Liverpool have been branded "suckers" for deciding to fork out £60 million on young French defender Jeremy Jacquet. The Premier League champions usurped Chelsea in the race for the 20-year-old, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Ligue 2 side Clermont Foot, and he will arrive on Merseyside in the summer. Now, the Reds have been mocked for handing Rennes such a huge sum of cash for a young prospect.
Paul Merson ripped into Chelsea's players after Liam Rosenior's side fell to a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on Tuesday night, exiting the Carabao Cup at the semi-final stage with a 4-2 aggregate loss. The Blues struggled to create many clear-cut chances and couldn't score the goals they needed to reach the final, instead seeing Kai Havertz strike to send the Gunners to Wembley.
A former team-mate of Cristiano Ronaldo has delivered his verdict on the Portuguese legend potentially returning for a third spell at Manchester United. The 40-year-old has reportedly become unhappy at Al-Nassr, believing owners the Public Investment Fund (PIF) have favoured its other three teams ahead of his own. Ronaldo could seek a fresh move in the coming months as he targets hitting 1,000 career goals before he retires.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was a surprise absence from the Gunners' squad to take on Chelsea in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday night. Eberechi Eze started the clash in the No.10 role, with the Norwegian worryingly not even among the substitutes. Before kick-off, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta revealed the midfielder had picked up an untimely knock.
The cause of Jean-Philippe Mateta's failed medical with Italian giants AC Milan has been revealed after the French striker's move away from Crystal Palace collapsed at the end of the January transfer window. The 28-year-old was keen to secure an exit from Selhurst Park and looked to be inching his way towards a switch to San Siro. However, issues became apparent during medical checks and Mateta remains a Palace player.
Mohamed Salah has reportedly emerged as Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad's number one priority to replace Karim Benzema. The Egyptian has long been a target for Saudi Arabian clubs and has endured a disappointing campaign so far, hitting out at Liverpool in December before jetting off to the Africa Cup of Nations. The 33-year-old signed a new contract with the Reds last April but his future is up in the air having only scored six club goals this season.
The January transfer window offered admittedly few high profile moves, but there were certainly some significant deals that will have an impact this year and for those to come.
Alejandro Garnacho has taken a subtle pot shot at former club Manchester United ahead of Chelsea's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Arsenal. Chelsea trail the Gunners 3-2 in the tie but Garnacho believes his side can turn it around at the Emirates Stadium, pointing to how the Red Devils pulled off a surprise victory over Mikel Arteta's men last month.
Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka has been set a potential return date as he recovers from an injury which ruled him out of his side's Premier League clash with Leeds United on Saturday. The England international was included in Mikel Arteta's starting XI but appeared to suffer a groin complaint in the warm-up at Elland Road and was replaced in the Gunners team by Noni Madueke. Saka is not expected to feature in Arsenal's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg with Chelsea on Tuesday night but his club are optimistic that he won't be out of action for too long.
Pep Guardiola has sarcastically claimed he wished Manchester City would spend more money after they splashed £84m ($114m) in the January transfer window on Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo. City have invested more in new players than any Premier League club for the second consecutive winter transfer window but Guardiola was at pains to point out that six teams have a higher net spend over the last seven years.
Gary Neville believes Alejandro Garnacho’s confidence has been “shot to pieces” at Chelsea, with the former Manchester United winger putting in a “horrible” performance for the Blues against West Ham. He was dragged out of that contest at half-time, with Liam Rosenior’s side battling their way back to claim a 3-2 win. Questions are being asked of Garnacho’s contribution to the collective cause.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has finally broken his silence on the shock deadline day reports linking Sandro Tonali with a move to Arsenal. The Magpies boss faced uncomfortable questions on Tuesday regarding whether the sudden speculation signals the start of a destabilising campaign, drawing parallels to the long-running saga that ultimately saw Alexander Isak leave St James’ Park for Liverpool last summer.
Casemiro said he had "many more memories to create" when announcing that he was leaving Manchester United at the end of the season, and he has certainly delivered on that promise thus far. In the two games since his departure was confirmed in January, he has played his part in a tantalising 3-2 win at Arsenal before leading from the front in the equally dramatic 3-2 victory over Fulham.
Former Manchester United and Portugal winger Nani has had his say on some of the top attacking talents in European football, offering his backing to the likes of Marcus Rashford and Antoine Semenyo. The four-time Premier League winner was eventually forced to choose his ultimate forward in a bracket that included Real Madrid sensation Jude Bellingham and Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal - scroll on to find out who won!
