The Premier League may have lost one Portuguese star in Cristiano Ronaldo, but it is set to gain another as Joao Felix is set to join Chelsea on a season-long loan.
Speaking of Ronaldo, Manchester United may have found his replacement in Wout Weghorst, who was relegated from the Premier League with Burnley but is back to scoring goals on loan at Besiktas.
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s pursuit of Mykhailo Mudryk continues and Leeds are preparing to break their club transfer record to get their new centre-forward.
Read on below as SBOTOP rounds up all the latest transfer news and rumours from around the Premier League.
Chelsea close to Joao Felix loan deal but Enzo deal ‘closed’
Chelsea are reportedly closing in on a loan deal for Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix. The deal is worth around €11m, with the Blues set to pay the Portuguese youngster’s wages.
The 23-year-old has scored 25 goals with 13 assists in 96 games after his mega €126m move to Atleti in 2019, but he has struggled to solidify a place in Diego Simeone’s side.
Joao Felix joins Graham Potter’s Chelsea, who are struggling mightily with just one win in their last eight Premier League matches and only five goals scored during that time.
Chelsea have already signed young forward David Datro Fofana and have also been linked with French forward Marcus Thuram as they look for an attacking spark.
But while Chelsea are closing in on Joao Felix, their hopes of landing World Cup-winning midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica appear to be ‘closed’. That’s according to Roger Schmidt, who stressed that the Argentina star is a Benfica player.
The Blues have already added Brazilian teenage midfielder Andrey Santos to help bolster their midfield, but losing out on a player of Enzo’s calibre will be a tough blow for Chelsea.
Man United turn to Wout Weghorst in striker search
Manchester United have turned to Wout Weghorst in their search for a centre-forward after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia.
The 30-year-old is currently on loan at Besiktas from Burnley, who were relegated from the Premier League last season. Weghorst scored just 2 goals in 20 appearances for the Clarets, but he has 8 goals and 4 assists in 16 games in the Turkish league this season and delivered some late heroics for the Netherlands in the World Cup.
The Red Devils have also been linked with Weghorst’s Dutch compatriot and former United player, Memphis Depay, who is now out of favour at Barcelona, as well as Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram.
And on the other side of the pitch, Manchester United signed Jack Butland on loan from Crystal Palace to be their new back-up goalkeeper after Martin Dubravka was recalled by Newcastle United.
Meanwhile, the rumours linking centre-back Harry Maguire with a move to Aston Villa are apparently off the mark, with the England international set to stay at Old Trafford despite falling down the defender pecking order this season.
Mudryk’s Arsenal move far from done deal
Premier League leaders Arsenal still haven’t sealed the deal for their top target in this winter transfer window, Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk.
The Gunners are still in discussions with Shakhtar Donetsk for the star winger, although there is still some way to go for a deal to be struck, with the transfer fee a significant sticking point.
Arsenal’s Premier League 2023 odds of winning the title are looking good as they remain five points clear of champions Manchester City at the top of the table. But they need to get some attacking reinforcements during this transfer window after losing star striker Gabriel Jesus for the next few months with a knee injury.
Tottenham keeping track of Leandro Trossard
Tottenham Hotspur are one of several clubs who are reportedly keeping a close eye on Brighton winger Leandro Trossard.
The 28-year-old Trossard has been one of Brighton’s brightest stars this season as he’s scored a team-leading 7 goals.
Spurs already have four top forwards in Harry Kane, who is having another fantastic season with 15 goals, Son Heung-min, Richarlison, and Dejan Kulusevski.
However, Son has been unable to recreate his Golden Boot-winning form of last season, while Kulusevski has been hit with injuries.
Veteran Lucas Moura and youngster Bryan Gil have also been out of favour under Antonio Conte, so having another versatile option in Trossard – who can play wing-back, which Conte will appreciate – could be what Tottenham need.
Leeds ready to break transfer record for Georginio Rutter
Leeds United are close to signing Hoffenheim forward Georginio Rutter for a club transfer record of £35.3m. The Whites have reportedly agreed to personal terms with the French forward and are just ironing out the other details of the deal.
If that deal does go through, it would shatter Leeds’ current record of £27m, which they set by signing Rodrigo Moreno upon returning to the Premier League in 2020.
The 20-year-old Rutter has 2 goals in 15 appearances for Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga this season, but he was their leading scorer last season with 8 goals at age 19.
Leeds, who also added centre-back Max Wober from Red Bull Salzburg last week, are desperate to add more depth at centre-forward. Rodrigo has provided plenty of Premier League 2023 highlights with 10 goals in 16 games, but Patrick Bamford has been unable to stay fit and be a capable backup for the Spanish striker.
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