Nottingham Forest center back Murillo and Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney are on Michael Carrick’s shortlist at Manchester United, while Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has turned his attention to signing Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.
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TRENDING RUMORS
Hayden Hackney has worked with Michael Carrick before. Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images
– Nottingham Forest center back Murillo is a prominent player on Manchester United’s radar as they look to replace Harry Maguire when his contract expires in the summer, says The Daily Mail. Murillo, 23, has long drawn attention from Chelsea and is ready to move on despite signing a 4½ year contract in January 2025, but qualifying for the Champions League would significantly strengthen United’s chances of completing a move. Meanwhile, United will join Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham and Everton in pursuit of Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney, says TEAMtalk. New United boss Michael Carrick is a big admirer of the 23-year-old after working with him previously, but Boro are keen to keep him until the summer.
– Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has turned his attention to signing Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp while “looking for saviors” as the club is at “rock bottom,” as reported by Sky Sports Deutschland. Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández is also on Los Blancos‘ shortlist, but the club will face competition from Paris Saint-Germain. A deal for Haaland would be difficult to complete as over €500 million would be required to sign the 25-year-old, and Brazil forward Vinícius Júnior would have to be offloaded first. Another Sky Sports Deutschland report suggests that Real Madrid are closely monitoring 19-year-old Bayer Leverkusen forward Christian Kofane.
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– Real Madrid’s change in management could lead to a move for PSG center back Willian Pacho, as reported by Marca. The Ecuador international has only been with Les Parisiens for two years, but current interim boss Alvaro Arbeloa is the priority option to manage Madrid permanently next season and would try to sign the 24-year-old if he takes the job full time.
– There have been various links involving Juventus. Firstly, Sky Sports Italia reports that the Bianconeri are considering whether to move for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta now or in the summer, with the Eagles wanting a fee of around €40 million. Meanwhile, Gazzetta dello Sport states that they could move for Celta Vigo right back Oscar Mingueza, despite his contract ending in the summer, in addition to completing the return of Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa. And a video from the same outlet says they dream of landing Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva. Finally, Nicolo Schira suggests that Juve are planning a summer move for Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali.
– Ajax midfielder Rayane Bounida, 19, is on the radar of both Real Madrid and Barcelona ahead of the summer transfer window, says AS. Bounida has five assists from 13 games this season and is viewed as one of the most exciting players to emerge from the Ajax academy in recent years. Madrid and Barcelona won’t be looking to bring him in this month, but could go head-to-head over his signing in the summer.
DONE DEALS
– Roma have signed Aston Villa forward Donyell Malen on an initial €2 million loan deal, with an option to sign permanently for €25 million in the summer. Read
EXPERT TAKE
ESPN’s Sam Tighe looks at Man United’s links to Hayden Hackney and Murillo.
It was a matter of time before Hackney was linked to Carrick’s Manchester United. After all, the 23-year-old became Middlesbrough’s key midfielder during their time together at the club between 2022-2025; and Hackney admitted he was “gutted” when Carrick was relieved of his duties on Teesside last summer.
Under that expert tutelage, Hackney emerged as perhaps the best midfield ball progressor in England’s second tier. He ranks in the 96th percentile for progressive passing and the 99th percentile for progressive carrying in Europe this season. It should be noted that the step up to Premier League level is a big one, though.
Forest’s Murillo is obviously much more proven at this level. A powerhouse center back, he has iron shoulders, immense recovery pace and, more subtly, a nice long-range pass on him. The Brazil international is joint-second for the most last-man tackles (5) and has the third-most clearances off the line (4) since the start of last season, emphasizing his natural defensive instincts.
If there’s one drawback to highlight, it’s that there’s often been concerns over his fitness in the last year. He hasn’t actually missed that many matchday squads, but his availability has often been in question.
OTHER RUMORS
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– Atletico Madrid, two Premier League clubs and a few sides in Italy are interested in Juventus and USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie, whose transfer is valued at over €10 million with his contract expiring in the summer. (Ben Jacobs)
– Manchester United are growing increasingly confident that they will sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba in the summer window. (Sun)
– Manchester United defender Harry Maguire, 32, has Inter Milan, Napoli and Fiorentina on his trail this month. (Tuttomercato)
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– Fenerbahce have a full agreement with former Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante, although negotiations with Al Ittihad are very complicated as the Saudi Pro League side doesn’t intend to let the France international leave in January. (Florian Plettenberg)
– Borussia Dortmund held a summit regarding Nico Schlotterbeck‘s future on Wednesday. They are trying to keep the center back with Bayern Munich preferring Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, while interest from Real Madrid and Liverpool has cooled. (Sky Sports Deutschland)
– Galatasaray have made tempting offers to Fabian Ruiz but the midfielder is now on the verge of signing a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain. (AS)
– The fact Marc-Andre ter Stegen was on the bench for Barcelona’s Copa del Rey win over Racing Santander could accelerate the goalkeeper’s departure, with a loan to Girona the most likely option. (Sport)
– Hakan Calhanoglu looks set to leave Inter Milan in the summer, especially as the midfielder wants to return to Turkey to play for Galatasaray. (Rudy Galetti)
– Following an $18 million offer from Toronto FC, Norwich City are insisting that they won’t let USMNT striker Josh Sargent leave in the middle of their Championship relegation battle. (Athletic)
– Galatasaray want Atalanta pair Ademola Lookman and Ederson, although they face competition from Fenerbahce for the former, while Atletico Madrid are also looking at the latter. (Tuttosport)
– Inter are trying to bring back PSV Eindhoven’s Ivan Perisic as they look for a temporary replacement for the injured Denzel Dumfries. (Corriere dello Sport)
– Arsenal women have already held concrete talks with Georgia Stanway to sign the 27-year-old when her Bayern Munich contract expires in the summer. Other clubs are also keen. (Florian Plettenberg)
– West Ham United are willing to let Flamengo sign Lucas Paqueta if they loan the attacking midfielder back for the rest of the season, although the Brazilian club aren’t willing to do that. (Guardian)
– Aston Villa could turn their attention to Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos after missing out on new Spurs signing Conor Gallagher. (TalkSPORT)
– Villa also want former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, who is currently on loan at Besiktas from Roma. (Times)
– Nottingham Forest have made contact with the entourage of Inter midfielder Davide Frattesi but haven’t yet made an official offer, with the club demanding €35 million. (Sky Sports Italia)
– Wolfsburg have made a bid of £15.6 million to sign Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell, 23, who has also been linked with West Ham. (Athletic)
– Fiorentina have reached an agreement to sign Leeds United midfielder Jack Harrison on loan for the remainder of the season, with an option to make his stay permanent for €7 million. (Sky Sports Italia)
– Napoli continue to work on a deal to sign attacking midfielder Allan from Palmeiras. The Italian club have increased their offer from €30 million to €35 million for the 21-year-old, who has attracted interest in the past from Newcastle and Zenit. (ESPN Brasil)
– Benfica left back Obrador is on the verge of joining Torino on loan for the remainder of the season. (AS)
