Tottenham’s headline-grabbing move to welcome back Gareth Bale from Real Madrid looks set to last just one season. The 31-year-old’s much vaunted return to the club has been underwhelming, with Bale having played just 161 minutes in the Premier League midway through the 12-month loan deal, partly due to injuries. The Times says a second season with Spurs is “not being considered at the moment”, and the next few months will prove crucial to his future.
Jesse Lingard‘s management have had talks with Ligue 1 side Nice over a loan move, and an official approach is expected next week, according to Sky Sports. United are said to be still undecided about whether to let the 27-year-old attacking midfielder leave. The England international has not started a Premier League match for more than a year, but was in the XI for United’s FA Cup win over Watford last Saturday.
Brighton defender Tariq Lamptey is set to ignore interest from the likes of Bayern Munich and sign a new deal with the Seagulls. Talksport says the 21-year-old Chelsea academy product has caught the attention of Bayern and Atletico Madrid during a strong first season on the south coast, but he is ready to commit to a new deal at Brighton with an increased salary.
Tottenham and Chelsea are set to battle for the signature of South Korea centre-back Kim Min-jae, the Daily Mirror reports. The 24-year-old is 6’3″ and has been nicknamed The Monster during his current stay with Chinese club Beijing Guoan. Spurs were first reportedly interested in Son Heung-min’s international team-mate as a replacement for Jan Vertonghen when he left the club, but are now said to be redoubling their efforts in the face of interest from Chelsea.
Aston Villa want Bournemouth and Wales midfielder David Brooks, according to Talksport. The 23-year-old has been a key member of the Cherries’ side as they push for a return to the Premier League, but it is claimed Villa might be able to convince the club to part with him in the January window.
Social media round-up
Odion Ighalo ‘set to leave Man Utd this month’ but striker insists he wants to extend loan transfer https://t.co/lnDLKvD6vb— The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) January 15, 2021
Matteo Guendouzi's reason for snubbing £27m Arsenal exit shows he's learnt very little https://t.co/O1thWp2aLN— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) January 14, 2021
Players to watch
Neymar: The Brazilian is set to extend his contract at Paris St Germain, Sky Sports reports.
Dayot Upamecano: Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Bayern Munich are set to see their interest in the 22-year-old France centre-back go unrewarded, with RB Leipzig saying they are not going to let him go.
Manor Solomon: Arsenal are monitoring the Shakhtar Donetsk and Israel winger, the Guardian says.
