After spending a season with Everton, transfer news surrounds James Rodriguez with a possible move to Qatar. James Rodriguez joined Everton from Real Madrid in the summer of 2020 but looks set to leave after falling out of favour under Rafa Benitez. According to reports, that the 30-year-old is in talks over a move to Qatar. Rodriguez is under contract for the rest of the season but has not played at all under Benitez.

Also Read: Premier League top scorers in the last ten seasons

The Colombia international played under Benitez during his time with Real Madrid back in the 2015/16 season. Reports from the time stated that Rodriguez refused to cut short a summer holiday to join the pre-season tour.

A couple of months into the campaign, Rodriguez opted to play for his country despite carrying an injury. Which questioned Benitez's apparent doubts over his physical condition.

Also Read: Transfer News: Players with more than €100m transfer tag

In short, it seems that the pair didn't exactly see eye to eye. And this is football, where grudges endure like in few other areas, so it's hardly surprising that the midfielder didn't appear to be in Benitez's plans on Merseyside (although his absence so far this season has been because of a Covid-related problem).

Manchester United are reportedly preparing for a massive summer signing as they eye the services of star Olympique Lyonnais forward Rayan Cherki.

The Red Devils are interested in strengthening their squad, and they have now joined the race to sign the gifted French under-21 forward, after it was reported that Lyon is willing to sell the player for approximately £20 million.

Read Also | Olympique Lyonnais faces provisional relegation and transfer ban

Manchester United are adamant to turn things around

In a difficult ongoing campaign this season, Manchester United have registered a record low point total in the Premier League, sitting on 38 points.

With only 6 games remaining to play for, the call for new talent has never been greater inside the club. Cherki, widely considered one of the most talented players in the world at this moment, has been identified as a top target for the club's Portuguese manager, Ruben Amorim.

Read Also | Ruben Amorim has handed Manchester United owners his wish-list of three players

The various reports point out Cherki's great talent and his undeniable potential to shape games at the highest level. He has performed marvelously on the field in this season alone, achieving great statistics that would upgrade any team.

Cherki's display has attracted United's scouting department, particularly with the Red Devils' own challenges in creativity and attacking potency.

Cherki draws interest from Red Devils' management

At only the age of 21, Rayan Cherki has already become a familiar name in French and world football, and this season was his coming-out party.

His record of 13 goals from 23 appearances for France's U-21 team says volumes about his talent. Although Manchester United is still keen on signing him, the negotiating table will have to wait until the next summer transfer window, especially after facing Lyon in the Europa League.

By the way, Cherki's last-minute equalizer in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League quarter-final matchup saved Lyon a 2-2 draw at home against United last week.

🇫🇷⭐️ | 𝐑𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐢 (𝟐𝟏) vs Man United:

1 Goal.
4 Key Passes.
4/7 Successful Take-Ons.
85% Pass Accuracy.
41 Passes Completed.
100% Successful Long Balls.
2/5 Successful Crosses.
6/11 Ground Duels Won.

𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒. pic.twitter.com/jF3u3ZJKDG

— Rising Stars XI (@RisingStarXI) April 10, 2025

With Cherki catching headlines in Ligue 1, only time will tell how Lyon will deal with a possible transfer. United's desire is obvious, and if properly negotiated, Cherki's signing at Old Trafford may commence a new era for the club's attacking prowess.

Liverpool FC is reportedly on the verge of arranging Darwin Nunez's departure from Anfield this summer if the Saudi Arabian revives its interest in the striker.

The Uruguayan striker had moved to the Reds from Portuguese giants Benfica in a deal worth up to £85 million back in the summer transfer window of 2022.

With a struggling season continuing for him at the Merseyside club, Nunez is believed to be out of new coach Arne Slot's plans and will look to rejuvenate his career in the Gulf.

Nunez may leave Liverpool in the upcoming transfer window

Nunez's Liverpool career has been affected by difficulties, as he has found it hard to establish himself in the club throughout his early years.

In his three years at the Merseyside club, he has scored 40 goals in 136 games across all competitions, but this season has been the most disappointing so far for the 25-year-old, as he has scored just seven times across all competitions.

