Transfer news LIVE: Liverpool reject Madrid bid for Alexander-Arnold

Gyokeres has been one of the in-form strikers on the continent since the beginning of the season, and his time under now-Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim means that he is continuously linked to United.

As it stands this season, the striker has 23 goals in 22 games across the Primera Liga and Champions League, and with United having struggled upfront after signing Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee in recent windows, Amorim could well look to his old club to reinforce a struggling United attack.

Though te Swedish striker has proved himself as prolific in front of goal during his spell in Portugal, it is unlikely that United will try to make a move this month, with the club reportedly struggling under PSR regulations and Sporting reportedly setting an asking price around £60m.

Alexander-Arnold won’t literally move this month, but he could well agree a move away from Liverpool as he enters the lasts months of his contract.

The full-back is among a trio of Liverpool players who are waiting on an offer from the club, and he has been widely tipped to agree a move to Real Madrid for the summer.

It seems like a 50/50 between agreeing a new deal and moving to Los Blancos, so this month could prove key to the 26-year-old’s future if Liverpool continue to stall.

Spanish central midfielder Zubimendi was the subject of a drawn-out pursuit from Liverpool in the summer, with the Real Sociedad man eventually telling the Reds that he wanted to stay at his boyhood club.

This time round, Liverpool will likely not believe that they need the Euro 2024 winner, though he has been linked with moves to Manchester City and Barcelona in recent weeks.

City seems the most fitting destination for him considering the injury to Rodri, with the 25-year-old having notably slotted into the Spain side in Rodri’s place in the final of Euro 2024 as La Roja won 2-1.

Though he has also been linked with Barça, a move across Spain seems unlikely at the moment considering the Catalan side’s struggle to register summer signing Dani Olmo. Nevertheless, some reports suggest that Zubimendi is still not keen on a move to England.

The 27-year-old has been in the news almost every day in recent weeks, having essentially announced that he is ready to leave his boyhood club. Rumours persist that he is not in the plans of new United manager Ruben Amorim, and he has not been in a matchday squad since the club’s 2-1 in over Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on 12 December.

It looks almost certain that Rashford will leave by the summer at the latest, but with United reportedly demanding around £40m for the winger, it remains to be seen whether any major clubs will have the money to do a deal this month.

Among the clubs rumoured to be interested are Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, while several Saudi Arabian clubs have also been linked.

The winter transfer window begins on 1 January, with clubs across Europe looking for value in a difficult market this month.

Injury crises, title challenges and relegation battles will force plenty of clubs into the market in early 2025, with plenty of eyes on the Premier League as clubs such as Arsenal and Manchester City look primed to make signings.

A report claimed the United striker had met with a leading sports agency to try to hasten a move away from Old Trafford.

This comes after the 27-year-old said in an interview last month he was ready “for a new challenge” after falling out of favour under new boss Ruben Amorim.

All has not been well at Man City over winter and Pep Guardiola has acknowledged they must do some business if they can, saying even the current squad accept that new faces are one possible route to returning to winning ways.

“The transfer window in the winter is not easy but even the players know that we have to add some new players,” Guardiola said.

“After, when these players come and play in their positions, they are unhappy but we have a lot (of injuries) and this is a problem. But it’s about bringing a player for the next four or five years and we’ll have to see. Sometimes it is not easy but we have to try because this is sustained for a long time.”

Jorge Mendes has asked whether Ansu Fati would be leaving Barcelona on loan again but it seems the agent’s priority is for him to stay at the club right now.

“[That’s a] question for Barca but he has the level to play for them. He needs is confidence and to resolve his physical issues. Once he’s at 100%, Barca will need him. He’s a unique player,” he said, per Goal.com.

In Spanish media there have been varying suggestions he may leave, without any firm destinations named.

Sky Sports’ Melissa Reddy has been speaking about Marcus Rashford’s situation at Old Trafford and suggests Man United will struggle to offload him:

“Selling Marcus Rashford would help Man Utd financially as it would be banked in the books as pure profit as he’s an academy graduate. He says he wants a fresh challenge and the club are open to letting him leave.

“But there is no market for Rashford because of his salary, valuation, form and all the off the field problems that have been reported.

“In the current landscape where domestic clubs are trying to meet their PSR aims and clubs in Europe can’t match the fees of the Premier League, you can’t see where Rashford would begin this new adventure and where Man Utd get the money they need for him. Some clubs like PSG who have had an interest in Rashford have made it clear there is no active interest in him at the moment.”

Burnley have signed Peru defender Oliver Sonne from Danish club Silkeborg for an undisclosed fee.

The 24-year-old full-back, who has made over 100 appearances in the Danish top flight, has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal at Turf Moor.

Sonne said: “I’m super excited. To be here and experience the club and the facilities – it’s mind-blowing.

“There’s a lot of reasons I joined this football club. The big one is that it’s a massive club with great ambitions.

“The manager is amazing. He has this aura around him and it’s easy to tell he’s a really nice guy and made a really good first impression.”

Sonne made his senior debut for Peru in March as a substitute against Nicaragua and scored Silkeborg’s winner in the Danish Cup final against Aarhus in May.