The sports commentator and journalist shares his insights on rumoured Premier League transfers, potential manager departures and Vinicius Junior's future at Real Madrid.
Football commentator and journalist Ben Jacobs says Liverpool still back Arne Slot and believe their heavy summer investment will pay off despite an underwhelming start to the season and a poor run of form.
Currently 10 points behind leaders Arsenal, Liverpool are now at 33/1 in the football betting odds to win the Premier League, after being clear favourites before the season began.
In our exclusive interview, Jacobs also discussed potential transfers for teams such as Manchester United, Newcastle and Chelsea, as well as sharing insights on the future of some Premier League managers and a potential move away for Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior.
Manchester United have been linked with several midfield targets ahead of the January transfer window. Who is at the top of their wish list in that position and could the club make a move in January or wait until the summer?
I think there’s two wish lists because Manchester United want to add two senior midfielders at a minimum in 2026. That’s because Casemiro’s future is uncertain. Kobbie Mainoo is looking for more game time, and even Bruno Fernandes could assess his future at the end of the season.
A lot may depend on what Manchester United have and what kind of offers are presented to the club as well. With Saudi Arabia interested, even though Bruno Fernandes has said that his priority is to try and stay in Europe, Manchester United are looking to revamp their midfield.
It remains to be seen whether they do some of that in January or wait until the summer. There’s a long list of names due to the fact that they know there’s going to be heavy competition, and they want more than one to arrive.
I think towards the top of their shortlist would be Elliot Anderson at Nottingham Forest and still Carlos Baleba at Brighton. Even though Brighton’s price is expected to be very high during the summer and Baleba hasn’t had the most consistent start to the season either.
But those two are quite high in Manchester United’s thinking. Adam Wharton makes the shortlist, Angelo Stiller as well at Stuttgart, who, for now, has a release clause. Although Stuttgart can buy that out for somewhere in the region of £1.5 million, and then I think Manchester United may look at other opportunistic names specifically for January.
For example, a player like Conor Gallagher could be available mid-season as he seeks game time to try and force his way into Thomas Tuchel’s thinking.
Manchester United tried a loan move for Conor Gallagher in the final few weeks of the summer window, and Atletico Madrid were clear that they had no interest in any kind of temporary exit. We have to see in January if their stance is softened.
I think Manchester United’s position is that it will be easier to do big outlays during the summer. First of all, because the hope is that they’ll have some form of European football and the projected income that goes with it.
And second of all, as the financial rules change to squad cost ratio and not PSR in the summer after the World Cup for Manchester United, because their revenue is really high, it is going to give them a lot more rope to work with, whereas anything big that they do in January will be under PSR and potentially a little bit more challenging.
But Conor Gallagher could be an opportunistic signing for Manchester United, and obviously, if Kobbie Mainoo is to go mid-season, they’ll want another midfielder, and if Atletico Madrid do soften their position and entertain the possibility of a loan, perhaps with an option to buy, which isn’t a given, but Manchester United may explore that.
Then they would have the ability to do a ‘try before they buy’, strengthen mid-season, and still leave the door open to some of the other names that are perhaps higher on the shortlist than Conor Gallagher, but only available in the summer.
Have you heard anything about a potential contingency plan if Ruben Amorim continues to struggle at United?
Ruben Amorim is expected to be given at least until the end of the season. He was under significant pressure, building up to what proved to be a victory against Sunderland before the October international break, and there was, at that point, a concrete possibility that Manchester United might consider a change.
But then, of course, he went on a run which ended with the loss to Everton, but subsequently the side bounced back and got an excellent victory at Crystal Palace away.
So, the Manchester United hierarchy feels like the side has turned a corner at the moment, and they don’t want to make a knee-jerk reaction. So, although Jim Ratcliffe stating that Amorim would have three years, is viewed by sources as optimistic in a results-driven business unless things turn around quickly, it’s also not felt now that Amorim is being judged on a game-by-game basis.
Around October, sources had said pretty clearly that if Ruben Amorim got into the December period, then he would almost certainly be given a minimum until the end of the season to show exactly what he could do.
And as a consequence, Manchester United don’t necessarily have to be drawing up contingency plans at this stage. They’re quite calm about the situation.
Naturally, all well-run clubs do succession planning, and succession planning is very different from interviewing, because it just allows you to have a contingency without necessarily wanting to make a change, and even when a manager is doing well and therefore in demand, well-run clubs tend to have a shortlist because they know that that manager could go.
