Carlo Ancelotti expressed satisfaction with his current midfield options amid reports Real Madrid are the frontrunners to sign Jude Bellingham.

Madrid are said to be leading the race to prise Bellingham, who shone for England at the World Cup last month, from Borussia Dortmund.

Bellingham started all five of England's matches at Qatar 2022, which ended in quarter-final defeat to France, scoring and assisting one goal from central midfield.

Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain are also said to have an interest in his services, but the latest speculation suggests it is Madrid who are poised to add him to a midfield that already includes young France internationals Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni and Uruguay star Federico Valverde.

Asked about the talk about acquiring Bellingham, Ancelotti told a press conference: "Bellingham has proven to be a great midfielder at the World Cup, like others.

"There are many young people, Enzo [Fernandez], Pedri and Gavi... There are many young midfielders that are coming out and Bellingham is one of them.

"But I keep my midfield, which is very good. Tchouameni, Camavinga, Valverde... We have a lot of young people here."

Ancelotti was speaking ahead of Madrid's LaLiga clash with Villarreal on Saturday, their second league game since the resumption of the season following the World Cup. 

Madrid faced Cacereno in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday, winning 1-0, and face a Supercopa de Espana semi-final with Valencia next Wednesday.

"Tomorrow a fresh team will play, most of those who did not play against Cacereno," added Ancelotti. 

"It is a team that is approaching last year's team. After that, each game I will choose who is better. The Supercopa is a very important title for us and I will try to get the best team."

He was also speaking following the death of former Sampdoria, Juventus, Chelsea and Italy striker Gianluca Vialli.

Both Ancelotti and Vialli were part of the Italy squad that finished third at the 1990 World Cup on home soil.

"It's a very sad day for me," said Ancelotti. "My dear friend has passed away. May he rest in peace."

Paris Saint-Germain are regularly a topic of transfer speculation, with plenty of discussion around Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi recently.

But Neymar is another who has been linked with a move away from Parc des Princes in the past, having been with PSG since 2017.

The former Barcelona forward signed a contract extension in 2021 after originally joining on a five-year deal.

TOP STORY – PSG OPEN TO OFFERS FOR NEYMAR IN JANUARY

Paris Saint-Germain have put Brazil superstar Neymar up for sale, according to Fichajes.

The French champions are willing to listen to offers for the 30-year-old, who is contracted until 2025.

The report claims PSG have lowered their price to €50million, which may attract the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle United and Manchester City.

ROUND-UP

– The Mail reports Manchester United have opened talks with Monaco defender Axel Disasi, although the 24-year-old is also being tracked by a few other Premier League clubs.

– Manchester United target Mohammed Kudus has had a £40m price tag slapped on him by his Dutch club Ajax, claims The Star. The 22-year-old Ghana midfielder impressed at the World Cup.

– Real Madrid are bullish about their prospects of beating Liverpool in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, claims Marca.

– Calciomercato reports Madrid will rival Juventus in the chase to sign 18-year-old right-back Ivan Fresneda from Real Valladolid.

– Sevilla are circling to sign Sergio Ramos once his PSG contract expires at the end of this season, claims Fichajes, although he will need to take a pay cut for the move to transpire.

– Fabrizio Romano reports struggling Premier League club Southampton have agreed to a £6m deal to sign Croatia international Mislav Orsic from Dinamo Zagreb.

– Mykhaylo Mudryk has informed Shakhtar Donetsk that he wants to join Arsenal amid talk of interest from Chelsea, reports 90min.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta believes a revamped version of the European Super League could launch as soon as 2025, without any Premier League clubs taking part.

Barca, along with Real Madrid and Juventus, remained committed to the Super League project in the aftermath of a failed launch in April 2021, though the other nine founding clubs quickly withdrew their support.

In October, it was revealed that plans were afoot to revive the competition, with A22 Sports Management chief executive Bernd Reichart promising an "open format" as he sought support for the proposal.

UEFA called the Super League's supporters "greedy" after meeting with Reichart the following month, while European Union Court of Justice [CJUE] advocate general Athanasios Rantos dealt a blow to the proposed competition by stating UEFA and FIFA could lawfully sanction participating clubs. 

