With just over a week remaining in the January transfer window, Manchester United are now reportedly discussing a stunning swap deal which would see them land a Premier League rival this month.

Man Utd transfer news

By this stage of Ruben Amorim’s tenure, those at Old Trafford would have been hoping to have witnessed the full impact of a new manager bounce but that bounce has simply not arrived. The former Sporting Club boss has felt the full force of the task at hand since stepping foot in the technical area and has taken the Red Devils from top-half struggles to relegation battle concerns at times.

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The Italian could witness a busy end to their transfer window.

ByEmilio Galantini Jan 24, 2025

Never have Manchester United look in such desperate need of reinforcements and never have their finances reflected a club in no position to spend the money needed to welcome those very reinforcements, potentially leaving Amorim high and dry.

Simply put, the Red Devils must sell before they can think about buying this month with the likes of Marcus Rashford among those who they’ll be hoping to see complete an exit away from Old Trafford this month. The winger’s departure could even be the start of a trend involving Carrington graduates heading for departures in aid of United’s own ambitions.

According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Manchester United are now discussing a shock swap deal involving Alejandro Garnacho for Christopher Nkunku.

Two players out-of-favour at two rival clubs, Nkunku and Garnacho could yet repeat Manchester United and Arsenal’s 2016 swap deal to send Alexis Sanchez and Henrik Mkhitaryan in the opposite directions in a transfer that neither side truly benefitted from in the end.

"Fantastic" Nkunku needs move

Among several Chelsea players who often find themselves watching on from the bench when it matters most, things just haven’t worked out for Nkunku at Stamford Bridge with a mix of injuries and form standing in his way. Now, with the Blues on the rise again and aiming to sign yet another attacking player in Garnacho, the Frenchman should head for the exit door, which is where Manchester United could come in.

The former RB Leipzig forward would provide the Red Devils with an instant replacement for Garnacho and a player who suits Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system far better, given his ability to play across the frontline.

Whilst his opportunities have been limited this season, Nkunku has taken full advantage of the appearances that he has made for Chelsea – scoring 13 goals in 28 games. It’s the type of record that the London club have been forced to look past, but one that Manchester United so desperately need.

Dubbed “fantastic” by Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, Nkunku could yet commence Manchester United’s January business and become the first signing of the Amorim era at last.

Patrick Dorgu has made a special request at Manchester United that has led to a name change on Premier League team sheets.

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Dane joined Red Devils in winter windowRightly proud of his Nigerian rootsChange to domestic & European team sheetsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The highly-rated Denmark international joined the Red Devils in a £25 million ($33m) deal during the winter transfer window of 2025. The 20-year-old has been deployed as a wing-back by Ruben Amorim.

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He has made 12 appearances, with United continuing to chase down Europa League glory – having reached the semi-finals of that event. Fans and commentators in domestic and continental competition have seen a revision to squad lists at home and abroad.

DID YOU KNOW?

That is because, as flagged by , the youngster has asked for his full name to be included on official documentation. As a result, he is now referred to as Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu.

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The Dane’s middle name hails from the Igbo region of Nigeria, where his family are from, and means ‘God answers prayers’. He is eager to recognise and respect his roots, with United more than happy to grant that request.

MatériaMais Notícias

da roleta： O nome do Choque-Rei foi unânime: Felipe Alves. Nos vestiários do estádio palmeirense, o goleiro do São Paulo comentou sobre a excelente atuação, projetou o seu futuro em meio às críticas recebidas pela torcida após a perda da Copa Sul-Americana, elogiou os jovens colegas de zaga que atuaram no clássico e projetou até onde esse Tricolor pode chegar na temporada neste Campeonato Brasileiro. Confira:

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Lamine Yamal was brutally mocked by Ronald Araujo for wearing his "daughter's jacket" after Barcelona's Champions League win over Dortmund.

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• Yamal shone against Dortmund in UCL
• Was spotted celebrating in the dressing room
• Put on a pink jacket which cracked up Araujo

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  On a night where everything seemed to click, Barcelona put on a masterclass in attacking football. The trio of Yamal, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski caused constant problems for Dortmund’s backline, combining flair, pace, and precision to devastating effect.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Barcelona’s on-field performance earned headlines, it was a humorous interaction in the locker room that drew attention online. Following the final whistle, 17-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal was spotted wearing a striking bright pink jacket, which quickly became the subject of playful teasing from Araujo.