So, Fulham want Marco Silva to stay. They’ve offered him a new contract, but they also know he’s out of contract in the summer and therefore will simultaneously want the manager to stay, but have to have other names in mind.
Brighton did the same with Roberto De Zerbi, who ended up leaving. So, there are names on the Manchester United list if they are, in the longer term, forced into a change.
And, for example, Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace and Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth are two of them, and Gareth Southgate is appreciated by particularly the Ineos part of Manchester United, but there’s been no outreach yet.
We don’t yet know whether Gareth Southgate even wants to return to club management.
So, if there was a change to be made, there are names, but that doesn’t mean that Manchester United want to make a change or that they’ve approached anyone at this point, and it would be a big surprise now if Ruben Amorim doesn’t get until minimum, at least the end of the season.
Harry Maguire is out of contract in the summer. Is he expected to sign a new deal with Manchester United?
My understanding is Manchester United are delaying making a formal offer to Harry Maguire, but the player is keen on extending.
Initial talks have taken place, and Manchester United have indicated that if they are to extend Harry Maguire’s contract, it would have to be on reduced terms.
From what I understand, Maguire is open to furthering that conversation, but Manchester United are deciding what they want to do. The reason why there’s a delay is that although Harry Maguire would like his future resolved early so he can focus on trying to get into Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, and or not be at a World Cup should he make that squad, and not know what’s happening.
Because Manchester United had this situation with David de Gea where he was out of contract, Manchester United were still trying to get him to sign again on reduced terms.
Eventually, they couldn’t come to an agreement, and there was a period of limbo. Replicating what happened there is exactly what Maguire is trying to avoid so he can fully focus on 2026, knowing if he’s going to get another year at Manchester United.
But Manchester United’s perspective is a little different. They appreciate Maguire on and off the field. They would like, in theory, to find a way of making it work, but there are different variables at play.
The first is simply how many games they’re going to get next season. Because if Maguire has a reduced wage, it might well be that he gets slightly diminished minutes as well.
And if Manchester United are in the same position as this season, where they only have domestic football, even on a reduced wage, it would be a little bit harder for Manchester United to guarantee Harry Maguire the game time to make a new deal worth it.
So, that’s kind of one factor at play as to why Manchester United are still debating what they want to do. And the second aspect is just that Manchester United are looking to move in the market to add some kind of left-sided defender, and we have to wait and see if that’s a left-sided centre back in Maguire’s position.
If that’s a left-sided centre-back who can also play where Maguire does, or if they actually just decide to sign a predominant left-wing-back, which is something that Ruben Amorim is pushing for.
And that again may open the door for a few more minutes for Harry Maguire with or without European football.
So, it’s Manchester United, albeit transparently, because they’ve told Harry Maguire that the timeline to get to a formal offer will be a little bit slower than perhaps the player first anticipated, but it is Manchester United that are delaying, going from initial talks that have already happened to a formal offer, as they assess all of the different variables before deciding what their next step is.
From Maguire’s point of view, he would be willing to reduce his wage, to my understanding, and sign a new short-term deal at Manchester United.
Both Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee have been linked with loan moves away from Old Trafford in January. What is the latest on their futures?
I think both players are looking for game time, and part of that is with the World Cup in mind.
With Kobbie Mainoo, he asked to leave in the final week of the window on a loan deal only with no permanence, and Manchester United said no.
It would be no surprise if Kobbie Mainoo makes exactly the same request in January as well, but it all comes down to Manchester United, who won’t want to weaken their midfield depth without a new player coming in for that position.
So, Kobbie Mainoo may have to be patient. It’s not impossible that he gets a loan move away in January, but it would likely be contingent on Manchester United adding a midfielder mid-season, and if they wait to reinforce their midfield until the summer, then Kobbie Mainoo may not get his wish of a loan move away.
Naturally, Manchester United are not prepared to do England any favours if it’s at the expense of their own team lacking depth. I think that if you look at the injury to Benjamin Sesko and the minor head knock to Matheus Cunha, suddenly Joshua Zirkzee was playing, and he scored a fantastic goal (against Crystal Palace).
That will only underline to Manchester United the need for depth, and exactly the same scenario could just as easily happen in midfield. Suddenly, Kobbie Mainoo would also be playing a little bit more.