However, Laporta remains optimistic regarding the Super League project, with the remaining clubs hopeful the CJUE will rule any UEFA sanctions are incompatible with EU competition law.

"In March or April we will have the CJUE ruling. It will be a very important sentence and I think it will benefit the clubs," Laporta told Cadena SER on Thursday.

"The Super League will be an open competition. I would not have entered this project if the competition was not open. 

"We want the governance to belong to the clubs. I hope that UEFA will occupy one more chair at the governance table. If the resolution is favourable, I think the Super League will be a reality in 2025."

All six of the Premier League clubs originally involved in the Super League – Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool – withdrew their support following a fierce public and media backlash to the plans in 2021.

Laporta does not expect any English sides to participate in the first edition of any future Super League, though he believes they will eventually join the competition if it succeeds.

"We will have a European competition that competes with the Premier League," he said. "I believe that the English teams will not enter at first. 

"We'd love for them to come in, but my opinion is that initially, they won't. I believe that everything will end with a merger later."

One feature of Laporta's tenure as Barca president has been his poor relationship with LaLiga president Javier Tebas, who he believes is not doing enough to ensure Spanish clubs can compete with their English counterparts.

"Our personal relationship has never been bad, but it has been tense. Tebas is a complicated person," he said. "He should be more concerned with recovering subscribers to football on television, increasing the income of Spanish football.

"We are defenders of financial control, but if you make a comparison between the Premier and the Spanish league... it is up to us to make them look at it."

Eden Hazard played like "he didn't care" during Real Madrid's 1-0 Copa del Rey victory over Cacereno, according to opponent Carmelo Mereciano.

Madrid secured their place in the round of 16 with a narrow win over their fourth-tier opponents on Tuesday, thanks to a superb 69th-minute strike from Rodrygo.

However, the performance of Hazard came under fire as he failed to register a shot or even a touch in Cacereno's penalty area before he was hauled off by Carlo Ancelotti in the 68th minute.

Cacereno winger Mereciano was not impressed by the display of the former Belgium international, who signed for Madrid from Chelsea in 2019 for a reported €100 million fee.

"Hazard? It was like he didn't care about the game," Mereciano told AS. "He didn't want to take the ball, he didn't run.

"He was totally unnoticed."

Hazard struggled to make an impact on what was a rare appearance for Madrid, having featured just seven times for Los Blancos in all competitions this season.

Ancelotti defended the 31-year-old after the match, partly blaming Cacereno's poor pitch for his limited attacking output.

"You can't play football [on Cacereno’s pitch]," Ancelotti told reporters. "I liked [Hazard].

"It's difficult to evaluate players individually, it was impossible to play. Smaller players like Hazard or Rodrygo suffer more, but he delivered."

Manchester United continue to be the centre of plenty of January transfer window speculation.

Erik ten Hag's side are likely to be active in the transfer market following Cristiano Ronaldo's exit.

United are in the mix for a top-four finish but want to bolster their squad in January to boost their chances.

TOP STORY – MAN UTD TO OFFER €4M FOR WANTAWAY ATLETICO STAR

Manchester United are some way from making an agreement with Atletico Madrid on a loan deal for Joao Felix, with the Red Devils prepared to offer only €4million (£3.5m), reports Relevo.

According to the report, Atleti want €12-13m (£10.6m-£11.4m) for the 23-year-old Portuguese striker.

There has been no shortage of clubs linked with Felix, including Arsenal, but United are firmly in the mix for a cut-price forward option.

ROUND-UP

– Chelsea are willing to beat any offer Arsenal make for Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Mykhaylo Mudryk, according to the Independent. The Mail claims the Ukrainian club will turn down Arsenal's latest £62m offer.

–  Borussia Dortmund are monitoring the availability of Real Madrid's 18-year-old Nico Paz, claims Defensa Central. Real Valladolid and Getafe are also keen on taking him on loan.

– Sky Germany reports Liverpool's Roberto Firmino is drawing interest from Saudi Arabian clubs but the Brazilian is leaning towards extending his Anfield stay.

– Sport claims Barcelona will sign Inigo Martinez from Athletic Bilbao when his contract expires in mid-year.

