“Gil be coming round the mountain!” says Alex Guilford which is probably a sign that I should close this blog before things get silly. Thanks to everyone for writing in. Who knew a Spanish winger with gorgeous hair and only one foot would dominate the discourse. Especially when the Jadon Sancho deal looks all but done and Jordan Henderson has sent out a come-and-get-me plea to every club in Europe. There’s also that Joshua Kimmich chat, which has reader Phillip Wainwright bemused: "Not being on the soshe meads for a few years now to find out for myself, so can you enlighten me why Bayern would be willing to let him go? I was under the impression he was the kipper’s knickers I’m with you Phillip. But that’s the high octane drama and befuddling madness of a January transfer window! We’ll be back tomorrow. PSG are reportedly keen on signing Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich, according to Sky Germany. The 28-year-old has 18 months left on his contract wants to stay in Bavaria until the summer. In the other direction, Bayern fancy PSG’s defender Nordi Mukiele and are in “advanced talks” with him. A right-back for a right-back. Seems fair to me. More, more, more Gil chat! Has a fringe player ever provoked such lively debate on this blog before? This time we hear from reader Alexander Brown, who starts off with “Where there’s a Gil, there’s a way”: I think he’s an incredibly talented player who glides past players but possibly lacks confidence. He turns people so easily, but whether it’s not from playing enough or just being so one-footed, he then seems to always turn back. Realistically he won’t displace any of our wingers, and isn’t going to play ahead of Maddison as the 10, so hopefully finds somewhere more needing a graceful gazelle with great hair. Stoke have signed Wolves midfielder Luke Cundle on loan for the remainder of the season. The 21-year-old has impressed on loan at Plymouth where he bagged five goals and six assists from 16 starts. An impressive haul by any measure! The move sees Cundle reunite with Potters manager Steven Schumacher, who was in charge at Home Park when the player joined the Pilgrims last summer. Cundle, who also had a spell at Swansea last season, told the club’s website: “Stoke City is a massive club. It’s a new chapter for me and I’m delighted to be here. “I know the boss and his staff well having worked with them previously. I really like the ideas he puts across and how he gets his teams to play.” Jordan Henderson wants out of Saudi It’s been the day’s biggest talking point. And rightly so. Jordan Henderson is seeking a premature end to his contract with Al Ettifaq and Dutch giants Ajax are interested. So are other clubs, according to the oracle Fabrizio Romano. It would be an astounding move given the controversy over Henderson’s move away from Europe. It all hinges on him being released. He’s only 33. No question he could still do a job for a top team. Turns out not every Bryan loves being a Bryan. Apologies to anyone looking for breaking transfer news but it seems we’ve reached that point in the blog… This is picking up from an earlier chat where I came to the defence of Bryans. But apparently a certain Bryan Robson (not that one) wasn’t a fan of his name and wanted to be called Pop Robson. He scored 265 goals in 674 league games playing for Newcastle, West Ham, Sunderland, Carlisle and Chelsea across a stellar 24-year career. Blimey. Maybe Bryan Gil should consier changing his name. None of that came off the top of my head. Thanks to Gary Naylor of the famed 99.94 cricket blog for helping me with that one. Gillian Kirby has unearthed the real reason for Bryan Gil’s struggles: We’ve often wondered if he’s come across as a bit underwhelming on the pitch because he’s tired out from his other job, playing George Harrison for The Bootleg Beatles. Red Bull Salzburg‘s Oscar Gloukh is a target for Premier League clubs, according to Sky Sports. He’s just 19-year-old but is proving his worth in the Austrian Bundesliga by helping his club reach the summit of the league. Reports state that Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa are keeping an eye on the Israeli teenager. Oh, and this from Andy Barrett made me smile: “Get the Gil outta heah” – Daniel Levy as Mickey Blue Eyes. Once again I’ve missed out on the excellent pun in the headline! Sorry Russell. Your “Gil be coming round” needed to be included. BTW, I’m a sucker for puns. You send ‘em I’ll post ‘em. Here’s a biggie from reader Russell Yong. And rather than edit it, I’m dishing it up in all its glory: “Re: Neil Reeve’s email, everything he says seems objectively true, and