Shea Lacey has sent a reminder to interim Manchester United boss Michael Carrick of what he has to offer, with the Red Devils wonderkid netting a stunning hat-trick in Premier League 2 competition. The exciting teenager has already made a senior breakthrough in 2025-26, but experienced mixed emotions after being given his chance to shine on a first-team stage.
Manchester United flop Donny van de Beek has announced his engagement to Estelle Bergkamp, the daughter of Arsenal legend Dennis. The Dutch midfielder endured a tough time on the field at Old Trafford, leading to an inevitable departure in 2024, but has had plenty to celebrate off the pitch. He and his fiancee are now preparing to draw up wedding plans.
The 2026 winter window closed on Monday, with Jorgen Strand Larsen's £48 million move from Wolves to Crystal Palace the biggest deal done on deadline day. Truth be told, though, it was a pretty tame end to what's been a fairly quiet month in the transfer market. Indeed, aside from Manchester City, most of Europe's top teams did next-to-no mid-season business, while there was very little movement at all in France, Germany or Spain - which wasn't that surprising, given January is traditionally a tough time to find good value for money.
Crystal Palace have been accused of showing a "complete disregard" for player welfare following the dramatic late collapse of Dwight McNeil’s proposed transfer from Everton. The winger’s partner, Megan Sharpley, has issued a scathing condemnation of the London club, accusing them of "toying" with McNeil's mental health after they pulled the plug on a £20 million deal without explanation, despite a deal sheet being submitted and a medical completed.
Mikel Arteta has launched a staunch defence of his Arsenal side, dismissing claims from Paul Scholes that they would be the "most boring team to win the Premier League." On the eve of a crucial Carabao Cup semi-final clash with Chelsea, the Gunners boss laughed off the criticism, insisting that outside of the UK, his team is widely regarded as "the most exciting in Europe" thanks to their prolific goalscoring record and defensive dominance.
Famously, the January transfer window is the more difficult of the two to operate in. It's hard to persuade other clubs to give up assets mid-season, sometimes even harder to convince players that they're better off making a move immediately rather than waiting until the following summer. But that doesn't mean deals are impossible, or that you can't get good value for your buck.
Axel Disasi has finally brought his Stamford Bridge purgatory to a close by securing a dramatic deadline day switch to West Ham. The French defender, the last remaining high-profile member of the infamous 'bomb squad' created during the Enzo Maresca era, has moved across London on a straight loan deal for the remainder of the campaign after a frantic race against the clock.
Viktor Gyokeres has explained how his iconic goal celebration came about, with a nod being offered to DC Comics star Bane, while discussing his start to life in the Premier League at Arsenal. The Sweden international striker admits that a stint in the Premier League has been challenging, but he is delighted to form part of a Premier League title bid at Emirates Stadium.
Celtic are reportedly interested in signing free agent Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is training with Arsenal. The midfielder has been without a club since leaving Besiktas in August, and he could now be on the verge of finding a new club. Mikel Arteta has also been asked about the former England star's future and whether he could stay on at Arsenal.
Liverpool have confirmed a transfer has now been agreed with Rennes for highly-rated centre-back Jeremy Jacquet. The defender will spent the rest of the season with the Ligue 1 side and will then head to Anfield at the end of the 2025-26 season. Chelsea had been keen to land the 20-year-old but have been beaten to his signature by Arne Slot's side.
Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero has issued a bombshell statement after his side's 2-2 Premier League draw with Manchester City and the close of the January transfer window. Spurs are currently working through a remarkable injury crisis but have made just two first-team signings to bolster Thomas Frank's squad, leaving the defender angry and frustrated.
Marcus Rashford does not want to return to Manchester United this summer, and hopes to resolve his future ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The winger is currently on loan at Barcelona and the Catalan club have negotiated an option to sign the forward for £26 million ($35m). Michael Carrick is said to want Rashford back if he takes charge permanently but that's not enough to tempt Rashford to return.
January is a notoriously bad time for buyers because nobody ever wants to sell top talent midway through the season. There are, however, exceptions to the rule. Some clubs need to raise funds to balance the books, while others can be left with not option but to unload an unhappy player who has made it clear that he wants to join a stronger side.
Manchester City's forgotten man Kalvin Phillips has completed a shock January transfer to Sheffield United in the Championship on loan for the rest of the season. The former England international midfielder has struggled for minutes ever since making the move from Leeds United to the Etihad Stadium, and is now heading to the second tier of English football.
Crystal Palace announced the signing of Jorgen Strand Larsen from Wolverhampton Wanderers just minutes before the close of the January transfer window. The Norway international has moved in a club-record transfer for the Eagles after a year-and-a-half at Molineux. The 25-year-old has signed a four-and-a-half year contract with Oliver Glasner's side.
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