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⚽ Transfer interactive: deals from Europe’s top five leagues
⚽ 7pm GMT deadline | Follow us on Bluesky | Email Will Thanks John. Tell me how good does it feel, and so on. And with that, Daniel Harris is at the wheel. A penitent Graham Moger gets back in touch: “Mmm…apologies John. Perhaps I should have checked the ubiquitous AI first. Apparently ‘up-capped’ is UK speak - mainly amongst publishers (and presumably journos …oops…. journalists! )“ “There has been plenty of uncertainty over whether West Ham will be able to convince Axel Disasi to join on loan. I’m told this deal is now moving in the right direction, with the Chelsea defender expected to undergo a medical this afternoon. ” On Sky Sports News, the desperation levels are moving to the acceptance phase; not much happening. The reporter sent to Villa Park sighs that there will no incomings at Aston Villa. They’re also showing the make-up room at the Osterley HQ. One nugget, from Michael Bridge, their reporter – not the one-time Sunderland and Leeds tyro – is that Tottenham are after Hearts’ James Wilson, also on a Under-21 basis. Graham Moger gets in touch: “Good afternoon John…. …. or should i say ‘Howde y’all”. “Thanks for the entertaining live reports, as always. But ‘Up-capped’ nouns indeed! Surely ‘capitalised’ nouns is the correct adjective for a UK-based report. You’ll be using uptick instead of increase, and push back rather than resist. “Heaven knows to what extent North American idioms will continue to flood the Guardian offices during and after the World Cup this summer - hundreds…. thousands… you do the math. ” Hate to do the well, actually but well, actually, that’s a phrase used in sub-editing, one I learned in the last century. On the subject of which, Loig gets in touch: “Apparently young Ruben Kluivert - who had started to impose himself and deliver - is already leaving l’Olympique Lyonnais to join Palace. Has a couple of assists (yesterday to name but one) and goals to his name. ” Crystal Palace are clearly the club who like to do their Christmas shopping, with attendant variable results. Via our friends at Get French Football News “Olympique Lyonnais have refused to negotiate with Crystal Palace over signing Ruben Kluivert (23) on transfer deadline day, according to Foot Mercato. The Dutchman has been a regular feature for Les Gones in recent weeks, and they want to keep him at the club. ” Kev Mc Cready gets in touch: “As a long-standing Liverpool fan, can I ask some LFC fans (I call them Tinfoil Toshacks) to give Arne a break and don’t blame Klopp for the collapse of the Geertruda transfer? This is Liverpool, not Grassy Knoll FC. ” I must have missed all this. Klopp being at Red Bull…back and to the left, back and to the left. All adds uo, right? Reports that Kalvin Phillips, one of those forgotten players who has been in limbo – see Harvey Elliott and Raheem Sterling - will head to Sheffield United on loan. Yes, he’s still a Manchester City player. He was at Ipswich last season and it never quite happened for him. Here’s Monday’s Football Weekly, which as far as I recall, includes very little transfer talk. Done deal: West Brom have signed Aston Villa’s 19-year-old midfielder Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba on loan until the end of the season. The 19-year-old rejoins his former club, whom he joined aged six but left aged 16 for Villa. Jimoh-Aloba scored his first Villa goal to cap their comeback Europa League win against RB Salzburg last week but now leaves for the Championship in search of regular game-time. “This was the No 1 place I wanted to come to because of the emotions and feelings I have towards the club, ” he said. “This is a massive club that should be in a much better place and I want to come here and help and do the best I can. I’m determined to help lift the team. ” Sack race news: A statement from Blackburn, including unnecessary up-capped nouns. “Valérien Ismaël has today left his position as Blackburn Rovers’ Head Coach by mutual consent. “Ismaël joined the club in February 2025, however it has been mutually agreed that he will step away from his role with immediate effect, along with Assistant Head Coach Dean Whitehead. Blackburn Rovers would like to thank Valérien and Dean for their efforts during their time at the club and wish them both the very best for the future. “The club will now begin the process of appointing a new Head Coach and will make no further comment until an appointment is confirmed. ” Dom Booth caught up with the misery at Rovers over the weekend. Over on the Coventry Telegraph, they’re getting very excited about Frank Lampard’s Coventry signing Frank “The Tank” Onyeka. Quite the intro here: “Similar to when white smoke rises from the chimney of Sistine Chapel, when Fabrizio Romano posts on social media you can pretty much be assured an agreement has been reached. “And so, it seems, Frank ‘The Tank’ Onyeka is joining Coventry City today as the Sky Blues add a fourth new signing in the January transfer window, which closes at 7pm tonight. ” Onyeka is a decent player but hasn’t got the game time he’d like at Brentford. Done deal: Defender Leo Hjelde has joined Championship club Sheffield United on loan from Sunderland for the remainder of the season. The 22-year-old, who joined the Black Cats from Leeds in January 2024, played