So, with Manchester United not wanting to spend crazy money in January, somebody would either have to come in for Kobbie Mainoo and offer them the pure profit that they could get by a permanent exit, and then they might be able to reinvest and find another midfielder, or alternatively, Mainoo might be stuck at Manchester United until the summer when all parties will reassess his situation.
There is interest in Kobbie Mainoo from Premier League clubs. Newcastle United are one team to watch, but for the summer, not for January. West Ham United also like Kobbie Mainoo but would likely only be able to do a loan rather than a permanent signing mid-season.
So, that all depends on Manchester United, and it’s a very similar situation with Josh Zirkzee as well, who is well aware, because he wasn’t called up to the Netherlands squad in the last international breaks, that as it stands, he’s going to struggle to be on the plane for the 2026 World Cup.
And much like Mainoo, that’s led Zirkzee to consider his future. To my knowledge, as of early December, he hasn’t yet told Manchester United that he wants to leave on loan.
But those close to the player are exploring options. If they get to the point of going to Manchester United to discuss his future, they will be aware of which clubs might be prepared to make a move.
West Ham are going to be one to watch with Joshua Zirkzee should he become available, because Nuno Espirito Santo wants a striker and a target man specifically, and Zirkzee ticks both of those boxes.
PSV would be open to a loan to get him the game time necessary to try and force his way into the Netherlands World Cup plans.
But really, Mainoo and Zirkzee are in exactly the same boat. Manchester United are empathetic to their situation, but they’re not about to do England or the Netherlands any favours by just sanctioning a move if it’s at the expense of Manchester United’s squad depth.
Liverpool are not in good form at this moment in time. How much longer does Arne Slot have to save his job? Are there any names being thrown into the mix?
I think at this stage, Liverpool are backing Arne Slot. Naturally, it’s a results-driven business, and the kind of run that Liverpool are on would put any manager under an element of pressure.
But Liverpool’s model is to be patient, and this is not Slot in his first season on this kind of run, this is Slot who won the Premier League in his first season, and that gives him some stock in the bank.
It can be difficult as well because Liverpool spent, including add-ons, £450 million, and it takes time for chemistry with these new players to gel. And a lot of those players, the likes of Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong when he’s fit, Hugo Ekitike, and Alexander Isak, plus Florian Wirtz, would all consider themselves to be starters.
So, Liverpool have had a lot of change, and Slot has struggled to build that chemistry in the early part of this season, but I think Liverpool still feel that their summer recruitment will pay off and that the man who won them the Premier League is capable of turning things around.
I’m not aware, at this stage, of Liverpool drawing up a shortlist to replace Slot, but naturally, a series of poor results at any big club can’t continue indefinitely, and were Liverpool to make a change, and I should stress again, it is just an if because the first priority is to back Slot, and I’m not aware of anybody within Liverpool panicking at this stage, but were they to make a change, we know that there’s a series of names that formed part of the thorough first process to replace Jurgen Klopp that would be touted.
There are some suggestions that Klopp himself might be one of the names. That’s not my understanding. I’d be surprised were Liverpool to make a change if they returned to Klopp.
On the original list, there was obviously Xabi Alonso, who subsequently has gone to Real Madrid. He was quite high in Liverpool’s thinking.
Andoni Iraola, who worked under new sporting director Richard Hughes at Bournemouth, was another name that was discussed, as was Oliver Glasner and even Ange Postecoglou.
So, the beauty for Liverpool is that the thorough process they undertook in finding Slot threw up several other candidates that Liverpool liked, so they wouldn’t be short of options if they felt the need to make a change, but it’s not an active conversation at the moment within Liverpool about replacing Slot.
There’s been no outreach to any other managers. They remain fully supportive of Slot during this difficult period, and let’s not forget a difficult summer for Liverpool as well, with the sad passing of Diogo Jota.
Prior to that, long-running contract extension sagas for Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk, losing Trent Alexander-Arnold as well.
There’s just been a lot of change and, unfortunately, tragedy at Liverpool as well, and you never know the sort of impact on different players of all of these things.
This is why Liverpool are being patient and supportive, and empathetic, and despite reports that Slot is on the brink, I’m still told that Liverpool’s first priority is to back their manager, at least for now.
Promise David from Union Saint-Gilloise has been linked with West Ham, Wolves, and Leeds. Who is leading the race for his signature?
I don’t think anyone’s necessarily leading the race for Promise David, despite various links with Premier League clubs, and that’s because David only signed a contract extension back in June and remains contracted at USG until 2029.
