Napoli have confirmed the loan signing of Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe for the rest of the season.

Tuanzebe made 11 appearances during a loan spell with Aston Villa this season, but was recently recalled by the Red Devils.

The 24-year-old central defender is on the move again after agreeing to join Serie A side Napoli.

Tuanzebe had spent two previous loan spells at Villa Park in 2018 and 2019, when the club was in the Championship, and has made 37 appearances for United.

Tuanzebe could be available to make his debut for Luciano Spalletti's side against Sampdoria on Sunday, with the club struggling depleted due to injuries, COVID-19 cases, and Africa Cup of Nations call-ups.

Third-placed Napoli have the joint-best defensive record in Serie A this season, conceding just 15 goals in 20 games, from just 16.36 expected goals against, the lowest tally in the Italian top-flight.

They have, however, struggled in the absence of influential defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who missed a month through injury before jetting off to play in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Spalletti's team have kept just one clean sheet since Koulibaly's last appearance, a 2-2 draw with Sassuolo in early December, and will now hope that Tuanzebe, who has represented England at three youth levels, can provide valuable cover in the heart of their backline. 

Arsenal utility man Ainsley Maitland-Niles has joined Serie A side Roma on loan until the end of the season.

The 24-year-old will link up with fellow England internationals Chris Smalling and Tammy Abraham under Jose Mourinho at the Stadio Olimpico.

Maitland-Niles has made eight appearances for Arsenal this season but has not featured since coming off the bench in the 4-0 defeat at Liverpool in November.

Mourinho has reportedly been seeking reinforcements at full-back, with Italy international Leonardo Spinazzola missing since suffering an Achilles injury at Euro 2020.

Maitland-Niles, who can play at full-back or in midfield, spent the second half of last season on loan at West Brom, where he made 15 appearances for the ultimately relegated Baggies.

The player appeared to try and force a move away from the Gunners in August when he took to Instagram to say: "All I want to do is go where I'm wanted and where I'm going to play."

However, a reported move to Everton failed to materialise and Maitland-Niles eventually agreed to stay at the north London club until January.

Lorenzo Insigne will leave Napoli at the end of the season to join Major League Soccer side Toronto FC.

The 30-year-old has spent his entire career in Naples despite regularly being linked with a move away, but will finally say goodbye to his hometown club when his contract expires in June.

Winger Insigne has signed a four-year deal, which will begin on July 1, after agreeing to move to Toronto as a designated player.

The Italy international has played 412 games for Napoli, scoring 113 goals and registering 88 assists, and was a key part of Roberto Mancini's side that won Euro 2020 last year, scoring two goals in six games 

Toronto president Bill Manning said: “This is a historic and exciting day for our club.

"Lorenzo is a world-class attacking player in the prime of his career. He was a European champion with Italy and has performed on the biggest stages during his club career with Napoli.

"Lorenzo has the talent to change games. He plays the game with joy and passion, and our fans and supporters are going to love watching him as a member of our team."

Insigne will become the second big-name Italian to play for Toronto, following in the footsteps of Sebastian Giovinco, who joined the Canadian side from Juventus in 2015.

The club's head coach and sporting director Bob Bradley said it was a move they had been hoping to make for "many years", stating: "We are all looking forward to having Lorenzo join us this summer.

"His ability to create chances for himself and his teammates is special. Having watched him for many years, I also know he's also a player who works for the team.

"Lorenzo is the kind of player you come to watch because there's always a chance he'll do something unforgettable."

Adama Traore has 18 months left to run on his Wolves contract, and it does not appear he will rush to sign a new deal.

The rapid winger was of interest to Tottenham in the off-season, when they were coached by former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

Though Nuno's spell at Spurs was short-lived, it appears Antonio Conte is also an admirer of Traore.

TOP STORY: SPURS TO MAKE TRAORE MOVE?

Tottenham are looking for reinforcements this month, as they aim to provide Antonio Conte with the resources he needs to push for Champions League qualification. However, they were dealt a blow this week when Conte confirmed Son Heung-min is set to miss the rest of January with a muscular injury.

With Son out, Sky Sports believes Tottenham will reignite their interest in Traore, a player they wanted to sign before the season started.

The report also states that Spurs may bring in Traore to provide competition for both an attacking role and right wing-back duties in Conte's preferred 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 shape.

