Transfer news: Man Utd make Bruno Fernandes breakthrough but Arsenal and Liverpool suffer blows
Review all the day's transfer news, rumours and gossip
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Your support makes all the difference.Review all the day's transfer news, rumous and gossip Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and across Europe.
Manchester United and Arsenal were both in the headlines this afternoon as they considered moves for Paris Saint-Germain’s soon-to-be departed striker Edinson Cavani. The Uruguayan is out of contract at the end of the season and available on a free transfer, and reports in his homeland suggest that offers have already been made from the two Premier League clubs along with Atletico Madrid. Chelsea meanwhile are on the hunt for a defender, with eyes on Issa Diop of West Ham and their former centre-back Nathan Ake at Bournemouth, with £40m bis prepared for both depending on who the club decide to focus on.
Tottenham Hotspur meanwhile are looking at Barcelona centre-back Samuel Umtiti despite long-term interest from Arsenal and United, with the France international facing a somewhat uncertain future as Barca are keen to move him on this season, while another star defender who appears to be on the market is Juventus’s Matthijs de Ligt, who despite only arriving in Italy at the start of the season is already being linked with a loan move back to Ajax after failing to settle in Turin. Follow all of the latest below.
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United and Chelsea have both been linked with Dinamo and Spain star Dani Olmo. There could also be some big moves across Europe. Real Madrid have been linked with a £68m move for Timo Werner, as well as Flamengo wonder kid Reinier, while Arsenal have turned their eyes to RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano as a long-term target.
Ernesto Valverde took training at Barcelona on Monday morning amid speculation his time as coach could be about to end.
Spanish media reports a meeting between president Josep Maria Bartomeu and Valverde has taken place at the club's training ground this afternoon, which will be followed by a scheduled board meeting.
It comes after reported summit talks last night involving Bartomeu, director Javier Bordas, chief executive Oscar Grau, technical secretary Eric Abidal, and assistant Ramon Planes, with Valverde's future at the Nou Camp seemingly under threat.
The 55-year-old Valverde, however, reported as normal to Barca's training camp this morning, followed soon after by assistant Jon Aspiazu, before taking the session with the players three hours later.
Valverde's position has been brought into focus following some inconsistent performances from the Spanish superpowers, the most recent being last Thursday's Spanish Super Cup semi-final defeat to Atletico Madrid.
The Catalan giants led 2-1 with nine minutes remaining, only to suffer a 3-2 loss.
Benfica manager Bruno Lage has been quizzed about Tottenham transfer target Gedson Fernandes this afternoon.
"Market questions will arise and there will be many. Today I speak only of the players who train with us. Gedson did not train with us."
Update: Gedson Fernandes is at Hotspur Way for his Tottenham Hotspur medical.
Juventus and Turkey defender – as well as top Premier League transfer target – Merih Demiral will undergo surgery for a knee injury, the Turin club said on Monday, potentially ruling him out of the rest of the season and Euro 2020.
The 21-year-old was taken off in the 20th minute of Juve's match at AS Roma on Sunday, having earlier scored their opening goal in a 2-1 win which took them top of Serie A.
"During the game last night, Merih Demiral sustained a sprain to his left knee," said Juventus in a statement. It said that tests had revealed "injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) along with associated injury to the meniscus".
Recovery from such injuries usually takes at least six months.
Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo also suffered an ACL injury during the same game.
Demiral began the season as a reserve after joining Juventus from fellow Serie A club Sassuolo but in the last four matches had been preferred in the starting line-up in place of Matthijs de Ligt.
Juventus are already without their most experienced central defender, Giorgio Chiellini, after he sustained a knee injury in training in September
Jose Mourinho has just been quizzed about imminent Tottenham arrival:
Is Gedson Fernandes at Spurs' training ground?
"I'm waiting for news, but when I say I am waiting the news could come or not," said Mourinho. "I'm more worried about Middlesbrough than the market. Of course, with the rules even if you get the player you cannot play him in a replay.
What kind of player is he? Would he suit you?
"I cannot answer because I don't know if we are getting him, he's a Benfica player," Mourinho said. "I don't think the Benfica coach and president, both my friends, will be happy if I speak about one of their players."
Denmark captain Simon Kjaer has joined AC Milan on loan from Sevilla for the rest of the season, the Serie A club said on Monday.
The 30-year-old central defender, whose 95 appearances for Denmark include matches at both the 2010 and 2018 World Cups and Euro 2012, spent the first half of the season on loan at Atalanta where he made six appearances in all competitions.
The well-travelled Kjaer has also played for FC Midtjylland, Palermo, VfL Wolfsburg, AS Roma, Lille and Fenerbahce.
Kjaer was signed one day after Milan, a modest tenth in Serie A, announced that they were loaning Mattia Caldara, another central defender, to Atalanta for the rest of the season.
Caldara joined Milan from Juventus in the 2018 close season but has been plagued by injury and made only two senior appearances, neither of them in Serie A.
QPR are in advanced talks with Tottenham Hotspur over signing youngster Jack Clarke on loan.
Spurs signed Clarke from Leeds last summer and immediately loaned him back to the Championship side.
But they elected to recall him at the start of this month, after Clarke had dropped out of the Leeds first-team.
That sparked a scramble among Championship clubs to snap him up on loan, with the 19-year-old quickly emerging as one of QPR's top targets.
Brentford head coach Thomas Frank has signed a new contract tying him to the Sky Bet Championship promotion hopefuls until the summer of 2023.
The Dane took charge of the team in October 2018 having initially joined as part of Dean Smith's backroom staff.
When Smith departed for Aston Villa, Frank took the reins and has now built a side challenging for a place in the Premier League.
The Bees have won five of their last seven league games and, with top-two West Brom and Leeds stuttering, third-place Brentford are closing in.
Such recent form has seen Frank agree fresh terms at Griffin Park and on Monday he put pen to paper on a new deal.
"I am very pleased that the club offered me a new contract and I was delighted to sign it," he said.
"I love coming to work every single day and love working with the players and the staff here.
"There is a unique togetherness at Brentford and a unique focus on wanting to get better every day."
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