January has come and gone, but Transfer Talk is already monitoring the whispers ahead of all the summer moves. Check out the latest deals here.
Arsenal eye swoop for Ghoulam, Insigne
Arsenal are ready to sign not one but two Napoli players and have sent scouts to watch both, according to the Sun.
Citing reports in Italy, it says the duo in the frame are attacking midfielder Lorenzo Insigne and defender Faouzi Ghoulam.
Insigne, who has nine goals for third-placed Napoli this season, has emerged as the key target when the summer window rolls around.
The 25-year-old is under contract until 2019, but reports suggest an offer of around £45 million might be enough to persuade his club to do business.
Ghoulam, also interesting Chelsea, is seen as “a potential successor to Nacho Monreal,” and the Sun says both Chelsea and Arsenal “are keeping close tabs on his contract standoff with Napoli.”
Man United to ruin Milan’s Cesc pursuit?
Cesc Fabregas has said he always wanted to stay and fight for his Chelsea place, but AC Milan are waiting to test that resolve, the Telegraph says.
Its report adds that, if an offer from Milan comes in, that will persuade Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho to table a bid of his own.
Fabregas made only his sixth Premier League start of the season against Swansea on Saturday, producing a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win for Premier League leaders Chelsea.
The Spain international has spent much of the campaign on the bench and Milan — whose drawn-out takeover by a Chinese consortium is set to go through soon — are ready to offer £27m, the paper says.
That would match the fee Chelsea paid to bring Fabregas to London from Barcelona — and it would also prompt Mourinho into action.
Meanwhile, Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci, strongly linked with Chelsea for some time, could arrive in the summer, according to the Sun.
Bonucci, also a reported target for Manchester City, was dropped by Massimiliano Allegri for the Champions League victory at Porto after a reported disagreement.
The Sun says that with young defenders Mattia Caldara and Daniele Rugani showing promise, the Serie A champions would be willing to allow Bonucci to go for a fee in the region of £40m.
It adds that, because he is approaching the age of 30, a bid of that size “would be difficult to turn down.”
Van Dijk to stay put in the summer
He has been linked with Everton, Liverpool and Manchester City — so where might Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk be going? Nowhere, says the Mirror.
It reports that Southampton bosses have told Van Dijk, rated at £50m by the club, that he will not be allowed to leave in the next window.
At the weekend, Everton made Burnley’s Michael Keane their top defensive target after deciding Van Dijk was unlikely to join them.
Tap-ins
– With the Chinese Super League transfer window closing on Tuesday night, West Bromwich Albion chairman John Williams has warned clubs off any late attempt to sign striker Salomon Rondon, the Birmingham Mail reports.
It says Williams has stressed that Rondon will not be sold for any price, with Tianjin Quanjian having had a £32m bid turned down last month.
– Finally some news about a Celtic player who isn’t Moussa Dembele! Defender Efe Ambrose, who saw a proposed loan deal to Championship side Blackburn fall through recently, is set to stay in Scotland and join Hibs on a temporary deal, the Scotsman says.
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