My understanding is that there’s no release clause either. So as far as USG are concerned, they’re ruling out any exit for January, and the only way that would change is if a Premier League club makes an astronomical offer and the player really agitates for the move.
So, although it’s true that some Premier League clubs, for example, Leeds United, have tracked the player, I’m not aware at this stage of any offers. We’ve heard reports in the last few weeks about West Ham United making a formal approach and pushing to try and sign him in January, but that’s not my understanding.
Sources from both West Ham and USG deny any clubs talks or offers, and USG sources are adamant that if Premier League clubs were to come in January, or even before, they would point to the fact that the player is well contracted and has no release clause.
So, barring any surprises, I think Promise David is more likely to be more a player to watch from summer 2026 onwards rather than in the winter market.
Chelsea have reportedly reopened contact with Mike Maignan’s representatives as he has no intention of signing a new deal with AC Milan. Could Chelsea snap him up on a pre-contract deal in January?
Chelsea are quite calm about their goalkeepers, and although it’s true that they held some initial talks for Mike Maignan before the Club World Cup.
Milan’s asking price of in excess of £20 million was far higher than Chelsea were prepared to pay, and at that point, they were looking at Mike Maignan purely out of opportunism, but relatively content if they didn’t get him because they felt that all of their goalkeepers offered Enzo Maresca plenty of choices.
Since then, Robert Sanchez was one of the best goalkeepers at the Club World Cup, and he’s made a very positive start to the season. Chelsea sources, therefore, steer away from the notion that another experienced number one is just going to come in. Part of that is because, last summer Chelsea might have considered a more experienced goalkeeper, but by the time they reach next summer, Mike Penders will have completed a full season with Strasbourg. Even though he’s young, Chelsea feel he could be a generational talent.
In the same way that Senne Lammens, another Belgian, has come straight into Manchester United and carries authority and consistency between the sticks. Chelsea sees no reason why, once his Strasbourg loan ends, Mike Penders can’t challenge for the number one spot at Chelsea, and they’ll be reticent about stifling Pender’s pathway, coupled with the fact that Rob Sanchez is a worthy number one as it stands.
So, there’s no guarantee that Chelsea will bring in a box office or established goalkeeper, but of course, Mike Maignan is a market opportunity, and as of now, his position is exactly the same as over the summer, that he doesn’t want to sign a new Milan deal.
Over the summer, he was dealing with a situation where he wanted the Chelsea move, and Milan had no European football. Come summer 2026, we’ll have to wait and see whether his position on signing a new deal potentially changes because Milan might get Champions League football, and he may decide at the last minute that he does want to engage in talks.
But as it stands, those talks haven’t happened, and Maignan is exploring other options, but I think the idea that Chelsea will simply return is, at this stage, downplayed because they’re quite happy with their goalkeeping options. The other Chelsea goalkeeper name to watch is obviously Philipp Jorgensen, who is the number two at the moment to Rob Sanchez and is exploring potential options, with a view to locking down the Denmark number one spot because Kasper Schmeichel came under criticism in the loss to Scotland and the draw with Belarus.
Mads Hermansen has lost out as the number one at West Ham to Alphonse Areola, so the door is open for Jorgensen if he gets game time to claim the number one spot for Denmark, and if they end up qualifying for the World Cup, he’ll be desperate to get more minutes in the second half of the season.
So, Chelsea sources have said quite clearly that they don’t intend to loan Jorgensen, and if anyone were to try and buy Jorgensen, it would likely cost above the £21 million pounds that Chelsea paid.
But he could sort of be the key to understanding what Chelsea do next in the goalkeepers market, because were he to go, Chelsea wouldn’t allow their goalkeepers to be too thin, so then they would have to add another goalkeeper and that’s where some of the names we’ve heard linked might suddenly become a little bit more prominent in Chelsea’s thinking.
But if Jorgensen stays, Sanchez continues to do well, and Penders lives up to his billing, then I actually think there’s a fair chance that Chelsea won’t do too much on the goalkeepers’ front, and certainly not mid-season.
Newcastle are said to be keen on signing AZ Alkmaar’s 19-year-old Dutch midfielder Kees Smit. Is he someone who’s on Eddie Howe’s radar?
Newcastle really like Smit. He’s only nineteen, and AZ are aware that suitors are circling, and Newcastle are definitely one of them, specifically for January.