With the direction of new head coach Arne Slot, Nunez has found himself out of favor, another contributing factor to speculation about his future. 

🗞️ Liverpool are reportedly expecting major transfer offers from clubs in the Saudi Pro League for Darwin Nunez this summer.

(Source: @caughtoffside) pic.twitter.com/Zo5DqYSj6m

— Anything Liverpool (@AnythingLFC_) March 28, 2025

Renowned Football Transfer journalist Duncan Castles broke the news on the latest episode of 'The Transfers Podcast' that Liverpool would accept a big Saudi Arabian offer and would be willing to urge Nunez to leave if they come back for him. Castles stated:

Liverpool would be happy if the Saudis came in and would encourage a move for Nunez. They would like to get some kind of significant return on the initial €75 million that they paid Benfica three years ago.

“From the Saudi perspective, [Nunez] still has that ability to be a name within the Saudi game and to deliver goals with his physicality. Interestingly, I’m told that his girlfriend, Lorena Manas, who is the ex-wife of former Barcelona player Aleix Vidal, has been working with agents to explore opportunities elsewhere.

“So it looks like this is both sides pushing against the same door with Nunez, or at least Nunez’s partner, encouraging him to look for a move and Liverpool happy to sell the player with a strong, affluent potential buyer in Saudi Arabia.

Interestingly, it had been hinted that Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr had made a substantial annual deal of €35 million towards Nunez back in January, having already made an offer of £58 million for the forward.

According to reports, Nunez's girlfriend, Lorena Manas, has also been working closely with agents to look into possible transfers in mutual consent, implying a joint pressure for a potential move.

Real Madrid, the most successful club in European football history, never miss an opportunity to get the best players in the world. Los Blancos' current president Florentino Perez likely never misses out on his big targets. After setting an eye on English Full-Back Trent Alexander-Arnold, it looks like they will eventually get the defender from Liverpool.

The Trent transfer saga:

Real Madrid's interest in the English Full-Back has grown day by day. However, they still have a couple of Full-Back options in the form of Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vasquez.

Including, they have an academy-grown option in the form of Raul Asencio. After Jurgen Klopp announced his departure from The Reds, it seems likely that some of their certain figures are submitting wishes for the transfer. More likely the names are Virgil Van-Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The Reds are offering Contract extensions to the trio which is ending after the 2024/25 season. However, according to the reports, none of those players are showing any kind of interest in the contract extensions. Richard Hughes, the current sporting director of Liverpool FC is fully focused on signing the important trio of Van Dijk, Arnold, and Salah.

So, the reports via English and Spanish media look baseless, and some of their reports still look lost by Liverpool's managerial statements. Moreover, some of the reports are just claiming that the Trent to Real Madrid saga is just a rumour.

Why this move makes sense:

The end of the 24/25 season is near. Alexander Arnold's boyhood club is Liverpool and after being a graduate of the Red Academy graduate, he is more likely to have a secret willingness to join the Los Blancos. His playing style, and ability to orchestrate the attack this kind of playstyle would be a perfect piece of Carlo Ancelotti's Madrid lineup. 

In the absence of Dani Carvajal in Carlo Ancelotti's Madrid, they need an attacking full-back and a replacement for Dani. Carlo Ancelotti's Los Blancos does not get any time to replace the injured Dani Carvajal. Real Madrid needs a plan on the right side of the defence. 

Arnold's reaction to the transfer saga:

In the English Premier League match against West Ham, after scoring the 5th goal for the Reds he ran toward the corner flag in celebration and made a gesture about the transfer saga rumours between him and the Los Blancos.

Things move quickly in the footballing world. In the recent clash against Manchester United on 5th January 2025 at Anfield, the Reds just managed to get one point against the Red Devils. Arnold's game is not up to the mark and fails to fulfil Arne Slot's game plan. Seven days after the West Ham goal and the victory, Madrid offered 25 million euros for the English full-back to add him to the Los Blancos in this transfer window. But seems like the full-back is going to join Real Madrid as a free agent or more likely he will join the European giants in the next transfer window.