ROUND-UP

- According to Fichajes, two Premier League clubs are interested in signing Barcelona forward Martin Braithwaite .

- Sky Sports reports that Aston Villa wish to sign Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma this month.

- The same outlet has also claimed that Real Madrid's Gareth Bale may consider a move to the Championship, with Swansea City or Cardiff City mooted as possible destinations.

- Fabrizio Romano has said that Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is unlikely to join Arsenal in January.

- According to the presenter Oriol Domenech on TV3, Barca president Joan Laporta has been telling people close to him that he is very confident of signing Erling Haaland later this year.

- Manchester United are preparing a bid for PSG forward Mauro Icardi, should Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani leave the club, L'Equipe reports.

- Gianluca Di Marzio has reported that Juventus have received several offers for midfielder Arthur, who could leave this month.

Manchester United midfielder Fred has hit back at what he described as "fake news" amid reports of dressing-room unrest at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils' meek performance in the 1-0 home defeat to Wolves last Monday, their first loss under interim manager Ralf Rangnick, resulted in widespread speculation over the futures of several first-team players.

It has been claimed as many as 17 United players are considering leaving the club, either this month or at the end of the season, with standards falling significantly short of expectation.

Fred's name appeared in some of the reports, with the 28-year-old having only played a minute of his side's previous two league matches despite scoring the winning goal against Crystal Palace at the beginning of Rangnick's tenure.

However, the Brazil international said there was no truth to the rumours he is unhappy at the club.

He wrote on social media: "Over the past few days I have read several fake news involving my name and other MUFC athletes. I'm not in the habit of answering controversial stuff publicly, but this time I will have to.

"I just want to say that I am very happy here and I have never expressed any dissatisfaction and the possibility of leaving the club. Don't get misled by fake news. We will continue to work with great dedication to pursue our goals."

Fred has played 19 times in all competitions in 2021-22, scoring twice.

United are seventh in the Premier League table after 19 games, having already lost six times in the top flight this term, and they face a tricky FA Cup third-round match with Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Monday.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has suggested that the Gunners will look to sign at least one midfielder in the January transfer window after being left short of options.

With Ainsley Maitland-Niles having completed a loan move to Jose Mourinho's Roma and Mohamed Elneny away on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Egypt, Arteta's squad is running thin on central midfielders heading into the second half of the season.

The former Rangers and Everton midfielder was asked at a news conference ahead of Sunday's FA Cup third-round trip to Nottingham Forest about letting Maitland-Niles leave, with the Spaniard insisting that the player was entitled to move to Italy, but also raising concerns about his lack of options in the middle of the park.

"Ainsley came to me and explained the reasons why he thought the best thing for him in his career right now was to move away," Arteta told reporters. 

"He felt the opportunity to go to Rome and work with Jose was a good one. Being fair with the amount of minutes that he’s played he was entitled to that opportunity. We wish him the best.

"We are very, very short at the moment. But on a player this cannot be the only argument to keep a player. He was very straight with me and I understood the situation.

"We are going to move and we are going to look for options because we are very short there."

The Gunners boss missed Saturday's controversial 2-1 home defeat to Manchester City after testing positive for COVID-19, and insisted that while he is feeling better, he was left frustrated by the loss to the Premier League leaders.

"I feel good. I had a few rough days but I feel in top form. I was so happy to leave my house after seven or eight days," he said.

"I was extremely upset at how we lost the [City] game at the end but at the same time extremely proud for the performance. The support from our fans and the atmosphere it was incredible.

"If I have to rate the decisions that were made in that game [by referee Stuart Attwell] I have to be extremely disappointed because it was completely inconsistent and affected the result in a big way."

Arsenal, like many other clubs, are set to be without several first-team players this weekend due to a mixture of COVID-19 and injuries, with Arteta saying: "I don't want to give anything away as you can imagine.

"We are really short with numbers. We want to play and that's how we are approaching every game."

The 39-year-old was also asked about Arsenal's No More Red campaign, which is part of an initiative to combat youth knife crime in London. Arsenal will wear a special white kit for the game at Forest.

"Obviously we've been really involved as a club over the years with knife crime and we have the capacity to give exposure to that issue in London," he added. "Everyone at the club has been extremely supportive."

Rafael Benitez has confirmed Lucas Digne wants to leave Everton.

