The 2022 January transfer window is closed, but there's still 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: Roma eye Dest with Barca ready to move on
AS Roma are interested in signing Barcelona full-back Sergino Dest, reports Calciomercato.
The Blaugrana are still reportedly ready to let the United States international go in the summer, despite boss Xavi Hernandez praising the right-back's "spectacularly good" performance against Valencia on Sunday.
The LaLiga club want €18 million for his signature, having signed him for €21m from Ajax Amsterdam back in 2020. Dest has made 16 league appearances so far this season, starting 14 of those in the earlier portion of the campaign under Ronald Koeman.
The full-back could play a key role for the USMNT in their attempt to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in its final round of CONCACAF qualifiers in March. He played in a disappointing 2-0 loss to Canada in January, but the Americans are still on course to finish in the top three and take part in the world's biggest tournament.
Roma's potential move for the U.S. international could spell bad news for loanee Ainsley Maitland-Niles, though, who is at the club on loan from Arsenal. The 24-year-old can play at both right-back and in midfield, currently starting at right-wing-back in his opening few games under Jose Mourinho. That could be the position that Dest fills, should he make the switch.
- ESPN+ guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more (U.S.)
- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- Don't have ESPN? Get instant access
LIVE BLOG
22.00 GMT: AC Milan are looking to make a move for Lille midfielder Renato Sanches in the summer, according to Calciomercato. The 24-year-old is contracted to the Ligue 1 club until 2023, but has already turned down fresh terms and expressed his desire to leave the club, clearing the way for the Rossoneri to negotiate a move for the Portugal international, with a transfer fee of €20m mooted.
21.27 GMT: Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo has stalled discussions over a new contract with the club, reports Mundo Deportivo. The Blaugrana made it a priority to offer the 22-year-old a new deal, given his current one expires in the summer, but the player's representatives reportedly have been listening to potential offers from the Premier League.
20.54 GMT: AC Milan have made a contract offer to striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, reports TuttomercatoWEB. The 40-year-old is set to be a free agent in the summer, and the Rossoneri have offered the Swede another year at San Siro, albeit on reduced wages, owing to the injury-hit season Ibrahimovic has endured in 2021-22.
20.37 GMT: "This is going to be the last year of Carlos Vela in Los Angeles," TUDN's Michele Giannone said on Tuesday on the MLS Today Show. Giannone stated that regardless of what happens this season, Vela "wants to come back to Europe." The 32-year-old has been with LAFC since 2018 but had previously spent most of his career abroad with clubs like Real Sociedad and Arsenal.
20.21 GMT: Manchester United are set to extend the contract of goalkeeper David De Gea, writes Ekrem Konur. The 31-year-old Spain No. 1 has recaptured some of his best form in a United shirt this season, and the Red Devils want to prolong his stay at Old Trafford from 2023 to 2025.
19.48 GMT: AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli is pushing to sign winger Junior Messias on a permanent basis once his loan deal with the Rossoneri ends, writes Rudy Galetti. The 30-year-old is at the San Siro on a temporary basis from Crotone, and Milan are said to want to reduce the transfer fee set in the option clause to make his signing permanent.
19.15 GMT: Lyon and Newcastle United are set to battle it out for Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette at the end of the season, writes Ekrem Konur. The 30-year-old is set to be a free agent in the summer, leaving both sides free to negotiate a free transfer having been unable to orchestrate his signing in January.
18.42 GMT: Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos is eyeing a return to Real Betis next season if Carlo Ancelotti remains los Blancos coach, according to Cadena SER. The 25-year-old spent six years with the Seville club before moving to the Spanish capital, but the Spain international has made just three appearances in LaLiga this term and is in search of greater first-team opportunities.
18.09 GMT: Fiorentina are hoping to make the loan signing of full-back Alvaro Odriozola permanent, according to Nicolo Schira. The 26-year-old has made 20 Serie A appearances this season while on loan from Real Madrid, and while los Blancos haven't made a decision on the future of the Spain international, a meeting between the clubs is scheduled for May.
17.36 GMT: Ajax winger Antony has been linked with a move away from the club in the summer, and in an interview with De Telegraaf, the 21-year-old Brazil international said that he finds the Premier League and LaLiga "beautiful" and hopes to play there "when the time is right."
17.03 GMT: A number of top Premier League clubs are monitoring a move for Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma, reports Fabrizio Romano. The 25-year-old Netherlands international has impressed for the LaLiga club since joining from Bournemouth last summer, scoring 12 goals in 21 appearances across all competitions, and his contract with the Yellow Submarine has a release clause valid this summer set at €75m.
16.30 GMT: Ajax midfielder Ryan Gravenberch says he would never leave the Dutch club on a free transfer.
Gravenberch, 19, is considered one of the top young players in Europe and has a contract which expires in 2023. Barcelona, Bayern and Man City have shown an interest in signing the Netherlands international, but he isn't in a rush to make a decision.
"It [his future] is with my agent and my father," he told Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant. "I don't know if I'll be leaving next summer. What I do know is that I will not leave if Ajax does not earn anything from me. I've played here all my childhood. Ajax has always been good to me. I owe a lot to the club. Then I can't afford to leave on a free transfer. That will not happen.