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• WHAT ARAUJO SAID

  Araujo, never one to miss a chance for a joke, shared the clip with a cheeky caption that read: “Look at Lamine! He’s wearing my daughter’s jacket! He’s wearing Aitana’s jacket!”

In the bigger picture, a bilateral one-day series success may not have great long-term consequences but South Africa’s comeback to win “three finals” against England was a significant milestone

Firdose Moonda15-Feb-20167:01

The young and restless Quinton de Kock

South Africa have done it. They have won three finals in a row. If this was a traditional knockout tournament with quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final, they would be champions.Ah, but it isn’t and in years to come this series will fade against the backdrop of the many other bilateral contests that belie context. Perhaps the players themselves will not really remember it blow-by-blow, but their consciences will.This was the series in which South Africa regained self-belief after teetering on the edge of one of their lowest lows.At 2-0 down after the Port Elizabeth game, the summer was on the cusp of unravelling. South Africa had already lost successive Test series and were a match away from conceding both a home Test and ODI series to the same opposition on the same tour for the first time in 14 years since 2002 and for the first time in any of the current crops’ careers.None of them had ever experienced a losing streak as long or a loss of public confidence as serious. Expectation loomed large but morale seemed to have melted into misery.AB de Villiers would only talk about the next game. Looking any further was asking for trouble.In the back of their minds, South Africa knew they had to win three in a row. Hashim Amla even referred to it as “three finals.” But at the forefront of their thoughts, South Africa had to focus just on Centurion. When they lost the toss there, they had to focus just on containing England. When England posted 319, they had to focus just on becoming the first team to successfully chase a target over 300 at the ground. When they did that, they could shift focus to the Wanderers. And even there, South Africa made hard work of a chaseable target which eventually allowed them to focus just on Cape Town.Contrastingly, England did not have to micro-manage. At 2-0 up, they had generous room for a mistake. Two mistakes. They probably never thought they would make a third and few would blame them.England looked better equipped than South Africa in personnel and balance departments. In every XI, they had at least nine batsmen and six bowlers. South Africa could barely cobble together seven and four.The home side’s balance at the start of the series was skewed by the lack of an allrounder which affected everything else about their line-up. There was extra pressure on the seven specialist batsmen to show that all of them were worth their place. There was far extra pressure on the bowlers do the job of five men so that the two part-timers did not have to be relied on. That’s where it went wrong for South Africa.Imran Tahir recovered from a difficult start to the series to play a key role in the final two matches•Getty ImagesIn the first match, England scored 399 and 93 of those runs came off JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien. In the second, England chased 262. Another 62 runs were conceded by the same bowling pair. South Africa stopped the leaking from the third game, when they brought in David Wiese, who only cost 64 runs in the Centurion, 58 at the Wanderers and 50 in Cape Town. Even if you want to compare Chris Morris with the Duminy-Behardien combination, South Africa still won. In the fourth game, Morris conceded 52 runs and in the last one, 59. His economy rate was not tight enough but it was tighter than the other two.The consequence of Duminy, in particular, becoming unusable as a bowler was more far-reaching. He was already struggling to make meaningful contributions with the bat so by the time the decider dawned, South Africa dispensed with him. The warning signs are now clear for Duminy: shape up or you will be shipped out. Duminy was dropped from both his home Test at Newlands and his home ODI. Sentiment is no longer keeping him in the side.Behardien may face a similar axe. Although de Villiers praised Behardien’s finishing ability after the Wanderers win, his actual numbers make for grim reading. He last scored and ODI fifty 10 innings ago, against New Zealand in Potchefstroom. Although he has had four not-outs since then, he has only passed 30 four times. Even though Behardien often does not get the opportunity to bat for long periods of time, the lack of confidence is starting to become a problem, especially as he is keeping David Miller on the sidelines.Miller has had problems of his own and has gone longer than either Behardien or Duminy without an ODI contribution. His last score over 49 was exactly a year ago; 17 innings, at the 2015 World Cup. But it may not be that long before South Africa decide to give him another go. Rilee Rossouw earned three chances in the series, Miller sat out all five games. South Africa’s next ODIs are not until June when they will play a triangular in West Indies. Don’t be surprised if their line-up looks a little different then despite this series victory.At least in the bowling department, South Africa have found a second wave. Kagiso Rabada leads that pack. His age has no bearing on his ability to accept responsibility and his aggression and accuracy have made him de Villiers’ new go-to guy. Encouragingly, Kyle Abbott seems to have recovered from the emotional impact of the 2015 World Cup semi-final when his omission clearly influenced his performance.In the 2014-15 season, which included the World Cup, Abbott played nine matches, and took 13 wickets at 27.15. After that, he played just four matches and took two wickets at 66.50. This season, Abbott has played five games and taken nine wickets at 25.77. Consistency is the hallmark of his game and he gives South Africa control.With the other seamers still undecided – Wiese and Morris have taken over for now but Morne Morkel could be back, as could Dale Steyn – Rabada and Abbott provide some South Africa some certainty. So too does Imran Tahir, who spent the first three matches getting hit around, but then showed that the premier spinner is still the premier spinner.If all of this was where the season ended, South Africa could declare success. But this is just the intermission between the Tests that have already given the summer one shape and the T20s that could give it another. There are still five internationals that will be played at home before the World T20 that could define this period for South Africa. This victory falls in between but it may allow them to move on from the disappointment of their long-form defeats and give them the confidence for their shortest-format showings.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to explore a January deal for another PSG player after missing out on a move for winger Randal Kolo Muani, who is set to join Juventus instead of Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Spurs lose race with Juventus for Randal Kolo Muani signing

