The new year is upon us and with it comes the re-opening of the transfer window as clubs assess their options for reinforcement in January.
Spending sprees from Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal contributed to a record summer of Premier League expenditure last summer, with clubs from England’s top flight collectively splashing more than £3bn on new players.
The big news this morning, however, is that Chelsea have parted ways with manager Enzo Maresca after 18 months in charge of the club.
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 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, whose £65m release clause becomes active in January.
Elsewhere, Tottenham’s Europa League winner Brennan Johnson is verging on a £35m move to Crystal Palace, while Eagles skipper Marc Guehi remains a person of interest after his deadline day move to Liverpool collapsed. 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.
Follow all the latest transfer news, gossip, rumours and done deals in The Independent’s live blog below
Enzo Maresca’s hurried exit shows that Chelsea are still a club of chaos
Maresca won two trophies during his time as head coach but his departure points to the enduring instability at Stamford Bridge, writes Richard Jolly.
Lawrence Ostlere1 January 2026 14:37
Aston Villa set to sign Alysson
Aston Villa are on the verge of signing Brazilian starlet Alysson from Gremio, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The 19-year-old winger will arrive on a deal worth around £10m.
Lawrence Ostlere1 January 2026 16:22
Thomas Frank tight-lipped over Brennan Johnson saga
Tottenham boss Thomas Frank refused to open up on the future of Brennan Johnson amid reports of a £35m fee being agreed with Crystal Palace.
“There are rumours out there. In general, I won’t comment on that, no matter if we want to sign or sell a player or get a staff member in or out. I have no interest in commenting either way,” Frank said.
“He contributed to a very good and important win against Crystal Palace. He trained very well. I fully expect him to be available and able to play against Brentford.”
Frank also insisted “rumours are rumours” with defender Radu Dragusin, who has been linked with a move away to Nottingham Forest.
Lawrence Ostlere1 January 2026 16:01
Napoli set to sign Rasmus Hojlund permanently
Napoli intend to trigger the obligation to buy clause for Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund next summer, according to their club director Giovanni Manna.
Manna said: “Hojlund? The obligation to buy is just a formality. We trust him and he trust our project. He’s very important. Even Hojlund considers himself as Napoli player.”
They will play £38.4m up front, with £5.2m in potential add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Dane has scored seven goals and notched three assists in 19 games at Napoli this season.
Lawrence Ostlere1 January 2026 15:39
West Ham closing in on new signings
Positive noises coming out of West Ham this week. They badly need a boost in their fight against relegation and perhaps it will come in the form of new signings:
Lawrence Ostlere1 January 2026 15:25
Strasbourg showing interest in James McAtee
James McAtee has been considered as a potential midfield option for Strasbourg, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The French club, owned by Chelsea owners BlueCo, could move for the Englishman who has made just six Premier League starts since his £22m move to Nottingham Forest.
Initial talks have taken place where Strasbourg presented their project.
This could be a potential blow for Leeds who have also been linked with the player.
Lawrence Ostlere1 January 2026 15:15
West Ham preparing bid for Jorgen Strand Larsen
West Ham are preparing an opening bid to sign Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, according to The Guardian.
It is believed that Wolves want as much as £40m for the Norwegian, who has scored only three goals for the Premier League’s bottom club this season.
It remains to be seen whether the Hammers will match that asking price but Nuno Espirito Santo’s relegation-threatened side will likely be in need of attacking reinforcements this winter, with Niclas Fullkrug set to move to AC Milan on loan.
Wolves, meanwhile, could move for Sam Surridge, who has thrived in the MLS for the past two years. The former Forest striker is among several striker options, according to Sky Sports.
Lawrence Ostlere1 January 2026 14:55
Ruben Amorim lays down Man United transfer stance for January
Ruben Amorim says he will not demand new signings at Manchester United in January after conversations with the club.
“We have conversations all the time, it’s not because we are in January,” Amorim told Sky Sports.
“The window is open and we need to understand what we can do. Not just from the place of what we can bring, but what is going to happen to our squad.
“I’m just thinking about recovering all of my players, so I’m not going to knock on the door of Jason [Wilcox] and Omar [Berrada] to ask more players.
“They know what we need, but I also understand that we have a process. We want to do things with certainty that we are not going to make the same mistakes in the past.
“If we need to suffer in some moments, we are going to suffer, to try to be two steps ahead, maybe in the summer. It’s a really tough market in January, so we’ll see.”
Lawrence Ostlere1 January 2026 14:36
Manchester United monitoring Leipzig winger Yan Diomande
Manchester United are among the club monitoring RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande, according to Sky Sports.
Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-German are also thought to be tracking his development closely, with the player’s value understood to be in the region of £52m-£61m.
After appearing to miss out on Antoine Semenyo, United could accelerate their interest in the Ivorian.
Lawrence Ostlere1 January 2026 14:14
Joao Cancelo set to leave Al-Hilal with former clubs monitoring
Former Manchester City defender Joao Cancelo is set to leave Al Hilal in the January window, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Inter have approached Al-Hilal to ask for loan deal conditions and explore the potential structure of the deal, while Barcelona and Juventus have also been in contact.
Cancelo has previously played for all three clubs.
Lawrence Ostlere1 January 2026 13:55
