Football transfer news

It is very, very serious for us – PSG boss Tuchel wants midfielder in January window

Thomas Tuchel described Paris Saint-Germain’s midfield issues as “very, very serious” as he confirmed the Ligue 1 leaders are trying to make a January signing.

Adrien Rabiot is unavailable, having been banished to the reserves due to a contract stand-off, and Marco Verratti is sidelined by a sprained ankle.

Dani Alves filled in as a makeshift midfielder as PSG thrashed Guingamp 9-0 in Ligue 1 on Saturday, while fellow Brazilian defender Marquinhos has also featured in the role.

With PSG set to face Manchester United in the last 16 of the Champions League next month, Tuchel wants to add to his midfield options before the transfer window closes with Napoli’s Allan and Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure reportedly on his wish-list.

“It’s January 21 and we have needs,” Tuchel told reporters ahead of a Coupe de France clash at home to Strasbourg on Wednesday.

“We lost Adrien Rabiot, Lass Diarra and Marco Verratti, the situation has not improved.

“We stay with our decision [on Rabiot] because Marco returns in a few weeks. We stay with our basic choice.

“We have recovered Dani Alves in this role but it is very, very serious for us. Who do I want? Yeah, yeah, I know. Unfortunately I cannot tell you!

“Julian Draxler has the quality to play with us because he can adapt and he is very, very reliable in many positions.

“Dani Alves will play in the middle against Strasbourg, with his quality and mentality he has done incredible workouts. Draxler has a more offensive profile than he and Marquinhos.

“I have already talked a lot about Adrien and this subject. I can only repeat that it’s a thing between the club and him.”

PSG are already out of the Coupe de la Ligue and Tuchel told his players to expect a tough challenge against Strasbourg at the Parc des Princes.

Strasbourg are fifth in Ligue 1 and held PSG to a 1-1 draw at home when they met in the league last month.

“This is the second-best attack in Ligue 1, they are also very strong in the defensive game, they are in a phase with four wins in a row away,” Tuchel said.

“It has been experienced there [in Strasbourg] that they are very serious and aggressive. It was very difficult to have opportunities and score.

“It’s a big challenge to play against Strasbourg. We must play at a top level.”

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African All Stars Transfer News & Rumours: Middlesbrough make U-turn as Mikel agrees terms with Championship club

Mikel agrees terms with Middlesbrough

John Obi Mikel is on the verge of joining Championship club Middlesbrough on a short-term deal after agreeing personal terms.

The Telegraph reports that the move should be completed in the next 24 hours should the Super Eagles midfielder pass his medical.

The Nigeria captain has been in Middlesbrough for the past few days meeting but manager Tony Pulis was initially not interested in his services at first according to Gazette Live.

PSG make €25m offer for Gueye

Paris Saint-Germain have submitted a bid of €25m for Everton’s Idrissa Gueye, according to L’Equipe via SkySports .

With Marco Verratti set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Adrien Rabiot excluded from the squad and Lassana Diarra on the verge of retirement, the French giants are keen on signing the Senegal international.

Man City set to recall Adarabioyo

Manchester City are set to cut short Tosin Adarabioyo’s temporary spell at West Bromwich Albion.

Birmingham Mail reports the Premier League champions are looking to move him elsewhere this month after the 26-year-old has recently seen his playing time reduced in Darren Moore’s squad.

Adarabioyo has made 20 league appearances including 16 starts in the Championship this season.

Napoli reject AC Milan’s offer for Diawara

Napoli have rejected an initial approach from AC Milan to sign Amadou Diawara, reports Calciomercato .

The Rossoneri are reported to have tabled a loan deal with an option to sign the Guinea international permanently in the summer.

The midfielder’s future at the Stadio San Paolo has been subject to speculations due to interests from several clubs including Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.

Leeds make approach for Abeid

Championship leaders Leeds United are interested in signing Mehdi Abeid and have approached Dijon over his signing this month, according to France Football .

The Algeria international’s form has caught the eyes of Marcelo Bielsa despite Dijon’s struggles in the Ligue 1 this season.

The former Newcastle United attacker is set to be out of contract in June and the Reds mght want to cash in on him rather than lose him for nothing in the summer.

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Alexis-Mkhitaryan, one year on: The most underwhelming swap deal in history?

Manchester United’s Twitter account published a tweet on Tuesday morning which marked the first anniversary of their signing of Alexis Sanchez. The general reaction from users demonstrated just how much of a disaster the Chilean has been at Old Trafford over the past 12 months.

