RUMOUR RADAR

  Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is close to leaving Napoli, boss Antonio Conte confirms amid links with Liverpool and PSG Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will leave the Italian club in the January transfer window, with clubs including Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain interested in his signature.  Napoli boss Antonio Conte confirmed that the Georgian, who has attracted significant attention in recent weeks, will depart, with his destination not yet confirmed. The 23-year-old has reportedly attracted attention from multiple clubs in recent weeks, including Liverpool and PSG and Manchester United.  Kvaratskhelia's form has helped Napoli to the top of the Serie A table, two points ahead of Atalanta. "Kvaratskhelia has asked to leave the club," Conte said in his press conference on Saturday, per multiple reports. "I spoke to Khvicha and he confirmed his plan to leave the club immediately." Liverpool head coach Arne Slot refused to be drawn on the swirling transfer rumou...

  Manchester City has faced a challenging start to the 2024-25 season, prompting urgent action during the January transfer window. The club is hoping to intriduce multiple new players to strengthen the squad that’s currently struggling. The Citizens managed to avoid defeat in their last three league games, but the champions find themselves in a disappointing sixth place with 34 points, just a point ahead of Bournemouth right below them.  They've already suffered six league defeats, which is double what they experienced in the entire previous season. While many expected City to focus on strengthening their midfield after the significant absence of Rodri for the remainder of the season, Guardiola seems to have other priorities for immediate reinforcement. It appears that the center-back position is at the forefront of their plans. Reports indicate that City is in negotiations to sign Vitor Reis from Palmeiras, while Abdukodir Khusanov, a central defender from Ligue 1's Lens, is ...

  According to a report from Sky Sports on Thursday, German goalkeeper Loris Karius is set to make a move to Schalke, marking a significant moment in his career. The report indicates that Karius has successfully negotiated all the necessary terms with Schalke, which led him to delay his joining the club until the transfer was finalized as a free agent. This decision comes after Karius has had a diverse career at various clubs, particularly in the English Premier League, where he gained valuable experience at teams like Liverpool and Newcastle United. Now, with this new chapter ahead of him, Schalke is optimistic that Karius's wealth of experience can play a crucial role in their pursuit of promotion to the primera division. They face a challenging journey in the second division, and the club is hopeful that his skills and background will provide the boost needed to achieve their ambitious goals as they work to climb the ranks.

Napoli agree deal to sign Philip Billing from Bournemouth  Agreement in place on loan move plus €9/10m option clause to buy Billing in the summer — not mandatory. Salary will be covered by Napoli until June 2025. Serie A giants Napoli have been at the centre of transfer speculation today and they could have sealed an incoming as well. While Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has been concretely linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, it seems as if Napoli have quickly moved for Bournemouth midfielder Phillip Billing. Gianluca di Marzio has reported that the Partenopei have agreed a deal with the Cherries to sign the Danish midfielder for an initial loan deal with the option to buy him permanently for a fee between €9m and €10m. This means that the Naples club will not sign Cesare Casadei from Chelsea, with Billing seen as a replacement for Michael Folorunsho. The Blues have not lowered their demands, forcing Giovanni Manna to move for the 28-year-old.

 Heerenveen officially announced the signing of the Bulgarian international Hristiyan Petrov from CSKA. The 22-year-old footballer's contract with the Dutch club is for four and a half years. The transfer fee for the deal between the two clubs has not been officially disclosed, but it is believed to be around 500,000 euros. CSKA has officially agreed on the transfer of Hristiyan Petrov to the Dutch Heerenveen, whose current coach is former Arsenal and Manchester United goal scorer Robin van Persie.

 Everton have announced the departure of manager Sean Dyche.  Dyche departs Everton after a run of five winless matches leaves them 16th in the Premier League table, just a point above the relegation zone.  Everton have scored just 15 league goals this season, the second-fewest, after bottom-club Southampton.  An Everton statement reads: "The process to appoint a new manager is under way and an update will be provided in due course. "Under-18s head coach Leighton Baines and club captain Seamus Coleman will take charge of first-team affairs on an interim basis." The club say that coaches Ian Woan, Steve Stone, Mark Howard and Billy Mercer have also left the club. Everton are in FA Cup third-round action against Peterborough United on Thursday evening. Their next Premier League match is at home to Aston Villa on Wednesday 15 January.

Southampton have announced the signing of Joachim Kayi Sanda from Valenciennes. The 18-year-old French centre-back has agreed a deal until June 2029 and becomes Southampton's second arrival of the January transfer window, after Brazilian left-back Welington. Speaking to the club's official website, Sanda said: "I’m really happy to be here. I think this is a great city and a great club. I’ve been given a very warm welcome and I’m proud to represent this club. "I hadn’t planned for it to come so quickly but it was in the back of my mind as a career goal and I’ve managed to achieve it early on. The club’s DNA in terms of improving young players and everything about the project convinced me to come here." He captained France to the final of the 2023 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, in Indonesia, and has since graduated to Under-19 level, having played 37 times across the last two seasons for Valenciennes. With just six points from 20 Premier League matches, Southampton are b...

Wolves have announced the signing of Reims centre-back Emmanuel Agbadou on a four-and-a-half-year deal for a fee of £16.6m. Emmanuel Agbadou shares on his social media: “Hello everyone. I'm happy to be here, I'm waiting to make my debut with Wolverhampton, and I want to give all for the team, and give all for the Wolves.” “I'm a fast player. For a defender, my body is very weird sometimes for someone. I'm a player who likes to play football, I'm strong also, and I'm a leader in the defence.” “I think I can use this leadership for this team, and the coach told me about that also, it’s for that I'm here, so I can help him with my leadership.”