the United States international, who wants to fight for his place at Camp Nou, but they may be reluctant to lose the right-back this month if Mingueza, who plays the same position, also leaves.

10.17 GMT: Ajax full-back Nicolas Tagliafico will cost any interested clubs around €7m, says TyC Sports.

Tagliafico, 29, has caught the eye of Barcelona and Chelsea as they struggle with depth in the full-back area.

The Argentina international left-back is a relatively cheap option in January, but Ajax have reportedly named the price they would want to let him go.

09.55 GMT: Arsenal defender Pablo Mari has joined Udinese on loan for the rest of the season.

09.52 GMT: Barcelona have told Ousmane Dembele they want him out of the club this month after failing to reach an agreement to extend his contract beyond the end of the season.

Dembele, 24, was left out of the squad for Thursday's trip to Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey and director of football Mateu Alemany has confirmed his absence is related to the standoff over his contract situation.

Alemany said that coach Xavi Hernandez only wants players who are committed to Barca and that the club fully support his decision to push Dembele out the door.

"There have been negotiations with Ousmane and his agent since July more or less," Alemany said. "During that time, Barca have made several different offers, looking for a way for him to stay with us.

"These offers have been rejected by his agents. It's clear the player does not want to stay at Barca and is not committed to the club. Therefore, in this scenario, we have told him and his agents that they should leave immediately because we want players that are committed to this project. Not being in the squad is a consequence of all of that. We don't want players that don't want to be here. Obviously, the coach has had the final say on this, but he has the club's full support."

Dembele's current terms expire in the summer and he has been free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with other clubs since the start of January. Sources tell ESPN that Barca would be willing to let him leave for "next to nothing" this month to get him off the wage bill and make room for new signings.

09.35 GMT: Real Madrid have turned down the chance to sign Borussia Monchengladbach's Matthias Ginter, says Defensa Central.

Ginter, 28, has rejected a new contract, with his terms expiring in 2022, and has been dropped from the first team as a result.

Gladbach are keen to get a transfer fee for the Germany international and have offered him to a number of clubs, with Real Madrid linked. However the LaLiga leaders are not interested in signing him this month, even if it's a cut-price deal.

08.46 GMT: Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick remains reluctant to let Jesse Lingard leave in the January transfer window despite interest from Newcastle, sources have told ESPN.

Tottenham and West Ham have both had approaches rejected this month because United do not want to strengthen clubs competing for a place in the top four.

Newcastle, 19th in the table and battling relegation, represent a safer option if United agree to let Lingard move but sources have told ESPN that Rangnick is keen to keep the 29-year-old until the end of the season.

Sources have told ESPN that the German's main concern is that another COVID-19 outbreak at the club could further de-rail the campaign while they remain in three competitions.

Lingard is out of contract at Old Trafford in the summer and has so far rejected the offer of a new deal. His priority is to find regular first team football after being restricted to just two starts this season.

08.33 GMT: Sporting Lisbon winger Pablo Sarabia saying he is enjoying the present and not thinking about the future.

Sarabia, who is under contract with PSG until June 2024, joined Sporting on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain in August and has been a big hit in Lisbon. The Spain international has scored seven goals and set up six more in 24 appearances in all competitions for Sporting.

His impact has been such that Sporting fans have started a petition to keep Sarabia at the club beyond this summer.

"I feel very much loved here," Sarabia said. "I'm very grateful because I've been here for four months and to feel loved like tthis is very beautiful. I think it's one of the most beautiful things in football."

Asked about his future, he said: "I don't know. Life changes when you least expect it. In football is difficult to talk about the future. The only thing I know is that I have two years left in my contract with PSG. I just live the moment."

Sarabia added that he doesn't believe joining Sporting was a step back in his career, saying: "I wanted to find a solution because I think I'm in a very good time, perhaps the best of my career, and I wanted to show myself to the world and enjoy football. In the end, with the crisis caused by COVID-19, it is not easy. When I got the offer to come here, my entourage and I decided that it was the best for me as a footballer and as a person."

08.00 GMT: Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said Ousmane Dembele is free to leave the club this month if he doesn't renew his contract at Camp Nou.

Dembele, 24, is into the final six months of his deal with Barca and sources at the club have told ESPN they believe it would take a "miracle" for the France forward to commit to new terms now.

"The situation with Ousmane is difficult," Xavi said in a news conference on Wednesday. "The club have decided that if he doesn't renew, we will have to look for a solution.

"[Director of football] Mateu Alemany has been in talks with the player and his agent for five months. It's been too long now. Either he renews or we look for a solution."

Dembele's representative Moussa Sissoko said on Tuesday Barca had threatened to send Dembele to the stands for the final six months of his contract if he refused to sign an extension.

Xavi, who had to ask journalists to limit their questions on Dembele, said sending Demebele to the stands is not a solution.

"That is not something that I am contemplating," he added. "Either he renews or we look for an exit. It is one thing or the other."

PAPER GOSSIP (by Nick Judd)

- After rumours surfaced on Wednesday that Barcelona were keen to sign Gavi to a new contract to fend off interest from Liverpool and Manchester City, it now appears that Chelsea are also keen, according to El Nacional. Chelsea have already sounded out the Blaugrana over duo Frenkie de Jong and Sergino Dest, but they're now said to be "very serious" about 17-year-old Gavi. The midfielder currently has a low release clause in his contract and so would cost in the region of €50m, and the Blues would be able to offer him a huge increase on his current salary.

- Real Madrid have joined Liverpool in the race to sign Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, according to El Nacional. Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti is said to be a big fan of the 26-year-old England international and sees him as the perfect replacement for Casemiro. Phillips has been in excellent form for Marcelo Bielsa's side this season, which reportedly has prompted Liverpool to prepare a £33.4m bid. Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich have also been linked. 

- Barcelona's Brazilian scout Jose Manuel Barla is keeping tabs on Palmeiras' 15-year-old striker Endrick, according to Sport. The youngster is playing in the Copa Sao Paulo Juniores, the most important youth cup competition in Brazil, and it's the third game in a row in which the Blaugrana have watched the starlet in action. Endrick has been compared to both Romario and Ronaldo in Brazil, though he is yet to play 90 minutes for Palmeiras since he recently recovered from COVID.

- Paul Pogba has told Ralf Rangnick that he wants to see out the end of his Manchester United contract before joining Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer, according to Marca. Pogba's existing deal is up at the end of the season and the France World Cup winner is believed to have told club representatives that he sees his future away from Old Trafford. Rangnick has said that he believes Pogba still has a lot to offer United.

- Bayern Munich's key decision makers believe that Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria is the ideal candidate to refresh their midfield options in the summer, according to Florian Plettenberg. Zakaria is available on a free transfer at the end of the season and, with Bayern's midfield compromised by injury and players considering their futures, they feel a move in January could help them steal a march on rival clubs.

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