Transfer news and gossip updates - Manchester United still after Aston Villa's Jack Grealish

ByGraham Ruthven

Updated 01/01/2021 at 22:50 GMT

Transfer LIVE - Join us throughout the day as we bring you the latest breaking news and the best gossip during the January transfer window. Mino Raiola has denied that there is an agreement with Barcelona for Erling Haaland to join the club if Emili Rousaud wins the election to become their next president, and Manchester United haven't given up on Jack Grealish.

Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish celebrates scoring against West Ham

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22:45 - That's all for tonight

Join us again tomorrow for all the latest from the transfer window.

22:15 - Ancelotti coy on Khedira

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Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti remains coy on rumours linking Everton with a move for World Cup winner Sami Khedira.

"The only truth is that the market is open," said Ancelotti. "We’re not talking about this [January incomings] because we’re focused on recovering the players who are not available."

21:46 - Post-match Moyes on the transfer window

West Ham boss David Moyes has his say on the January transfer window following his side's 1-0 win over Everton.

He said: “I think if the right things were out there, we would try but we’re very aware that there’s been no money coming through the club so everyone should be aware that there’s not as much money around to go and make deal. But if there was something out there that we really wanted, we might go for it.

20:22 - Watford sign Zinckernagel

Some EFL news for you. Watford have signed up Danish winger Phillip Zinchernagel - early business done!

19:34 - Armstrong signs new Saints deal

18:57 - Potter has support of board

Brighton boss Graham Potter says he has full support of the board despite managing just two wins in 16 games.

"There's nothing to give me any indication that I don't have the full support of the chairman," said Potter. "The chairman isn't a normal guy - he's not like you or me, or the vast majority of people in football.

"I think he's a unique person and that's one of the reasons why I came to this club. He's made a huge success of his life, a huge success of this club, and he's done it with a clarity of thought and a thinking that is incredibly impressive.

"My trust is in him and, at the end of the day, whatever he thinks is right for Brighton and Hove Albion is absolutely fine for me."

Brighton's English manager Graham Potter (R) checks out the conditions ahead of the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Brighton and Hove Albion

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18:30 - Nuno expects transfer window action

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo has said that this January will be a chance for the club to 'rebalance' the squad and expects movement.

“We have to sit down, plan and it’s a good chance to rebalance our squad. We are ready to make decisions on it,” he said.

18:00 - Holding close to agreeing new contract

While Arsenal have struggled in the first half of the season, Rob Holding has been one of their better performers and now it seems the defender could be set to extend his stay at the Emirates Stadium.

According to the Telegraph, the 25-year-old is close to agreeing a new long-term contract with the Gunners, ending speculation that he could be on his way out of the club on loan.

It's claimed a number of Premier League clubs, including Newcastle United, were targeting Holding, with Arsenal expected to cull a number of squad members over the next two transfer windows, but the former Bolton man will be kept.

Holding has made 17 apperances for Arsenal this season, becoming a key figure for Mikel Arteta as he attempts to find a winning formula at the Emirates Stadium.

17:35 - Arsenal in for a creative midfielder

Arsenal's requirements for the January transfer window are quite clear - they need a new creative midfield to help link their midfield unit with their attack. They have looked toothless this season without this sort of figure.

Dean Jones has plenty of inside information in his Inside Football column about what the Gunners' plans for the January transfer window are, with the club indeed in the market for a central creator.

Emi Buendia

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Top target Dominik Dominik Szoboszlai has already signed for RB Leipzig which leaves Isco and Norwich City's Emi Buendia as potential options this month.

Both signings would come with risks. Isco is severely lacking in fitness and has even faced questions over his weight this season, while Buendia is more of a right-sided operator. He isn't a number 10.

17:10 - Zidane opens up on contract talks

Real Madrid have turned their season around in recent weeks. Zinedine Zidane looked to be as good as finished after the Champions League defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk, but Los Blancos have since won six games in a row.

Luka Modric and Sergio Ramos have been key to this turnaround, but both players are set to be out of contract at the end of the season. That is concerning for a team that is so reliant on them.

Zidane has opened up on the progress being made in discussions with Modric and Ramos, expressing his view that it is in "everyone's interest" that their stay at the Santiago Bernabeu is extended.

Both Modric and Ramos are well into their 30s and so Real Madrid must come up with a succession plan soon. But the pair are stll at the peak of their powers. The Spanish champions would be foolish to let them leave now.

16:45 - Hodgson dismisses Zaha speculation

Another transfer window is upon us which means it's time for yet more speculation about the future of Wilfried Zaha, a player who has been on the brink of leaving Crystal Palace for the last two years.

Roy Hodgson has had his say on speculation linking the Ivory Coast international with both AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, dismissing the idea that Zaha could be on his way out of Selhurst Park this month.