The Lilywhites held talks with PSG on Monday (Fabrizio Romano), but Juventus eventually won the race for his signature, as Postecoglou and Spurs’ recruitment team now return to the drawing board in their search for another forward.

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While Juve and PSG are yet to announce the deal, the feeling is that it will still happen, but the latter side needs to sell one of their loan players before making it official – as they’re currently maxed out on their allocated temporary deals per season.

There is little hope of Spurs hijacking Juve’s deal at this stage, but Postecoglou’s team have their eyes on another PSG ace in £264,000-per-week defender Milan Skriniar.

Some reports have suggested that the north Londoners have held talks over signing the Slovakia international already, who was a rumoured transfer target for ex-Spurs boss José Mourinho as far back as 2020.

“They’re also been in talks with Paris Saint-Germain about taking Milan Skriniar, who’s another notable player available in this window,” said journalist Duncan Castles recently.

Everton (away)

January 19

Leicester City (home)

January 26

Brentford (away)

February 2

Man United (home)

February 16

Ipswich Town (home)

February 22

“PSG will let him go. They’ve allowed him to talk to other clubs. Again, not a favourite of Enrique’s. They have interest in him from Serie A clubs, and they are basically going to wait and see who gives them the best offer by the end of the window.

“So that is an option for Tottenham to get someone into their defence, who’s actually a centre back in the centre of their defence.”

Tottenham set to explore late January deal for Milan Skriniar

Sharing an update on their interest in the 29-year-old, journalist Pete O’Rourke has told Football Insider that Tottenham’s pursuit of the player is still very much alive.

Ben Davies is set to return from injury against Everton tomorrow, according to Postecoglou in his latest press conference, with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero also back towards the end of this month.

However, the trio’s absences have seriously exposed their lack of depth in recent weeks, and Tottenham’s fragility at the back has been a big talking point.

Tottenham are set to explore a late January deal for Skriniar as a result, with the club potentially looking to squeeze a good deal out of PSG during the final phase of the window when pressure to conclude agreements is high.

O’Rourke says to “keep an eye” on the former Inter Milan star’s exit from Paris, as it is looking highly likely with Spurs on red alert.

أثار الإعلامي أحمد شوبير الجدل حول مستقبل أحد المحترفين داخل صفوف الأهلي، بعدما كشف عن تلقي اللاعب عدة عروض محلية خلال الفترة الحالية، دون أن يُحسم موقفه من البقاء أو الرحيل عن القلعة الحمراء حتى الآن.

وقال شوبير خلال برنامجه الإذاعي صباح اليوم الثلاثاء: “هناك أكثر من عرض لـ رضا سليم، أحدها من نادي سيراميكا كليوباترا وآخر من نادي زد، لكن اللاعب لم يصل إلى مصر حتى الآن”.

وأضاف: “معلوماتي أن اللاعب يُفضّل البقاء في مصر، وإذا رحل عن الأهلي، فيرغب أن يكون ذلك على سبيل الإعارة، ليعود مرة أخرى للفريق في المستقبل”.