The Newcastle interest is not new because they also made an enquiry to AZ over the summer. At that point, they were told the player is simply not for sale, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if they return in January to try and test AZ’s resolve once again.
I think we’re going to see a real battle here, and clubs that want Smit are going to have to be prepared to be quite aggressive, but also potentially move as quickly as possible to get ahead of the market because it isn’t just Newcastle United.
Several other clubs are also interested in his signature, for example, Real Madrid and even Barcelona. Dortmund have looked, and Manchester United have discussed Schmidt too.
So, I think we’ll hit a situation where clubs may want to try and get ahead of the market and move quickly to see if anything is possible in January. But it will all come down to AZ because, as far as I’m aware, there’s no release clause in his contract, and AZ would prefer to keep the player in January, barring a crazy offer.
That valuation might make them change their mind because it’ll have to be around €60 million or potentially £60 million.
Otherwise, it may be a case of genuine interest and enquiries mid-season, but clubs have to wait until the summer, when maybe AZ’s stance is more likely to be softened.
But the challenge for Newcastle is that there’s heavy competition. It’s big money, and AZ don’t really want to sell mid-season, and by the time we get to the summer, other clubs may enter the race, some of which could have things that Newcastle don’t potentially have – Champions League football.
So Schmidt, for me, is very likely to move in 2026, but it’s not a given that that happens mid-season.
What do you know about the links between Tottenham and Porto’s Spanish striker Samu Aghehowa?
Tottenham want another striker and likely somebody in the number nine mould, and they could still add a left winger as well.
I think it’s going to be difficult for anybody to get Samu mid-season without paying above the odds. The release clause, I don’t think, is in play here because it’s understood to be around €100 million, so no club is really entertaining triggering that.
Samu would be expensive mid-season and, at this stage, I think the players’ side are just trying to understand whether anybody might be prepared to do something mid-season. Certainly, by the summer, Tottenham will add another number nine. We hear a lot about a Harry Kane return.
Even though Kane keeps saying that he’s only focused on Bayern, there is actually a release clause for the summer of €65 million that has to be triggered in January.
So, we have a slightly strange situation with Kane where if people want to try their luck, even though he is intimating he might extend at Bayern, and even though Kane will continue to bat off any interest until after the World Cup, before clarifying his future. If somebody specifically wants Kane’s release clause, they have to take steps in January to trigger that specifically for the summer.
So that’s a slightly atypical transfer, and we may get a bit more clarity on Kane’s future in the early part of the year, even though there’s no suggestion that he will move mid-season.
Thomas Frank has said that Harry Kane is very welcome back at Tottenham Hotspur, so we’ll have to understand whether Spurs take any steps on that front in the winter market.
There are a lot of links as well with Ivan Toney that have been put out there because of the Thomas Frank connection. But again, my understanding is that Al-Ahli doesn’t want to let Toney go mid-season, so a move away from Saudi Arabia is unlikely, and a move back to England for Toney is difficult because of the tax implications as well.
Coming back to Samu, it would likely take in excess of 80, if not €90 million, to start a conversation with Porto mid-season.
And the other thing is that the player himself is very loyal to Porto, because he almost had a move to Chelsea in the summer, where Conor Gallagher went to Atletico Madrid and Chelsea had arranged a medical for Samu as part of a deal that would see him go the other way.
Then at the last minute, Chelsea pivoted to Joao Felix and Samu was kind of left in limbo and he subsequently went to Porto, and now he’s settled and scoring.
From what I gather, he’s not the kind of player agitating for a move away. He’s highly appreciative of how Porto acted and what they’ve done for his career, after he was kind of left in limbo, thinking that he was going to get the Chelsea move.
So then, if you fast forward to the summer, Newcastle enquired about Samu, before finally deciding that they were going to go instead for Nick Woltemade, and they’ve added Yoane Wissa as well. I think it is unlikely that Newcastle would return, but the reason why that’s important in the context of Spurs is that when they made that enquiry to Newcastle, they were also quoted this number of between 80 and 90 million euros.
In terms of January and Spurs, to go for a player like Samu, who’s young and hasn’t played in the Premier League, I think for January anyway, would be seen as too high for them to proceed.
But as I said before, what’s absolutely true is that Tottenham are starting to draw up a list of number nines for 2026 because they do need reinforcements with Dominic Solanke injured.
Richarlison is playing and scoring but not really having much other support aside from Kolo Muani. So, I think left wing and striker will be two positional priorities for Tottenham in 2026.
