- Steven Gerrard has demanded more signings with Al-Ettifaq winless in eight
- Fulham face battles to keep hold of stars Tosin Adarabioyo and Joao Palhinha
- IAN LADYMAN: Mikel Arteta gets criticised for his touchline behaviour, but Arsenal are a team that reek of excellent coaching – It’s All Kicking Off
It’s nearly time to put your feet up and relax after a long build-up to Christmas – but not so for football agents!
Yarns of gossip are still spilling out from the football world as clubs, players, and representatives prepare for January – and teams won’t stop until they’re unwrapping their dream man.
Kylian Mbappe is the most wanted star for a lot of clubs, but he’s reportedly happy to stay at PSG in January – a complicating revelation considering it would be PSG’s last chance to sell him if he doesn’t extend his contract.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are reportedly eager to extend Joao Felix’s loan from Atletico Madrid while Steven Gerrard is begging for signings before his Al-Ettifaq ship capsizes.
Mail Sport rounds up the hottest gossip on Christmas Eve.
Kylian Mbappe is reportedly happy to stay at PSG in January, complicating matters for the club
Mbappe is keen to stay at PSG in January and the club remain in talks over extending his contract, which expires in the summer. January would be their last chance to gain money from selling him unless he renews. (L’Equipe)
Liverpool are ‘unlikely’ to revive their interest in Fluminense midfielder Andre Trinade, despite being linked with him over the summer. (The Athletic Football Podcast)
Crystal Palace will not bow down to Tottenham and Newcastle’s interest in defender Marc Guehi unless they stump up a ‘massive’ fee for him – though the exact price tag is not stated. (The Sun)
Lyon are reportedly keen on signing Said Benrahma, whose role at West Ham has diminished
Barcelona could look to extend Felix’s loan from Atletico Madrid beyond this season. His contract with Atletico is up in 2029 and Barcelona would struggle to buy both him and Joao Cancelo. (GOAL)
RC Strasbourg could sign Boca Juniors’ highly rated young left-back Valentin Barco. That would open up a potential future pathway to Chelsea, who are part of the same multi-club model. (Evening Standard)
Liverpool, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich will have to be prepared to pay £50-60million for midfield target Joao Palhinha, who penned a fresh five-year deal with Fulham in September. (Football Insider)
Gerrard has claimed that Al-Ettifaq need to be ‘ruthless’ and demanded more signings after his side’s winless run stretched to eight games, putting his job under more pressure. (ESPN)
Fulham will reportedly only be prepared to let Joao Palhinha go for a fee exceeding £50m
Lyon are keen on West Ham’s Said Benrahma, who has spent lots of this campaign warming the bench. (talkSPORT)
Manchester City are set to sign Leeds’ Finley Gorman, 15, in early January and are still pushing for River Plate’s 17-year-old midfielder Claudio Echeverri. (Fabrizio Romano)
Monaco could try to sign Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo in January. They had two bids rejected in the summer and many thought they would come back for him when his contract expires at the end of the season. (L’Equipe)