– Barcelona are willing to let 20-year-old midfielder Ansu Fati go out on loan during the January transfer window to make space for new signings, reports Fichajes.

– Fabrizio Romano reports that Ajax have reached full agreement with Villarreal on a deal for Argentinian goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, who will travel to Amsterdam to sign and undergo medical tests in the next 24 hours.

– Manchester United have missed out on signing Borussia Monchengladbach's Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer who has reached a verbal agreement to join Bayern Munich, according to Sky Germany.

Carlo Ancelotti criticised the state of Cacereno's pitch after his Real Madrid side's hard-fought 1-0 Copa del Rey victory on Tuesday, saying "you can't play football" on surfaces like that.

Madrid's fourth-tier opponents put up a stubborn performance against the European and LaLiga champions, but a superb 69th-minute strike from Rodrygo was enough to see Ancelotti's side into the round of 16.

The poor standard of the surface at Estadio Principe Felipe made it difficult for Madrid to get going as they made hard work of avoiding a massive upset.

Ancelotti was frustrated with the quality of the turf, telling reporters: "You can't play football. For me it's not football, it's another sport.

"It's nice because small teams can fight and compete with bigger teams. It's good for the fans, but the fans also want to see nice games."

Despite Madrid's lacklustre performance against a team three leagues below them, Ancelotti was content with how his team played, saying: "Rodrygo made a fantastic play, the rest was an even and competitive game.

"A lot of struggle, a lot of long balls, it couldn't be done any other way. The team has complied and I'm satisfied, it was a game we're not used to.

"I liked everything, from the first minute to the last, I knew we had to suffer. We didn't risk anything, the line of defence was fine, a clean sheet, everything was fine."

While Ancelotti was unhappy with the standard of Cacereno's pitch, he was complimentary of their team, adding: "They played very well.

"They pressed high up, we didn't have the chance to handle the ball well."

A superb Rodrygo strike was enough for a much-changed Real Madrid side to see off fourth-tier Cacereno on Tuesday and secure their place in the Copa del Rey round of 16.

Plying their trade in the Segunda Federacion, Cacereno more than held their own as the the European and LaLiga champions were unconvincing with Carlo Ancelotti having made nine alterations following the victory over Real Valladolid on Friday.

But in the 69th minute, Rodrygo jinked onto his right foot before arrowing into the top-right corner and that proved be enough to see Madrid through.

Madrid's hopes of winning a 20th Copa del Rey, and their first since the 2013-14 campaign, remain alive but they made hard work of the victory.

It took until the 16th minute for the first shot on target of the contest, Dani Ceballos sending a tame long-range effort into the waiting hands of Ivan Moreno in the Cacereno goal.

The underdogs largely kept their opponents at bay during the first half and had a couple of attempts of their own, with David Grande testing Andriy Lunin before Carmelo Merenciano saw a shot deflected over the crossbar.

Ancelotti made a pair of changes at the break, but they had little impact as Cacereno continued to look the more threatening of the two teams, though Marco Asensio stung the palms of Moreno with a fierce drive.

Madrid were in need of a moment of quality, and Rodrygo provided one it in abundance when a mazy run into the box ended with the forward superbly curling home.

Ancelotti's men would not relinquish that lead, despite some late pressure, and they are in the hat for the next round.

LaLiga has filed charges to a local court relating to the racial abuse aimed at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during last week's 2-0 win over Real Valladolid.

Vinicius was targeted by home fans after being substituted late on at Estadio Jose Zorrilla, where Karim Benzema's double secured all three points for Madrid.

The Brazil international criticised LaLiga for its lack of action to eradicate racism, though league chief Javier Tebas said those comments were "unfortunate" and "unfair".

LaLiga on Tuesday moved to punish those responsible for abusing Vinicius by taking the matter further.

"LaLiga has filed the corresponding charges regarding the racist insults directed against footballer Vinicius Jr, before the relevant judicial, administrative and sporting bodies," a statement read.

"A criminal charge for hate crimes has been filed with the Valladolid Magistrates' Courts, supported by audio-visual evidence gathered in the investigation carried out through images and audio clips published on open sources.

