Football transfer news

Brighton are braced for further approaches from Arsenal and Chelsea after midfielder Moises Caicedo went public with his desire to leave the club this month.

The Gunners saw a £60m bid knocked back on Friday, a week after Brighton quickly snubbed an enquiry from Chelsea about signing the 21-year-old international, who has recently signed up with a new agency.

Brighton have been adamant all month that they will not sell Caicedo midway through the campaign and they have reiterated that stance to both Arsenal and Chelsea in the wake of the former’s £60m offer.

However, their cause was complicated by a public post from Caicedo in which he urged Brighton to sell him before the transfer window closes, insisting he wants to become the Seagulls’ record sale to help them reinvest in their squad.

Caicedo’s message did not reference either Arsenal or Chelsea and 90min understands he would be prepared to join either side if a deal could be struck with Brighton.

Listen now as Scott Saunders hosts Graeme Bailey and Toby Cudworth to discuss the latest transfer news. On today’s agenda: Dusan Vlahovic, Anthony Gordon, Enzo Fernandes, Amadou Onana, Malo Gusto, Nicolo Zaniolo, Pedro Porro, Weston McKennie, Milan Skriniar, Maiximo Perrone & more!

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With the pressure up on Brighton, sources have confirmed that the Seagulls are braced for further approaches from both Arsenal and Chelsea, who have not given up hope of signing Caicedo in the coming days.

That being said, Brighton’s message to both sides has been clear. They are not interested in negotiating a sale this month and have not encouraged either Arsenal or Chelsea to make another approach.

Brighton are reluctant to cave into the pressure and believe selling Caicedo at this point, after his public message, would set a dangerous precedent to the rest of the squad, many of whom are also wanted elsewhere.

Nicolo Zaniolo has decided against accepting Bournemouth’s offer to move to the Premier League, 90min understands.

The Italian international was the subject of a bid from the Cherries after they were made aware of his possible availability as they closed on a deal for his team-mate Matias Vina.

But while Vina is on his way to England, Zaniolo won’t be joining him at the Vitality Stadium.

AC Milan and Tottenham made loan offers, but both those deals have stalled which opened the door for Bournemouth to make an offer.

Bournemouth offered a deal worth over €30m to Roma, which they accepted. Zaniolo at first refused to even talk terms, but later in the week he asked his agents to listen to the proposal from the Premier League minnows.

They made him an offer to become their highest paid player, but after considering the deal on Friday evening, Zaniolo informed his agents that he would not be taking up the offer.

Listen now as Scott Saunders hosts Graeme Bailey and Toby Cudworth to discuss the latest transfer news. On today’s agenda: Dusan Vlahovic, Anthony Gordon, Enzo Fernandes, Amadou Onana, Malo Gusto, Nicolo Zaniolo, Pedro Porro, Weston McKennie, Milan Skriniar, Maiximo Perrone & more!

If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!

The news is not a huge blow to Bournemouth as they always appreciated the chances of landing Zaniolo were small.

Another deal that will not happen for Bournemouth is their move for Nicolas Jackson. The Cherries pulled away from the deal following his medical results.

Chelsea have agreed a deal with Lyon to sign right-back Malo Gusto, 90min can confirm.

The Blues have been looking for a right-back all month and eventually set their sights on 19-year-old Gusto, who is in the final 18 months of his contract is France.

An opening bid was lodged by Chelsea but Lyon turned it down and went public with their insistence that Gusto would remain at the club for the remainder of the campaign, leaving the door open to agreeing a deal which would see the defender return to Lyon for the next six months.

Rather than turn away from Gusto and pursue another target, Chelsea have agreed to Lyon’s demands and struck a deal which will see the right-back remain in France on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

Chelsea are believed to have agreed to pay an initial €30m to sign Gusto, who has arrived in London for a medical with the Blues ahead of returning to France.

The deal is expected to be confirmed imminently, with Gusto formally being loaned back to Lyon, unlike with RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku, whose transfer to Chelsea has already been agreed but will only go through at the end of the season.

Listen now as Scott Saunders hosts Graeme Bailey and Toby Cudworth to discuss the latest transfer news. On today’s agenda: Dusan Vlahovic, Anthony Gordon, Enzo Fernandes, Amadou Onana, Malo Gusto, Nicolo Zaniolo, Pedro Porro, Weston McKennie, Milan Skriniar, Maiximo Perrone & more!

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Chelsea still have complete faith in their current right-back, Reece James, but have been keen to find some high-level cover for the England international, who has battled a number of injury problems in recent months.