Left-back Digne, who signed from Barcelona for a reported £18million in August 2018, has not featured for the Toffees since a 4-1 home defeat to Merseyside rivals – and Benitez's former club – Liverpool on December 1.

That loss was one of eight for Everton from their last 12 Premier League games. They have won just one of their fixtures in that run, beating Arsenal 2-1 thanks to a late Demarai Gray stunner.

Everton, who were limited in the off-season transfer window partly due to the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules, have been active already this month, signing right-back Nathan Patterson from Rangers for a fee believed to be £11m plus add-ons, and bringing in left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko from Dynamo Kiev, seemingly to replace Digne.

Chelsea, who need cover at left wing-back following news of Ben Chilwell's season-long injury lay-off, are rumoured to be interested, while West Ham and Newcastle United have also been linked.

And, in a somewhat unexpected outburst during Friday's news conference to preview Everton's trip to Hull City in the FA Cup, Benitez revealed Digne, who signed a new long-term contract in 2021, wished to leave.

Benitez also addressed an Everton legend from the club's 1980s heyday in the form of Peter Reid, who on Sunday, after a 3-2 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, tweeted: "Major problems at Goodison Park, huge concerns about the direction of the football club."

The Spanish coach told reporters: "I want to ask a question to every fan, or former players, what Peter Reid will do or say if a player doesn't want to be there. That's it, simple.

"I had a couple of conversations with [Digne], he told me what he thought. What do you expect a manager to do? Fans, former players, what will Peter Reid say if a player goes to the manager that he doesn't want to be here?

"We need players that want to be here. Talking about individual stats when the team finished 10th [last season], it means nothing for me. I want a winning mentality, ambition, it will take some time."

Asked why he included Digne on the bench for Sunday's loss to Brighton, having dropped him altogether for previous matches, Benitez said: "I try to do what is best for the club, sometimes you pay for that."

Benitez also confirmed there had been no bids for Digne.

"I would like to sign [Erling] Haaland and [Kylian] Mbappe, but you'd need commitment. We don't have commitment yet," he said.

"There is interest but nothing concrete. What I cannot do is give priority to those who are not interested. Do we want to grow and improve or just manage egos?"

Big boots to fill?

With Digne's replacement already through the door, the focus for Everton will be on recouping a suitable fee for such an experienced player in arguably his prime years.

Digne has undoubtedly been a success at Everton after having a tricky spell at Barca, where he struggled for regular minutes behind Jordi Alba in the pecking order.

Having replaced fan-favourite Leighton Baines as first choice at Everton, Digne went on to be a creative fulcrum under Marco Silva and Carlo Ancelotti, both from set-pieces and open play.

Since making his Everton debut on August 11, 2018, Digne has created 211 chances in the Premier League, ranking him behind only Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold (267) among defenders.

Digne's 34 big chances created is the third most, behind Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson, with his 18 league assists also only bettered by the Liverpool duo.

Alexander-Arnold (1,408) is also the only defender to have played more passes/crosses into the area than Digne (902), highlighting just how much of a persistent threat the Frenchman can be.

But on the defensive side of things, Digne has proven himself slightly more reliable in the tackle than Alexander-Arnold and Robertson, with the former Paris Saint-Germain full-back boasting a better success rate (63.2 per cent) than both in such situations.

That desire also translates to his duels involvement, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Charlie Taylor the only full-backs (minimum 50 games played) to have a better duel success rate than Digne's 59.4 (712/1,199) since the Everton man made his Premier League debut.

Thomas Tuchel says Antonio Rudiger's future is a "no-problem situation" for Chelsea and confirmed the European champions are exploring their options in the transfer market.

Rudiger is only under contract with the Blues until the end of this season and the centre-back is free to talk to clubs from overseas.

Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Juventus are all reportedly eager to sign the Germany international.

Chelsea boss Tuchel says there is no need to "pamper" the 28-year-old in a bid to try and keep him at Stamford Bridge. 

Asked if he might need to take Rudiger out for coffees in an attempt to get him to sign a new deal, Tuchel said: "I don't know it helps if I take him for a lot of coffees, maybe it pushes him out!

"I don't feel like that he needs a lot of coffees with me. He's a guy who needs to trust you, who needs to feel the connection, to feel the trust. He needs to feel it by minutes and by actions.