Sunderland are believed to be interested in AC Milan’s 24-year-old Mexico striker Santiago Gimenez following his struggles at San Siro. Where is he most likely to end up?
Santiago Gimenez could be a market opportunity in 2026 because it hasn’t quite worked out for him at Milan, and the feeling is that Milan are going to have to facilitate, financially speaking, some sales in 2026.
That’s definitely alerted suitors to the market opportunity of Santiago Gimenez, who almost ended up moving to Nottingham Forest over the summer before he made the move to Milan.
But in the end, Forest couldn’t agree a deal with the player, even though they had a club to club agreement and that’s quite important in this context, because one of the issues between Forest and Santiago Giménez, even though Forest have some form of European football, is the player wanted a reasonably high wage and to join a long-term project where he thought he could play Champions League football week in, week out.
As a result, suitors now that can’t match that wage or offer the prospect of regular European football may be able to get a club-to-club agreement, but will have to work pretty hard on convincing the player.
So, although Sunderland likes Santiago Gimenez and this is indeed an interest driven by their excellent sporting director, it remains to be seen whether Santiago Gimenez would move to a Premier League club that he feels can’t offer him regular European football.
What’s fascinating, of course, about Sunderland is that they are on course for some kind of European football, and at the moment they’re in the top six. So, that may also change Gimenez’s thinking, but as it stands, Milan are certainly willing to listen to offers.
Even though the player is relatively new, he would likely cost in excess of £20 million, and some sources say in excess of £25 million, and that might be the magic sort of ballpark to persuade Milan to sell.
Sunderland could be one to watch, but just a word of caution there, because Nottingham Forest had a club-to-club agreement, and I think suitors feel they could get to the same position with Milan.
But that doesn’t mean that the player would agree to a project that he doesn’t think could give him long-term Champions League football, which was one of the reasons why he chose to go to Milan over Nottingham Forest.
David Moyes is believed to be keen on tying James Garner down to a new contract with his existing deal expiring in the summer. But Garner has been linked with a departure. Where do you think his long-term future lies?
There are clubs that are keeping an eye on the James Garner situation, but Everton’s priority is to keep him. I’m not aware yet of anything advanced over a new deal, but David Moyes would like him to commit his long-term future to the club.
The reason why Everton haven’t moved yet is because there’s also the option to extend his contract for a further year, so this is not as simple as just losing him or extending him.
Everton could trigger the one-year extension and then buy themselves more time to agree a new deal with Garner, and that’s why his long-term future or his medium-term future, if you factor in the extension, is expected to be at Everton. But clubs are looking at his form so far this season and wondering whether there’s the possibility to prise him away.
I’m actually told one of those clubs is Augsburg in Germany, and another is Brentford, who are keeping an eye on the situation. But I think if Everton don’t move to extend the contract of Garner, they may simply trigger the one-year extension, which means that they’re protected against an exit in 2026.
From Garner’s perspective, he’s enjoying his football at Everton and is happy to stay.
Arsenal are reportedly tracking Elche’s Spanish midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza, who has a £17.5m release clause in his contract. Could we see them make a move for him in the winter window?
Something could be possible. There is a release clause set at €20 million, which is about £17.5 million.
Several clubs, including Arsenal, have been scouting the player in October and November in particular. So there could be a possibility that offers come for the Elche player in the winter market. There’s also interest from both Italy and La Liga as well.
But from Arsenal’s point of view, having done a major revamp in several positions in the summer window, what they are now looking to do is add some younger players for the future.
That could be players who are part of the first-team plans and squad. An example of that is obviously Cristhian Mosquera, who’s been excellent, but they could also be the kind of players that bed in and take a season or two to develop before getting significant first-team opportunities.
What Arsenal, and Andrea Berta in particular, like about Rodri Mendoza is that he offers power and height in the centre of the park, and he has excellent tactical acumen as well.
This is a player that can really be the engine room of a side and is potentially one for both the present and the future. But we’re certainly seeing a point of difference in Arsenal’s recruitment between the summer and 2026.
Summer was about first-teamers, many of whom could be dropped straight into the starting line-up, such as Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze or Victor Perez.
Now Arsenal are looking a little bit younger and trying to sign some of the top talents that are either teenagers or, alternatively, in their early twenties.
