![\"Arsenal's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Arsenals-Viktor-Gyokeres-and-Club-Brugges-Joel-Ordonez-battle-for-the-ball.jpeg\")
Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres and Club Brugge’s Joel Ordonez battle for the ball (PA Wire via Belga)Your support helps us to tell the story<\/p>\nArsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres and Club Brugge’s Joel Ordonez battle for the ball (PA Wire via Belga)Your support helps us to tell the story<\/p>\n
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The January transfer window is open and with the new year comes a chance for clubs to monitor the market after assessing their options to strengthen or trim their numbers to boost spending this month. <\/p>\n
Liverpool<\/a>, Manchester United<\/a> and Arsenal helped to produce a record summer of Premier League<\/a> expenditure last summer, with clubs from England\u2019s top flight collectively splashing more than \u00a33bn on new players.<\/p>\n The big news this morning, however, is that Chelsea have parted ways with manager Enzo Maresca <\/a>after 18 months in charge of the club. With a new manager and potentially a signing or two expected at Stamford Bridge, with their title hopes all but gone and a battle to qualify for next season\u2019s Champions League.<\/p>\n While the acquisition of elite players or long-term targets is less common in the mid-season window, it is not completely out of the question, with the saga surrounding Bournemouth<\/a> winger Antoine Semenyo expected to reach its climax in the coming weeks or possibly days. The 25-year-old has been linked with moves to every Premier League big hitter but it appears Manchester City are now leading the race for the player<\/a>, whose \u00a365m release clause becomes active in January.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Tottenham\u2019s Europa League winner Brennan Johnson<\/a> is verging on a \u00a335m move to Crystal Palace, while Eagles skipper Marc Guehi<\/a> remains a person of interest after his deadline day move to Liverpool collapsed<\/a>. The England international is about to enter the final six months of his contract at Selhurst Park, giving Palace one last chance to cash in if they choose to.<\/p>\n Follow all the latest transfer news, gossip, rumours and done deals in The Independent\u2019s live blog below<\/p>\n <\/a>Man City confident of pipping Man United to Elliot Anderson signing<\/p>\n Manchester City are confident they can beat Manchester United to the signing of Elliot Anderson in 2026, according to Teamtalk<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pep Guardiola\u2019s side already appear to have beaten their close rivals to Antoine Semenyo and it is reported that their pursuit of the Nottingham Forest and England star will follow that trend.<\/p>\n Forest are not willing to sell at present but are aware that their resolve will be tested.<\/p>\n Man City will likely intensify their efforts in the summer rather than move in January.<\/p>\n Jack Rathborn2 January 2026 10:30<\/p>\n <\/a>Burnley defender nearing exit on a free<\/p>\n Burnely defender Hannes Delcroix is nearing a free transfer to Swiss side FC Lugano, according to Sky Sports.<\/p>\n Delcroix has entered the final six months of his contract but it\u2019s understood he could be allowed to leave for nothing this month.<\/p>\n The 26-year-old has not featured once for Burnley this term and a medical is planned for later this week.<\/p>\n Jack Rathborn2 January 2026 10:15<\/p>\n <\/a>Real Madrid starlet Franco Mastantuono will not go elsewhere this window<\/p>\n Real Madrid will not loan out Argentinian starlet Franco Mastantuono in January, according to Fabrizio Romano<\/a>.<\/p>\n It was never considered a possibility to let the attacking midfielder leave temporarily, unlike Endrick who has joined Lyon on loan.<\/p>\n The same goes for Gonzalo Garcia despite links to Italian clubs.<\/p>\n Real Madrid signed Mastantuono in the summer, beating off fierce competition to snatch him from River Plate.<\/p>\n Jack Rathborn2 January 2026 10:00<\/p>\n <\/a>Pep Guardiola giving nothing away on transfers<\/p>\n With talk of Antoine Semenyo arriving and Oscar Bobb leaving on loan, Pep Guardiola is giving no hints over transfer happenings at Manchester City.