The January transfer window may be closed around Europe, but teams are looking ahead to the summer and there’s plenty of gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Liverpool turn to Caicedo to fix midfield
Liverpool will make a move to sign Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo in the summer, according to the Daily Mirror.
Caicedo, 21, attracted the attention of Arsenal and Chelsea in January — with both clubs reportedly offering £70 million to sign him — but Brighton held firm even when the Ecuador international publicly asked for a move.
Since then Caicedo has mended his relationship with the club and signed a new contract until 2027, but Brighton won’t be able to hold on to him forever and Liverpool are looking to test their resolve.
Other players to be targeted by Liverpool include Borussia Dortmund‘s Jude Bellingham, Wolves’ Matheus Nunes and Chelsea’s Mason Mount.
However, Liverpool have removed Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans from their shortlist, says Football Insider. The 25-year-old Belgium international is set to become a free agent in the summer when his contract expires and has also been linked with Arsenal, but Liverpool scouts have reportedly decided that he is not mobile enough to play in Jurgen Klopp’s midfield.
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12.51 BST: Would Lionel Messi stay with PSG?
1:11
Burley: Why would Messi want to stay at PSG?
Craig Burley explains why he believes Lionel Messi will be leaving Paris Saint-Germain.
The former Barcelona and Spain coach arrived in London on Wednesday morning for discussions over the position — vacant since Graham Potter was sacked on Sunday after seven months in charge — with Chelsea keen to hear his assessment of their squad.
Luis Enrique is not the only option to take over at Stamford Bridge, sources said, with other names in the frame, but the club have viewed him as a priority candidate for some time.
Over a month ago, sources told ESPN that Chelsea had him in mind in the event that Potter lost his job before the end of the season.
11.20 BST: Brazilian wonderkid — and future Real Madrid forward — Endrick has spoken about the pressure he’s faced since agreeing to sign for the LaLiga giants, rejecting comparisons with Brazil legend Pele.
Madrid announced in December that a €72m deal to sign Endrick, 16, from Palmeiras had been reached, with the player set to move to the Bernabeu when he turns 18 in July 2024.
The teenager has since suffered a dip in form with his club, scoring his first goal in five months as a second-half substitute in Sunday’s 2-1 league defeat to Agua Santa.
“I need to keep working,” Endrick told the Brazilian edition of GQ in an interview published on Wednesday. “That’s what [Palmeiras coach] Abel Ferreira asks of me. I’m an adult, the same as the other players in the squad. Nobody should feel sorry for me or pat me on the head.”
Endrick has made 12 appearances for Palmeiras in the 2023 Sao Paulo state championship since his move to Madrid was confirmed, with eight starts, four substitute appearances, and just one goal scored, last weekend.
“I used to be aware of what people were saying about me. But not anymore,” he added. “I like TikTok, but when I see something about me, I move on quickly.
“Recently a story came out saying that I was in therapy, but that’s a lie. The press don’t know what’s happening, and they publish it. But I can’t do anything. If I come out and contradict everything they say, I’d spend all my time doing it.”
10.41 BST: Mariano Diaz‘s agent has said the Real Madrid forward could move to the Premier League, Bundesliga or Serie A when his contract expires this summer, but denied contact with Brazilian club Santos over a possible deal.
Mariano, 29, joined Madrid from Lyon in 2018 after an impressive 18-goal season in Ligue 1 — having previously come through Madrid’s academy — but has made little impact at the Bernabeu, scoring six league goals in five seasons, with no contract renewal on the table.
“Every three months there’s contact from other teams,” agent Daniel Aranda told Bolavip. “In the end, he’s always been on the market. His profile and his characteristics are appealing. We have possibilities to go to the Premier League, the Bundesliga, Calcio and other teams.
“Nobody has been in touch [from Santos in Brazil]. They’re a historic club but if you ask me, nobody has called us right now … He needs a team where he can be happy. Not that he isn’t happy in Madrid, but his contract is up.”