“Can’t wait for his debut” replied one fan. “When will he turn up to play?” wrote another. “Got to admit the best play (sic) he done for Utd was playing the piano” sniped a third critic.

Indeed, the video which announced Sanchez’s arrival – in which he shows off his piano-playing skills – has arguably been the most memorable moment of his career at United so far.

The 30-year-old, who has long since lost his place in the first team, has scored just four goals and provided nine assists in 32 appearances for the Red Devils. All in all, the swap deal which saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan head the other way to Arsenal has been the most underwhelming deal of its kind in years.

United legend Andy Cole believes that Sanchez’s struggles are due to him being unable to adapt to a different style of play.

”If you come from one club, they play one way, you go to another one, you’ve got to change as a player, you have to change,” he told the United We Stand podcast.

“It’s been difficult for him to change. His work ethic, I believe, is exactly the same, yes he’ll give the ball away a little bit too much in trying to do things, to engulf the flame in himself, you know, because he wanted to do the best he could do.

“He’ll want to score goals, to produce the pass that would bring him to life, or the team.”

Meanwhile, Mkhitaryan’s contributions for Arsenal have been only slightly better than the Chilean, as he has scored five goals and made nine assists in the same number of appearances as Alexis.

When Sanchez played against his former club last season he struggled to leave his mark on the game, while Mkhitaryan managed to net an equaliser before Marouane Fellaini scored a late winner.

Similarly, when the two clubs faced each other at Old Trafford this term it was Sanchez who missed the game through injury and Mkhitaryan who could have won the game for Arsenal after squandering a gilt-edged opportunity in the second half.

Alexis Sanchez Man Utd 2019

The Armenian began his Arsenal career in superb style with three assists as the Gunners beat Everton 5-0, but his performances have been inconsistent under head coach Unai Emery with a recent broken metatarsal hampering his progress even further.

“I would say it’s a bit too early to say something about it but I’m very pleased to be here and I’m trying my best,” said Mkhitaryan recently.

“It wasn’t very easy at the start but I kept working every day and game after game, I’m trying to improve my game.

“I would say everything is going well, I’m very happy at the moment and I hope to continue in the same way.”

The problem for Mkhitaryan is that his lack of consistency means he will never be a key player under Emery. His best traits are unique and much sought-after; an ability to drift inside from wide positions to create chances and space for his fellow attackers. That quality is one reason why he is still playing regularly – although that could change sooner rather than later.

Indeed, he could soon find his place under threat by the likely loan signing of Denis Suarez from Barcelona. The Spaniard has been targeted by his former coach Emery as a player who can compete with Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi on the flanks, a sign that it is a position where he feels the club currently lack depth.

With Sanchez expected to return from a hamstring strain to start against Arsenal in the FA Cup clash this week, it could be a case of which of the two players is more motivated to prove their critics wrong.

What is clear – one year on – is that neither club has benefitted from the swap deal. Finances aside – with Alexis earning an incredible £500,000 a week reportedly – neither player has benefitted, either. With both players recently hitting the age of 30, they need to start proving their worth ahead of the summer transfer window.

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Do Chelsea need a new Drogba or Costa? Higuain’s suitability to Sarriball questioned by Nevin

Doubts have been cast over Gonzalo Higuain’s suitability to Sarriball at Chelsea by Pat Nevin, with questions asked of whether the Blues need another Didier Drogba or Diego Costa focal point.

Goal revealed last week that an Argentine striker currently on loan at AC Milan from Juventus had emerged as a top target for those at Stamford Bridge.

An agreement is in place, but is yet to be completed as Chelsea also prepare to sanction a switch to Atletico Madrid for Alvaro Morata.

Higuain is considered to be the proven performer Maurizio Sarri needs to reignite his forward line, but Nevin is not convinced that another physical presence up top should have been prioritised.

The former Blues star told the club’s official website: “The question has been asked, do we need another big striker who is physical?

“After all, Chelsea fans have loved the likes of Didier Drogba and Diego Costa who were hugely successful, but would that really suit Sarri-ball?

“Even when you find the man who can play the way you want him to play, who is likely to score the goals, who has the pedigree, who is fully fit and available and isn’t ridiculously priced, then you still have to hope that he has the right temperament.

“This isn’t always easy to know, you can talk to people he has worked with, but how will he manage arriving within the group at his new club right in the middle of the season?