"LaLiga has also asked the Valladolid Magistrates' Courts to transfer the complaint to the Public Prosecutor's Office for Hate Crimes so that it can participate in the case.

"In addition, and as has been the case for several seasons, a report of the racist insults has been submitted to the RFEF Competition Committee and the State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sport, to be studied and assessed for a sanction."

In a social media post following Friday's win over Valladolid, Vinicius said: "Racists continue to go to stadiums and watch the biggest club in the world up close and @LaLiga continues to do nothing..."

Tebas was quick to refute that claim at the time, and LaLiga has now vowed to "increase its ongoing efforts to eradicate any kind of violence, racism or xenophobia inside and outside stadiums".

Tuesday's statement added: "As a result, the number of LaLiga integrity officers present at matches where there is a risk of racist insults will be increased, in order to maximise detection and identification of this type of behaviour, which has no place in sport.

"Furthermore, in stadiums where there is considered to be a risk of possible racist behaviour in the stands, messages will be broadcast over the public address system and advertising hoardings surrounding the pitch to combat and condemn racism.

"LaLiga's objective is zero violence in sport and in order to achieve this, a variety of training, prevention, detection and reporting practices are carried out on each matchday, which are then reported to the State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sport, as well as to the Public Prosecutor's Office for Hate Crimes. 

"Similarly, LaLiga denounces and takes legal action as a plaintiff in any criminal proceedings related to violent acts occurring in the sphere of football. LaLiga continues to work with clubs, players, authorities and all parties involved in the sport to ensure that there is no place for violent or racist behaviour in football."

Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Monday a "zero tolerance" policy needs to be taken against racism after the fourth high-profile incident involving Vinicius.

"It's society's problem, it shouldn't exist, for me it has to be zero tolerance," Ancelotti added. "I don't think it's LaLiga's problem. It's a general, cultural problem in society. Society doesn't have the education it should have.

"With such an important issue I wouldn't focus on Vinicius or LaLiga or the punishments. It's much bigger."

Vinicius is not part of Madrid's squad for Tuesday's Copa del Rey round-of-32 tie at lower-tier Cacereno, with Ancelotti opting to rest a number of first-team regulars.

Carlo Ancelotti believes a "zero tolerance" policy needs to be taken against racism after Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior was abused by some Real Valladolid fans on Friday.

Madrid won the game 2-0 thanks to a Karim Benzema double, but shocking footage emerged after the final whistle of Vinicius being racially abused as he was substituted late on, while objects were also thrown at the Brazil international from the stands.

Vinicius voiced his frustration on social media over LaLiga bosses' inaction in tackling racism, saying the league "continues to do nothing".

Ancelotti agreed with Vinicius that racism needs to be stamped out with more action, though he stopped short of criticising LaLiga.

When asked if he had discussed the topic with the Brazil international, Ancelotti told reporters: "I don't have to [talk to Vinicius].

"It's quite clear to me. Racism shouldn't exist, and xenophobia shouldn't exist. Talking about it with Vinicius would be a mistake.

"It's society's problem, it shouldn't exist, for me it has to be zero tolerance.

"I don't think it's LaLiga's problem. It's a general, cultural problem in society. Society doesn't have the education it should have.

"With such an important issue I wouldn't focus on Vinicius or LaLiga or the punishments. It's much bigger."

A number of Madrid's key players are set to run out of contract at the end of this season, including midfield pair Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.

Ancelotti is relaxed over their futures though, explaining: "Football is changing. When a player reaches the end of his contract it isn't as worrying as it was a few years ago.

"A lot of players reach the end of their contract and it's no problem, if they want to stay, they stay, and if they want to go, they go. Clubs aren't so worried about that."

Chelsea are working to reunite manager Graham Potter with Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister in a January move believed to be worth in the range of £60million.

Mac Allister, 24, has been with Brighton since 2019, and is coming off his most productive Premier League campaign after forcing his way into Potter's best XI to earn 11 consecutive starts to close last season.

His emergence, which was followed up by a fine start to 2022-23, did not go unnoticed, with Mac Allister earning a spot in Argentina's World Cup squad, where he would go on to start all four of his country's knockout games and contribute an assist in the final against France.