"I don't feel that he needs a lot of words and a lot of pampering and coffee talks, invitations to dinners and whatever. He is a top professional, this is what he gives, he's very important.

"Nothing has changed, we are in talks. It's in good hands. I trust the club 100 per cent and I have full trust in my player, so it's a no-problem situation for me and obviously also for Toni.

"He can still deliver, he did a fantastic match now in a back four and so he's super-reliable. Nothing has changed, the points of view have not changed. Once something changes you will be one of the first to know."

With Ben Chilwell a long-term absentee with a knee injury and the likes of Reece James also sidelined, Tuchel confirmed the London club are looking to add to the squad.

He said on the eve of Saturday's FA Cup third-round tie with Chesterfield: "We are discussing in talks with staff and board, scouting check possibilities, like they always do.

"Given there are long-term injuries we are looking into the market. We are not under the very highest pressure. Things have to make sense for us personality-wise, position-wise and also for the quality. We have our options and check our options."

Tuchel says recalling Emerson Palmieri from a loan spell at Lyon could be an option for Chelsea and did not rule out another exit for Ross Barkley during the January transfer window.

Asked about a premature return for Emerson, the German said: "I will not give you any details, but I will not hide from the fact we have a long-term injury with Ben Chilwell.

"Of course, we know and appreciate Emi as a player and a person in general."

He said of Barkley: "It depends on what Ross wants and what the possibilities are. There is always a chance."

Aston Villa have pulled off a significant coup by agreeing to sign Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho on loan for the rest of the season.

The Brazil playmaker returns to the Premier League four years after leaving Liverpool to join Barca in a big-money move.

Coutinho will be reunited with his former Reds team-mate Steven Gerrard, who was appointed as Villa boss in November.

The 29-year-old Coutinho, who is contracted to Catalan giants Barca until June 2023, spent a loan spell with Bayern Munich in the 2019-20 season.

He has endured an injury-hit time at Camp Nou, with Barca attempting to cut him from their squad in the last off-season as they looked to clear room on the wage bill to not only register new signings, but also keep hold of Lionel Messi.

No buyer could be found for Coutinho at the time, but he is now on the move, at least temporarily, to Villa, who are 13th in the Premier League.

Villa said: "Aston Villa and FC Barcelona have agreed terms for Philippe Coutinho to spend the rest of this season on loan at Villa Park.

"The agreement, which is subject to the player completing a medical and receiving a work permit, also includes an option to buy and Philippe will travel to Birmingham in the next 48 hours."

Coutinho has made 16 Barca appearances across all competitions this season, starting five times and scoring two goals.

Across his time in Spain, he helped Barca win two LaLiga titles, the Copa del Rey twice and the Supercopa de Espana, scoring 26 goals in 106 appearances in all competitions. He scored 17 times in LaLiga.

Gerrard had refused to be drawn on talk of Coutinho joining Villa during a press conference on Thursday, but he lavished praise on the "magician".

"Sixty-three caps for Brazil, a serial winner, was incredible at Liverpool, so I can understand why he's linked to a lot of football clubs," said the former England midfielder.

"I can understand why a lot of supporters up and down the country are speaking about him. I don't think you get a nickname as a magician if you're not a special footballer, so he's someone I have an incredible amount of respect for."

Gerrard added: "I think if you go and have a look at his Wikipedia page, I think you'll see a serial winner wherever he's been.

"I've got nothing but positive things to say about the player. He's a friend of mine, so if I'm asked the questions I can speak for as long as you want."

Coutinho won the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League during his season in Germany with Bayern.

Aston Villa have pulled off a significant coup by agreeing to sign Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho on loan for the rest of the season.

The Brazil playmaker returns to the Premier League four years after leaving Liverpool to join Barca in a big-money move.

Coutinho will be reunited with his former Reds team-mate Steven Gerrard, who was appointed as Villa boss in November.

The 29-year-old Coutinho, who is contracted to Catalan giants Barca until June 2023, spent a loan spell with Bayern Munich in the 2019-20 season.

He has endured an injury-hit time at Camp Nou, with Barca attempting to cut him from their squad in the last off-season as they looked to clear room on the wage bill to not only register new signings, but also keep hold of Lionel Messi.

No buyer could be found for Coutinho at the time, but he is now on the move, at least temporarily, to Villa, who are 13th in the Premier League.

