Transfer rumors, news: Man United eye Nene as Rashford replacement

Manchester United have added FC Salzburg winger Nene Dorgeles to their shortlist, while there could be a swap involving Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel and Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku. 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

– Sources: Arsenal lead Liverpool in Zubimendi race
– Sources: Bayern interested in Chelsea’s Nkunku
– Source: Napoli star Kvaratskhelia nears PSG transfer
– Barcelona’s Laporta admits talks over Araújo future

TRENDING RUMORS

– Man United have added FC Salzburg winger Nene Dorgeles to their list of options for the January or summer transfer window, reports Fabrizio Romano. Initial talks to get information about the fee and salary package that would be required to bring in the 22-year-old, who has six goals and six assists from 27 games this season, have taken place and will continue before the Red Devils make their decision on whether to make a move for him as a replacement for the outgoing Marcus Rashford. Tottenham Hotspur are keen on signing Rashford on loan and have investigated whether a deal could be possible, reports the Independent, which adds that West Ham United are the only other interested Premier League club. There are still eyes on the 27-year-old from abroad, with Florian Plettenberg reporting that Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan still hold a concrete interest.

– Chelsea have spoken to Bayern Munich and have asked to be informed about the situation of Mathys Tel, reports Fabrizio Romano, who adds that the striker has held talks with manager Vincent Kompany as he wants to succeed with Bayern. Sport Bild added that Chelsea are considering letting forward Christopher Nkunku move to Bayern in exchange, with the 27-year-old already having had chats with the Bavarians.

– Manchester City have made an official offer for Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush, reports Fabrizio Romano, who adds that it is below the Bundesliga club’s expectations. Even so, there are optimistic negotiations with a fee being discussed amid hopes that a deal for the 25-year-old can be completed this week.

– Manchester City have reached an agreement with Palmeiras on a deal to sign Vitor Reis for €35m with a clause that would see the Brazilian club earn some of the funds from his next move, reports Fabrizio Romano. The Citizens want the 19-year-old to join immediately rather than going back on loan, while a medical is booked and the contract has been approved.

– Manchester United and Liverpool have been keeping a close eye on Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder João Gomes amid thoughts of a January transfer, reports Football Insider. Both clubs have sent scouts to watch the 23-year-old but Wolves are unwilling to let any of their key players leave halfway through the season as they look to avoid relegation.

CONFIRMED TRANSFERS

– Colombia international James Rodríguez has signed with Liga MX’s León. Recently a free agent after terminating his contract with Rayo Vallecano — who initially signed James in August — the 33-year-old will now join a León side that kicks off their 2025 Clausura run on Jan. 18. Read

– River Plate have signed Argentina defender Gonzalo Montiel from Sevilla in deal worth $4.5m deal. Read

– Aston Villa have officially signed forward Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund. Read

EXPERT TAKE

ESPN’s resident scout Tor-Kristian Karlsen explores Chelsea’s interest in Bayern’s 19-year-old prodigy Mathys Tel.

Chelsea’s search for a centre-forward has become the norm in the recent transfer windows. Tel is just the latest name and as much as swap deals are exceedingly complex, on the surface it does look a win-win situation for both clubs.

While Tel’s talent is undisputed — his record at youth level for France is exceptional and he became Bayern’s youngest ever goal scorer (17 years and 126 days) when he hit the net in a cup game just a few weeks after his €20m switch from Rennes in the summer of 2022 — he has struggled to make a consistent mark for the German giants. One reason for that is obviously the presence of Harry Kane as a No. 9, another being the perpetual dilemma over his future position: will he ever mould into an out-and-out centre-forward? Or does is he intrinsically a winger (as his heatmap suggests)? At only 19, such considerations are part of a player’s natural development but it’s problematic when a lack of playing time is thrown into the equation.

Whether he’d see more minutes in an abundant Chelsea frontline is another question, but if coach Enzo Maresca feels he can rely on Tel and the player responds, the move could be a stroke of genius. The Frenchman has everything in the locker to become one of the top forwards in European football. He’s wonderfully athletic — strong and fast with the acceleration to stretch defences. He also has excellent control and excels in attacking 1v1s through bursts or dribbling.