طالع أيضًا | لاعب جديد في الأهلي يُطالب بتعديل عقده وزيادة راتبه

واختتم شوبير حديثه قائلاً: “أشعر أن سيناريو أحمد قندوسي سيتكرر مع رضا سليم.. أعتقد أنه سيبقى في مصر، وأنا مقتنع جدًا بإمكاناته”.

يذكر، أن رضا سليم كان قد انضم إلى صفوف الأهلي في موسم 2023 قادمًا من فريق الجيش الملكي المغربي بعقد مدته 4 سنوات.

وكان اللاعب قد تعرض للإصابة بقطع جزئي في غضروف الركبة خلال مباراة الفريق أمام شباب بلوزداد الجزائري في بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا الموسم الماضي، وغاب لأكثر من 6 أشهر.

Leeds United could now sign a set piece master on an initial 18-month deal this January, according to a Sky Sports reporter.

Farke addresses Leeds January transfer plans

Daniel Farke may currently have his Whites side top of the Championship, however, it isn’t all positive at Elland Road. The club have begun 2025 by throwing away leads late on against both Blackburn Rovers and Hull City, with goalkeeper Illan Meslier having another afternoon to forget last time out.

Farke continued to back Meslier in his latest press conference, though, saying: “We were all angry after the last game. Our supporters have the right to be critical, there is pressure and that is normal we have to accept that. But some pundits and comments were pretty disrespectful. The outside world love to try and divide us, but we are close together and we back our players.

“We were not happy with the last game, we want to improve his consistency and it is important to address this, but his performances have been good enough to make sure we are top of the league. We are all convinced Illan will deliver more good moments for us and we back him, there is no panic and he is a very, very good goalkeeper.”

The German also stated how the club are expecting a quiet winter window: “Younger players for their development it makes sense to send them out on loan, we will assess the rehab of Patrick and how that progresses, but overall we are in a very good position and I expect a very quiet January.”

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One player who has recently been linked with a move to Leeds is Hoffenheim forward Mergim Berisha, who previously scored 23 goals under ex-Whites boss Jesse Marsch.

New Leeds update on move for Mergim Berisha

Now, taking to X, Sky Sports journalist Ben Heckner revealed that Leeds are indeed keen on Berisha, who could potentially be on the move in an initial 18-month loan with an option to buy in 2026, with Werder Bremen also keen.

Berisha hasn’t exactly been prolific for Hoffenheim this season, scoring once and registering one assist in 540 minutes of action. He did come in for praise from Germany coach Antonio Di Salvo back in 2023 after Berisha was handed his first senior international call-up.

“We brought Mergim on when he was still as Salzburg. He works very well with his back to goal, can shoot with his left and right and takes good free-kicks. You can see from his hit rate in the Bundesliga that he can prevail.”

Should Patrick Bamford and Joe Gelhardt both move on, then a move for Berisha could make sense, despite his poor goal tally this season, making this one to watch over the coming weeks.

Tottenham Hotspur have been tipped to bolster their ranks in January, and it is now believed that one player in particular would be in favour of a switch to north London next month.

Tottenham reach Carabao Cup semi-finals after 4-3 Man United thriller

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou was a very relieved man after his side scraped into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup on Thursday night, with the Lilywhites beating Man United 4-3 in a thrilling clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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Summer signing Dominic Solanke showed exactly why Daniel Levy gave the green-light for his £65 million transfer, as the striker bagged an impressive brace with two excellent finishes past Altay Bayindir in the Red Devils goal.

The ex-Bournemouth talisman wasn’t their only standout performer on a memorable night for Spurs, with this season’s superstar Dejan Kulusevski also getting on the scoresheet just after half-time and all but cementing their place in the next round.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League games
Liverpool (Home)
Nottingham Forest (Away)
Wolves (Home)
Newcastle United (Home)
Arsenal (Away)

Postecoglou was given a major scare when United brought it back to 3-2, courtesy of two major errors from goalkeeper Fraser Forster, but Son Heung-min gave them some much-needed breathing room on 88 minutes with his first and Tottenham’s fourth of the game.

Veteran Jonny Evans grabbed a very late consolation for United, but it was too little, too late, with Spurs now set to face Premier League leaders Liverpool over two legs to determine who will make it to the final at Wembley next year.

“We played so well, well in control of the game,” said Postecoglou on Tottenham’s 4-3 win over United, reflecting on the two errors which made things that bit more nervy.