Villa said: "Aston Villa and FC Barcelona have agreed terms for Philippe Coutinho to spend the rest of this season on loan at Villa Park.

"The agreement, which is subject to the player completing a medical and receiving a work permit, also includes an option to buy and Philippe will travel to Birmingham in the next 48 hours."

Coutinho has made 16 Barca appearances across all competitions this season, starting five times and scoring two goals.

Ralf Rangnick's start at Manchester United has been rather underwhelming.

There have been reports this week that stars in the United dressing room have not fully taken to the German, who was appointed as interim manager in the wake of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's dismissal.

United plan to move Rangnick into a consultancy role after his short spell in charge of the team, with a new, permanent manager their target ahead of next season.

However, whoever the club picks must reportedly gain the approval of Cristiano Ronaldo.

TOP STORY – RONALDO'S UNITED RETURN TO COME TO AN END?

United need to get their next appointment right, with Mauricio Pochettino supposedly high on their list of targets.

Yet another factor in the decision seems set to be the feelings of Ronaldo, who may yet have input in the appointment.

According to the Daily Star, Ronaldo could cut short his second stint at Old Trafford should he disagree with the club's managerial selection.

ROUND-UP

- Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves is Manchester United's top transfer priority in January, according to Fichajes.

- Liverpool have declined a £7million bid from an unspecified Premier League club for defender Nathaniel Phillips, according to the Daily Mail.

- The Sun, meanwhile, claims Liverpool are moving in on a £60million deal for Porto's Luis Diaz. The Colombia winger was close to joining Everton in August.

- Sky Sports says Newcastle United want to buy Norwich City midfielder Todd Cantwell.

- Fabrizio Romano has reported that Manchester United are not interested in signing River Plate's young striker Julian Alvarez in this window.

Newcastle United have completed the signing of Kieran Tripper from Atletico Madrid on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

The England international is the first arrival at St James' Park following the Saudi Arabian-backed takeover in October, joining for a fee reported to be in the region of £12million plus add-ons.

Tripper returns to the Premier League following a two-and-a-half-year stint with Atletico, having previously played for Tottenham and Burnley in the English top-flight.

The full-back will aim to bolster the Newcastle defence and help them climb out of the relegation zone, with the Magpies only winning one league game all season. They currently sit 19th, two points from safety.

The 31-year-old also links up with Eddie Howe for a second time, the pair having previously crossed paths at Turf Moor in 2012.

"I'm delighted to be joining this fantastic club. I really enjoyed my time in Madrid, but when I became aware of interest from Newcastle United, and having worked with Eddie Howe before, I knew this was where I wanted to be," Trippier told the club's official website.

"I'm aware there is a lot of work ahead of us but I know the demands of Premier League well and I know what an amazing club this is with very talented players. I can't wait to get started and I'm excited to step out at St. James' Park as a Newcastle player."

Trippier made 68 LaLiga appearances for Los Rojiblancos, helping Diego Simeone's side capture the domestic title last season.

The full-back contributed to the success with six assists; Jose Gaya (seven) the only defender to record more in the Spanish top-flight in 2020-21.

Trippier also registered 74 successful crosses during his time in LaLiga, with Jesus Navas (129) and Damian Suarez (84) the only defenders to better that tally.

Although he has failed to record any goals or assists across all competitions this season, there is no doubt in the quality and experience the England defender will bring to the Magpies' ranks.

Indeed, he played five of the Three Lions' seven matches as they reached the Euro 2020 final last year.

Howe said: "I am really pleased to welcome Kieran to Newcastle United. I have long admired his abilities and have followed his career, so when the opportunity arose to secure him, we didn't hesitate.

"A lot of hard work has gone into planning for the January transfer window long before the month began, which is clear in how quickly we have been able to complete this move."

Newcastle have also been linked with a move for another full-back, this time for the left flank, in the form of Everton defender Lucas Digne, who is out of favour with Rafael Benitez following a reported training-ground disagreement.

Digne, however, is reported to prefer a move elsewhere as it stands, with West Ham and Chelsea also said to be interested.

Steven Gerrard described Philippe Coutinho as "a serial winner" and a "special footballer" amid rumours Aston Villa want to sign the Barcelona midfielder.

Coutinho is reportedly keen to secure a return to the Premier League this month after four years at Camp Nou in which he has struggled for consistent form and fitness.