Along with Mendoza, and with an Arsenal bid a possibility, Arsenal have also agreed a deal in principle to sign two Ecuadorian twins by the name of Edwin and Holger Quintero from Independiente del Valle, who have this incredible history of bringing through talent, including Moisés Caicedo and Kendry Páez.
These are two players who are expected to join Arsenal when they turn eighteen in August 2027.
Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior has not yet signed a new contract at the Bernabeu. Could he sign for a Premier League team in the near future?
Well, I wouldn’t say Vini Junior is unlikely to sign a new Real Madrid contract. I would just say that he’s unlikely right now to sign that contract, and we’ll have to wait and see how things develop, in terms of his relationship with Xabi Alonso. And some say even Alonso’s own long-term future at Real Madrid as well. So there’s quite a lot of variables at play, and I think some games going on as well.
Last year it appeared like Vini was quite close to simply extending at Real Madrid, and he said very publicly and repeatedly that he was almost intent on being a Real Madrid player for life.
But since Carlo Ancelotti left and we’ve got into the new season, the dynamic has changed, and although sources close to Real Madrid and Xabi Alonso deny a personal breakdown in relationship between Vini Junior and the new manager, there’s a different side of the story coming from the player camp who feel that they’ve been unfairly treated by the Real Madrid boss.
So this is quite a fluid situation. I don’t think a new deal is entirely off the table, but regardless of the Alonso relationship with Vini Jr, there’s also cost from Real Madrid’s perspective as well, because in the talks that have already taken place between Vini Jr and Real Madrid, the player has been asking for a salary of somewhere in the region of €30 million per year.
And Real Madrid are not intent, or even arguably able, to go that high, so cost could be a consideration as well.
With Vini Junior’s current contract expiring in summer 2027, suitors are starting to realize there may be a bargain to be had here, as far as club-to-club negotiations are concerned.
A move to the Premier League is also complicated by the required wage of Vini Junior, and there are no clubs at this stage that have made a meaningful approach to Real Madrid. But Saudi could be one to watch as well.
Vini Junior’s representatives, ROC Nation, have been in on-off talks with Saudi Arabia for quite some time, and they’ve made it clear that if Vini becomes open to Saudi Arabia, there’s a five-year contract on the table worth roughly a €1 billion euros.
So that would obviously work out to somewhere in the region of €200 million euros a season, giving him an equivalent salary to Cristiano Ronaldo, maybe even a little bit higher. And that could make Vini Junior the highest-earning footballer in the world. So that’s the kind of developing plotline to watch.
If Saudi Arabia gets any encouragement from Vini Junior, I’m told that Al-Ahli in Jeddah is his most likely destination. And potentially after the World Cup, Vini Junior is more open to Saudi than before it.
Then the final thing is, we have heard some reports that Real might consider a world-record bid. So not just a world-record salary to Vini Junior, but a world-record bid. It’s not impossible.
But we should note that Saudi deal-makers were prepared to table a world-record bid in summer 2025. But a year on, and with Vini Junior only having a year left of his contract, Saudi may feel that they would be bidding against themselves, so perhaps the offer to Real Madrid would be a little bit lower than some of the numbers speculated in 2026.
But Real have got a big decision to make, because there is genuine interest in Vini Junior. If they don’t get a new contract agreed, they obviously risk losing him after next summer for a nominal fee, or on a free transfer in summer 2027.
Don’t discount all of this leverage, offers, and disharmony just being used as part of a wider game, though. I still don’t think a Vini Junior extension is entirely off the table at the Bernabéu.
Harvey Elliott seems to be out of favour at Aston Villa. There is an obligation for Villa to buy, but where does his immediate future lie?
Harvey Elliott definitely faces an uncertain future. And it’s complicated because the deal with Villa has an obligation to buy if Harvey Elliott makes ten appearances this season, and he’s already played five of those.
So, five more appearances and Villa have to buy. That’s a factor in why he’s been frozen out.
Then, to add to the complexity, there’s also no release clause for Liverpool to recall the player either, which means that Harvey Elliott is in a little bit of limbo at this stage. It appears that Aston Villa don’t want that obligation to buy triggered.
And even if Harvey Elliott continues to train well, and be a model professional, Unai Emery is putting his favour in Morgan Rodgers, John McGinn and Youri Tielemans in midfield, and maybe the thing that’s been the biggest surprise this season is Emi Buendia, who a year ago was out of Aston Villa’s plans. He is back in them and also getting regular game time and seemingly above Harvey Elliott in the pecking order as well.