yet, none of that seemed to be a problem in Spain, where he has played in teams up and down the league (successful team at Sevilla, a mid-table one in Valencia and one that got relegated in Eibar) and was fine at all of them. People talk of these weaknesses (one-footedness, physical slightness) as if Spain was a league where pressing wasn’t invented, defenders just politely ushered you towards goal and the likes of Ramos, Puyol, Suarez and the entire club of Getafe (not to mention all the cloggers and tactical foulers who pervade the lower reaches of the division) didn’t exist. As if one-footed players like Laurent Robert and Robin van Persie, and players of odd/slight build like Crouch and Leicester-era Mahrez didn’t flourish in the PL. I’m not saying all it takes is a pep-up to guarantee Gil will be a success, just making the point that maybe other factors (like the fact that some managers are just excellent at destroying players’ confidences) are more important than just pointing to players’ physical attributes. If it were that simple, it wouldn’t make any sense for a scout/management team to even contemplate signing such a player to begin with, would it? It’s true that some players thrive in some leagues but not others. Maybe Gil needs a change to unlock his best? Good to get this counter argument in defence of Gil. It’s getting closer: United fans, how do you feel about Jadon Sancho? I’m guessing you’re not enamoured with his stint at Old Trafford. But where does he rank in terms of flops? He’s still a top player and I personally hope he gets back to his best. This is just lovely from Jonathan Wilson. Jadon Sancho is on his way out! That’s according to Sky’s Florian Plettenberg who claims the move back to Borussia Dortmund is “almost a done deal”. It’ll be a sad end to what was a bleak Manchester United career, but at least he’ll be heading back to a loving environment. The question now will be, who killed Sancho’s United career, which, incidentally, is the title of a top piece by Barney Ronay: More Gil chat. Keep ‘em coming! This one’s from Jeff K: I like Gil as well, but, and perhaps understandably given his opportunities for Spurs, always seems desperate to impress when he’s given one. As a result he scurries into cul de sacs, fires cross in with noone in the box, and generally makes poor decisions, shooting when he should pass and vice versa. The name Bryan isn’t doing him any favours, either. Apologies to all the Bryans out there. Great point. It’s often apparent when a player is trying too hard. And for players like Gil who rely on tricks and flicks, it can feel a little desperate when things don’t quite work out. For balance, I should say that I think that Bryan is great name and I encourage all Bryans to get in touch. On Gil, according the Sky Sports the player himself has no desire to leave Spurs. There’s also talk of a loan deal. Oh, and I should note that Neil Reeve’s email was titled, “Spurs’ Achilles Gil” which was criminally overlooked by me before and needs a mention. Neil Reeve, another Spurs fan, has written in to share his views on Gil: On the topic of Bryan Gil: he’s clearly talented - a good dribbler and very energetic and willing. But he’s not strong enough. He’s frequently and easily pushed off the ball. And he’s terriibly one-footed, so any half-decent defender can send him down a cul du sac where he has to pass backwards because he can’t use his right foot. And on that basis, he’s just not good enough for a top four/six Premier League team. I hear all those points. And I saw them on show for myself when I attended the 1-2 reverse against West Ham last year. Which is why I wouldn’t have him as a starter. Then again, if all of that is true, you wouldn’t necessarily want him coming on off the bench. Still think he’s a talent but perhaps Neil is right. If Big Ange wants him, enough said. That’s the short and sweet response from reader John Curry to my question concerning Timo Werner at Spurs. As a supporter of a club with an unpopular manager, it is genuinely encouraging to see how much love Postecoglou recieved from his fanbase. Gil to go? According to that man again, Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham’s Spanish dribbler Bryan Gil could be leaving north London. Feyenoord have added Gil to their wishlist with Fiorentina also interested. For what it’s worth (and it’s not worth much) I’ve always been impressed with him. Seems to add something that Spurs need off the bench in games. Just a thought. What say you Spurs fans? While we’re on the subject of Liverpool, it’s worth remembering that Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo will also spend some time away from the club. They’ll be representing playing international football with Egypt and Japan respectively. Add them to the injury list and the Reds’ reserves are really being tested. Spurs fans, how do you feel about big Timo Werner heading your way? Greame Souness isn’t impressed. Speaking on TalkSport, the ‘ard man from Edinburgh said, “He needs five opportunities to score a goal,” Perhaps. But perhaps he’s turned a corner. Kev McCready has written in and though he’s not as cutting as Souness, he is weary of the move: Werner seems to have found his form, but I still feel he might struggle in the Premier League, even more so in Big Ange’s 4-5-1. The rumour was he nearly signed for Liverpool in 2020, but the board didn’t like the deal (£50m, 20% to his agent). January is the time to hype up youngsters. Normally we’d be doing the same for a talented kid on his way to a big club, but let’s turn our focus onto a talented kid already at a big club (yes, they’re still a big club). I’m talking about Kobbie Mainoo, the 18-year-old who is already proving to be a vital cog in the Manchester United midfield. There is a danger that he plays too many games too early, but, as Will Unwin says, he’s leaning into the challenge. More Liverpool news, but it ain’t good. According to the club’s website Trent Alexander-Arnold will be out for “a few weeks” after picking up a knee injury in the 2-0 win over Arsenal in the FA Cup. That was confirmed just now by the assistant manager, Pepijn Lijnders, who explained that Alexander-Arnold suffered a tear in his lateral ligament after hyperextending on the pitch. There were also updates on other key players including Virgil van Dijk who is available for the Carabao Cup semi-final against Fulham tomorrow after missing the FA Cup clash with an illness. Dominik Szoboszlai is still out but is making progress but the wait goes on for Andy Robertson who will require an update from his surgeon in Dubai. Still, Lijnders is hopeful that the Scotland skipper will be back before the end of the month and had a similarly positive outlook regarding Kostas Tsimikas. The same could not be said for Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic who will have to wait until February at least before they return. It’s not confirmed just yet (at least not that I can see) but it looks like Tiago Djaló, the 23-year-old Portuguese central defender from Lille is on his way to Juventus. He’s played for Portugal from u17 through to the u21s and was on the books of AC Milan back in 2019. Inter Milan were also interested so, though I can’t claim to have too much knowledge on him, with big clubs like that sniffing around I’m going to assume he’s a tidy prospect. Another Liverpool man is in the news. Henderson is still a Liverpool man, right? Once a Red and all that? Anyway, the club’s reserve goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros has completed a loan move to Austrian outfit Sturm Graz for the remainder of the season. The 22-year-old Czech has never represented Liverpool’s first team but has featured on the bench before. This is not his first loan move as he’s previously spent time with St Patrick’s Athletic in Republic of Ireland, Notts County and Stockport County. Not that this is bad news for the young lad. He’s just signed a new Liverpool contract, according to the club’s website. Thanks Yara. Top work as always. Howdy everyone. Have you fully settled into the new year or, like me, are the wheels still gathering pace? Tell what’s already hurtling at full speed is the Jordan Henderson story. As you know by now, the former Liverpool skipper wants out of Saudi Arabia and, according the oracle Fabrizio Romano, Ajax are interested. Of course they’re not the only club with an eye on the 33-year-old midfielder. Of course, all of this hangs on him being released prematurely by Al Ettifaq and before the January window closes. And that is all from me today. The fantastic Daniel Gallan is on board to take you through the rest of the afternoon. Thanks again for tuning in. See you next time. Another reminder that you can stay on top of all the latest transfers across Europe in the men’s and women’s games with our interactives. The most expensive deal on the men’s side has been Vitor Roque who made the move from Athletico Paranaense to Barcelona. The highly rated forward, who was a part of our 2022 Next Gen list, moves in a €30m deal with up to €30m in variables agreed last summer. The biggest name to make a January move on the women’s side so far is Kristie Mewis, who leaves behind NYC Gotham for West Ham. The move to the WSL is, in her