Chelsea have spent plenty of time scouting Argentina players in search of midfield reinforcements, having long been linked with Enzo Fernandez, but have reportedly landed on Potter's recent colleague as the best value of the bunch.
 

TOP STORY – CHELSEA LOOK TO BRIGHTON FOR SOLUTION TO MIDFIELD WOES

Chelsea's interest in fellow Argentina standout and Benfica midfielder Fernandez has also been well documented, but with his price tag exceeding £100m, Football Insider is reporting the Stamford Bridge club now view Mac Allister as a better value.

The report states Chelsea have "concrete" interest in making a January move a reality, and that £60m will likely be enough to pry him away from Brighton.

Meanwhile, Portuguese publication Relevo still claims Chelsea's move for Fernandez is only "one step away", confirming the 21-year-old has agreed to personal terms, but indicating Chelsea are hesitant about meeting his full release clause.

ROUND-UP

– According to the Star, Tottenham expect to complete a £35m move for Sporting right-back Pedro Porro by the end of the week.

– A Bola adds Tottenham are also investigating the possibility of bringing back 24-year-old English midfielder Marcus Edwards from Sporting, having initially left the club in 2019.

– Bild is reporting in-demand Borussia Monchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram, 25, will be available for as little as €12m.

– According to Foot Mercato, Morocco and Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou could depart for Bayern Munich or Manchester United in January. 

– Newcastle United have made an offer for 27-year-old Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy, per Foot Mercato.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas labelled Vinicius Junior's criticism of the league's anti-racism work "unfair" after the Real Madrid winger vented his frustration on social media.

Madrid beat Real Valladolid 2-0 at the Jose Zorrilla on Friday, but the match was marred for Vinicius.

The Brazil international wrote on Instagram the following day that "racists continue to go to the stadiums and see the best club in the world up close, and LaLiga continues to do nothing".

Vinicius was substituted during the match and almost hit by several objects thrown from the stands as he walked behind one of the goals, with fans appearing to direct racist chants at him.

Tebas rejected Vinicius' claim that LaLiga is doing nothing to drive racists out of the sport, however.

"At LaLiga we have been fighting racism for years," Tebas tweeted. "Vinicius Junior, it is unfair and not true to publish that 'LaLiga does nothing against racism'.

"Find out more. We are at your disposal so that all together we can go in the same direction."

Also included in the tweet from Tebas was the link to a LaLiga statement that insisted the incidents in Valladolid will be reported to the hate crimes prosecutors' office; additionally, it documented previous instances of complaints being filed with legal authorities, in an attempt to disprove Vinicius' criticism.

"Before the publication of Vinicius Jr, a Real Madrid player, on his social networks making a comment in which he alludes to the lack of action measures by LaLiga in the fight against racism, LaLiga has detected racist insults from someone from the stands of the Zorrilla stadium, [which were] published on social networks," the statement began.

"These events will be reported to the anti-violence commission and the hate crimes prosecutor's office, as has been done on other occasions in which LaLiga, after investigating racist behaviour inside and outside the stadiums, has led the fight against this type of act."

Vinicius Junior has criticised LaLiga bosses for failing to effectively tackle racism after the Real Madrid forward was targeted at Real Valladolid.

The Brazilian had items thrown at him from the stands after he was substituted late on, and shocking footage of verbal abuse emerged after Friday's game.

Madrid sealed a 2-0 win in their first league game since the World Cup, with Karim Benzema getting both goals.

Vinicius posted a picture of himself with Benzema soon after the away victory, with the caption: "God bless us!"

Having considered the unsavoury events of the evening, Vinicius added on social media on Saturday: "Racists continue to go to stadiums and watch the biggest club in the world up close and @LaLiga continues to do nothing...

"I will continue with my head held high and celebrating my victories and those of Madrid. In the end it's MY fault."

Madrid are next in action against fourth-tier Cacereno in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday.

Carlo Ancelotti has described 2022 as one of his "most special years" after guiding Real Madrid to Champions League and LaLiga glory.