"There has been so much speculation regarding Wilf over the years that I tend to let those concerns disappear, as they often do," Hodgson said.

Wilfried Zaha looks frustrated

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“Wilf’s good and it doesn’t surprise me that there’s clubs out there who would like to sign him, but a lot of things have to be put in place before a player leaves a club.

“I’m just happy at the moment that Wilf is playing as he is, displaying his discipline and concentration and his passion for football and the club, and unless I’m given a reason to think otherwise, I expect that to keep going.”

Zaha has been in exceptional form so far this season, scoring eight goals and registering two assists in 14 Premier League appearances.

16:15 - City 'hot' on Digne

Manchester City are still without a long term solution at left back, but one could be on their radar in the January transfer window.

Dean Jones reports in his Inside Football column that the Etihad Stadium side are "increasingly hot" on Lucas Digne, with the Everton man identified as a potential solution to their left back problems. Atletico Madrid's Renan Lodi could also be a target.

However, it seems unlikely that City will spend much money in January and will instead focus on getting star players like Kevin de Bruyne and Raheem Sterling to sign contract extensions.

Whether it's in this window or the summer window, it's clear Manchester City need a new left back and Digne is proven as one of the best performers in that position in the Premier League. He would be a solid bet.

15:45 - Lampard not sure of Chelsea's January plans

Frank Lampard isn't sure what to expect from the January transfer window, offering little insight into whether Chelsea will make many signings this month.

The Blues made no fewer than seven signings in the summer, with over £200m spent by the Stamford Bridge club. However, Lampard hinted Chelsea will only make moves this month if the right player becomes available.

Frank Lampard (l.) und Timo Werner

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"I’m not absolutely sure yet, to be honest," he told reporters. "I have ideas. We have a big squad, we’ll have to see if that changes, if there are opportunities for players that aren’t playing so much.

"That will be a conversation between player, club and myself. And then we’ll see if we feel we can strengthen in the right way. But we’re not jumping up and down to do so.

"My focus this year is purely on work because we have new players, because we have young players. I’m focusing on that. But we’ll see. It’s a long month."

These comments from Lampard back up Dean Jones' reporting in his latest Inside Football column.

15:20 - Armstrong extends Saints stay!

There is some news from Southampton with Stuart Armstrong putting pen to paper on a new contract to keep him at St Mary's Stadium until 2024.

The Scotland international has become a key figure for Southampton over the last two seasons. Indeed, Armstrong is now an important part of Ralph Hasenhuttl's team.

14:40 - Mourinho on January transfers

Jose Mourinho has been talking to the media ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League fixture against Leeds United on Saturday and it's clear the Portuguese coach doesn't expect much business to be done in January.

"I'm not expecting, no," he said when asked whether there would be any new signings made. "Times are not easy. the club made a big effort in the summer to try and build a good squad.

"Honestly, if something good happened to us, it would be a big surprise for me. I don't feel the right to ask for something."

Tottenham Hotspur Manager José Mourinho ahead of the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 20, 2020 in London, United Kingdom

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14:00 - Tottenham transfer targets

Similar to Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur were busy in the summer window. As a result, it's unlikely there will be much activity at the club in January, at least in terms of incoming signings.

Dean Jones provides an insight into the North London club's plans for this month in his Inside Football columm. Danny Rose, Gedson Fernandes, Paulo Gazzaniga are all expected to leave Spurs, while offers for Dele Alli, Harry Winks, Davinson Sanchez, Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela will be listened to.

Marten de Roon, Marcel Sabitzer and Ivan Perisic are all on Spurs' radar, but the club will only make a move for any of the trio if it becomes apparent to them that they available.

13:30 - Chelsea squad trimming

Chelsea spent big in the summer window with no fewer than seven new players arriving at Stamford Bridge for a total outlay of over £200m.

January should be a quieter window for the Blues although Dean Jones notes in his Inside Football column that much of the focus will be on trimming the squad and getting rid of some deadwood.

Kepa

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Kepa Arrizalabalaga, Marcos Alonso, Emerson Palmieri, Antonio Rudiger and Danny Drinkwater will be allowed to find new clubs with all five players out of favour at Stamford Bridge.

The only thing that could change Chelsea's January plans would be if Declan Rice was to become available for a reasonable price with the Blues long-term admirers of the West Ham midfielder.

12:50 - United have not given up on Grealish

While it never flourished into a full blown transfer saga, speculation linking Manchester United with a move for Jack Grealish simmered over the summer.

The Old Trafford club is reportedly still interested in signing the Aston Villa man although the Grealish will now cost £100m after signing a new contract in September.

United pulled back from a deal for Grealish in the summer, baulking at the £65m asking price for the player as the football world counted the cost of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Grealish will visit Old Trafford on Friday night as Aston Villa take on Manchester United in the Premier League and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remained coy on his interest in the player.

