Transfer news LIVE: Arsenal identify Isak alternative, Olmo update, Real Madrid discuss Liverpool bid – UK Times

Marcus Rashford…what’s next for him? Well, Liverpool are next, on Sunday, but given he was an unused sub against Newcastle and not in the squad before that, he may not feature again at Anfield.

Meanwhile, TalkSport are claiming that the Manchester United forward’s preference is a move to Spain and therefore Barcelona, but they also say he has lined up different agencies to discuss moves, which Rashford himself says isn’t the case. A less-concrete claim from one of the websites of yesteryear (TeamTalk, if anyone remembers the Teletext days when they’d be regulars with transfer gossip…) suggests PSG and Borussia Dortmund are showing “renewed interest” in him and that United want £50-60m as a fee.

And you can read all about him turning down potential moves to Saudi Arabia, his reasons and the massive money with it right here.

Right then, let’s have a quick catchup of what has been going on in rumour-land and then we’ll delve into things individually…

• Marcus Rashford has rejected the chance to move to Saudi Arabia, turning down three clubs – full details here
• But European teams have now reportedly made their interest known in the Man United forward
• Aston Villa are in talks over a deal for Donyell Malen
• Reports in Italy about an AC Milan move for Darwin Nunez are seemingly wide of the mark
• Arsenal have joined the line of clubs keen on Evan Ferguson
• Ben Godfrey could have a quick return to the Premier League
• And two top-flight clubs want Villa’s Jaden Philogene on loan

Plenty more besides this lot too…let’s get started.

Championship news to kick things off this morning, where Ashley Barnes has gone “back home”, in his own words.

The veteran striker has left Norwich City by mutual consent, where he scored seven times in 49 games across a year and a half, and has rejoined Burnley – the club he had almost a decade at including a spells in the Premier League.

He played nearly 300 times for the Clarets, scoring 67, and he has already won promotion three times with them.

Manchester United do not have the funds to buy players to strengthen their struggling team in the January transfer window.

But after spending more than £200m on summer signings and with very little leeway within Profitability & Sustainability Rules (PSR), United are unable to spend unless they sell.

Real Madrid are mulling over a second January bid for Trent Alexander-Arnold to bring the right-back to the Bernabeu before next summer, when he will be available on a free transfer.

The Times report the Spanish side will test Liverpool’s resolve with Arne Slot’s side top of the Premier League and Champions League.

While the report states no figures were discussed initially, Real Madrid could be ready to pay just over £20m to make the move six months earlier than a potential summer move.

A report claimed the United striker had met with a leading sports agency to try to hasten a move away from Old Trafford.

But Rashford, who is currently represented by his brother Dwaine Maynard, wrote on Instagram: “Been a lot of false stories written over the past few weeks, but guys this is getting ridiculous – never met with any agency and don’t have any plans to…”

As a sign of how constrained this January window might be, one mid-level Champions League club briefly considered whether a move for Marcus Rashford might be possible. There was a feeling his comments about leaving Manchester United could lead to a knock-down price… only for their interest to almost immediately be knocked down. The plan to try and enquire about a £30m deal didn’t even get off the ground.

The gap to what United would actually want, which is understood to be beyond £60m, shows how it might take an awful lot to get this market going. One circular problem sums up everything. Most Premier League clubs want to do significant business but PSR has left highly-paid squads with little headroom, and those in Europe just don’t have the money to spend. Many of the latter are still struggling after Covid, especially when the English competition so inflates the wage race. As a consequence, almost everyone needs to sell first, but there are few buyers to make that happen. That is the set-up for stagnation, and a market that simply won’t move.

The winter transfer window is open, with clubs across Europe looking for value in a difficult market this month.

Injury crises, title challenges and relegation battles will force plenty of clubs into the market in early 2025, with plenty of eyes on the Premier League as clubs such as Arsenal and Manchester City look primed to make signings.

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was speaking at the Globe Soccer Dubai Awards and underlined what the Premier League club will do – and don’t want to do – in January as they look to build on a great first half of the season.

Forest are second in the table, behind only Liverpool, after losing just four times this term so far.

“We will do whatever is needed to be stronger and of course our coach (Nuno Espirito Santo) will decide what he really needs,” said Marinakis. “We must keep the same spirit and same environment in the dressing room and all our players this year have the right spirit. This is a very good climate we should try our very best not to interrupt it.

“It is an important achievement because in all positions we have players who perform or even over-perform. For us this is our first priority – keep the momentum, keep winning and continue to enjoy the journey.”

It is understood that Saudi Arabian clubs were the first to act on this, with three of them making offers that would involve wages in excess of Rashford’s £315,000-a-week contract at United. The player has already turned these down, and has made it known he is unwilling to move to Turkey, as he desires a move that would help to win back his England place in time for the 2026 World Cup.