Los Blancos' victory over Liverpool in Paris in May saw Ancelotti become the first coach to win Europe's premier club competition on four occasions.

The 63-year-old, who has been linked with the vacant Brazil job, has reflected on a wonderful year and believes it ranks with the best in his career.

"This is a special year that came after a fairly troubled period," he told Il Foglio.

"It was thought that my career was coming to an end. It was a unique season because of how we won, especially in the Champions League.

"Spectacular comebacks, overturning all predictions with a thousand difficulties to overcome. I consider this 2022 among the most special years in my life. Yes, just 12 months to remember."

Despite suggestions he could replace Tite as Brazil boss, Ancelotti insisted his focus remains squarely on Madrid and steering them to yet another Champions League triumph.

"In fact, after the victory you never stop," he added. 

"You immediately think about the future. You lift the Champions League number 14 and they immediately tell you to think about the 15th. 

"It is in the history and tradition of this club. Real Madrid is a football club, I repeat, a football club. Economy and finance are almost in the background. The sport aspect is what matters most. 

"And yet, the budgets have remained in order despite the demanding restructuring of the Santiago Bernabeu and the difficulties of the pandemic years during which all of football has suffered."

Madrid, who sealed a 2-0 win over Valladolid on Friday in their first game since the World Cup, are next in action against fourth-tier Cacereno in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday.

Benfica's Enzo Fernandez starred for Argentina during their triumphant World Cup campaign, prompting speculation of a January transfer.

The 21-year-old was rewarded for his efforts by being named as the Young Player of the Tournament.

Fernandez only joined Benfica from River Plate last year, signing on a five-year deal that expires in 2027.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA TO CONVINCE BENFICA ON FERNANDEZ DEAL

World Cup sensation Enzo Fernandez has agreed to join Chelsea, with the Premier League club's next step to convince Benfica to sell him, claims the Metro.

Fabrizio Romano reports the Blues have opened discussions with the Portuguese club about a transfer, with talk the move could be worth £105million due to a release clause.

Benfica have shown little intention of selling Fernandez and Chelsea already have a back-up plan should the move not materialise in the shape of another Argentinian, Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, according to the Times.

ROUND-UP

– ESPN claims Real Madrid are willing to splash out more than €100m to land Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, who is also being chased by Liverpool .

– Barcelona and Newcastle United are interested in Chelsea midfielder Jorginho, but he wants to re-join Napoli when his Blues contract concludes at the end of this season, claims La Repubblica. Chelsea have also reportedly offered him a new deal.

– Manchester City have beaten Newcastle to the signature of Velez Sarsfield's 19-year-old midfielder Maximo Perrone, reports Team Talk.

– Gianluca di Marzio claims Milan are interested in a short-term move for Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy amid ongoing injury issues for number one Mike Maignan.

– The Daily Mail claims Wolves will let Mexican forward Raul Jimenez exit in January if they manage to land another striker.

– Unai Emery's Aston Villa are keen on Udinese forward Gerard Deulofeu, according to 90min.

Those who celebrate at this time of year will have barely had time to throw away the wrapping paper and store their strange jumpers back in the wardrobe.

Whether they got what they wanted or not, football fans develop a different kind of lust as January approaches, with transfer season opening for another month.

Some big names are already being linked with possible moves, with the most obvious being free agent Cristiano Ronaldo after his release by Manchester United.

Deals are already being put in place for January 1, with Cody Gakpo confirmed to be on his way to Liverpool from PSV.

Before the chaos of the January transfer window begins, Stats Perform has looked at some players who could be in the middle of a tug of war and end the first month of 2023 at a new club.

Cristiano Ronaldo

It seemed a strange thing for Ronaldo to do, but whether it was his intention or not, the Portugal star effectively ended his relationship with Manchester United when he decided to take public swipes at club figures, including manager Erik ten Hag, via an interview with Piers Morgan prior to the World Cup.

It led to the strange situation of seeing his great rival Lionel Messi lift the World Cup at the same time as Ronaldo did not even have a club.