There’s a reason why his youth performances drew comparisons to Kylian Mbappe, but those impressive skills have only been witnessed in flashes at senior level. A change of environment to build confidence can prove wonders though. If (and it’s a big “if”) Maresca can reinvigorate the teenager, they might well have a €100m player on their hands.

OTHER RUMORS

– Tottenham have submitted an offer to sign PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani, 26, on loan with an option to move permanently in the summer. (L’Equipe)

– Florentino Perez will hold a “crisis meeting” with Carlo Ancelotti and director general José Ángel Sánchez over the next few days to discuss how to respond to Real Madrid’s 5-2 Supercopa defeat to Barcelona. According to the newspaper, Madrid will “reconsider” whether to move in the January transfer market, while top target Trent Alexander-Arnold “is still alive” as an option. (Marca)

– Madrid are now actively considering January signings, while underperforming midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is “in the eye of the hurricane” and could move on, with Liverpool interested next summer. (AS)

– AC Milan and Inter Milan want to sign Manchester City defender Kyle Walker, 34, and the club could allow him to depart for free. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

– Liverpool could use winger Ben Doak, whose transfer is valued at £30m, as a makeweight in a £50m deal to sign Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo. (Northern Echo)

– Manchester United left-back Tyrell Malacia, 25, could leave on a loan this month after struggling with injury issues. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Tottenham are keen on Lecce full-back Patrick Dorgu but face competition from Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. (Caught Offside)

– Chelsea are eyeing a move for Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens and he could move in the summer if the German giants miss out on Champions League qualification. (GMS)

– Juventus are the latest club to take an interest in Empoli attacking midfielder Tino Anjorin. Napoli have already made a move for the 23-year-old with the view to bringing him in ahead of next season, while Atalanta also like the former Chelsea player a lot. (Calciomercato)

– Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka will depart on loan this month, with Borussia Dortmund and Strasbourg interested. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Nottingham Forest could let striker Emmanuel Dennis leave this month, with clubs in the Championship, Serie A and LaLiga showing interest. (Sky Sports)

– Galatasaray and West Ham are looking at a loan move for struggling Marseille striker Elye Wahi, with the option of a permanent deal in the summer. (L’Equipe)

– Palmeiras are hoping to sign Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira. The Brazilian club have made a €20m offer to Fulham and have agreed personal terms with Pereira’s entourage, but have yet to see their bid accepted by the club. (Globoesporte)

– Arsenal are set to beat Liverpool and Manchester City to the signing of Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad in the summer. (Daily Mail)

– Real Madrid have started talks with LaLiga 2 side Elche about signing midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza. (Relevo)

– Liverpool have already contacted FC Nürnberg about a move for Stefanos Tzimas. (Sky Sports Deutschland)

– Borussia Dortmund have started concrete talks with the management of versatile Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, with the Gunners willing to let the 28-year-old leave on loan with an obligation to make the deal permanent. (Florian Plettenberg)

– Newell’s Old Boys president Ignacio Astore will meet Internazionale representatives amid Nerazzurri interest in 19-year-old midfielder Tomás Pérez and 19-year-old winger Mateo Silvetti. (Sky Sports Italia)

– Juventus are convinced they have done everything possible to convince Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani to join them on loan, and the coming hours will be important as the 26-year-old makes his decision. (Sky Sports Italia)

– Juventus will look to Bologna’s Santiago Castro if Kolo Muani doesn’t join them. (Ekrem Konur)

– West Ham United are closely looking at Nice’s Evann Guessand as they look to sign a striker in January, although there is also interest from AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur. (Daily Mail)

– Brentford, Borussia Monchengladbach and two unnamed Bundesliga clubs are interested in Jan-Niklas Beste, with Benfica willing to let the winger leave for €12m whether that is on loan or permanently. (Florian Plettenberg)