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Key events
Top work John. Thanks for that. Howdy folks. I’m at the wheel for the next few hours. Any queries, give me a holla.
Right, that’s me stepping away from the market stall. Here’s the excellent Daniel Gallan to mind the shop.
Kehrer joining Monaco on loan
Almost done deal: it’s not quite worked out for the German at West Ham.
🚨⚪️🔴 Thilo Kehrer to AS Monaco, here we go! Deal now agreed as club exchanged documents overnight.
Kehrer will travel for medical later today.
Understand it’s loan deal worth €500k fee with buy clause to become mandatory for €11m.
All details are now approved by West Ham. pic.twitter.com/251cGuhA2a
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 4, 2024
Former transfer window mainstay Folarin Balogun has not worked out at Monaco. Let’s go round again?
If Jadon Sancho is headed to Dortmund, then it seems that Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen is, too, as BvB pick off players of talent who have missed their mark at leading/failing Premier League clubs. Another question, he may be Dutch but how many 21-year-olds are called “Ian” these days? A loan is expected. How many of the Boehly generation will be loaned out?
According to both the BBC and Athletic, USMNT goalkeeper Zak Steffen is leaving Manchester City for Colorado Rapids in MLS.
“The agreement is for three years with an option for a fourth. Steffen will not occupy a designated player slot,” says The Athletic’s Tom Bogert.
Liverpool have recalled forward James Balagizi has returned to the club from his loan spell at Wigan Athletic. The 20-year-old initially moved on a season-long deal, but only made seven appearances for the League One side, and a further loan move would seem a heavy possibility. Liverpool have a few forwards. Unless he’s cover for Mo Salah, that is.
James Balagizi has returned to Liverpool after being recalled from his loan at Wigan Athletic:
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 4, 2024
Burnley, where Vincent Kompany has plans for the transfer window: ‘I have definitely sat down with the recruitment team and the chairman and we are definitely looking at every possible option, but I can’t say much more than that.
“There is nothing obvious at the moment that stands out – that could drastically change our season. But, if there is, we are doing our homework and our research for sure.”
The Rumour Mill is here
And it’s a special one…
Those who speak advanced Fabrizio may read into this that Jadon Sancho’s return to Borussia Dortmund moves ever closer.
Mark Thomas gets in touch: “Get a real job, John.”
I celebrate 25 years in the business next month, Mark. Never work a day in your life and all that…
Gopesh gets in touch: “As a casual fan who doesn’t pore obsessively over club finances (except the one I support of course), it always seemed to me that clubs manage to get around FFP restrictions by delaying the piper until a future transfer window.
“It seems to me that the time to cut back for a lot of big clubs is now as I read FFP restrictions being cited as the most prominent reason for a lack of transfer activity. Chelsea excluded of course.”
That’s my reading, too.
Brereton-Diaz to Blades is imminent
Jacob Steinberg
Ben Brereton-Diaz’s loan to Sheffield United should be completed today.
The former Blackburn striker moved to Villarreal on a free transfer last summer but he hasn’t had many opportunities in Spain this season.
The Chile international was prolific for Blackburn in the Championship.
Big transfer-related story from Will Unwin. As Everton’s plight shows, the authorities are being most vigilant.
West Ham are loaning Thilo Kehrer out to Monaco with a view to a more permanent view.
🚨⚪️🔴 Thilo Kehrer to AS Monaco, here we go! Deal now agreed as club exchanged documents overnight.
Kehrer will travel for medical later today.
Understand it’s loan deal worth €500k fee with buy clause to become mandatory for €11m.
All details are now approved by West Ham. pic.twitter.com/251cGuhA2a
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 4, 2024
The aforementioned winter break does seem to have disrupted the market, just as it has the market.
Dyche has echoed the view of Everton’s director of football, Kevin Thelwell, that this will be a quiet transfer window for a club in the midst of a proposed takeover by 777 Partners. Everton’s financial problems could make them vulnerable to a big money offer for a player such as Jarrad Branthwaite or Amadou Onana, though Dyche would be reluctant to break up a team fighting to avoid relegation.
The Saudi market has been quiet this January, as discussed on Wednesday.
Hear Steven’s cry:
“We need to show in this window, and also the summer window, that we mean business and we want to be competitive at the top of the league, and not where we are at the moment. It’s a collective thing – the players here and now need to give more, and people need to step up, and, at the right time, we will hopefully be able to make significant changes to the team and the squad. Hopefully, at the back end of January, you will see a different, stronger and more competitive squad.”
A lot of talk about Timo Werner and his being available for a loan at Manchester United from RB Leipzig. To say he was less than prolific at Chelsea would be putting mildly but just putting it out there. To be fair, he can run, the lad. Seems United’s FFP situation is going to mean their January business is likely to be loans alone.
Here’s Wednesday’s transfer roundup. Feels like there’s a project happening at Hadjuk Split.
Preamble
Good morning. It’s fair to say Wednesday was a quiet one, and with a few clubs taking it easy in FA Cup week ahead of the Premier League’s mini-break, then perhaps that’s no surprise. We await movement on Jadon Sancho and it appears Arsenal may be targeting a left-back, but it may be loans and odd deals like Nikola Kalinic joining Hadjuk Split that keep us fed and warm today. As ever, one big move can trigger the rest.
We’re here all week, so join us. And email us, too.
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