La Liga organisers have clearly announced that FC Barcelona were not able to register their star player Dani Olmo before the given time and the player is no longer a FC Barcelona player. Along with Dani Olmo, the Catalan club have also failed to register Pau Victor before the last date, which was 31st December. 

There is no data for players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor on La Liga's official website, which confirmed the situation and announcement from La Liga. 

Barcelona, who have facing a financial crisis for a long now, had signed Olmo until December 31, 2024, at 80% of Danish defender Andreas Christensen's salary, who was injured earlier this year. Amidst all of these reports, the good news for Barcelona fans is that Christensen has returned to training and will be available for selection in Barcelona's next La Liga fixture.

La Liga had imposed a spending limit, which enabled Barcelona to have Dani Olmo only for a certain period of time and was allowed to play until Barcelona resolved their financial issues. Barca had signed the Spanish star for €60 million. But, if they are not been able to register the player, they would face a bigger financial loss.

Read Also | January Transfer Window: All you need to know

"Barcelona have failed to register Dani Olmo and Pau Victor"

During the season, Joan Laporta, the Barcelona president had announced that a deal with Nike would help them resolve the Financial Fair Play situation and they would return to the 1:1 rule, mandated by La Liga. But, he has not been able to resolve the issue yet.

"La Liga informs that, as of today, December 31, FC Barcelona has not presented any alternative that, in compliance with La Liga's economic control regulations, allows them to register any player starting January 2," La Liga stated. 

Read Also | Five best footballers of 2024 (men's): Vini, Yamal and who?

Olmo is a free agent now and can sign for any club

Barcelona had applied to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for new registration of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, but RFEF does not want to get in between La Liga and the club. RFEF is clear that they would only register the player if it is authorized by La Liga. 

So, as of the situation right now, Dani Olmo is a free agent and can sign for any other club if he wishes to do so. However, as per his agent Andy Bara has expressed that Olmo is willing to stay in Barcelona despite Barcelona's appeal to register him being denied. 

🚨 Dani Olmo arrives at Barcelona’s training ground for today’s session while his registration case is not resolved yet.
📸 @DavidIbanez5 pic.twitter.com/CwOYPgTA0r

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 1, 2025

Football clubs across the globe will be back in business in the transfer market as the January Transfer Window draws near. Players will be listed for transfers as the clubs will look for potential reinforcements to chase the coveted success in the ongoing season. 

The 2024-25 January transfer window is officially open in England, Germany, and France from today, whereas clubs from Spain and Italy will engage in the market from tomorrow. The window will also conclude by adhering to different deadlines. 

Here are the timeframes of the January transfer window for the clubs from different European countries:

Negotiating transfers during the January window has its pros and cons, yet the thrill and intensity are just as significant as those in the summer transfer period.

Although the summer transfer window concludes typically in August, clubs keep their off-screen business running to shortlist, evaluate, and monitor players to acquire their services in the January window.

There have been many exciting speculations ahead of January that could take shape and rumours that could take unexpected turns in the coming days. 

🥂 Here we go! 2025 is here, January transfer window open! ✨

Happy new year to all of you, guys… wishing you health and happiness as always!

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 31, 2024

We have shortlisted the most speculated transfers, extensions, and rumours regarding some big names as well as youngsters across the European football circuit.

January Transfer Window: Players to watch

Mohamed Salah: Contract extension with Liverpool?

Mohamed Salah confirmed on 30 December that he is "far away" from signing a new deal at Liverpool. The Egyptian maestro will be a free agent after June 2025 if Liverpool fails to pen down a contract extension with the talisman. 

The 32-year-old forward is flying high with The Reds, enjoying one of the best seasons in the Premier League. However, Liverpool has been negotiating with the player for sometimes but no solution has been facilitated. Earlier this season, Salah also said that he was "disappointed by the club's failure" to offer him a new deal.

If Liverpool fails to negotiate with Salah while meeting the personal terms and financial expectations, there might be a chance that Salah can sign pre-contract agreements with foreign clubs, which has come into force from 1 January 2025; along with captain Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold who all are running out of contract this summer.

It is not clear yet if Salah wants to leave or stay with the club, as he has refused to discuss this matter in public. He clearly refused to "put anything on media". 

