Transfer rumors, news: Liverpool eye Kubo as Salah replacement

Manchester United are favorites to sign Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, while Liverpool will look to sign Real Sociedad forward Takefusa Kubo this summer if Mohamed Salah leaves. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors, and gossip from around the globe.

Transfers homepage | Done deals | Men’s January grades | Women’s January grades

TOP STORIES

– Enzo Maresca coy on Jadon Sancho future at Chelsea
– Barcelona wrong to register Dani Olmo, Pau Víctor – LaLiga
– Amorim: I won’t get much time to fix Man United woes
– Tottenham’s Postecoglou: I hope Mauricio Pochettino returns

TRENDING RUMORS

– Liverpool will look to sign Real Sociedad forward Takefusa Kubo this summer if Mohamed Salah leaves, says TEAMtalk. Kubo, 23, has seven goals and four assists this season and the Japan international has caught the eye with his performances, especially in Tuesday’s 5-4 Copa del Rey defeat to Real Madrid on aggregate. Salah, 32, has the world on tenterhooks over his future, but the Telegraph claims he is ready to join the Saudi Pro League once his contract expires in the summer.

– Manchester United are ready to step up their pursuit of Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, reports the Daily Mail. Discussions are reported to have been held by the Old Trafford hierarchy regarding an approach for the 22-year-old, who is also said to be on the radar of Liverpool, Chelsea, and Newcastle United. A clause in Delap’s contract at Portman Road allows clubs to sign him for £40 million if the Tractor Boys, currently 12 points from safety, are relegated from the Premier League this season.

– Arsenal have made Real Sociedad midfielder Martín Zubimendi their No. 1 priority, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Gunners are expected to reignite their interest in the 26-year-old Spain international in the summer, after emerging as suitors for him in January. Zubimendi previously turned down a move to Liverpool after they activated his €60m release clause.

– Barcelona and Bayern Munich have cooled their interest in Lille striker Jonathan David, reports Sport. David, 25, is set to become available to sign as a free agent in the summer but, despite the Blaugrana being among the sides exploring a move for him, it is believed that they are prioritising other areas of their squad in the next transfer window. That means that West Ham United, Juventus, and Internazionale remain at the front of the queue in the race for the striker’s signature. David scored for Canada in last month’s 2-1 victory over the United States in the Concacaf Nations League third-place match.

– A move for Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Cristian Romero is being considered by Atlético Madrid, according to AS. The 26-year-old is reported to be high up on the LaLiga side’s shortlist, and it is said that he is keen on the idea of a switch to Spain’s capital city. It is expected that Spurs will hold firm with no interest in parting ways with him, while he also has over two years remaining on his contract. Romero has made 14 Premier League appearances this season.

CONFIRMED TRANSFERS

– Sunderland winger Tommy Watson, 18, will sign a four-year contract with Brighton on July 1 in a deal worth around £11m.

– Iranian side Sepahan have signed 34-year-old striker Wissam Ben Yedder on a free transfer. Ben Yedder received a suspended sentence of two years in prison in November after sexually assaulting a woman and had been without a club since leaving Monaco in July 2024.

EXPERT TAKE

ESPN’s Sam Tighe explores why clubs want Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap.

The step from the Championship up to the Premier League has seemingly proven too much for much of Ipswich Town’s squad, but Liam Delap has taken to this level with ease.

Despite playing for a team that has understandably struggled to furnish him with consistent chances — his 2.32 shots per 90 minutes ranks 39th in the division — he’s made the most of what he’s been given, scoring 10 goals and overperforming his xG by 1.8.

That he can do a lot with a little in front of goal is probably a good signal for Manchester United, whose lack of creativity or rhythm regularly leaves the forwards short of service. For context, Joshua Zirkzee (1.8 shots per 90 mins) and Rasmus Højlund (1.26 shots per 90 mins) make do with even less.

There’s also a bruising physicality to Delap — an ability to trample over defenders and nudge them off centre — that has led to him playing an important part in how Ipswich move the ball forward. From this perspective, his style looks a bit like that of Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyökeres, whose style Rúben Amorim knows extremely well.

At 22, Delap is the right age profile for a United team clearly rebuilding, but when a guy playing for a relegation candidate is linked to a team which aspires to play possession-dominant football, you must ask if he can make the tactical transition required.

OTHER RUMORS

– Two Premier League clubs are interested in Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze. Both Manchester United and Tottenham are reported to be keen on the 26-year-old and it is believed that an offer worth £60m would be required to land him. (TEAMtalk)

– Liverpool, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest are looking to sign Royale Union Saint-Gilloise forward Mohamed Amoura, who is on loan at VfL Wolfsburg, and could make a move at around €35m. (L’Equipe)

– Manchester City have spent £30.6m … on legal fees to fight the 115 charges brought by the Premier League for allegedly breaching financial rules. (Sun)

– City could lose midfielder Bernardo Silva, 30, this summer as he has wanted to leave the club for some time. (Football Insider)

– Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, 22, is on Newcastle’s radar ahead of the summer. (Sky Sports)

– The Carabao Cup winners are also planning a move to sign Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott, who has found game time hard to come by. (TEAMtalk)

– Roma defender Evan Ndicka has Arsenal, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest on his trail and his transfer would cost around €40m. (Caught Offside)

– Crystal Palace could let striker Jean-Philippe Mateta leave for Man United, then look to replace him with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike. (TEAMtalk)

– Lille winger Edon Zhegrova won’t sign a new contract, so Barcelona are interested in doing a €30m deal this summer. (Sport)

– Saudi side Al Hilal are reluctant to let coach Jorge Jesus leave before his contract expires after this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup. But he is considered one of the top candidates to take over Brazil’s national team. (Record)