So, all of this leads to Aston Villa not wanting to give Elliott nominal minutes at the end of games and sparse appearances, and then suddenly find they hit the ten and have to buy the player.
I would say as of now, it is unlikely that Aston Villa will trigger that obligation to buy Harvey Elliott. Not much is expected to change in the short term in terms of his minutes.
Aston Villa may go back to Liverpool and see whether any kind of recall is possible in January, but Liverpool have no intent to do Villa any favours and just take the player back, because their own midfield is relatively well stocked in that position as well.
All of this makes it an extremely complicated and difficult situation that is becoming increasingly sensitive. Some sources say tense.
Solution number one is he stays at Villa. Solution number two is that Liverpool agrees to take Harvey Elliott back. Solution number three is that another suitor comes in and tries to buy Harvey Elliott.
The complication there is the fact that Liverpool still value Harvey Elliott at around £35 million, and the fact that he’s not playing at Aston Villa, in Liverpool’s eyes, is not diminishing his value.
Because Liverpool point to what he did at Anfield and a sensational series of games with the under-21 side over the summer. Both of those factors, in Liverpool’s eyes, trump the fact that he’s out of favour at Villa at the moment.
So, if somebody comes in mid-season to try and buy Harvey Elliott off Liverpool, my understanding is there’ll be no cut price sale and offers will be required at £35 million or above to make Liverpool engage. It’s a very unusual situation.
Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers are potential names to replace Daniel Farke should Leeds pull the trigger – are those the top two candidates being monitored at the moment?
Daniel Farke faces a key period ahead because certain figures at the club expect him to be sacked if they lose their next two games.
Although Leeds were cruelly beaten at Manchester City – another tough fixture – the results have to change quite sharply. Otherwise, there is a possibility that a change will be made before the festive fixtures.
Because ultimately, Leeds are close to the relegation zone and they need positive results. So I would say Farke’s fate is in the balance. This is why several names are being linked.
At the moment, Leeds haven’t actually made an approach to any other manager, but that could change quickly if results don’t improve. I am told there is substance to Leeds’s appreciation of Brendan Rodgers, but don’t be surprised if Rodgers is less intent on taking a gig that – if it doesn’t go according to plan – could result in him managing in the Championship.
I think Brendan Rodgers feels he can be patient and potentially get a more stable Premier League gig.
Ange Postecoglou is another name that’s been discussed, but there’s been no outreach to him at the moment. Leeds may feel they need a more defensive option.
Gary O’Neil is another name I’ve heard as a possibility – the kind of manager that could, like Rob Edwards going into the Wolves, give Leeds the opportunity to find a manager who would be willing to manage them but also stay if they ended up going down.
So Leeds have a big decision to make. The process is going to be driven by 49ers Enterprises, and they are prepared to make a change if results don’t improve over the next two games.
Eddie Howe seems reluctant to let Joe Willock go despite links with a move away. Could it be out of Howe’s hands when you take PSR into account?
I think Newcastle’s PSR situation is a bit healthier than it was two summers ago, when they were forced to sell Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest and Yankuba Minteh to Brighton.
Now they, of course, have Champions League money for this season, and Newcastle have also received the record fee from Alexander Isak’s sale as well. So financially speaking, Newcastle feel like they’ve got a bit more rope to work with.
Of course, the financial rules change in summer 2026 to squad cost ratio, and that’s important because if Newcastle get Champions League again, they will have increased revenue and potentially a little bit more leeway to work with, financially speaking, compared to PSR.
So, I don’t think Newcastle are scrambling for sales due to PSR in the same way that they were a few summers ago, but it will remain of some concern to Newcastle, especially if they choose to be aggressive and make more additions in the market.
With Joe Willock, a bit like Martin Dúbravka, Eddie Howe really values the player. But I think Eddie Howe’s role in recruitment is not the same in terms of autonomy as it was two summers ago, or even last summer when Newcastle didn’t have a sporting director.
Now, I think the final call on Joe Willock will be made by the new sporting director, Ross Wilson, who’s widely seen as an excellent operator, and he will decide what to do with a player like Joe Willock.
It’s not to say that Eddie Howe won’t have input, but the manager under Newcastle’s recruitment model will not have the final or the only say.
There is a possibility that we see a Willock exit in 2026, perhaps more likely this summer than January. Crystal Palace could be one to watch here because they really like the player and have made enquiries in the past.