“It’s the way our season has gone a little bit, we self-inflicted some pain on ourselves, and then we had to scramble to get a foothold again. Ended up getting a fourth and winning the game. It should have been a lot more comfortable than it ended up being, but having said that, I still can’t get away from the fact this group of players is doing an unbelievable job at the moment to get us through this. The fact we again scored four goals and played some outstanding football. We got tired in the second half because we have a small number of players we keep putting out there.

“Obviously made it tighter than the game should have been. So proud of the players efforts.”

Nicolo Fagioli would be keen to join Tottenham from Juventus

In the background, technical director Johan Lange and the Spurs recruitment team are thinking of ways to potentially back Postecoglou with fresh faces next month.

Some reports have previously suggested that Tottenham could be offered the chance to Nicolo Fagioli from Juventus in January, with the Italy international’s agents scouring for potential landing spots amid his lack of game time in Turin.

Now, Italian newspaper TuttoSport, as relayed by Il Bianconero and Sport Witness, have shared a fresh update on their links to the midfielder.

They write that Fagioli would prefer a move to a prestigious suitor like Tottenham, despite approaches from a trio of their London rivals, but it will cost Levy around £25 million to secure a deal for the player who has been likened to Italian footballing legend Andrea Pirlo.

“I have always admired Nicolò,” said Miralem Pjanic in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport last year.

“He must continue to work like this and remain humble. Allegri and his staff will help him become a top midfielder of international caliber. Fagioli is the present and future of Italy.

“Is he the new Pirlo? Well, if Andrea says so, I too had foreseen that Fagioli would become a protagonist at Juventus.”

The 23-year-old hasn’t exactly gone on to become a key player at Juve, but as with the likes of Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur, perhaps Fagioli could reignite his career by moving to Tottenham.

Manchester United have sent scouts to have another look at a “special” player this week, as they eye a potential summer move, according to a recent report.

Man Utd sign Dorgu but continue poor form under Amorim

It has been a rather difficult few days for the Red Devils, as defeat to Crystal Palace put an end to their recent upturn in form, and the failure to bring in one more player before the transfer window closed will also have been a disappointment.

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United allowed Antony and Marcus Rashford to both leave the club on loan to Real Betis and Aston Villa, respectively, and while Ruben Amorim’s bosses brought in Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu, for him they failed to bring in an attacking replacement.

The Red Devils were heavily linked with a move for Mathys Tel, but United pulled out of any transfer, as they were unwilling to meet Bayern Munich’s demands.

Away from transfer news, United suffered a big injury blow on Sunday afternoon as defender Lisandro Martínez was stretched off the pitch after falling to the ground in a relatively low-impact collision. United are yet to confirm the Argentine’s diagnosis, but it’s been reported that Martinez has suffered cruciate ligament damage, which would rule him out for the remainder of this campaign and likely the start of the 2025-26 season as well.

Man Utd scouts run fresh checks on £25m midfielder

The Red Devils may not have brought in any new attacking players in January, but they have their eye on potential reinforcements for the summer, as according to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, Man United’s scouts were in attendance to watch Sunderland’s Chris Rigg in their game against Middlesbrough on Monday night.

United scouts have already taken in Rigg’s performances for the Black Cats, with Crook reporting this was a fresh look at the young midfielder, as they are among the teams interested in securing his signature. INEOS see Rigg as a young player who is available for a reasonable price, with them having the potential to sell him on in the future.

At the age of 17, Rigg has become an integral part of Sunderland’s midfield as they look to make their long-awaited return to the Premier League. Rigg scored two goals in 21 Championship games last season, and he has already surpassed that in this campaign, scoring four times in 26 league games.

Minutes played

72

Touches

27

Accurate passes

14/20 (70%)

Key passes

1

Long balls (accurate)

2 (1)

Ground duels (won)

6 (1)

Aerial duels (won)

3 (2)

Possession lost

9

Fouls

1

Clearances

2

Rigg, who has been labelled “special” by Sunderland fan and pundit Dougie Critchley, is under contract until 2027, and it’s been reported that he could cost United or any other interested team £25 million.

However, if Sunderland achieves promotion to the top flight, that figure could significantly increase. The Red Devils have added some very exciting young players to their squad in recent transfer windows, and Rigg looks to be the next on their list, who would fit straight into their first team plans and could be a long-term replacement for Christian Eriksen, who looks set to depart Old Trafford at the end of the campaign.