"I don't want to say too much about other teams' players but of course he's a player we know we have to look for," the Norwegian said.

12:20 - Eriksen's future gets more complex

Inter have made it quite clear that Christian Eriksen is free to leave the club this month having failed to make much of an impression on Antonio Conte's first team since joining from Tottenham Hotspur a year ago.

Paris Saint-Germain is reportedly one potential destination for the Danish playmaker, but a move to the Parc des Princes could prove to be complex.

Le Parisien (via Calciomercato) claims a swap deal has been mentioned which would eee Eriksen making the switch to the French capital and Leandro Paredes moving in the opposite direction to the San Siro.

But Paredes is reportedly unwilling to leave PSG, therefore putting up another obstacle for Eriksen to find an escape route out of Inter.

Eriksen's decision to leave Tottenham for Serie A continues to look like an almighty misstep in the Dane's career. There is quite clearly a player of great talent in there, but his stock has dropped significantly and he might find it difficult to leave Italy this month.

11:55 - United looking for depth

Manchester United can go level on points with Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table with a victory over Aston Villa this evening and Dean Jones has some news in today's Inside Football column about what the club's plans for January are.

The Old Trafford outfit want to give Aaron Wan-Bissaka some competition at right back with the former Crystal Palace man starting 19 of United's 20 games in the Premier League and Champions League this season.

Max Aarons

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Norwich City's Max Aarons and Atletico Madrid's Kieran Trippier are potential targets, although it's unlikely there will be any move for RB Leipzig's Dayot Upamecano this month.

Meanwhile, Manchester United have made advanced progress in their efforts to sign young midfielder Moises Caicedo from Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle.

11:25 - Liverpool's January targets

The January transfer window presents Liverpool with an opportunity to ease some of their injury worries at the back. Indeed, injuries to Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk in particular have given Jurgen Klopp plenty to ponder.

Dean Jones runs through many of the options available to Liverpool in the January transfer window in today's Inside Football column, with Schalke's Ozan Kabak one potential target. AC Milan are also tracking the Turkish international.

Sporting Braga’s David Carmo, RB Salzburg’s Max Wober and Lille's Sven Botman are also on the radar of the Premier League champions.

Ozan Kabak vom FC Schalke 04

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However, the immediate ambition for Liverpool is to convince Gigi Wijnaldum to put pen to paper on a new contract with Klopp desperate for the Netherlands international to remain at the club.

11:00 - Lloris to join Poch in Paris?

Mauricio Pochettino hasn't even been confirmed as the new Paris Saint-Germain manager following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel, but reports are already surfacing over who might join the Argentine in the French capital.

One name mentioned is Hugo Lloris, who Pochettino knows well having worked with him during his time at Tottenham Hotspur.

The possibility that Lloris would be linked with a move to PSG was first reported by Eurosport's Dean Jones in his Inside Football column.

Now, The Sun is backing up those suggestions, reporting Spurs are worried their captain and first-choice goalkeeper could leave the club to reunite with his former manager.

The report claims Tottenham are already lining up potential replacements for the French World Cup winner, with West Brom's Sam Johnstone and Manchester United's Dean Henderson on their radar.

Of course, PSG already boast a top level goalkeeper in the form of Keylor Navas, but Lloris, as something of a French footballing legend, would be a popular arrival at the Parc des Princes.

10:30 - Sancho's summer options

It was the saga of the summer in English football, but the window closed without any real movement by Manchester United towards the signing of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund.

United are widely believed to have retained an interest in the England international, but he might now have another option beyond a transfer to Old Trafford.

CBS Sports' podcast Que Golazao (via The Sun) reports Chelsea have entered the race to sign Sancho next summer. The Blues might have an emotional advantage on United due to the fact the winger supported the club growing up.

This news comes after Chelsea spent over £200m on seven new signings last summer, but the capture of Sancho would be another statement of intent. Where, however, would he fit into Frank Lampard's side if Hakim Ziyech is already one of the first names on the team sheet on the right?

You can read more about this saga and catch up with other reports from the morning press in our Paper Round.

10:00 - Raiola denies Haaland move to Barca

Mino Raiola has denied that there is an agreement with Barcelona for Erling Haaland to join the club if Emili Rousaud wins the election to become president of the club.

The candidate’s advisor, Josep Maria Minguella claimed that a deal was already done.

However, the Mirror reports Raiola as saying: "I have never spoken of Haaland with any candidate and I will not. When a new president is elected, they can call me."

Barcelona candidates often promise various players in the hope of securing the votes of the electorate, and only sometimes do those promises come to fruition, but is there truth here?

This all runs counter to what many of the European papers were reporting yesterday, as we outlined in Euro Papers, which you can watch below.