words, “a dream come true”. Arsenal are close to signing the North Carolina Courage right-back Emily Fox. According to reports from the Evening Standard, talks have been ongoing between Arsenal and Fox since mid-December. An image from Getty has fuelled speculation that she may already be training with the team. A photo from the Gunners’ warm weather training camp in Portugal that showed Beth Mead and Leah Williamson spread on social media after a figure in the background looked uncannily like Fox. The photo has now been deleted off of official channels. Fox has spent the entirety of her senior career in the NWSL in the United States. In other Afcon news, Mohammed Kudus has joined the rest of the Ghana squad after there were doubts about his availability. He has arrived in Ivory Coast with medical staff from West Ham. David Moyes voiced his frustration that Kudus could not play for the Hammers against Brighton last week, especially when other African players made appearances the day before. It’s unclear as to whether he knew about the extent of Kudus’ injury at the time. Reuters are reporting that the Africa Cup of Nations holders Senegal have been forced into two squad changes days before they begin their title defence with the striker Boulaye Dia and the back-up goalkeeper Seny Dieng ruled out of the tournament in Ivory Coast. The Senegalese federation said on Tuesday they would be replaced by Bamba Dieng and Alfred Gomis. Both play club football for French side, Lorient. Dia’s participation has been in doubt since he injured his knee playing for Salernitana against AC Milan on 22 December but had been given time to try to recover. The Middlesbrough goalkeeper Dieng also travelled to Senegal’s pre-tournament training camp in Dakar in the hope of proving his fitness, but was unsuccessful. He had suffered a thigh injury during victory at Swansea City on 16 December. The new call-ups will be a further blow to Lorient, who sit 17th in the Ligue 1 standings. They already have five players participating in Afcon: Darlin Yongwa (Cameroon), Gedeon Kalulu (DR Congo), Sirine Doucoure (Mali), Formose Mendy (Senegal) and Montassar Talbi (Tunisia). Two more absentees leaves them severely depleted for their game away at Lille this weekend and a subsequent home game against Le Havre on 28 January. Senegal open their Afcon campaign on Monday against the Gambia in Yamoussoukro. Away from transfers for a moment. Yesterday, the German football icon Franz Beckenbauer died. Remembered as one of only three men to win the World Cup as a player and a manager, he was widely known as Der Kaiser as he established his reputation as a commanding defender. He was a man not without his controversies but his impact on German football after he hung up his boots was unprecedented. Andy Brassell writes: Der Kaiser truly became a man of the world. Taking over the West Germany team from Jupp Derwall in 1984, he allied his cache from his impeccable playing career to a new worldliness. Jessie Fleming, Mackenzie Arnold, Jun Endo, Ashley Lawrence and Lineth Beerensteyn are a few of the names who rank between 100 and 71 in our 100 best female footballers in the world in 2023. Stay tuned across the week as we reveal the rest of the list, voted by 112 judges. I have received some emails from you all on Werner and Manchester United: Tim on Timo: I reckon Ange is the type of man manager to elicit the best from a misfiring striker so I feel it’s a risk worth taking. My only concern is that he becomes another Janssen or Soldado, and we already have the fragile Richy. Overall a yes from me – sometimes a January loan can work wonders. Wilhelm from Berlin: I believe it’s Timo’s last – and unexpected – chance to play for a top team in Europe. The funny thing about it is that nobody has a clue if it will work out or not: it’s still possible that he’ll finally get the cork out of the bottle – or it will remain there forever. Richard writes: Werner feels risk-free to me. Pay his £4.3m in wages for the rest of the season. If he’s terrible, send him back, if he’s good we get a good striker for £15.5m. Where’s the downside? You know when you’ve been Levy’d. Spurs fan, Matt: I was never sold on him at Chelsea however his stats in recent seasons are arguably better than Brennan Johnson’s. Johnson has looked promising but is still developing and tends to drift out of games. In the absence of Son and with Richarlison’s form unpredictable, Werner gives us options, experience and doesn’t cost as a lot (by today’s standards). Joy from Jakarta: There’s so little downside to this loan signing, and so much potential upside. It’s strange to see us