his part in the club’s return to the Premier League at the end of the last campaign, but is yet to make an appearance this term after undergoing Achilles surgery. More Manchester United news, with reports suggesting “U21s captain Jacob Devaney is heading for St Mirren. ” Seems some of the kids are being sent to test their credentials in senior football. More EFL, more Wrexham news, via the Sheffield Star’s Alex Miller, on X: “Understand Bailey Cadamarteri is scheduled for a medical at Wrexham this afternoon. Deal agreed with Sheffield Wednesday. ” Andy Donald gets in touch: “Why is it always deadline day when everyone seems to try and buy Palace players? Is it that they say no repeatedly in the run up to deadline day until clubs make things more public out of frustration? This is two windows in a row in which Palace are scrambling around to find a replacement for an outgoing player but also the player might end up staying. It feels more like a Palace issue but that could be because they are the crisis club du jour. ” So does Bob O’Hara: “Unai Emery missed a trick if he wanted Liverpool to take Harvey Elliot back. Should have played him in defence on Saturday. ” Will Unwin jogs my elbow to remind of this magnum opus on the Scanlon clan. Any relation to Craig Scanlon? Or even Albert Scanlon? James Carpenter gets in touch: “Going to assume that “ Chelsea need a strong centre-back, it’s a position they are short in” was sarcasm? Including loanees and bomb squadees, they have: Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Colwill, Chalobah, Fofana, Sarr, Anselmino and Disasi. You could throw in Hato and Acheampong in there as well. ” Well, yes, but do you see a John Terry among that bunch? Though perhaps JT would have been flogged off for “pure profit” by now by the Blue Co regime. Not transfer news but relevant to a team who have spent big this window and ended up disappointed at Tottenham on Sunday. A bit of EFL news: Wrexham are dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s on a deal to take Davis Keillor-Dunn back to the club. The striker is poised to follow Zak Vyner through the door, the defender joining in a £1. 5m deal from Bristol City. Elsewhere, Portsmouth striker Callum Lang has submitted a formal transfer request after the club rejected three bids from Championship rivals Preston North End, the latest of which totalled a £1. 75m package. Preston believe they have matched the player’s valuation but Pompey are digging their heels in over the player, who joined from Wigan in 2024. Manchester United youngster James Scanlon, 19, appears set to join Swindon on loan Scanlon, already a Gibraltar international, has outgrown academy football and his parent club want him to play EFL football. Wiki fact: Scanlon’s mother Gabriella (née Falero) is a former athlete who jointly holds the Gibraltarian record for the women’s 4 × 100 m relay Interesting that Liverpool are beating Chelsea to Jeremy Jacquet, with the Blues linked for far longer. Chelsea need a strong centre-back, it’s a position they are short in. Liverpool are looking for a long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk. A number of Championship clubs are interested in the Burnley centre-back Joe Worral. Sheffield United, Southampton and Leicester are eager to bring in an experienced defender but the Premier League club are currently reluctant to let him leave. The 29-year-old has only made eight appearances for the Clarets this season but Scott Parker values his leadership inside the dressing room. What of Harvey Elliott, landlocked but back in the Aston Villa squad? Should he make 10 appearances in the Premier League then a deal will be triggered, when Unai Emery has made it all but clear the player is not what he envisages in his midfield. Emery said after Sunday’s defeat to Brentford: “We have this issue, tomorrow is the deadline. There was nothing changing before today. ” Liverpool would have to pull the loan, and that seems unlikely at this late stage. Another Arsenal transfer move being discussed is for Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali. The Italian is a player a few have predicted will depart in the summer. Newcastle have issued a terse response to speculation, their briefing to local reporters including words like “complete rubbish” and “stupid”. So that’s that. Ivan Toney sees his future in Saudi Arabia where he sees his best chance of playing at the World Cup being realised. In an interview with the Mirror’s Darren Lewis, he said: I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, there are players in this league that could still play in the Premier League. The standard is high. I’ve played in the Premier League. I should know. If Al-Ahli were in the Premier League, we’d finish quite high. That’s my personal opinion. People might kill it, no problem. But I know my teammates, and I know their qualities. You have to be on it every week, because if you’re not, you get pushed over. You have to be in the right mindset. Some extra info on that surprise James Wilson Arsenal move via the Scottish Sun reporter Robert Grieve, on X: “James Wilson to Arsenal would be a loan to their U-21s. No option to buy. Effectively a trial for a youngster not getting much football at Hearts. Their approach has now sparked interest from other clubs…” Anything can happen on deadline day…so let’s see what transpires.


