Transfer news LIVE: Arsenal set to sign Zubimendi, Liverpool miss out on £65m deal, Man Utd open to sales

It’s perhaps one of the more far-fetched rumours out there, but a report from Catalan outlet El Nacional claims that Lionel Messi could return to Barcelona on loan.

The report states that Messi will look to renew his contract with Inter Miami in the coming months, signing a deal until the end of 2026. This would then enable him to be loaned out during the MLS’ close-season, and Messi could look to return to Barcelona in order to stay match-fit in the lead up to the 2026 World Cup.

In any case, this move would not be possible until 2026, but it could be one to look out for!

Some of the big news from yesterday…

The 25-year-old frontman, who had 18 months of his contract remaining at Dortmund, has joined for an undisclosed fee, reported to be in the region of £21million, although Villa have not released details of the length of his deal.

A statement on the club’s official website read: “Aston Villa is delighted to announce the signing of Dutch international Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund.

The recent injury to Niclas Fullkrug seems to have forced West Ham into the January market, with the Hammers reportedly looking for a striker.

The Guardian are reporting that RB Leipzig forward André Silva is a target, while Evann Guessand of Nice has also been linked to Graham Potter’s side.

Some potential relief for Liverpool fans, with reports emerging in Spain that Real Madrid have given up on trying to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold in the winter window.

Relevo reports that Los Blancos believe it will be impossible to sign the England full-back this month, though they will come back to try and sign him this summer.

Compromises in the transfer market and unrealistic ambition has left Mikel Arteta and Ange Postecoglou in similar positions despite being on different sides of the north London divide 

Some at the club would have said they should have had such a player in place before this season. Arteta wants a physically imposing forward who can grow, with Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres, Paris Saint-Germain’s Randal Kolo Muani and Brighton’s Evan Ferguson all raised, and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko the ideal profile.

The hope is to break the recent block, and maybe break a ceiling. On the latter, there’s a fact that those close to Arteta feel worth reminding people of, especially amid all of the emotive debate that has followed the recent drop in form.

High-flying Nottingham Forest “are actively looking for options that can improve the squad” according to Sky Sports, with a new striker reportedly high on Nuno Espirito Santo’s wish list.

Nevertheless, “Nottingham Forest’s priority remains to tie down Murillo, Ola Aina and Chris Wood to new contracts”, adds Rob Dorsett.

In terms of outgoings, the club are prepared to listen to offers for Emmanuel Dennis, Lewis O’Brien, Harry Toffolo and Andrew Omabamadele. However, Taiwo Awoniyi wil not be allowed to leave unless they have a replacement.

Breaking news regarding Chelsea, as The Athletic’s David Ornstein reports that the club have activated their option to recall Trevoh Chalobah from his loan at Crystal Palace.

The 25-year-old will return to Stamford Bridge “with immediate effect”, adds Ornstein.

As ever, plenty of rumours persist around both sales and incomings for Chelsea.

The strongest links surround the pursuit of Mathys Tel, who currently plays for Bayern Munich, with the Bavarian side reportedly keen on signing Christopher Nkunku too.

Elsewhere, summer signing Renato Veiga continues to be linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund, while Chelsea are keen on selling centre-back Axel Disasi.

Liam Delap is another player who has been linked with Stamford Bridge, with a reported fee of around £30m, but that rumour has gone quiet in recent days.

Meanwhile, The Telegraph says that Chelsea have a young and unnamed centre-back on their transfer list for the summer, but could look to move the deal forward if is becomes necessary.

The Daily Mail are reporting that Manchester United have decided against a move for Jarrad Branthwaite after seeing Harry Maguire’s recent upturn in form.

The club’s decision to award the England centre-back with a new contract means that they will avoid going in for a ready-made replacement in the summer, and will instead look to invest in a young player with potential, in a similar vein to Leny Yoro.

All 20 Premier League sides have avoided charges relating to Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) for the 2023/24 season after the league deemed every club to have been financially compliant.

PSR stipulates that clubs cannot post losses of more than £105m over a three-year period, with most clubs required to submit their accounts for the 2023/24 season by 31 December.

This year, the Premier League has adjudged that all clubs have adhered to the rules – in 2024, the league charged both Everton and Nottingham Forest with PSR breaches, with the Merseyside club later being given an eight-point reduction, while Forest were docked four points.