make such a sensible move. The option to buy at the reported low fee is the clincher. Otherwise we might just be a training ground. So refreshing to not have a charlatan who hates the transfer window in charge. And Jeff on United: Ten Hag should stay away from acquiring players. Up to now he has made bad choices. Our cartoonist David Squires may agree with you there Jeff. Here’s his version of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s review of Manchester United (including signings). Thank you all for your fantastic emails. I really enjoy reading all your thoughts. An update on Ian Maatsen’s loan to Borussia Dortmund. The German side are paying a £2m loan fee and Maatsen has signed a new two-year extension at Chelsea, which takes his deal up until 2027. The left-back’s new deal contains a release clause. Chelsea will hope Maatsen plays enough at Dortmund for his value to increase ahead of a potential summer move. Robin Koch signs a permanent deal with Eintracht Frankfurt. The midfielder was at the club on loan from Leeds, but has committed his future to the German club, signing until 2027. Koch made 77 appearances for Leeds after joining in 2020 but was allowed to leave after the club’s relegation to the Championship last season. On the new deal, the 27-year-old said: I am very satisfied with the first half of the year at Eintracht. I have a lot of fun every day and feel incredibly comfortable here. Everything is as I had hoped. Therefore, it was logical for me and my career that I extend my contract beyond the loan period. I want to continue to move forward here with responsibility and, above all, be successful. We still have a lot to do and I am very confident that we will achieve our goals. I’m really looking forward to the future and an exciting second half of the season.” Werner was a highly rated forward during his first stint RB Leipzig, scoring 34 goals in 45 appearances in his last season before signing with Chelsea. With the Blues, however, he ended up being a relatively disappointing signing. Scoring 23 goals in 89 matches, Werner was seen as a frantic, out of place striker, whose footballing versatility was often questioned. He returned to the Bundesliga in 2022 and has still not reached the heights of seasons past. Any Spurs or Leipzig fans lurking? What are your thoughts on Werner? Send me an email using the details at the top of the blog. Timo Werner to have Tottenham medical today The former Chelsea striker flew out yesterday and is preparing to having his medical, according to multiple reports. Tottenham will sign the RB Leipzig forward on loan until the end of the season with an option to buy. Ange Postecoglou will be without Son Heung-Min for at least a month due to the Asia Cup and it looks like Alejo Veliz has suffered a long-term knee injury, leaving Spurs with few options up front. Werner has made 14 appearances in all competitions for Leipzig this season, netting two goals. A reminder that you can keep up to date with all the deals in Europe’s top five leagues in both the men’s and women’s game with our interactive guides. That’s right. Every. Single. One. Plus there is a convenient club-by-club guide, giving you easy access to see what deals your side have completed. What more could you want? Ivan Toney is ready to play a big part at Brentford after his betting ban is up. The striker, who has been out of action since May, told Sky Sports: “Everyone knows Brentford is a family club, they have been nothing but amazing for me. I can’t thank them enough, especially the fans. They were behind me from the first minute as well. So it’s kind of like I have a lot to repay. “With Brentford, they’re struggling at the moment but I’m sure when I’m back I will play a big part to get them out of the losing form they’ve been in. I can’t wait to get back and be helping my teammates.” Toney has been linked with a move to Arsenal, who have shown that they may need a more decisive finisher, but it seems that the 27-year-old will be remaining in west London for the time being. A move away from Manchester City may be calling for Ellie Roebuck, who has lost her spot as starting goalkeeper. In 2017, Roebuck made a name for herself at City, displacing Karen Bardsley. Now, she finds herself of the other side of the situation, having been replaced by 19-year-old Khiara Keating and without a single minute of playing time this season. Her lack of playing time has affected her spot in the England squad and, with her contract up in six months, she will certainly be assessing options of a move away. Erik ten Hag has not ruled out Manchester United making significant signings