In theory, there should be plenty lining up to offer him a deal, even if he does turn 38 in just over a month. Ronaldo scored 24 goals in 38 games for United last season, and left the club with only four former United players having a better overall goal per game ratio in the Premier League than his 0.44 (Ruud van Nistelrooy – 0.63, Andy Cole – 0.48, Wayne Rooney – 0.47, and Eric Cantona – 0.45).

However, with his wage demands and the likely reputational damage done by the nature of his acrimonious exit from Old Trafford, it does not seem like Europe's biggest clubs are eager to make a move, despite the likes of Bayern Munich, Chelsea and arguably former club Real Madrid seemingly in the market for a striker.

It therefore seems likely Saudi Arabia side Al Nassr could have an unopposed run at him with their reported mega-money offer, though Ronaldo does not need to rush any decision as his free agency status means he can complete a transfer at any time.

Joao Felix

Another Portuguese attacker who looks likely to be playing elsewhere by February, Joao Felix is at the other end of his career, needing to find somewhere to fulfil his early promise.

Joao Felix moved to Atletico Madrid from Benfica for a reported €127million in 2019 at the age of 19 after contributing to 22 goals in 26 Primeira Liga appearances (15 goals, seven assists) but despite brief flashes, has never really come close to living up to that giant fee in Spain.

The 23-year-old has managed 33 goals and 16 assists in 129 appearances for Atletico, but has reportedly fallen out with head coach Diego Simeone, and is now being offered around a host of clubs in England.

Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Aston Villa are supposedly among those agent Jorge Mendes has approached, and all arguably have space in their team for another attacker ahead of the second half of the season.

Wherever he ends up, Joao Felix will hope he can finally produce the promise many saw in him as a teenager and find himself a long-term home to thrive.

Enzo Fernandez

In theory, most of Europe's elite clubs should be kicking themselves right now.

Fernandez only joined Benfica from River Plate at the start of this season for a reported fee of €12m, where he has shone in performances both domestically and in the Champions League.

That earned the midfielder a place in Lionel Scaloni's Argentina squad for the World Cup, and despite starting the tournament on the bench, he forced his way in to become a key part of the team that lifted the trophy in Qatar, earning himself the Best Young Player award in the process.

Unsurprisingly, the sharks are now circling, and Fernandez – who led all players for touches (118), successful passes (77) and tackles (10) in the World Cup final – could be making a swift exit from Lisbon.

Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd and Newcastle have been credited with an interest, though for Benfica to agree to do business mid-season as they sit top of the Primeira Liga and with a Champions League last 16 tie against Club Brugge to come, you would think they will want a huge fee approaching or beyond nine figures just to pick up the phone.

Mykhaylo Mudryk

As with Fernandez, Mudryk is a player who has seen his profile go up quickly in a short space of time.

Before the start of this season, the 21-year-old winger was being courted by the likes of Brentford and Everton, but his performances – particularly in the Champions League – have caught the eye of those higher up the food chain.

Mudryk scored three goals in six games in the Champions League group stage, having also recorded seven goals and six assists in 12 Ukrainian Premier League games prior to the mid-season break.

Arsenal seem to be the most interested party ahead of January, and reportedly have already lodged a bid, but the supposed demands of Shakhtar Donetsk could be what turns this into a saga.

Suggestions are that Shakhtar want up to €100m (£85m), and could try to take advantage of Arsenal's desperation as the Gunners try to maintain their Premier League title challenge after star striker Gabriel Jesus was ruled out for up to three months through injury.

Man Utd and any striker

It is not just players who take part in transfer sagas, clubs do as well, and few do so more often and more spectacularly than the Red Devils.

The will-they-won't-they drama appears to have already started for January as United were seemingly pipped to Gakpo by rivals Liverpool, and alternative names are already popping up in a story that could potentially drag throughout the month.

With a Ronaldo-shaped hole in the team, boss Ten Hag has already said he is seeking reinforcements, emphasising "it has to be the right one."

As well as Felix, United have been linked with moves for Goncalo Ramos, Dusan Vlahovic and even former Old Trafford man Memphis Depay.

With reports that Ten Hag could be limited to the loan market thanks to their heavy spending in the previous window and the Glazers' ongoing attempts to sell the club, perhaps United will be forced to make a move similar to the one that saw Odion Ighalo join temporarily in January 2020.