“Strikers often want to come in and be seen as the top dog right away. Good luck with that considering the characters around our training ground.

“If you have staff that have worked with him before, however, then that certainly helps.”

Christian Pulisic Dortmund Chelsea

Nevin added: “The other thing that isn’t in the club’s favour in trying to tie up a quick deal is that a centre-forward is usually the hardest player to source, well a centre-forward who guarantees goals, anyway.

“Look at the world-renowned strikers that have come to the club over the years. A few have come nowhere near the expected rate of goals, however many tens of millions of pounds were handed over.”

While Higuain will have much to prove if he does link up with Chelsea, Nevin is delighted to have seen another piece of January business wrapped up.

The Blues have won the race for the much sought-after signature of United States international Christian Pulisic, with the 20-year-old playmaker set to complete a £58 million (€64m/$73m) move from Borussia Dortmund in the summer.

“It is no surprise the Christian Pulisic deal was done quickly,” said Nevin.

“The club was clearly willing to shell out at the very top end of his expected value and he was then loaned back immediately to Borussia Dortmund, as they held all the cards in the negotiations.

“So you can get the deals done early in January, but there is a price to pay to ensure you aren’t dragged into a bidding war.

“Other big clubs were definitely hovering around the American and Chelsea knew it.”

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‘Forget Carroll, Spurs should sign Dzeko’ – Kane cover suggested by ex-Tottenham star

Tottenham should shelve any plans to move for West Ham striker Andy Carroll and instead seek to cover Harry Kane’s injury-enforced absence with a bid for Roma star Edin Dzeko, claims Micky Hazard.

Spurs find themselves short on firepower after seeing a talismanic presence suffer an untimely knock.

An ankle problem is expected to keep Kane out of action until March, with Fernando Llorente being asked to step in as Heung-min Son is also unavailable while away on Asian Cup duty.

It has been suggested that Mauricio Pochettino will move to bolster his ranks, with additions required in a squad which welcomed no fresh faces into the fold last summer.

A raid on London rivals West Ham for England international Carroll has been mooted, but a former Spurs star believes an attempt to bring an ex-Manchester City frontman back to the Premier League would make more sense.

“I’d like to see Edin Dzeko come in,” Hazard, who took in two spells with Tottenham in his playing days, told Love Sport Radio.

“I think he’s a top player and I don’t think he’s in the team at the moment [at Roma].

“Thankfully it’s not my decision but if I was manager of Spurs I wouldn’t be looking to Andy Carroll.

“I don’t think he’d fit into our way of playing. He might do us a job during this period when we’ve got an absolutely incredible injury list and Son away which compounds it.

“But I am a bit of a purist and I have a style of play that I like to see and I think Dzeko would fit in better than Andy Carroll.”

Mauricio Pochettino Tottenham 2019

Pochettino has suggested that, while a striker may be required, it promises to be another relatively quiet window in north London.

He is prepared to put his faith in those already at his disposal, and the promotion of academy starlets is a policy which has the support of a one-time youth-team graduate.

Hazard added: “You don’t buy because a player gets injured.

“That’s part of the game and we’ve got five, six or seven [injuries] so we’d need to replace six or seven top-notch footballers which is impossible to do.

“I’d imagine we’re looking at players, as we always are, and maybe there will be one or two coming in.

“Hopefully we might sign a centre-forward in the window now.

“I love Poch’s attitude though. His attitude is this is an opportunity for someone else to come in and do the business and earn a place.

“Always in football, that’s how the people behind the first XI have to think. Every time an opportunity arises, they have to grab it with both hands because they want to be there.

“That’s what Poch is saying to the press about his squad of players and his youngsters. That’s what it is about.”

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Football transfer news

It is very, very serious for us – PSG boss Tuchel wants midfielder in January window

Editors’ Picks

African All Stars Transfer News & Rumours: Middlesbrough make U-turn as Mikel agrees terms with Championship club

Mikel agrees terms with Middlesbrough

Editors’ Picks

PSG make €25m offer for Gueye

Man City set to recall Adarabioyo

Napoli reject AC Milan’s offer for Diawara

Leeds make approach for Abeid

Alexis-Mkhitaryan, one year on: The most underwhelming swap deal in history?

Editors’ Picks

Do Chelsea need a new Drogba or Costa? Higuain’s suitability to Sarriball questioned by Nevin

Editors’ Picks

‘Forget Carroll, Spurs should sign Dzeko’ – Kane cover suggested by ex-Tottenham star

Editors’ Picks