Dani Olmo: The registration fiasco

After moving to FC Barcelona for a €55m transfer fee from RB Leipzig last summer, Dani Olmo has become a free agent ahead of the January window. The Catalan club's appeal to register the Spanish international has reportedly been blocked by the Spanish Football Federation on 31 December, the deadline day.

LaLiga has now said in an official statement that Barcelona has failed to adhere to the Financial Fair Play rules, quoting that Barcelona "did not present any alternative" on meeting to the regulations, which was required for the club to "register any player beginning on January 2."

Barcelona injected some financial boost after reportedly reaching a deal to sell the VIP boxes to generate €100m to register Dani Olmo, along with Pau Victor. But the LaLiga committee continues to block the appeals made by Barcelona. 

Olmo has clearly shown his intentions to continue with Barcelona, but everything depends on the series of events in the upcoming days. 

The potential availability of the Euro 2024 winner on a free transfer in January has alerted some Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United. 

Trent Alexander-Arnold: Linked with Real Madrid 

Real Madrid have reportedly been monitoring Trent Alexander-Arnold for some time now, and the Spanish club has made their intentions clear about signing the Liverpool full-back.

As per the most recent report from Sky Sports today, Real Madrid did not make a formal offer but approached Liverpool about the player, but the current Premier League leaders have turned down the proposal. 

Trent's contract at Liverpool ends in June 2025, ahead of the summer transfer window. Back in September, the 26-year-old England international hinted at his contract extension, saying that his negotiations with Liverpool will not be 'played out' in public.

It will be interesting to see how this speculation goes down as Liverpool is well-shaped this season, leading the table both in the Premier League and the Champions League.

Viktor Gyökeres: Comeback to the Premier League?

After a stellar 2024, the Swedish striker has drawn interest from many big European outfits. However, Viktor Gyökeres is currently on a contract with Sporting CP that runs until June 2028. With a current market value of €75m and a release clause of over €100m, very few clubs will be able to afford the transfer fees Sporting will demand.

Following the departure of Ruben Amorim as head coach and also his successor Joao Pereira, Rui Borges has taken the helm at Sporting but the club has slipped in the Champions League and also domestically. Although Borges won his first game against Benfica on 30 December 2024, other clubs can take advantage of the situation in the upcoming days. 

Both Arsenal and Manchester United have been in a race to sign the 27-year-old prospect. A January move seems unlikely, but no one can really predict the aspects of the transfer window. 

Marcus Rashford: Move to Saudi imminent?

Marcus Rashford is seeking to leave Manchester United after being dropped completely in recent matches. Under the new manager Ruben Amorim, the 27-year-old forward has got a handful of minutes and he reportedly does not want to play under the Portuguese, although he has a contract until June 2028.

Rashford is now eyeing to facilitate his exit from Manchester United but the player may have to battle hardships to convince any other European outfit to sign him. Reports suggested that Barcelona can make a move for the English forward, but there has been no recent development.

However, Saudi clubs such as Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Qadsiah have reportedly shown interest in signing Rashford. 

Randal Kolo Muani: Linked with Chelsea

The French striker has been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea in January, as reports suggested that Chelsea are officially preparing a bid. The Paris Saint-Germain striker is currently valued at €80m, but Chelsea are reportedly looking to splash cash to reinforce their attacking options. 

However, Kolo Muani was linked with Manchester United as well, but the Red Devils are now out of the race. The insiders from Old Trafford have confirmed that the club have a limited budget for the January window. 

Other players linked with reported possible moves

• Matheus Cunha, who currently plays for Wolves, is reportedly shortlisted by Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Newcastle after his electrifying performances in recent matches. 
• Newcastle striker Alexander Isak has been regularly linked with Arsenal.
• Galatasaray has approached PSG to discuss a loan deal for defender Milan Skriniar.
• Both Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen and Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle have been linked to Manchester City.
• Martin Zubimendi, the Real Sociedad midfielder, has attracted interest from top Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Manchester City. Real Madrid is reportedly preparing for a bid as well.
• Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku, has been linked with a January move to clubs like Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
• Manchester United are keen on signing Victor Osimhen.