The transfer window will be open soon after the holidays, but the wheeling and dealing is already getting started! Check out all the latest deals here.
Barcelona line up five-year Joao Cancelo deal
Barcelona already have a deal in place to sign Valencia full-back Joao Cancelo to a five-year deal in the summer, according to Sport.
With a €30 million transfer fee reportedly on the cards, Cancelo appears set to be the third Valencia player to move to Barcelona in a year, following last summer’s moves of midfielder Andre Gomes and striker Paco Alcacer.
Valencia are reluctant to sell in January with Cesare Prandelli’s club only above the relegation zone on goal difference, but Barcelona should be happy to have lined up the 22-year-old Portugal international for the future.
Bayern beat Chelsea to Hoffenheim centre-back
Chelsea have previously tried and failed to sign Hoffenheim’s Niklas Sule, but with Antonio Conte reportedly set to try again this winter, Bild reports that Bayern Munich have the inside track.
The German newspaper has revealed that Sule has an exit clause in his contract, which could make it even easier for Bayern to sign him on the cheap in January.
According to The Sun, a fee has already been agreed, while Hoffenheim midfielder Sebastian Rudy is also set to follow Sule to Bavaria.
Allardyce wasting no time at Crystal Palace
Sam Allardyce only took over Crystal Palace on Friday, but The Express reports he already has his sights set on a marquee signing.
Allardyce appears keen to reunite with defender Lamine Kone, whom he signed from Lorient while manager at Sunderland.
But Kone has since signed a five-year deal at the Stadium of Light, which could force Palace to fork over £15 million — triple what Allardyce paid for him a year ago.
Spurs to lock up Alderweireld with Fazio gone
Tottenham seem to be in a giving mood of late, and Toby Alderweireld could be the next recipient of their generosity with a new contract, according to The Mirror.
Spurs signed goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to a new deal on Thursday, and have already given Harry Kane and Jan Vertonghen extended contracts this season.
Chairman Daniel Levy has now reportedly identified Alderweireld as his next target to keep up at the club for the next five years.
The news comes as Italian newspaper La Repubblica reports that Federico Fazio has met the necessary number of appearances to make his loan to Roma permanent, with the Serie A club due to pay Spurs a further €3.2 million for the defender.
Tap-ins
– Sevilla are leading the race to sign Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz on loan for the rest of the season, AS reports, with Malaga and Deportivo La Coruna also interested.
– It wasn’t too long ago that Jermain Defoe had no Premier League suitors, but Sunderland boss David Moyes has now warned off clubs like West Ham by calling him “priceless” to the Black Cats.
However, The Express reports the Hammers have lined up Carlos Bacca from AC Milan to help replace Simone Zaza, who has returned to Juventus.
– Manolo Gabbiadini salvaged a draw for Napoli on Thursday, but two days later club president Aurelio De Laurentiis has said the forward’s future lies away from the Partenopei, putting interested parties Everton, Stoke City and Wolfsburg on notice.
– And for a final bit of holiday cheer, it appears a Southampton teammate teased Virgil van Dijk about the speculation linking him to Manchester City by giving him a City shirt as a secret Santa gift.
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