Transfer Talk: No offer from Saudi Arabia for Almirón،
The winter transfer window is now open in Europe, and there are plenty of moves being made and plenty of gossip swirling. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumors, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: No offer for Almirón from Saudi Arabia
According to Fabrizio Romanothere has been no approach from Saudi Arabia for Newcastle United Miguel Almironwhich could see the Paraguayan stay with the Premier League club.
It was reported that Al Shabab were interested in doing a deal for the 29-year-old, which left the Magpies scrambling to find a replacement. However, the tweet suggests that there has been no offer from Saudi Arabia, with Al Shabab ready to finalize a move for Ivan Rakitic, which could end their interest in Almirón. The Saudi Pro League transfer window ends on Tuesday, leaving little time to complete a deal.
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Almirón was absent from Newcastle's squad on Saturday for their 2-0 win over Fulham in the FA Cup, but it was confirmed that this was due to illness.
The Paraguayan international joined Newcastle in January 2019 from Atlanta United and has established himself as a key player in manager Eddie Howe's team. Almirón has made 31 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals and two assists and will need to play his part in the second half of the season as the Magpies look to improve on their current 10th place in the Premier League.
Paper gossip
– Bayer Leverkusen explore potential deal for Paris Saint-Germain winger Marco Asensioreports Sky Sports Deutschland Florian Plettenberg. The tweet states that discussions have taken place between the two clubs, with PSG potentially willing to offload the 28-year-old, who has made just four starts in Ligue 1 this season. Despite this, it appears that a deal will be difficult to reach.
– Chelsea could get rid of the midfielder Conor Gallagher with Tottenham exploring the opportunity to make an approach, TeamTalk reports. The report reveals that Chelsea are looking to offload several players to ensure Financial Fair Play is respected, which could see the England international leave Stamford Bridge. Spurs are reported to be long-term admirers of the Cobham graduate, with the north London side monitoring the situation ahead of the January deadline.
– Newcastle defender Kieran Trippier could still move to Bayern Munich, Football Insider reports. The report suggests that to ensure Financial Fair Play is respected, the Magpies could seek to agree a provisional figure with the Bavarian giants, with the Premier League side under pressure to part ways with several players. With Newcastle reportedly rejecting an approach from Bayern for the 33-year-old earlier in the window, the pressure to ensure FFP is met may prove too much.
– Brentford deal for Club Brugge winger Antonio Nusa could be broken due to complications with the move, according to The Athletic. It is reported that although an agreement was reached between the two clubs, the deal was not finalized and instead a “step backwards” took place in the negotiations, leaving the door open to other teams to hijack the deal. Despite this, the report states that the 18-year-old prefers a move to Brentford, although with other clubs interested a move may not materialize.
– Orlando City eyes seven-figure approach from Sheffield Wednesday for striker Duncan McGuire, suggests The Sheffield Star. The 22-year-old has scored 13 goals during the 2023 MLS season, with the report suggesting Orlando is expected to inform on Wednesday whether his offer has been accepted. Alongside the Championship team, Davide Masi reports that Blackburn Rovers and FC Midtjylland are also pushing for the signature of McGuire, who has attracted the attention of several clubs in Europe.
– Leicester City defender Harry Soutar has asked his representatives to leave him out of any discussions about his future as he is solely focused on Australia's Asian Cup campaign. “While I'm here, I really don't want to hear anything about it,” he told ESPN. “I have to concentrate fully on the matches here.” The centre-back has made just three league appearances for the high-flying Foxes, leading to speculation a move away with Rangers and Saudi side Al Nassr among the interested teams.