"On the other hand, it's not bad to step out of your comfort zone. A different competition, a different [type of] football, a different life, different people around you. But that could also be done at 22, for example."
15.47 GMT: Brazil forward Neymar expressed an interest in playing in Major League Soccer in the future, or was he joking about his "three months' vacation?"
15.20 GMT: LaLiga president Javier Tebas has said he would like to see Barcelona sign Erling Haaland and Real Madrid to land Kylian Mbappe this summer for the good of the competition.
Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland has been linked with a €75m move at the end of the season with Barca and Madrid among the top clubs interested in him.
Mbappe is also a long-term target of Madrid and the forward, who has not signed a new deal with Paris Saint-Germain, is set to become a free agent in July.
"I prefer Haaland at Barca and Mbappe at Madrid," Tebas, a Madrid fan, told ABC in an interview. "I want us to have that luck that we had in the past when we had two great players, [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo, that were in the two best teams in the world. There I'm more of a LaLiga fan than a Madridista [Madrid fan]."
Both Messi and Ronaldo have left LaLiga in the last four years. Messi left Barcelona as a free agent for PSG in September, while Ronaldo moved to Juventus in 2018 in a €100m transfer from Madrid.
14.58 GMT: Atlanta United has signed free agent Dom Dwyer through the end of the 2023 season with two club option years.
Dwyer, 31, has made over 200 career appearances after playing with Toronto FC, Orlando City SC and Sporting KC.
"Dom is a veteran striker who knows what it takes to win in this league," Atlanta United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said. "He has fit into the group well in the time he has spent with us and will be an addition to our attacking group."
Dwyer has been in MLS since 2012 when he made his debut for Sporting KC and has played four times for the United States men's national team.
14.35 GMT: Brazilian side Botafogo have entered the race to sign Man United striker Edinson Cavani, says ESPN Brasil.
Cavani, 35, is contracted at United until the end of the 2021-22 campaign but has made only 11 appearances this season following the summer arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Uruguay international was close to a move to Argentine giants Boca Juniors in April last year, but couldn't agree terms.
Meanwhile, Botafogo's new owner, U.S. technology entrepreneur John Textor. has denied making an approach to sign Atletico Madrid's 35-year-old striker Luis Suarez.
- Vickery: Will U.S. owner John Textor's 'Botafogo Way' produce the Bayern Munich of Brazilian football?
13.28 GMT: Crystal Palace midfielder Michael Olise has Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Lille and Bayern Munich on his trail, according to The Sun.
Olise, 20, signed from Reading for £8.3m in July 2021 and has impressed at Palace since making the move.
The midfielder is ready to make the step up and is evidently on the radar of a number of clubs at home and abroad.
13.11 GMT: Marcelo Brozovic is on the verge of signing a new contract with Inter Milan, according to club administrator Giuseppe Marotta.
Brozovic, 29, has a deal which expires this summer, but is now expected to put pen to paper on a deal through June 2026 worth a reported €6m-per-season.
A reported target of Barcelona, the Croatia midfielder has made 33 appearances in all competitions this season and is considered a key player for coach Simone Inzaghi.
"We are aware that both the club and the player want to continue together," Marotta said. "This is a fact. It means that, within a few days, we will reach a signature that will ratify his contract renewal."
12.28 GMT: Tottenham Hotspur are expected to try and fend off interest in Harry Kane by opening fresh contract talks at the end of the season, sources have told ESPN's James Olley.
Kane pushed to leave Spurs last summer after becoming frustrated at the club's failure to win silverware -- Tottenham's last trophy remains the 2008 League Cup -- but despite Manchester City, among others, expressing a desire to sign the England captain, no club was willing to meet the £150m asking price.
City are continuing to monitor Kane's situation and will be in the market for a forward this summer but could turn their attention to Erling Haaland with Borussia Dortmund expected to allow the Norway international to leave.
Tottenham's progress under new head coach Antonio Conte will be significant factor in determining Kane's willingness to commit himself further. Last weekend's 3-2 win at Manchester City breathed fresh life into their hopes of a top-four finish, Spurs are eighth in the table and seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester United but with three games in hand.
Champions League qualification would ensure Kane could play in Europe's top tier competition once again and sources claim he has been impressed by Conte's determination to aggressively overhaul the Spurs squad in a bid to turn them into title challengers.
However, Champions League qualification alone may not be enough to convince Kane he can be most successful at Spurs given he turns 29 in July and is desperate to add trophies to a career in which he has scored 173 Premier League goals in 268 games and 48 goals for England in 67 appearances.
The striker's £200,000-a-week contract expires in 2024. Sources have told ESPN that Spurs are keen to protect their star player by agreeing fresh terms but it is unclear at this stage whether Kane will be willing to negotiate or push for a move instead.
12.00 GMT: Sergio Aguero may have had to retire from his playing career due to a heart defect, but he has options.
11.27 GMT: Barcelona have a plan B should they fail to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland for €75m this summer, says Sport.
