Transfer Talk: No offer from Saudi Arabia for Almirón

The winter transfer window is now open in Europe, and there are plenty of moves in the works and gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: No offer for Almirón from Saudi Arabia

According to Fabrizio Romano, there has been no approach from Saudi Arabia for Newcastle United’s Miguel Almirón, which could see the Paraguayan set to stay with the Premier League club.

It was reported that Al Shabab were interested in striking a deal for the 29-year-old, which left the Magpies scrambling to identify a replacement. However, the tweet suggests that there has been no offer from Saudi Arabia, with Al Shabab set to finalise a move for Ivan Rakitic, which could end their interest in Almirón. The Saudi Pro League transfer window closes on Tuesday, which leaves limited time for a deal to be struck.

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Almirón was absent from Newcastle’s squad on Saturday for their 2-0 win over Fulham in the FA Cup, however, this was confirmed to be due to illness.

The Paraguay international joined Newcastle in January 2019 from Atlanta United and has cemented himself as a key player in in manager Eddie Howe’s side. Almirón has made 31 appearances across all competitions, notching five goals and two assists and will need to play his part in the second half of the season as the Magpies look to improve upon their current 10th-place standing in the Premier League.

PAPER GOSSIP

– Bayer Leverkusen are exploring a potential deal for Paris Saint-Germain winger Marco Asensio, reports Sky Sports Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg. The tweet indicates that talks have taken place between the two clubs, with PSG potentially open to offloading the 28-year-old, who has made just four starts in Ligue 1 this season. Despite this, it is reported that a deal will be difficult to strike.

– Chelsea may offload midfielder Conor Gallagher with Tottenham exploring the opportunity to make an approach, reports TeamTalk. The report reveals that Chelsea are looking to offload several players to ensure Financial Fair Play compliance, which could see the England international depart Stamford Bridge. It is reported that Spurs are long-term admirers of the Cobham graduate, with the north London outfit monitoring the situation ahead of the January deadline.

– Newcastle defender Kieran Trippier could still move to Bayern Munich, reports Football Insider. The report suggests that to ensure Financial Fair Play compliance, the Magpies could look to agree on an interim figure with the Bavarian giants, with the Premier League side under pressure to part ways with several players. Whilst Newcastle reportedly rejected an approach from Bayern for the 33-year-old earlier in the window, the pressure to ensure compliance with FFP could prove to be too much.

– Brentford’s deal for Club Brugge winger Antonio Nusa could be shattered due to complications with the move, per The Athletic. It is reported that whilst an agreement was struck between the two clubs, the deal has not been finalised and instead, a «backwards step» has taken place in negotiations, which leaves the door open for other teams to hijack the deal. Despite this, the report indicates that the 18-year-old prefers a move to Brentford, though, with other clubs interested, a move may not materialise.

– Orlando City are considering a seven-figure approach from Sheffield Wednesday for forward Duncan McGuire, suggest The Sheffield Star. The 22-year-old scored 13 goals in the 2023 MLS season, with the report suggesting that Orlando are set to inform Wednesday whether their offer has been accepted. Alongside the Championship outfit, Davide Masi reports that Blackburn Rovers and FC Midtjylland are also pushing to secure the signature of McGuire, who has attracted the attention of several clubs in Europe.

– Leicester City defender Harry Souttar has instructed his representatives to leave him out of any discussions about his future as he puts his sole focus on Australia’s Asian Cup campaign. «While I’m here, I don’t really want to hear anything about it,» he told ESPN. «My full concentration has to be on has to be on the games here.» The centre-back has made just three league appearances for the high-flying Foxes, leading to speculation of a move out with Rangers and Saudi side Al Nassr amongst the interested teams.