Having opened talks with Messi and his advisors late last year, senior figures in the bid to sign the 35-year-old had initially believed they had no more than an outside chance of persuading the former Barcelona forward to follow Ronaldo to Riyadh.
However, a source has told ESPN there is now an increasing likelihood of Messi, who fronts the Visit Saudi tourism campaign, moving to the Saudi Pro League, putting the probability as high as “50-50” following talks with the player’s camp in Saudi Arabia last month.
09.29 BST: Sporting CP coach Ruben Amorim says he has no intention of leaving the Portuguese giants after being linked with Chelsea.
Amorim, at the helm of Sporting since March 2020, is reported to be on the shortlist of candidates to replace sacked Graham Potter.
However Amorim, who renewed his contract with Sporting until June 2026 in November, said in Record: “I like being here. I’ve seen many coaches move to other leagues and not be happy. I’m not looking for anything, I value what I have and not what is being said.
“I like being at Sporting. If I had to leave here, I would have to be pushed out … I have clear objectives of what I want to do. The club that wants me will have to pay Sporting a clause. I’m not offering myself to other clubs. I want to stay here. I’m happy here.”
09.04 BST: A host of Premier League and clubs are eyeing a summer move to bring Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos south of the border, TEAMtalk reports.
Colombia international Morelos has scored 122 goals in 263 games since moving to Glasgow in 2023, including five in Rangers’ run to last season’s Europa League final.
However, the 26-year-old’s disciplinary record has put a strain on his relationship with the club and he has no longer an automatic starter. With his contract due to expire in the summer, it is looking increasingly likely that he will leave as a free agent.
Teamtalk reports that talks have already taken place with LaLiga clubs Sevilla and Villarreal, but now several English clubs are considering making a move for Morelos.
Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Everton are all interested, while Championship promotion hopefuls Burnley and Middlesbrough are also monitoring the situation as they prepare for a potential return to the top flight for next season.
Potter was sacked on Sunday after less than seven months in charge as the first managerial appointment of the Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital era ended in failure with Chelsea languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League.
Sources have told ESPN that Julian Nagelsmann is on the shortlist, while the club are expected to sound out Mauricio Pochettino and Luis Enrique over the role. Not all individuals identified as possible candidates have been approached at this stage.
As of Tuesday morning, a source close to Pochettino confirmed to ESPN that neither Tottenham, which sacked Antonio Conte last month, nor Chelsea had made formal contact.
Pochettino is open to managing again in England, but the former Spurs boss has also been linked with the Real Madrid job should the LaLiga giants part company with Carlo Ancelotti at the end of the season.
There had also been speculation that De Zerbi was a potential candidate for Chelsea, given his success since replacing Potter at Brighton, but sources close to Chelsea have confirmed he is not of interest.
1:06
Laurens: Messi’s future at PSG looking unlikely
Julien Laurens explains the obstacles stopping Lionel Messi from signing a contract extension with PSG.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)
– RB Leipzig are pushing to sign Tigre and Italy international striker Mateo Retegui, according to Sky Sports Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg. A move for the 23-year-old is believed to be worth in excess of €15m, a figure that Leipzig are looking to negotiate, but they are facing competition from Internazionale, who are also in the race to sign him.
– Atletico Madrid have made a proposal to extend the contract of forward Alvaro Morata, reveals Mundo Deportivo. The 30-year-old’s deal is set to expire in the summer of 2024, and having been impressed with his performances this season, Los Colchoneros are keen to find out whether he wants to remain in Madrid before the summer, with plans to move him on if he decides he wants a new challenge.
– Talks between AFC Bournemouth and midfielder Jefferson Lerma are set to be held over a new contract, writes Ekrem Konur. Lerma has been a key player for the Cherries this season, with the 28-year-old having missed just one of their 29 Premier League matches, but he won’t rush his decision on whether to continue at the Vitality Stadium.