Barca, meanwhile, are said to be eager to remove the Brazil international from their wage bill to free up funds to register new signing Ferran Torres and explore further options in the January window.

Gerrard was Liverpool captain during Coutinho's impressive spell at Anfield, in which the former Inter star was twice named the club's player of the season by both fans and team-mates.

There is speculation the Villa boss would like to reunite with Coutinho, and he was certainly not prepared to rule out such a move.

Asked on Thursday about the rumours around the 29-year-old, Gerrard said: "Sixty-three caps for Brazil, a serial winner, was incredible at Liverpool, so I can understand why he's linked to a lot of football clubs.

"I can understand why a lot of supporters up and down the country are speaking about him. I don't think you get a nickname as a magician if you're not a special footballer, so he's someone I have an incredible amount of respect for.

"But I don't want to add to any speculation, because he belongs to Barcelona."

Coutinho has won two LaLiga titles, two Copas del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana with Barca, scoring 26 goals in 106 appearances in all competitions.

However, he has found it difficult to establish himself as a key player during a period of upheaval at the club and has only started 15 games since the start of the 2020-21 season.

Coutinho spent 2019-20 on loan at Bayern Munich, winning the treble of Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League titles, but he could not convince the German giants to make the move permanent.

"He won two league titles and two Copa del Reys with Barcelona," added Gerrard.

"I think if you go and have a look at his Wikipedia page, I think you'll see a serial winner wherever he's been.

"I've got nothing but positive things to say about the player. He's a friend of mine, so if I'm asked the questions I can speak for as long as you want."

Aaron Ramsey has not had the best of times since moving to Juventus.

The Wales midfielder joined Juve from Arsenal in 2019 on a four-year deal.

Ramsey has only managed 70 appearances in an injury hit two and a half years with Juventus.

TOP STORY – RAMSEY TO LEAVE JUVENTUS IN JANUARY

Aaron Ramsey is set to exit Juventus in the January transfer window, reports Sky Sports.

Italian transfer supremo Gianluca Di Marzio claimed that Ramsey is likely to return to the Premier League, having already turned down an offer from Burnley .

Newcastle United have been linked with Ramsey, along with Everton.

ROUND-UP

- Bayern Munich will consider swapping Kingsley Coman with Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele in the off-season, reports L'Equipe. Coman's contract expires in 2023 and negotiations on a new deal have stalled.

- Sky Sports have reported that Newcastle are contemplating a bid for Lucas Digne. The full-back is set to leave Everton this month after a falling out with Rafael Benitez, though supposedly prefers a move to London, with Chelsea and West Ham also said to be interested.

- Everton, meanwhile, hold an interest in Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff and have already made a bid, according to the Daily Mail and Sky Sports.

- Paris Saint-Germain may look to sign Lyon's Lucas Paqueta next off-season, so say L'Equipe.

- Manchester United are determined to secure Wolves' Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves in January, according to The Sun.

- Lazio have opened talks with Liverpool on a deal for Belgium international forward Divock Origi, claims LazioNews24.

- According to Sky Sports, five Premier League clubs have held talks with Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho.

Milan head coach Stefano Pioli has his sights set on signing a "complete defender" during the January transfer window.

The Rossoneri were rocked when Denmark captain Simon Kjaer was ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury at the start of December.

Pioli declared following that major setback that he wanted to sign a replacement for centre-back Kjaer went the transfer market opened this month.

The 56-year-old on Wednesday stated that he will only bring in a player who ticks all the right boxes.

He said during a press conference: "We have clear and shared ideas. Kjaer's injury forces us to have an eye on defence. I have not made any other requests.

"We are looking for a complete defender, it's too important a role.

"We want one who can accept defensive one-v-ones with great timing and to have courage in the defensive phase.

"The defenders have to be the playmakers. They must have the ability to play, make the right choice even in possession of the ball.

"It will not be a roaring market for anyone, but I'm sure we'll find the right player."

Second-placed Milan return to action following the mid-season break with a Serie A clash against Roma at San Siro on Thursday.

They trail Inter by four points but Pioli believes they can mount a strong bid to win the title.

He said: "I don't care much about what they say outside Milanello. I see players who are aware, winning would be an extraordinary feat. But we have to believe in it and I expect a lot from everyone.

"We can do it if we keep the balance. We have pressure because we have been good at creating it with the results, then we'll do the math in the end."