Transfer news: Man Utd eye £16m striker, Chelsea double deal, Bowen to Liverpool

Posted Sunday, December 24, 2023 by Express.co.uk

Merry Christmas! The January transfer window is nearly upon us. It’s the final weekend of Premier League action before the festivities and there are only a few matches remaining before transfer business can again get underway.

Top-flight clubs are lining up deals in the background as they look to strengthen their squads for a rigorous second half of the campaign, with Manchester United and Chelsea both seeking marked improvement.

A little further up the table, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool are all firmly in the title race and could look to inject some extra quality to push them over the line.

Ivan Toney and Conor Gallagher are two of the most talked-about names with the Gunners eyeing a new centre-forward and Tottenham looking at the Chelsea midfielder as they eye reinforcements.

Transfer news: Man Utd eye £16m striker, Chelsea double deal, Bowen to Liverpool
Conor Gallagher and Ivan Toney could both be on the move in January (Image: GETTY)

Walcott sends Arsenal Toney warning

Arsenal icon Theo Walcott has warned his former club to remain "cautious" about making a move for Ivan Toney in the January transfer window due to the Brentford hotshot's inactivity.

"I would be cautious of that [Toney signing] because he hasn’t played," said Walcott on Sky Sports after Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Liverpool. "He’s a forward that is similar to Olivier Giroud which Arsenal used to have, which I was a big fan of."

Varane open to Old Trafford exit

Raphael Varane is reportedly open to leaving Manchester United in January amid interest from Real Madrid. According to AS Diario, he is keen on returning to Los Blancos and would be prepared to take a wage cut as well.

Osimhen signs new Napoli contract

Victor Osmihen has signed a new contract with Napoli until 2026 with a release clause said to be in the region of £112million (€130m). Several top European sides are queuing up to sign the Nigerian striker including Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis had previously suggested Osimhen was worth a staggering £150m so his release clause will serve as a boost for potential suitors.

Arsenal dealt Zubimendi blow

Arsenal are unlikely to sign Martin Zubimendi in January, according to Football.London. The Gunners are keen on signing the Spaniard in the New Year but Real Sociedad are reportedly not planning on selling their star midfielder midway through the season.

Gallagher swap deal

Tottenham are reportedly considering offering Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as part of a swap deal for Chelsea's Conor Gallagher. That is according to Sky Sports, who claim that Juventus are also monitoring the out of favour Danish midfielder. It is presently unclear whether Chelsea are interested in Hojbjerg.