Those in charge at Stamford Bridge had wanted an immediate signing to help cover for James, with Inter’s Denzel Dumfries among those linked with a move, but Chelsea soon settled on Gusto and opted against moving away from their plan.

In the short term, it leaves Chelsea with just James as a natural fit for the wing-back role, with 33-year-old Cesar Azpilicueta more of a traditional right-back.

Elsewhere, Chelsea are set to send young midfielder Cesare Casadei, who joined in an expensive deal from Inter during the summer, on loan to Reading for his first taste of senior football in England.

90min rounds up the latest transfer news, rumours and gossip circulating around the world…

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has held talks with both Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham and Benfica’s Enzo Fernandez as he prepares to bolster his midfield with a huge big-money signing. (Foot Mercato)

Another in-demand midfielder, West Ham’s Declan Rice, has decided to join Arsenal in the summer. (El Nacional)

Arsenal have also rejected a £7m bid from Monaco for midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga, who is not allowed to leave unless the Gunners find a replacement before the end of the transfer window. (Foot Mercato)

Kylian Mbappe has asked Paris Saint-Germain to sign Bernardo Silva from Manchester City at the end of the season. (The Sun)

In the short term, PSG are looking to lure Rayan Cherki away from Lyon and are preparing a third bid for the 19-year-old, having already seen two offers rejected. (Foot Mercato)

Anthony Elanga has attracted loan interest from PSV Eindhoven but Manchester United are reluctant to let any players go this winter. (Daily Mail)

Listen now as Scott Saunders hosts Graeme Bailey and Toby Cudworth to discuss the latest transfer news. On today’s agenda: Dusan Vlahovic, Anthony Gordon, Enzo Fernandes, Amadou Onana, Malo Gusto, Nicolo Zaniolo, Pedro Porro, Weston McKennie, Milan Skriniar, Maiximo Perrone & more!

If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!

Nicolo Zaniolo has turned down the chance to join Bournemouth this month, with the Roma midfielder holding out for a switch to either AC Milan or Tottenham in the coming days. (Fabrizio Romano)

Real Madrid are close to re-signing left-back Fran Garcia, who would be loaned back to Rayo Vallecano until the end of the season. (AS)

On the other side of the El Clasico divide, Barcelona want Girona right-back Arnau Martinez but will have to fend off interest from Atletico Madrid. (Sport)

Bayern Munich have joined Juventus in the race to sign Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who wants guarantees of regular playing time before making a decision on his next club. (Calciomercato)

?Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp cut a frustrated figure after his side threw away a two goal advantage to succumb to a ?2-2 draw against West Brom, as he laid the blame at the feet of the officials and the quality of the pitch. 

The Reds looked to destined to secure a comfortable win on the road after Danny Ings and Mohamed Salah both hit the back of the net at the Hawthorns. 

Yet, ?Liverpool were powerless to stop the Baggies’ comeback as the home side struck twice through Jake Livermore and Salomon Rondon in the final 11 minutes to leave Klopp seething on the touchline. 

With Klopp intent on protecting his players, the German pointed towards Ahmed Hegazi’s unsportsmanlike conduct which should have received a red card, a penalty claim which was denied after Ings was taken out by Craig Dawson and a pitch he claimed was too dry.

“I was not happy with the pitch, you can imagine that. It was a difficult game, especially after the pitch got drier and drier,” he told ?Sky Sports. 

“?West Brom obviously decided not to water the pitch in half-time again. And it was quite difficult. If the pitch is dry, you can pass the ball not really through three or four yards. That is for all teams in the world, if they play football.

“If you do it like West Brom, the ball is constantly in the air and you do not need a wet pitch. But that is how it is and we have to deal with that. And they can do it next year, playing football with a dry pitch in the ?Championship. So that is how it is and we have to deal with it.”

On the refereeing decisions which did not go Liverpool’s way, Klopp added: “Then we had the situation early in the second half, Ings in the box, you saw the pictures – it could be a penalty. And the situation with Hegazi and Ings, I do not know…You need a little bit of, not even help, only the right decision. So that is twice not…

“My analyst showed it to me [Hegazi’s punch on Ings]. I do not have to say anything about that. I do not know why he did it, there was no reason for that, but he did it.

“And with the penalty situation, people were laughing at Ings that he goes down in that situation, nobody can stand on their feet in that situation.

“We know what we are responsible for, but with the number of games, stuff like that, and then you need only the right decisions. Not on your side, not that, only the right and then everything is fine at the end and we win here 3-0 or 3-1.”

With a Champions League semi-final awaiting on Tuesday Liverpool will be eager to put the result at the Hawthorns behind them as they seek passage into the European Cup final, before returning to their fight for a top four place against ?Stoke.