<\/p>\n “I have to be careful what I say,” Guardiola said when asked about Semenyo\u2019s future.<\/p>\n “That is why I said yesterday before and the day of the game – the transfer window is completely closed right now.”<\/p>\n On Bobb, Guardiola added: “When it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. I don’t know any news about anything right now. You can ask Oscar, not to me.”<\/p>\n Jack Rathborn2 January 2026 09:45<\/p>\n <\/a>Arsenal could look to strengthen back line<\/p>\n Defensive quartet Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera were all unavailable for Arsenal’s nervy win over Brighton on Saturday, and Arteta could therefore look to reinforce his back line, with Sky Sports adding that AC Milan\u2019s 20-year-old left-back Davide Bartesaghi has been scouted, a player that has been compared to Paolo Maldini.<\/p>\n Arsenal are constantly looking at the European market for young players with a high ceiling so would be more likely to acquire players that fall under that category. The Gunners also have a \u201cconcrete interest\u201d in highly-rated Eintracht Frankfurt forward Jean-Matteo Bahoya, according to Florian Plettenberg, while also sending scouts to watch Elche midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza.<\/p>\n Jack Rathborn2 January 2026 09:30<\/p>\n <\/a>Liverpool in the hunt for another striker?<\/p>\n Brentford forward Igor Thiago, after his blazing start to the season with the Bees with 11 goals in 17 Premier League games, and PSG\u2019s Bradley Barcola are names that have floated around recent gossip columns, though neither move has accelerated or gathered pace just yet.<\/p>\n For now, the Reds could hold tight, despite Isak\u2019s injury, but the rumour mill is in overdrive already, with short-term options, such as PSG\u2019s Goncalo Ramos, Juventus\u2019 Dusan Vlahovic and England international Ivan Toney raised as potential options.<\/p>\n Jack Rathborn2 January 2026 09:15<\/p>\n <\/a>Enzo Maresca in shock Chelsea exit after fallout with hierarchy<\/p>\n So 2026 begins with one man who celebrated Chelsea\u2019s Club World Cup win still in a job. Donald Trump\u2019s powers of survival, however, are not matched by Enzo Maresca<\/a>. The dramatic decline in his fortunes, from demolishing Barcelona to departing Chelsea in barely six weeks, can reflect on the decidedly strange press conference<\/a> he gave after beating Everton, when he talked of the \u201cworst 48 hours\u201d of his tenure. If the last 48 might have been worse again,<\/a> it may also mean that the Chelsea hierarchy, like many others, did not actually place much weight on the Club World Cup.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s Richard Jolly\u2019s analysis on another mad week for the Blues with more uncertainty in 2026: <\/p>\n Jack Rathborn2 January 2026 09:00<\/p>\n <\/a>West Ham eye Fulham winger in bid to beat the drop<\/p>\n West Ham want to add a winger this month and the Telegraph <\/a>reports Fulham’s Adama Traore is an option. <\/p>\n The 29-year-old\u2019s wage demands could scupper a deal though. <\/p>\n But Nuno Esp\u00edrito Santo hopes to bring in new talent this month with the Hammers inside the relegation zone and currently four points from safety.<\/p>\n Jack Rathborn2 January 2026 08:50<\/p>\n <\/a>Sean Dyche says Forest will only act in market if it’s ‘the right deal’<\/p>\n Nottingham Forest will assess their options in the January transfer window but Sean Dyche insists it has to be the “right deal” for the club.<\/p>\n “We are always assessing,” Dyche said following a 2-0 loss to Everton at home on Tuesday.<\/p>\n “The ownership will back the club but you need to find the people and it has to be the right deal. We will wait and see.”<\/p>\n Jack Rathborn2 January 2026 08:40<\/p>\n![\"Elliot](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/539d4a8a978c6b7c0c01973a1c903236Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzYzOTE4MjEz-2.82515224.jpg\")
Elliot Anderson was excellent for Nottingham Forest at Anfield (Peter Byrne\/PA) (PA Wire)<\/p>\n![\"FRANCO](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/FRANCO_MASTANTUONO_72119.jpg\")
FRANCO MASTANTUONO (AP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI278314124.jpeg\")
(REUTERS)<\/p>\n![\"ITALIA-LIGA\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ITALIA-LIGA_83143.jpg\")
ITALIA-LIGA (AP)<\/p>\n