If Barca can't land Haaland when his release comes into effect, they would attempt to sign €80m-rated defender Jules Kounde from Sevilla and still strengthen their attack with the arrival of Real Sociedad striker Aleksandar Isak.
Both players fit the profile of Barca coach Xavi Hernandez because of their youth and style of play. Sweden international Isak, 22, a target of Barca in previous transfer windows, has a contract with the Basque outfit until June 2026, though his release clause is around €90m and Barca are still struggling with over €1 billion of debt.
Kounde, 23, has been a reported target of Chelsea in the last two transfer windows.
10.58 GMT: Real Madrid will sit down with Marco Asensio this summer to discuss a contract extension, Diario AS reports, with the forward's current deal due to expire in 2023.
Asensio, 26, has emerged as an important player for Madrid in recent weeks, scoring crucial goals against Granada and Alaves in LaLiga.
According to the newspaper, Madrid's plans for Asensio have changed radically over the last year, with the club considering sending him on loan last summer before the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti as coach.
Now, Madrid are "strategically obliged" to renew Asensio's contract this summer, AS reports, and he would remain a part of the club's plans even if they add Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to their forward line.
10.15 GMT: Inter Milan are monitoring Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus as a potential replacement for Lautaro Martinez, Calciomercato reports.
Martinez, 24, has not scored in any of his past eight games for Inter, who are on a run of three games without a win after Sunday's 2-0 loss at home to Sassuolo. Nevertheless, the Argentina international is still the subject of interest from clubs in the Premier League and LaLiga.
Inter are reportedly preparing for his departure in the summer, and Brazil international Jesus is one of the players they would consider moving for if required.
09.28 GMT: Alvaro Morata has no regrets about staying at Juventus despite being linked with Barcelona during the winter transfer window.
The Spain international is on loan at Juve from Atletico Madrid. Morata considered leaving Juve in January after the Turin giants signed Dusan Vlahovic in a €75m transfer from Fiorentina last month.
"I spoke to the coach when the transfer window concluded, I spoke about the team and what ideas he had," Morata said. "He told me that Vlahovic's arrival would help me and that has been the case.
"I'm very happy to be here and if it was up to me, I would stay here forever. I've always had the confidence of [Juve coach] Massimiliano Allegri. He is the first one that demands a lot from me because he knows me. He told me that I had to stay and that he had confidence in me."
Morata has been a regular starter for Allegri and has scored five goals and set up four more in 25 league appearances for the Bianconeri.
08.43 GMT: David de Gea says he doesn't envision playing for any other club other than Manchester United in a strong statement about the goalkeeper's future.
De Gea, 31, has a contract at Old Trafford until 2023, with United holding an option to extend that deal by another year.
The Spain international has been at United since 2011 and, while he nearly joined Real Madrid in 2015, he said ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with former club Atletico Madrid that he does not want to leave.
"I like the fact I was born in Madrid, but at the end of the day, it's just a city," he said. "Now I feel as if I'm from Manchester; I just feel like anyone else from Manchester. Where you are loved and welcomed is your home. I've been here for many years and, obviously, anything can happen in life, in the world of football, but honestly I don't see myself away from Manchester United."
08.00 GMT: Brazil forward Neymar has expressed his interest in playing in Major League Soccer in the future.
Neymar is under contract with Paris Saint-Germain until June 2025 but is already thinking about his future.
Asked if he would like to retire in Brazil, Neymar, 30, said on a podcast: "I don't know. I have some doubts about that. I don't know if I'll play in Brazil again.
"I'd love to play in the U.S., actually. I'd love to play there at least for a season."
When asked why, the former Barcelona star said: "First of all, their season is shorter, so I'd get three months' vacation" and then he said laughing that would mean "I'd play many more years."
Julien Laurens feels Sergio Aguero can be a positive influence on Argentina if he joins the staff for the World Cup.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Luke Thrower)
- Chelsea have begun talks to extend the contract of midfielder N'Golo Kante, reports Ekrem Konur. The 30-year-old's deal at Stamford Bridge expires in 18 months, with the Blues keen to keep the France international at the club. The report also claims a number of teams are eyeing a potential move for the midfielder if he ultimately decides to leave Chelsea.
- Serie A side Atalanta are interested in a move for Torino striker Andrea Belotti in the summer, according to Nicolo Schira. The Italy international is set to leave Turin at the end of the season and become a free agent. The 28-year-old, who scored in his side's 1-1 draw with Juventus in their local derby, currently captains Torino, but has struggled to play this season due to injury.
- Chelsea are considering a potential transfer for Wolves defender Max Kilman in the summer, reports TalkSPORT. The 24-year-old, a boyhood Blues fan, has started every game at centre-back for his side this season. His performances have impressed, prompting Chelsea to make a potential move given the possibility of them losing three defenders as free agents at the end of the season.
- Roma are tracking Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, according to Calciomercato. The 26-year-old has been a key player for Spurs since his arrival from Southampton in 2020 and also played under Jose Mourinho when he was coach of the north London club. The reports suggests that the Portuguese manager is now hoping to reunite with Hojbjerg in Rome.