during this window after his side have been hit hard with injuries. The number of absentees reached double figures for yesterday’s 2-0 FA Cup win against Wigan, with Christian Eriksen out due to illness and Antony injured. Ten Hag is optimistic a number of players could return in time for Sunday’s Premier League match at home to Tottenham, a United bench made up almost entirely of youngsters at the DW Stadium pointed to the stretched resources. “We consider everything,” Ten Hag said when asked about the window. “So what is in the best interests of the players and also the best interests for us, the team, for Manchester United. So we’ll see how we progress during the window. “I think there will be some players that are hopeful they can be back for the weekend.” Ten Hag said he expected Eriksen to return in time for the Spurs match, while Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire could also be available. In recent days, United have been linked with Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise and Bayern Munich’s Eric Choupo-Moting. Today’s Rumour Mill from Michael Butler has landed. We have Real Madrid eyeing Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, Brighton possibly landing yet another wonderkid in Valentín Barco and a possible Premier League return for Ajax’s Steven Bergwijn. Have any thoughts on transfers you want to share? Send me an email! Details can be found at the top of this blog. What’s the latest on Kylian Mbappé? Who knows at this point. The forward’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain ends in six months, though he does the option to activate a one-year extension. Earlier in the week, it was reported that a deal with Real Madrid, the most likely destination, had been completed. But the player’s camp swiftly denied that rumour. “There is no agreement around Kylian’s future, especially since there are no discussions started about it,” his representatives said in a statement to RMC Sport. “No type of influence could dictate the timing of Kylian’s discussions, reflections or decision.” The France international looked Madrid bound in 2022 until he made the decision to sign an extension with PSG. LaLiga were so unhappy with the turn of events that they made a complaint to Uefa that FFP rules were broken Last summer, his relationship with the French side broke down after he told higher ups that he would not be triggering the clause in his current deal, meaning he would become a free agent in the summer 2024. He was frozen out of the team for a significant period during the club’s pre-season preparations before all was forgiven on the eve of the new season after “positive discussions”. And here we are. There are rumours linking the World Cup winner with multiple clubs around Europe, including in the Premier League. Jordan Henderson reportedly wants out of Al-Ettifaq. According to multiple reports, the former Liverpool captain would be interested in a move back to the Premier League. Ben Jacobs reports that Al-Ettifaq do not want to sell the 33-year-old and will expect any loan deal to cover all of his wages. He has been offered to Bundesliga sides Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen according to TalkSport. Al-Ettifaq are struggling in the Saudi Pro League with the club sitting 28 points off of the leaders in eighth place. Last week, John Duerden wrote on Al-Ettifaq’s struggles and patience towards Steven Gerrard is waning. Radu Dragusin is close to a move to Tottenham, according to reports from Sky Sports and Sky Italy. Spurs have offered an initial fee of £21.5m for the 21-year-old but according to both Sky Germany and the Evening Standard Bayern Munich may look to hijack the deal. We will start with the latest on Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen who is set for a loan move to Borussia Dortmund. The defender has only started one Premier League match this season under Mauricio Pochettino and will be keen to get more minutes under his belt. Here’s more from Jacob Steinberg on Maatsen and an update on Jadon Sancho. Preamble Good morning and welcome to today’s transfer live. It hasn’t been the busiest of windows so far. Let’s see if that changes today. While there hasn’t been an abundance of confirmed deals, the rumours have been coming thick and fast. Tottenham are reportedly close to an agreement with Genoa to sign Radu Dragusin, Jordan Henderson apparently wants back in to the Premier League and now more than ever the Kylian Mbappé saga rumbles on. If you have any thoughts, questions, musings, or complaints then feel free to get in touch. The details can be found at the top of this blog.